Poems and Songs of Robert Burns: Terminology: B

Ba', a ball.
Backet, bucket, box.
Backit, backed.
Backlins-comin, coming back.
Back-yett, gate at the back.
Bade, endured.
Bade, asked.
Baggie, stomach.
Baig'nets, bayonets.
Baillie, magistrate of a Scots burgh.
Bainie, bony.
Bairn, child.
Bairntime, brood.
Baith, both.
Bakes, biscuits.
Ballats, ballads.
Balou, lullaby.
Ban, swear.
Ban', band (of the Presbyterian clergyman).
Bane, bone.
Bang, an effort; a blow; a large number.
Bang, to thump.
Banie, v. bainie.
Bannet, bonnet.
Bannock, bonnock, a thick oatmeal cake.
Bardie, dim. of bard.
Barefit, barefooted.
Barket, barked.
Barley-brie, or bree, barley-brew-ale or whiskey.
Barm, yeast.
Barmie, yeasty.
Barn-yard, stackyard.
Bartie, the Devil.
Bashing, abashing.
Batch, a number.
Batts, the botts; the colic.
Bauckie-bird, the bat.
Baudrons, Baudrans, the cat.
Bauk, cross-beam.
Bauk, v. bawk.
Bauk-en', beam-end.
Bauld, bold.
Bauldest, boldest.
Bauldly, boldly.
Baumy, balmy.
Bawbee, a half-penny.
Bawdrons, v. baudrons.
Bawk, a field path.
Baws'nt, white-streaked.
Bear, barley.
Beas', beasts, vermin.
Beastie, dim. of beast.
Beck, a curtsy.
Beet, feed, kindle.
Beild, v. biel.
Belang, belong.
Beld, bald.
Bellum, assault.
Bellys, bellows.
Belyve, by and by.
Ben, a parlor (i.e., the inner apartment); into the parlor.
Benmost, inmost.
Be-north, to the northward of.
Be-south, to the southward of.
Bethankit, grace after meat.
Beuk, a book: devil's pictur'd beuks-playing-cards.
Bicker, a wooden cup.
Bicker, a short run.
Bicker, to flow swiftly and with a slight noise.
Bickerin, noisy contention.
Bickering, hurrying.
Bid, to ask, to wish, to offer.
Bide, abide, endure.
Biel, bield, a shelter; a sheltered spot.
Biel, comfortable.
Bien, comfortable.
Bien, bienly, comfortably.
Big, to build.
Biggin, building.
Bike, v. byke.
Bill, the bull.
Billie, fellow, comrade, brother.
Bings, heaps.
Birdie, dim. of bird; also maidens.
Birk, the birch.
Birken, birchen.
Birkie, a fellow.
Birr, force, vigor.
Birring, whirring.
Birses, bristles.
Birth, berth.
Bit, small (e.g., bit lassie).
Bit, nick of time.
Bitch-fou, completely drunk.
Bizz, a flurry.
Bizz, buzz.
Bizzard, the buzzard.
Bizzie, busy.
Black-bonnet, the Presbyterian elder.
Black-nebbit, black-beaked.
Blad, v. blaud.
Blae, blue, livid.
Blastet, blastit, blasted.
Blastie, a blasted (i.e., damned) creature; a little wretch.
Blate, modest, bashful.
Blather, bladder.
Blaud, a large quantity.
Blaud, to slap, pelt.
Blaw, blow.
Blaw, to brag.
Blawing, blowing.
Blawn, blown.
Bleer, to blear.
Bleer't, bleared.
Bleeze, blaze.
Blellum, a babbler; a railer; a blusterer.
Blether, blethers, nonsense.
Blether, to talk nonsense.
Bletherin', talking nonsense.
Blin', blind.
Blink, a glance, a moment.
Blink, to glance, to shine.
Blinkers, spies, oglers.
Blinkin, smirking, leering.
Blin't, blinded.
Blitter, the snipe.
Blue-gown, the livery of the licensed beggar.
Bluid, blood.
Bluidy, bloody.
Blume, to bloom.
Bluntie, a stupid.
Blypes, shreds.
Bobbed, curtsied.
Bocked, vomited.
Boddle, a farthing.
Bode, look for.
Bodkin, tailor's needle.
Body, bodie, a person.
Boggie, dim. of bog.
Bogle, a bogie, a hobgoblin.
Bole, a hole, or small recess in the wall.
Bonie, bonnie, pretty, beautiful.
Bonilie, prettily.
Bonnock, v. Bannock.
'Boon, above.
Boord, board, surface.
Boord-en', board-end.
Boortress, elders.
Boost, must needs.
Boot, payment to the bargain.
Bore, a chink, recess.
Botch, an angry tumor.
Bouk, a human trunk; bulk.
Bountith, bounty.
'Bout, about.
Bow-hough'd, bandy-thighed.
Bow-kail, cabbage.
Bow't, bent.
Brachens, ferns.
Brae, the slope of a hill.
Braid, broad.
Broad-claith, broad-cloth.
Braik, a harrow.
Braing't, plunged.
Brak, broke.
Brak's, broke his.
Brankie, gay, fine.
Branks, a wooden curb, a bridle.
Bran'y, brandy.
Brash, short attack.
Brats, small pieces, rags.
Brats, small children.
Brattle, a scamper.
Brattle, noisy onset.
Braw, handsome, fine, gaily dressed.
Brawlie, finely, perfectly, heartily.
Braxies, sheep that have died of braxie (a disease).
Breastie, dim. of breast.
Breastit, sprang forward.
Brechan, ferns.
Breeks, breeches.
Breer, brier.
Brent, brand.
Brent, straight, steep (i.e., not sloping from baldness).
Brie, v. barley-brie.
Brief, writ.
Brier, briar.
Brig, bridge.
Brisket, breast.
Brither, brother.
Brock, a badger.
Brogue, a trick.
Broo, soup, broth, water; liquid in which anything is cooked.
Brooses, wedding races from the church to the home of the bride.
Brose, a thick mixture of meal and warm water; also a synonym for
porridge.
Browster wives, ale wives.
Brugh, a burgh.
Brulzie, brulyie, a brawl.
Brunstane, brimstone.
Brunt, burned.
Brust, burst.
Buckie, dim. of buck; a smart younker.
Buckle, a curl.
Buckskin, Virginian: the buckskin kye, negroes.
Budget, tinker's bag of tools.
Buff, to bang, to thump.
Bughtin, folding.
Buirdly, stalwart.
Bum, the buttocks.
Bum, to hum.
Bum-clock, beetle, cockchafer, Junebug.
Bummle, a drone, a useless fellow.
Bunker, a seat.
Bunters, harlots.
Burdies, dim. of bird or burd (a lady); maidens.
Bure, bore.
Burn, a rivulet.
Burnewin, the blacksmith (i.e., burn the wind).
Burnie, dim. of burn, a rivulet.
Burr-thistle, spear-thistle.
Busk, to dress; to garb; to dress up; to adorn.
Buss, a bush.
Bussle, bustle.
But, without.
But, butt, in the kitchen (i.e., the outer apartment).
By, past, aside.
By, beside.
By himsel, beside himself.
Bye attour (i.e., by and attour), beside and at a distance.
Byke, a bees' nest; a hive; a swarm; a crowd.
Byre, a cow-house.