Entries starting with B

Compressive coupler force that occurs during a slack bunched condition.

buffer

Anything used to isolate or minimize the effect of one thing on another.

buffer beam

A transverse metal beam at each end of a rail vehicle on which buffers, couplings, brake pipes etc. are mounted.

buffer car

A nonhazardous railroad freight car in a train, typically used to separate locomotives and their crews from freight cars carrying hazardous materials.

buffer stop

a device installed at the end of a railway line or siding, which is intended to stop trains and other rail vehicles going any further.

buffer up

verbRail equipment

To move (a rail vehicle) so that its buffers are touching the buffers of another rail vehicle.

buffet

nounAviation maintenance

The vibration of an aircraft when flying in or approaching a stall, caused by separation of airflow from the aircraft's wings.

buffet car

A railway carriage in which food and drink can be bought at a counter, and either taken to another carriage or consumed at the seating provided.

bug

nounAviation maintenance

A manually positioned marker in flight instruments.

buhl

nounWoodworking

A particularly decorative piece of brass or other material, used as inlay in furniture or other works.

buhl work

nounWoodworking

Carved pieces of brass or other material for inlay in furniture and other woodwork.

A legal mechanism in the United States where, if a municipality fails to comply with state laws regarding the development of new housing, a developer can bypass or ignore certain zoning laws and begin construction in an expedited manner, or can use other legal remedies.

building site

The site, the place where a building is located, is currently under construction, or shall be constructed (including structures other than buildings).

built-up roof

A continuous, semi-flexible roof membrane, consisting of multiple plies of saturated felts, coated felts, fabrics or mats assembled in place with alternate layers of bitumen, and surfaced with mineral aggregate, bituminous materials, a liquid-applied coating or a granule-surfaced cap sheet.

bulb

nounMarine and shipyard

A bulbous protuberance at the forefoot of certain vessels to reduce turbulence.

bulb tee

A T-beam with a web (vertical section) thickened into a bulbous part at its lower edge.

bulger

A capacitor with a bulging top.

bulk

Unpackaged goods when transported in large volumes, e.g. coal, ore, or grain.

bulkhead

A partition or panel through which connectors pass, or a connector designed to pass through a partition.

bull

verbAgricultural equipment

To be in heat; to be ready for mating with a bull.

bull dust

A very fine, powdery red dust prevalent in arid outback regions, which accumulates in potholes or on unsealed roads, creating a deceptive, flat appearance before vehicles sink into it.

bull pump

A direct single-acting pumping engine, in which the steam cylinder is placed above the pump.

bulletproof vest

nounTextile production

A garment worn over the torso that protects against projectiles.

bullhead rail

A type of rail, most commonly used in the United Kingdom (now obsolescent), with a head and foot similar in cross-section, that is supported in cast-iron chairs and secured in the chairs by wooden wedges (known as "keys") or steel springs.

bullion

nounGlass and ceramics

The mark left on a glass piece from its attachment to a punty.

bullnose

A rounded ceramic trim, especially in masonry and ceramic tile.

bullseye

nounGlass and ceramics

The mark left on a glass piece from its attachment to a punty.

bump

A sudden movement of underground strata, preceded by a characteristic sound.

bumper

Parts at the front and back of a vehicle which are meant to absorb the impact of a collision; fender.

bumper jack

A jack designed to lift a car by its bumper.

bunch

An unusual concentration of ore in a lode or a small, discontinuous occurrence or patch of ore in the wallrock.

buncher

nounManufacturing

Something that bunches or causes to bunch.

bunk

nounMarine and shipyard

A built-in bed on board ship, often erected in tiers one above the other.

bunker

The coal compartment on a tank engine; it can also refer to that on a tender engine.

bunker fuel

A type of extremely viscous, heavy fuel oil primarily used by large oceangoing ships.

bunker out

verbIndustrial safetyslang

To suit up in firefighting gear.

bunny

A sudden enlargement or mass of ore, as opposed to a vein or lode.

burden

nounMetalworking

The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace.

burghmaster

An officer who directs and lays out the meres or boundaries for the workers.

burn

nounAviation maintenance

The firing of a spacecraft's rockets in order to change its course.

burn out

verbAutomotive

To have one's tires skid against the ground; to peel off, peel out.

burn rubber

verbShop talk and trade slangidiomatic, informal

To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.

burn-in

nounManufacturing

The process by which components of a system are exercised prior to being placed in service (and sometimes before assembly), forcing certain failures to occur under supervised conditions.

burnout

Use of the throttle to spin the wheels of a vehicle being held stationary, causing the spinning tires to produce smoke and burn rubber.

burst mode

A mode in which data is transmitted repeatedly without separate transactions.

Burtonize

verbManufacturing

To enrich (water) with mineral salts, especially for brewing alcohol.

bus

A motor vehicle for transporting large numbers of people along roads.

bus bridge

A device for connecting two disparate hardware buses.

bus lane

A traffic lane designated for the use of buses.

bus rapid transit

A form of rapid transit using buses, which have dedicated rights-of-way or laneways, purpose-built bus stations, and dedicated traffic signalling.

bus replacement service

A special bus service which replaces a train service when engineering work is carried out, or when the train service is temporarily suspended for other reasons such as flooding, track damage etc.

bus stand

a type of bus stop, usually at the terminus of a route, where a bus can wait between journeys. Buses normally do not pick up passengers there, rather boarding takes place at a designated stop nearby.

bus-holder

A weak latch circuit that holds the last value on a tristate bus.

buscon

A prospector (someone who searches for ore).

bush

nounAgricultural equipment

A woody plant distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, being usually less than six metres tall; a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category.

bushing

A type of plain bearing, a cylindrical lining designed to reduce friction and wear inside a hole, often used as a casing for a shaft, pin or hinge.

business