bobble
nounManufacturing
A localized set of stitches forming a raised bump.
Entries starting with B
623 entries.
bobtail
A tractor which performs without its trailer.
bodkin
A sharp tool, like an awl, formerly used for pressing down individual type characters (e.g. letters) from a column or page in making corrections.
body
The shank of a type, or the depth of the shank (by which the size is indicated).
body contact
A conductive connection between body and active parts of electrical equipment resulting from a fault.
body control module
An electronic unit responsible for monitoring and controlling various electronic accessories in the body of a motor vehicle, such as windows, mirrors, air conditioning, and central locking.
body in black
nounAutomotive
A body in white composed of carbon fibre composites.
body in white
The cabin skeleton of a motor vehicle; without the frame or subassemblies extending from the front and back and below; without finishes, furnishings, accoutrements. This body is at a stage in the assembly process before such is attached.
body shop
nounAutomotive
A workshop in which damage to the bodywork of cars is repaired.
bodystyle
nounAutomotive
A style of vehicle body (such as sedan/saloon versus coupe/coupé, stakebody versus box truck, and so on).
bogie
nounRail equipment
One of two sets of wheels under a locomotive or railcar; also, a structure with axles and wheels under a locomotive, railcar, or semi which provides support and reduces vibration for the vehicle.
bogie bolster wagon
nounRail equipment
A long flat wagon mounted on two four-wheel bogies, with transverse baulks of timber (bolsters) placed at intervals on the wagon's bed to carry the load.
boilerplate
adjectiveAviation maintenance
Used to refer to a non-functional spacecraft used to test configuration and procedures.
bokashi
A technique in Japanese woodblock printing that achieves a variation in lightness and darkness of a single colour by means of ink applied by hand in gradations, rather than uniformly.
bollarding
A defect in which a testpiece is deformed into a bollard-like shape.
bolster
A small spacer located on top of the axle of horse-drawn wagons that gives the front wheels enough clearance to turn.
bolt
The standard linear measurement of canvas for use at sea: 39 yards.
bolter
A plant that grows larger and more rapidly than usual.
BoM
nounManufacturing
Initialism of bill of materials.
bomber
nounManufacturing
Ellipsis of bomber jacket.
bonanza
A rich mine or vein of silver or gold.
bond
nounConstruction
In building, a specific pattern of bricklaying, based on overlapping rows or layers to give strength.
bond timber
nounConstruction
A wooden beam integrated into masonry walls in order to strengthen the structure by tying sections together longitudinally.
bonderization
nounMetallurgy
The process of bonderizing.
bonderize
verbMetallurgy
To treat (steel) with a phosphate coat.
bone
verbCarpentry
To sight along an object or set of objects to check whether they are level or in line.
boneyard
An area scraped down to the mineral soil, so that smouldering material can be placed there without starting another fire.
bonfire
To fire (pottery) using a bonfire.
bonfiring
The act of firing pottery using a bonfire.
bonnet
nounAutomotive
The hinged cover over the engine of a motor car.
book of lading
A book that records the details of carried cargoes.
booking lad
A young male employee in a signal box who records the movement of trains past the box.
boom
A spar extending the foot of a sail; a spar rigged outboard from a ship's side to which boats are secured in harbour.
boost
nounAutomotive
A positive intake manifold pressure in cars with turbochargers or superchargers.
booster
A motor-generator set used for voltage regulation in direct current electrical power circuits.
boot
A flexible cover of rubber or plastic, which may be preformed to a particular shape and used to protect a shaft, lever, switch, or opening from dust, dirt, moisture, etc.
boot cut
adjectiveTextile production
Of pants (trousers), cut as if to allow the legs of the pants to fit over boots.
bootlegger reverse
An automobile driving maneuver where the driver puts the vehicle in a controlled skid in order to quickly reverse the vehicle's bearing to the opposite direction.
bord
The coalface parallel to the natural fissures.
boriding
nounMetallurgy
The treatment of a metal surface with boride (or the formation of a boride layer)
boring
nounMachining
The act or process of boring holes; such practice as an area of expertise in manufacturing.
borrasca
A mine that is no longer producing profitably.
borrow pit
nounConstruction
A pit that is dug to extract material (such as soil, gravel, or sand) for use at another location.
borrowed neutral
A wiring practice where the neutral conductor from one circuit is improperly shared or borrowed by another separate circuit, common in older wiring.
BORSCHT
Acronym of battery feed, overvoltage protection, ringing, signalling, coding, hybrid, test (“the set of functions performed by a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) in the line card of a telecommunication system providing plain old telephone service”).
borsella
An instrument used for extending or contracting glass.
boss
A lump, protuberance, or swelling in an animal, person or object.
boss up
verbPlumbing
To modify a corner in sheet lead to avoid leaving a hole in the angle.
botherance
Distracting chatter on a radio link shared by emergency services, relating to ongoing situations other than what one is dealing with.
bothy
A building on a farm, sometimes with just one room, for (usually unmarried male) farmworkers or other labourers to live in.
bottle
Of pages printed several on a sheet: to rotate slightly when the sheet is folded two or more times.
bottle house
nounConstruction
A structure, often a folk art construction or an eco-friendly dwelling, built primarily using glass or plastic bottles bound together with mortar or other materials.
bottle trap
nounPlumbing
A bottle-like reservoir that fits the pipe below a drain and collects waste.
bottom
To reach or strike against the bottom of something, so as to impede free action.
bottom dead center
The reference mark on a flywheel (and engine block) indicating that the engine is in this position, when aligned.
bottom fermentation
nounManufacturing
A slow alcoholic fermentation process carried out at low temperatures during which the yeast sinks to the bottom of the liquid. Used in brewing lager-type beers.
bottom heat
Heat supplied from below to the roots or rooting medium of plants under propagation, usually in hothouses or greenhouses.
bottom out
Of a suspension or similar device, to strike the lower mechanical stop and lose the ability to buffer further downward motion.
bottom-end
adjectiveAutomotive
Of or relating to the lower gears on a geared engine, especially in a motor vehicle.
bottomer
A person employed to attend to the bottom of the shaft.