Word origins

• BesançonA commune, the capital city of Doubs department, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France.
• bête noireSomeone or something that is unbearable and so particularly avoided or disliked; the bane of someone's existence; an object of aversion; an anathema.
• bête rougeA mite of the genus Trombidium.
• bêtisesilliness, folly, stupidity
• beurrageA dough made of mostly butter, used in French cuisine
• beurréAny of various pears with soft, juicy flesh, that seems to melt in the mouth.
• beurre blancA warm emulsified sauce made with a reduction of vinegar and/or white wine (normally Muscadet) and grey shallots into which butter is whisked.
• beurre maniéA dough consisting of equal parts of soft butter and flour, used to thicken soups and sauces.
• BézierA surname from French.
• bibelotA bauble, knickknack or trinket.
• bibliognostOne versed in books.
• bibliographTo create a bibliography about (some topic).
• bibliomaneSynonym of bibliomaniac.
• Bichon FriséA small bichon with white fur and dark eyes and nose, originating in Spain, Belgium and France.
• bidonA bottle or flask for holding a beverage such as water or wine; (specifically, sports) a water bottle which can be squeezed to squirt the beverage out of the nozzle, especially (cycling) one designed for mounting on a bicycle.
• bidonvilleA shantytown or slum, in French-speaking regions.
• BienaimeA surname from French.
• biennessThe quality of being good, wholesome, comfortable, etc.
• bien pensantRight-thinking; orthodox, conformist.
• bienséancePropriety, decorum.
• BièvreA river in France that flows into the Seine in Paris.
• bigaradeThe bitter orange (fruit).
• BigonvilleA town in Redange canton, Diekirch district, Luxembourg.
• bilboquetA traditional children's toy consisting of a wooden cup with a handle, and a ball attached to the cup by a string.
• billet-douxA love letter.
• BinedamaA village in Mopti, Mali.
• binocles-ciseauxSynonym of scissors-glasses
• BioteauA surname from French.
• BiscaichipyA surname.
• biscayenA kind of large-calibre musket ball.
• biscornuA kind of ornamental pincushion, usually made out of Aida cloth or linen, and decorated with embroidery.
• biscotinA sweet kind of biscuit.
• BiselA surname from French.
• bisetA pair of ordered sets of the same magnitude.
• bissapThe plant roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa).
• bistouryA narrow-bladed surgical knife
• bistreA brown pigment made from soot, especially from beech wood.
• bivoltineHaving two broods or generations in a year
• bizarrerieThe state or measure of being bizarre.
• blagueurA joker (person who makes jokes).
• blaireauSynonym of American badger
• blanc de chineA kind of white Chinese porcelain made at Dehua in Fujian Province.
• Blanc de HototA breed of rabbit, characterized by having short ears and being all white except for black rings around the eyes.
• blanquetteA white meat stew in which neither the meat nor the sauce is browned.
• blaséUnimpressed, indifferent, especially because of overfamiliarity.
• bleu celesteA rarely-occurring sky-blue tincture, lighter than azure.
• bliautA unisex overgarment worn in 12th-century Western Europe, featuring voluminous skirts and horizontal puckering or sometimes pleating across a snugly fitted underbust abdomen.
• blocageThe roughest and cheapest sort of rubblework.
• bluetteA short but scintillating play or other work.
• bobècheA cup or ring at the top of a candlestick, used to catch melted wax running down the side of the candle.
• bocalA curved, tapered metal tube which connects the reed of several double reed woodwind instruments (such as the cor anglais, bassoon, and contrabassoon) to the rest of the instrument.
• bocasineA sort of fine buckram.
• bœuf bourguignonSynonym of beef bourguignon.
• BoisbriandA town in Quebec, Canada.
• Bois CaïmanA place in northern Haiti near Le Cap, site of a vodou ceremony in which the first major slave insurrection of the Haitian Revolution was planned on August 14, 1791.
• bois d'arcAn Osage orange tree, of species Maclura pomifera, or wood of this tree.
• Bois de la CambreA public park in Brussels, Brussels Capital Region, Belgium
• bois durciA hard, polishable composition of fine sawdust mixed with blood or egg white, formerly used for making household items. It had a somewhat metallic glean.
• boiseriepanelling; wood trim
• BoissonneaultA surname from French.
• BolléA town in Burkina Faso.
• bombardonA brass instrument, the bass version of the tuba.
• bombéFeaturing a protruding convex bulge.
• Bon AccordA rural locality in North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.
• bon appétitUsed to wish someone enjoyment of the meal they are about to eat.
• bonbonneA demijohn or carboy.
• bonbonniereA small decorative container (box, dish or pouch) used to hold sweets.
• bondieuserieAny devotional ornament or church object, especially one having little artistic value; a religious knick-knack.
• bonducSynonym of nicker tree.
• BôneA city in eastern Algeria, now known as Annaba.
• BonenfantA surname from French.
• bonheur du jourAn 18th- and 19th-century lady's portable writing desk with a raised back.
• bonifyTo convert into―or make―good; to improve.
• bon motA clever saying, phrase, or witticism; often, a witty riposte in dialogue.
• bonne boucheA gourmet titbit.
• bonnetierA hosier or maker of garments of similar material.
• Bonneuil-sur-MarneA commune in Val-de-Marne department, Île-de-France, France.
• bon tonThe height of fashion; fashionable society.
• bon vivantA man who enjoys luxurious things in life, especially good food and drink; a man about town.
• bon viveurSynonym of bon vivant, a person who enjoys the good things in life, especially good food and drink.
• bon voyageUsed to wish someone a good journey.
• bonzeA Buddhist monk or priest in East Asia.
• boo-booA mistake or error.
• borborygmA gurgling or rumbling noise produced by gas in the bowels.
• BordelaisOf, from or relating to the city of Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
• BordenetA surname from French.
• bordereauA detailed statement, especially one containing a detailed listing of documents or accounts.
• BorduriaAn imaginary country located in the Balkans and enemy of Syldavia, in the comic book series The Adventures of Tintin.
• bosketA small grove or copse of trees, a thicket.
• bossaleA black African-born enslaved person in a French (or sometimes other European) colony, especially Haiti (as opposed to a slave born in the colony).
• BossartA surname from French.
• boterolThe chape, crampet or tag of a scabbard, or a representation thereof in heraldry.
• bottineA small boot; a lady's boot.
• BouakéA city in Ivory Coast.
• boubouA flowing wide-sleeved robe worn by men in much of West Africa, and to a lesser extent in North Africa.
• bouchardeA bush hammer.
• bouchéeA small pastry case filled with a savoury mixture, served as an hors d'oeuvre.
• BouchillonA surname from French.
• boucléA fabric knitted or woven of uneven yarn with a surface of loops and curls.
• bouderieA sulk; a fit of pouting.