Word origins

• 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, blanc et rougeThe Montreal Canadiens ice hockey club.
• bleu celesteA rarely-occurring sky-blue tincture, lighter than azure.
• bleymeAn inflammation in the foot of a horse, between the sole and the bone.
• 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.
• BloquisteA member of the Bloc Québécois.
• blue hourThe period of twilight when the Sun is approximately 4-8° below the horizon and the sky is within a range of blue colors.
• blue murderA loud protest or angry outburst.
• 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 BruleA township in Perry County, Missouri, United States. Associated names are Bois Brule Bottom and Bois Brule Creek (Cinque Hommes Creek tributary)
• 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.
• bombousHaving a rounded or domed surface; convex.
• 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.
• bongraceA brim or shade projecting from a bonnet.
• bonheur du jourAn 18th- and 19th-century lady's portable writing desk with a raised back.
• Bon Homme CountyOne of 66 counties in South Dakota, United States. County seat: Tyndall.
• bonifyTo convert into―or make―good; to improve.
• bon motA clever saying, phrase, or witticism; often, a witty riposte in dialogue.
• BonnardianOf or relating to Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947), French painter and artist, known for the stylized decorative qualities of his paintings and his bold use of color.
• 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.
• bontodgerExcellent; wonderful.
• 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.
• Bordeaux mixtureA mixture of copper sulfate and lime that is sprayed on plants as a fungicide.
• BordelaisOf, from or relating to the city of Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.
• BordeleseA person from Bordeaux.
• 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.
• BoshearsA surname from French.
• 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.
• botonyHaving a bud-like projection or a kind of trefoil at the end; (in particular, of a cross) having a trefoil of buds at the end of each arm.
• 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.
• boudinageA process in which a more competent layer is broken into sausage-shaped pieces as less competent layers surrounding it are deformed.
• bouffageA satisfying meal
• bouilliMeat stewed with juice.
• bouillieA mixture; a paste.
• bouillotteA rapidly-played variety of brelan or gleek (a card game resembling poker)
• boulangère potatoesSliced layered potatoes cooked with herbs, onions, etc. and meat or vegetable stock.
• BoulangismThe spirit or principles of a French political movement identified with Georges Boulanger (1837–1891), who promoted an aggressive nationalism which opposed Germany and called for the defeat of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) to be avenged.
• boulevardierA man who frequents the boulevards; thus, a man about town or bon vivant.
• bouleverseTo change drastically; to overturn or turn upside down.
• bouleversementComplete overthrow; reversal; turmoil
• bouquet garniA bundled mixture of herbs or dried herbs used as a flavouring for stews, soups, and sauces.
• bouquetinAlpine ibex (Capra ibex)
• bourasqueA tempest.
• BourbakismA 20th-century French movement aiming to found all of mathematics on set theory.
• bourekAn Algerian dish, a stuffed pastry roll
• bouretteA slubby yarn or fabric made of silk waste.
• bourréeA baroque dance of French origin, common in Auvergne and Biscay in Spain in the 17th century.
• bourreletAn accurately machined portion around the diameter of a shell of a gun, which acts to increase accuracy of projectile fit to the barrel.
• BoursiquotA surname from French.
• bousillageA mixture of clay and moss or grass, used in construction as a simpler substitute for pierrotage.
• BoussuA municipality of Hainaut, Brussels, Belgium.
• boutadeA sudden outbreak or outburst; a caprice, a whim.
• boutarguebottarga
• BoutboulA surname from French.
• boutefeuAn incendiary; an inciter of quarrels.
• bouts-rimésA game in which someone is given rhyming words as the ends of verses of a poem, which need to be filled out.