Words Starting with B

Browse word origins and etymology

Bàtá

A Yoruba double-headed drum used in musical, ceremonial, and religious contexts.

Bárbaro

A Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian word meaning barbarian, uncivilized person, or, colloquially, excellent or impressive.

Bâton

A slender stick or rod, especially one used by a conductor, ceremonial leader, or relay runner.

Bésigue

A card game, also known as bezique, played with a reduced pack of cards.

Bête

A French-derived English noun meaning an animal or, figuratively, a foolish or contemptible person.

Bṛhat

A Sanskrit adjective meaning great, vast, lofty, or expansive, used in English primarily in scholarly, religious, and astrological contexts.

Ba

In ancient Egyptian religion, the ba was an aspect of a person’s personality or soul, often depicted as a human-headed bird.

Ba'al

A Northwest Semitic title meaning 'lord' or 'master,' used for deities and human owners in ancient texts.

Baa

The bleating sound a sheep makes.

Baal

A title used in ancient Near Eastern religions to denote a deity or lord.

Baal-Hamon

A title or name associated in ancient Semitic religion with a deity or sanctuary, especially linked to fertility and cult worship in Punic sources.

Baal-Zaphon

An ancient Northwest Semitic storm-god name and the name of a sacred place associated with Mount Ṣapānu, mentioned in Ugaritic, Egyptian, and biblical sources.

Baal-Zebub

A Philistine god-name later used in Jewish and Christian tradition as a title for a demon or the devil.

Baalat

A Semitic word/title meaning "lady" or "mistress," used as a feminine form of Baal and in the names of goddesses or revered female deities.

Baalbek

An ancient city in Lebanon, famous for its Roman temple ruins.

Baalberith

A deity or demon associated with covenant-making in ancient Near Eastern cultures.

Baalim

A plural Hebrew form of Baal, used in the Bible for the various local deities or idol-gods of Canaan.

Baalism

The worship or cultic devotion associated with Baal, a title used for various ancient Near Eastern deities.

Baalite

A worshipper or devotee of Baal, a name used for several ancient West Semitic deities.

Baalphegor

A variant spelling of Belphegor, a demonological figure whose name derives from the biblical deity Baal-Peor.