Haitian Creole – English Dictionary - Dunwoody Press

not supposed to be seen. Bay koutba To deceive, to
fail s.o. Bay kout tèt To bow one’s head repeatedly
while dozing off. Bay lebra To extend one’s arm to.
Bay legen To give up. Bay payèt To show off. Bay
poto To stand s.o. up. Bay siro To turn the rope
slowly in the children’s game of jump rope. Bay
vinèg To turn the rope fast in jump rope. Bay
roulib To give a ride (in a vehicle). Bay zoklo
1. To give a blow with one’s knuckles. 2. To be
unfaithful to one’s spouse.
bayakou a n 1. A person employed by a city to
clean outhouses. 2. The morning star.
bayaronn nan n Bayahonda*, mesquite, thorn
acacia. Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) P. DC.
baye vi 1. To yawn. 2. To be wide open.
bayè V baryè
bayila vi To dance.
bayonèt la, bayonnèt la n 1. Saber, bayonet*.
Spanish blade. Nan tan bayonèt During the time
before the American occupation of Haiti. 2. (bot)
Yucca aloifolia L. Spanish bayonet.
baz la n Base*, basis*.
baza a n Bazaar*, store.
baze vpr To base*, to found. M’te baze’m sou
òlòj legliz la I relied on the church clock.
bazilik la n (Common) Basil*. Ocimum basilicum
L. A medicinal herb used to make tea; as a
narcotic, to bring good luck.
bazoudi vi To stun, to daze. Nouvèl la bazoudi’m
The news stunned me.
be attrib Bay*. Chwal be Bay horse.
bè 1 interj Bleating of a goat.
bè a 2 n Butter*. V mantèg. Pwa bè A type of
bean.
bè a 3 n Bay* (geogr).
bebe a n 1. Baby*, beloved, a beautiful woman.
Cf. E. babe. Twa bebe sòti Leogàn o! Pou sedui
nèg Pòtoprens o! (Opening lines to a popular
song). 2. Ti bebe Small child, infant. 3. Smallest
of the Vodou drums.
bèbè attrib Mute. In Jérémie: boubou. (fig)
spellbound, amazed, dumbstruck, speechless. Li
rete bèbè devan fi a ki te si tèlman bèl She was so
beautiful, he was dumbstruck.
bèbèl la n 1. Beauty; garnishment, decoration.
2. Something pretty, smart-looking, gratious,
sugar-coated. Se fèt li demen, m’pral fè yon bèbèl
ak li It’s her birthday tomorrow. I’m going to do
something nice for her. Yo fè sa pou bèbèl They do
that for decoration. Fè bèbèl ak To be very kind to,
to go out of one’s way to please.
bebidòl la n Babydoll*. Also: a short negligé.
23 B
bèf la n Any bovine animal (ox, steer, bull,
cow). More specially: Manman bèf Cow. Toro
(or) Toro bèf Bull. Lèt bèf Cow’s milk. Vyann
bèf Beef*. Bèf kabwèt Draft-ox. Tibèf Calf. Gazèl
Heifer. Fè tibèf To suck (oral sex).
bèfchenn nan n Helper, jumper on a truck; one
who works hard. Sekretè is also used, because
many jumpers do not like to be called ‘bèfchenn’.
bèfsipa a n Zebu (Indian humped ox). So called
because it was imported into the country by the
S.C.I.P.A. organization.
bege vi To stammer, to stutter. Moun bege
Stuttering people. Moun bege enève fasil People
who stutter become easily irritated. Pa vin bege ban
mwen Stop mumbling and tell me what’s what.
begle vi To bellow, to moo, to roar.
bègwè attrib A bewildered fool, idiot, simpleton.
(fig) Cuckold. Ou sanble ak yon bègwè You look
like a simpleton.
bèj attrib Beige*.
bèje a n Shepherd. (syn) gadò.
bèk la n Beak*. Mouth (pej). Also: prepuce
(extra long skin). Bay bèk To snap at, to rebuke,
to rebuff. Fè yon bèk To succeed, to hit, i.e. to mark
up a point. (Fè) bèk atè To fall, to fail, to be down
and out, to go down. Rete bèk sèch To be left with
nothing. Siye bèk atè To swear never to repeat the
offense. Soulye a ap fè bèk The point of the shoe
has turned upward. Ouvri bèk ou Talk! Open your
darn mouth (pej). Yon bèk fè (bèkfè) An old
person.
bekàn nan n Bike. V bisiklèt.
bekasin nan n Snipe, sandpiper (bird).
beke vt 1. To strike with the beak, to peck (at).
2. To answer curtly, to be rude, to snap at. Gran
sè a ap beke ti sè a tout tan The older sister is
always cutting her younger sister short, scolding
her.
bèkèkè attrib Empty-handed. DEJEAN-64: Yo ret
bèkèkè They were empty-handed, dumbfounded.
beki a n Crutch. Li gen yon pye kase, li oblije
mache sou beki He broke his foot; he has to use
crutches.
bekin nan n Fish similar to barracuda. Sphyraena
barracuda.
bekon an n Bacon*. The more common word is
la(r).
bèl attrib Lovely, beautiful, fair, fine, pretty, good
looking, attractive, nice. Fè bèl To be pregnant.
Fè yon bèl ak To show kindness to, to do something
nice for s.o.
bèlantre a n An approach to an entrance in the
form of an arch. Also applied to a large gap
between teeth.
bèldenui an n Four-o’clock (flower).