15,000 words and phrases from more than 50 languages and their

ête 42
bête [Fr], η. beast; brute; fool; blockhead. —bête noire, lit., black beast;
bugaboo; pet aversion. —une bonne bête, a good-natured fool.
bête [Fr], adj. stupid; foolish. —bête comme un chou, as stupid as an
owl (lit., as a cabbage). —pas si bête, not so foolish; not such a fool.
bêtise [Fr], foolishness; absurdity; piece of folly. —quelle bêtise!, what
an absurdity!
béton [Fr], a type of concrete.
bet sefer [Heb], lit., house of the book; a school.
betterave [Fr], beet; beetroot.
beurre [Fr], butter. —beurre fondu, melted butter. —au beurre, with
butter. —beurre roux, browned butter.
beurré [Fr], a soft luscious pear; butter pear.
bévue [Fr], gross blunder; oversight.
bewegt [Ger], stirred; agitated; with animation: music.
bey [Turk]. See BEG.
bhakti [Skr], religious devotion; worship.
bhalu [Anglo-Ind]. Same as BALOO.
bhang [Hind], the hemp plant; also, an intoxicant and narcotic made
from dried hemp leaves: India.
bhikku [Pali] or bhikshu [Skr], Brahman mendicant; also, Buddhist
monk: India.
bhisti or bheesty [Hind], lit., celestial; Muslim water carrier: India.
The finest man I knew
Was our regimental bhisti, Gunga Din.
—KIPLING.
bibelot [Fr], trinket; curio; article of virtu.
bibere venenum in auro [L], to drink poison from a golden cup.
bibi [Hind, also Swa], Mrs., lady, woman.
bibliothécaire [Fr], librarian.
Bibliothek [Ger], library.
Bibliothekar [Ger], librarian.
bibliothèque [Fr], library.
bien [Fr], well. —très bien, very well.
bien-aimé [Fr; fern, -aimée], beloved.
bien ama quien nunca olvida [Sp], he loves well who never forgets.
bien chaussé [Fr; fern, chaussée], well-shod; neatly booted.
bien con bien se paga [Sp], a good deed is repaid with goodness.
bien cuit [Fr], well cooked.
bien entendu [Fr], lit., well understood; all right; to be sure; of course.
bien fendu [Fr], lit., well cleft; long-legged.
bien hablar no cuesta nada [Sp], fair words cost nothing.
bien mieux [Fr], far better.
bien obligé [Fr; fern, obligée], much obliged.