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body

[ bod-ee ]

/ ˈbɒd i /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR body ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural bod·ies.

the physical structure and material substance of an animal or plant, living or dead.

a corpse; carcass.

the trunk or main mass of a thing: the body of a tree.

Anatomy, Zoology. the physical structure of a human being or animal, not including the head, limbs, and tail; trunk; torso.

Architecture. the principal mass of a building.

the section of a vehicle, usually in the shape of a box, cylindrical container, or platform, in or on which passengers or the load is carried.

Nautical. the hull of a ship.

Aeronautics. the fuselage of a plane.

Printing. the shank of a type, supporting the face.

Geometry. a figure having the three dimensions of length, breadth, and thickness; a solid.

Physics. a mass, especially one considered as a whole.

the major portion of an army, population, etc.: The body of the American people favors the president's policy.

the principal part of a speech or document, minus introduction, conclusion, indexes, etc.

a person: She's a quiet sort of body.

Law. the physical person of an individual.

a collective group: student body; corporate body.

Astronomy. an object in space, as a planet or star.

a separate physical mass or quantity, especially as distinguished from other masses or quantities.

consistency or density; richness; substance: This wine has good body. Wool has more body than rayon.

the part of a dress that covers the trunk or the part of the trunk above the waist.

Ceramics. the basic material of which a ceramic article is made.

verb (used with object), bod·ied, bod·y·ing.

to invest with or as with a body.

to represent in bodily form (usually followed by forth).

adjective

of or relating to the body; bodily.

of or relating to the main reading matter of a book, article, etc., as opposed to headings, illustrations, or the like.

VIDEO FOR BODY

WATCH NOW: Can You Name These Forgotten Body Parts?

Did you know that every part of our body has a name? And we aren't just talking about elbows and toes. Can you name these small, sometimes forgotten, body parts?

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QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?

Question 1 of 10

decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for body

in a body, as a group; together; collectively: We left the party in a body.

keep body and soul together, to support oneself; maintain life: Few writers can make enough to keep body and soul together without another occupation.

Origin of body

before 900; Middle English; Old English bodig; akin to Old High German botah

SYNONYMS FOR body

3 substance, bulk.

12 mass, group, throng, multitude; bulk, preponderance, majority.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR body ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR body

12 handful, scattering, few.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR body ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for body

1, 2. Body, carcass, corpse, cadaver agree in referring to a physical organism, usually human or animal. Body refers to the material organism of an individual, human or animal, either living or dead: the muscles in a horse's body; the body of a victim ( human or animal ). Carcass refers only to the dead body of an animal, unless applied humorously or contemptuously to the human body: a sheep's carcass; Save your carcass. Corpse refers only to the dead body of a human being: preparing a corpse for burial. Cadaver refers to a dead body, usually a corpse, particularly one used for scientific study: dissection of cadavers in anatomy classes.

Words nearby body

bodleian, bodley, bodmin, bodoni, bodvar bjarki, body, body armour, body art, body bag, body beautiful, body blow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for body

And not just sick in the body but in your mind, because you start obsessing.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In other words, the free speech exhibited by the folks at Charlie Hebdo was not virtuous—until there was a body count.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It jettisons jiggling ribbons of joy to every part of my body.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
My body used for his hard pleasure; a stone god gripping me in his hands.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

“I have to think her body type played a role,” said Rachel Greenblatt, a Lecturer in Jewish Studies at Harvard University.
Why Was Bess Myerson the First and Last Jewish Miss America?|Emily Shire|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I see it at once, I replied, but that heavy charge must fall on some other body.
Harmonies of Political Economy|Frdric Bastiat
The body was carried up the side, and uncovered, just as Mrs. Dodd saw in her dream.
Hard Cash|Charles Reade
His body was afterwards burned, and the ashes conveyed to Quito.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7|Various
It has a wide and large hood reaching down almost to the middle of the body.
The Central Eskimo|Franz Boas
Ismar, wishing to give his body a splendid funeral, prepared a banquet of royal bounty to increase the splendour of the obsequies.
The Danish History, Books I-IX|Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Learned")

British Dictionary definitions for body

body

/ (ˈbɒdɪ) /

noun plural bodies

the entire physical structure of an animal or human beingRelated adjectives: corporeal, physical
(as modifier)body odour

the flesh, as opposed to the spiritwhile we are still in the body

the trunk or torso, not including the limbs, head, or tail

a dead human or animal; corpse

the largest or main part of anythingthe body of a vehicle; the body of a plant

a separate or distinct mass of water or land

the main part; majoritythe body of public opinion

the central part of a written workthe body of a thesis as opposed to the footnotes

a number of individuals regarded as a single entity; groupthe student body; they marched in a body

maths a three-dimensional region with an interior

physics an object or substance that has three dimensions, a mass, and is distinguishable from surrounding objects

fullness in the appearance of the hair

the characteristic full quality of certain wines, determined by the density and the content of alcohol or tannina Burgundy has a heavy body

substance or firmness, esp of cloth

the sound box of a guitar, violin, or similar stringed instrument

a woman's close-fitting one-piece garment for the torso

the part of a dress covering the body from the shoulders to the waist

another name for shank (def. 11)

the pigment contained in or added to paint, dye, etc
the opacity of a paint in covering a surface
the apparent viscosity of a paint

(in watercolour painting)

a white filler mixed with pigments to make them opaque
(as modifier)body colour See also gouache

printing the measurement from top to bottom of a piece of type, usually ascender to descender

an informal or dialect word for a person

keep body and soul together to manage to keep alive; survive

(modifier) of or relating to the main reading matter of a book as distinct from headings, illustrations, appendices, etcthe body text

verb bodies, bodying or bodied (tr)

(usually foll by forth) to give a body or shape to

Word Origin for body

Old English bodig; related to Old Norse buthkr box, Old High German botah body

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for body

body

[ bŏd′ē ]

n.

The entire material or physical structure of an organism, especially of a human.

The physical part of a person.

A corpse or carcass.

The trunk or torso of a human, as distinguished from the head, neck, and extremities.

The largest or principal part, as of an organ; corpus.

A physical thing or kind of substance.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with body

body

In addition to the idioms beginning with body

body blow
body English

also see:

keep body and soul together
over my dead body

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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