Your body is all your physical parts, including your head, arms, and legs.
The largest organ in the body is the liver.
Synonyms: physique, build, form, figure More Synonyms of body
2. countable noun
You can also refer to the main part of your body, except for your arms, head, and legs, as your body.
Lying flat on the floor, twist your body on to one hip and cross your upper leg overyour body.
Synonyms: torso, middle, chest, stomach More Synonyms of body
3. countable noun
You can refer to a person's dead body as a body.
Officials said they had found no traces of violence on the body of the politician.
4. countable noun
A body is an organized group of people who deal with something officially.
...the chairperson of the police representative body, the Police Federation.
...the main trade union body, COSATU, Congress of South African Trade Unions.
Synonyms: organization, company, group, society More Synonyms of body
5. countable noun
A body of people is a group of people who are together or who are connected in some way.
...that large body of people which teaches other people how to teach. [+ of]
6. singular noun
The bodyof something such as a building or a document is the main part of it or the largest part of it.
The main body of the church had been turned into a massive television studio. [+ of]
Give an introduction, followed by the body of the material, then a brief summary.
Synonyms: main part, matter, heart, material More Synonyms of body
7. countable noun
The body of a car or aeroplane is the main part of it, not including its engine, wheels, or wings.
The only shade was under the body of the plane. [+ of]
8. countable noun
A body of water is a large area of water, such as a lake or a sea.
It is probably the most polluted body of water in the world. [+ of]
Synonyms: expanse, area, mass, stretch More Synonyms of body
9. countable noun
A body of information is a large amount of it.
An increasing body of evidence suggests that all of us have cancer cells in our bodiesat times during our lives. [+ of]
10. uncountable noun
If you say that an alcoholic drink has body, you mean that it has a full and strong flavour.
...a dry wine with good body.
Synonyms: consistency, substance, texture, density More Synonyms of body
11. countable noun
A body is the same as a bodysuit.
12. See also foreign body, heavenly body
13.
See over sb's dead body
14.
See body and soul
15.
See to keep body and soul together
More Synonyms of body
body in British English
(ˈbɒdɪ)
nounWord forms: pluralbodies
1.
a.
the entire physical structure of an animal or human being
▶ Related adjectives: corporeal, physical
b.
(as modifier)
body odour
2.
the flesh, as opposed to the spirit
while we are still in the body
3.
the trunk or torso, not including the limbs, head, or tail
4.
a dead human or animal; corpse
5.
the largest or main part of anything
the body of a vehicle
the body of a plant
6.
a separate or distinct mass of water or land
7.
the main part; majority
the body of public opinion
8.
the central part of a written work
the body of a thesis as opposed to the footnotes
9.
a number of individuals regarded as a single entity; group
the student body
they marched in a body
10. mathematics
a three-dimensional region with an interior
11. physics
an object or substance that has three dimensions, a mass, and is distinguishable from surrounding objects
12.
fullness in the appearance of the hair
13.
the characteristic full quality of certain wines, determined by the density and the content of alcohol or tannin
a Burgundy has a heavy body
14.
substance or firmness, esp of cloth
15.
the sound box of a guitar, violin, or similar stringed instrument
16.
a woman's close-fitting one-piece garment for the torso
17.
the part of a dress covering the body from the shoulders to the waist
18. another name for shank (sense 11)
19.
a.
the pigment contained in or added to paint, dye, etc
b.
the opacity of a paint in covering a surface
c.
the apparent viscosity of a paint
20. (in watercolour painting)
a.
a white filler mixed with pigments to make them opaque
b.
(as modifier)
body colour
See also gouache
21. printing
the measurement from top to bottom of a piece of type, usually ascender to descender
22. an informal or dialect word for a person
23. keep body and soul together
24. (modifier)
of or relating to the main reading matter of a book as distinct from headings, illustrations, appendices, etc
the body text
verbWord forms: bodies, bodying or bodied(transitive)
25. (usually foll by forth)
to give a body or shape to
Word origin
Old English bodig; related to Old Norse buthkr box, Old High German botah body
body in American English
(ˈbɑdi)
nounWord forms: pluralˈbodies
1.
the whole physical structure and substance of a human being, animal, or plant
2.
a.
the trunk or torso of a human being or animal
b.
the part of a garment that covers the trunk
3.
a dead person; corpse
4.
the flesh or material substance, as opposed to the spirit
5. Informal
a human being; person
6.
a group of people or things regarded or functioning as a unit
a body of soldiers, an advisory body
7.
the majority of a number of people or things
8.
the main or central part of anything
; specif.,
a.
the part of an automobile, truck, etc. that holds the load or passengers; the part of a vehicle that is not the chassis
b.
the hull of a ship
c.
the fuselage of an aircraft
d.
the main part of a piece of writing as distinguished from headings and introductory or supplementary matter
e.
the sound box of a stringed instrument
9.
anything having real or material substance or form; any physical or perceptible object
10.
any of the natural objects seen in the visible heavens
the sun, moon, planets, stars, etc. are celestial bodies
11.
a separate portion or mass of matter
a body of land or water
12.
substance, density, or consistency, as of a liquid or fabric
13.
richness or fullness of tone or flavor
14. Law
a person or something legally regarded as a person
15. Printing
the shank of a piece of type
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈbodied or ˈbodying
16.
to give a body or substance to; make substantial
17.
to make part of; embody
Idioms:
body forth
keep body and soul together
SYNONYMY NOTE: body refers to the whole physical substance of a person or animal, whether dead or alive;, corpse and the euphemistic , remains refer to a dead human body; , carcass is used of the dead body of an animal or, contemptuously, of a human being; , cadaver refers primarily to a dead human body used for medical dissection
Word origin
ME bodi, bodig < OE bodig, trunk, chest, orig. sense “cask,” akin to MLowG boddike, tub for brewing, OHG botah; prob. < It bottega, shop < L apotheca: see apothecary
More idioms containing
body
over my dead body
keep body and soul together
a body blow
body and soul
COBUILD Collocations
body
beach body
bikini body
conservation body
disciplinary body
dismembered body
entire body
exhume a body
funding body
headless body
hide a body
identify a body
perfect body
physical body
public body
public sector body
sporting body
Examples of 'body' in a sentence
body
She said he was touching her body and her head.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Police said a body was found nearby but could not comment on any link to the shootings.
The Sun (2016)
You can get a much better idea if somebody is into you by their body language.
The Sun (2016)
He is a great athlete with a strong upper body for shrugging people off.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The reason diets fail has less to do with our bodies than our minds.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
It saves your body and your soul.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Police say some bodies have yet to be recovered.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
We had to dig in during the second half but people threw their bodies on the line.
The Sun (2013)
Your mind and body are all over the place.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
What do our bodies say about us?
Christianity Today (2000)
Then they decided they needed to do something with the body.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We saw no traces of human bodies.
Baxter, Stephen Anti-Ice (1993)
The main body of the church was restored but the choir was left in ruins.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The proposals would also give regional bodies more say in fisheries management.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Twist the claws and legs off the main body of the crab.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
She suffered terrible head and upper body injuries.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We all have different sitting positions and different body shapes.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
What is your favourite part of your body?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Their governing bodies have strengthened the links with industry.
Brown, Muriel & Payne Sarah Introduction to Social Administration in Britain (1990)
It will also make your entire body strong.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It is appalling that a leading trade body should take such a casual attitude towards such an important matter.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Full fruity flavour and medium body, a wine typical of the area.
Lockspeiser, Jerry & Gear, Jackie Thorsons Organic Wine Guide (1991)
Quotations
The human body is the best picture of the human soulLudwig WittgensteinPhilosophical Investigations
What we think and feel and are is to a great extent determined by the state of our ductless glands and our visceraAldous HuxleyMusic at Night
Body and spirit are twins: God only knows which is which: The soul squats down in the flesh, like a tinker drunk in a ditchAlgernon Charles SwinburneThe Heptalogia
diaphragm: a muscular partition separating disorders of the chest from disorders of the bowelsAmbrose BierceThe Devil's Dictionary
Word lists with
body
articles of clothing, articles of clothing, underwear
In other languages
body
British English: body /ˈbɒdɪ/ NOUN
Your body is all your physical parts, including your head, arms, and legs.
My whole body hurt.
American English: body
Arabic: جِسْم
Brazilian Portuguese: corpo
Chinese: 身体
Croatian: tijelo
Czech: tělo
Danish: krop
Dutch: lichaam
European Spanish: cuerpo
Finnish: keho
French: corps
German: Körper
Greek: σώμα
Italian: corpo
Japanese: 体
Korean: 몸
Norwegian: kropp
Polish: ciało
European Portuguese: corpo
Romanian: corp
Russian: тело
Latin American Spanish: cuerpo
Swedish: kropp
Thai: ร่างกาย
Turkish: beden
Ukrainian: тіло
Vietnamese: cơ thể
All related terms of 'body'
Barr body
a structure found on the inside of the nuclear membrane of female cells that takes a dark stain and indicates by its presence the sex of the individual
body art
physical adornments such as tattoos and piercings
body bag
A body bag is a specially designed large plastic bag which is used to carry a dead body away , for example when someone has been killed in an accident or in battle.
body belt
a wide belt used to support the back, or to provide protection or warmth
body blow
A body blow is something that causes great disappointment and difficulty to someone who is trying to achieve something.
body-con
a style of skintight clothing that emphasizes the contours of the body
body copy
the main part of an advertisement , as opposed to headlines , etc
body fat
the amount of fat on a person's body
body hair
hair that grows on the body as opposed to the head or face
body-line
denoting or relating to fast bowling aimed at the batsman's body
body mass
the ratio of a person's weight to their height
body mike
a microphone attached to the body
body odor
Body odor is an unpleasant smell caused by sweat on a person's body.
body part
a part of a human body
body plan
the basic shape of members of an animal phylum ; the general structure each individual organism assumes as it develops
body rub
massage
body shop
a place where the bodywork of motor vehicles is built or repaired
body size
The size of something is how big or small it is. Something's size is determined by comparing it to other things, counting it, or measuring it.
body-slam
to lift and throw (someone) to the ground, as in wrestling
body-surf
to ride a wave by lying on it without a surfboard
body wrap
a beauty treatment in which the body is covered in lotion and wrapped tightly in strips of cloth in order to promote weight loss or improve skin tone
cell body
the compact area of a nerve cell that constitutes the nucleus and surrounding cytoplasm , excluding the axons and dendrites
fat body
a mass of fatty tissue in insects , used as an energy source during hibernation and metamorphosis
food body
a mass of nutrients attached to a seed coat, which attracts ants and thus aids dispersal of the seed
grey body
a body that emits radiation in constant proportion to the corresponding black-body radiation
wide-body
(of an aircraft) having a wide fuselage , esp wide enough to contain three rows of seats abreast
beach body
Your body is all your physical parts, including your head, arms, and legs.
bikini body
Your body is all your physical parts, including your head, arms, and legs .
black body
a hypothetical body that would be capable of absorbing all the electromagnetic radiation falling on it
body armor
Body armor is special protective clothing that people such as soldiers and police officers sometimes wear when they are in danger of being attacked with guns or other weapons .
body armour
Body armour is special protective clothing which people such as soldiers and police officers sometimes wear when they are in danger of being attacked with guns or other weapons .
body cavity
the internal cavity of any multicellular animal that contains the digestive tract , heart, kidneys , etc. In vertebrates it develops from the coelom
body check
the fair block of an opponent who has the puck by bumping with the body, shoulder to hip , from the front or side
body clock
Your body clock is the internal biological mechanism which causes your body to automatically behave in particular ways at particular times of the day.
body colour
a painting technique using opaque watercolour paint in which the pigments are bound with glue and the lighter tones contain white
body count
the number of people killed
body double
a person who substitutes for a star for the filming of a scene that involves shots of the body rather than the face
body fluids
fluids in the body such as blood , semen , and saliva
body forth
to give shape or form to
body horror
a horror film genre in which the main feature is the graphically depicted destruction or degeneration of a human body or bodies
body image
an individual's concept of his or her own body
body lotion
skin lotion for use on the body
body louse
body odour
Body odour is an unpleasant smell caused by sweat on a person's body.
body-packer
a person who smuggles illicit drugs in balloons , condoms , or similar plastic bags which have either been swallowed or inserted in the rectum or vagina
body punch
a blow to the body of an opponent
body rhythm
biorhythm
body scrub
a product designed to exfoliate the skin
body search
If a person is body searched , someone such as a police officer searches them while they remain clothed. Compare → strip-search .
body swerve
(esp in football games ) the act or an instance of swerving past an opponent
Chinese translation of 'body'
body
(ˈbɔdɪ)
n
(c) (Anat) 身体(體) (shēntǐ) (个(個), gè)
⇒ My whole body hurt.我的整个身体都在痛。 (Wǒ de zhěnggè shēntǐ dōu zài tòng.)
(c) (= torso, trunk) 躯(軀)干(幹) (qūgàn) (个(個), gè)
(c) (= corpse) 尸(屍)体(體) (shītǐ) (具, jù)
⇒ Police later found a body.警方后来找到了一具尸体。 (Jǐngfāng hòulái zhǎodàole yī jù shītǐ.)
(s) (= main part)[of building]主体(體) (zhǔtǐ)
⇒ the main body of the church教堂的主体 (jiàotáng de zhǔtǐ)
[of speech, document]正文 (zhèngwén)
(c)[of car]身 (shēn)
(c) (= organization) 团(團)体(體) (tuántǐ) (个(個), gè)
⇒ public bodies such as local authorities像地方当局这样的公共团体 (xiàng dìfāng dāngjú zhèyàng de gōnggòng tuántǐ)
(c) (= quantity)[of evidence]许(許)多 (xǔduō)
⇒ There is a growing body of evidence pointing to these effects.越来越多的证据表明了这些后果。 (Yuèláiyuè duō de zhèngjù biǎomíngle zhèxiē hòuguǒ.)
(u)[of wine etc]黏稠 (niánchóu)
1 (noun)
Definition
the entire physical structure of an animal or human
The largest organ in the body is the liver.
Synonyms
physique
a powerful physique
build
the smallness of his build
form
She saw the form of a person coming towards her.
figure
Take pride in your health and your figure.
shape
the shapes of the trees against the sky
make-up
He became convinced that there was some fatal flaw in his make-up.
frame
belts pulled tight against their bony frames
constitution
He must have an extremely strong constitution.
flesh and bones
2 (noun)
Definition
the trunk or torso
Cross your upper leg over your body.
Synonyms
torso
Lower your torso one inch, and stretch up with your arms.
middle
chest
At the very bottom of the chest were some carving tools.
stomach
trunk
Simultaneously, raise your trunk six inches above the ground.
3 (noun)
Definition
a corpse
The woodland creature's body lay in state.
Synonyms
corpse
The actors had to play dead, as if they were corpses.
dead body
remains
relics
carcass
A cluster of vultures crouched on the carcass of a dead buffalo.
cadaver
stiff (slang)
4 (noun)
Definition
a group regarded as a single entity
the police representative body
Synonyms
organization
Most of the funds are provided by voluntary organizations.
company
She worked in an insurance company.
group
Members of an environmental group are staging a protest inside a chemical plant.
society
the historical society
league
the League of Nations
association
the British Olympic Association
band
bands of government soldiers
congress
institution
Class size varies from one type of institution to another.
corporation
chairperson of a huge multi-national corporation
federation
the British Athletic Federation
outfit (informal)
He works for a private security outfit.
syndicate
They formed a syndicate to buy the car.
bloc
the former Soviet bloc
confederation
5 (noun)
Definition
the main part of anything
the preface, followed by the main body of the article
Synonyms
main part
matter
A proton is an elementary particle of matter.
heart
The heart of the problem is supply and demand.
material
the decomposition of organic material
mass
Pluto and Triton have nearly the same mass and density.
substance
The substance of his discussions doesn't really matter.
bulk
The vast bulk of imports and exports is carried by sea.
essence
Some claim that Ireland's very essence is expressed through its language.
hub
The island's social hub is the Café Sport.
6 (noun)
It is probably the most polluted body of water in the world.
Synonyms
expanse
a vast expanse of grassland
area
Although large in area, the flat did not have many rooms.
mass
stretch
It's a very dangerous stretch of road.
sweep
the whole sweep of German social and political history
extent
an estate about seven or eight acres in extent
tract
A vast tract of land is ready for development.
breadth
The breadth of his knowledge filled me with admiration.
7 (noun)
a body of evidence
Synonyms
amount
I still do a certain amount of work for them.
measure
The colonies were claiming a larger measure of self-government.
collection
He has gathered a large collection of prints and paintings over the years.
mass
The Second World War involved the mass of the population.
volume
the sheer volume of traffic on our motorways
quantity
the sheer quantity of data can cause problems.
bulk
the shadowy bulk of an ancient barn
corpus
a corpus of over 450 million words of spoken and written English
8 (noun)
The great body of people moved slowly forward.
Synonyms
mass
A mass of excited people clogged the street.
company
He was a notable young actor in a company of rising stars.
press
There was still a press of people around the Victoria Memorial.
army
data collected by an army of volunteers
host
A host of stars attended the awards ceremony.
crowd
It took some two hours before the crowd was fully dispersed.
majority
The majority of our customers come from out of town.
assembly
She waited until quiet settled on the assembly.
mob
a growing mob of demonstrators
herd
large herds of elephant and buffalo
swarm
A swarm of people encircled the hotel.
horde
A horde of people was screaming for tickets.
multitude
the multitudes that surround the Pope
throng
An official pushed through the throng.
bevy
a bevy of reporters
9 (noun)
Definition
the characteristic full quality of certain wines
a dry wine, with good body
Synonyms
consistency
I added a little milk to mix the dough to the right consistency.
substance
The substance that causes the problem comes from the barley.
texture
It is used in moisturisers to give them a silky texture.
density
Jupiter's moon Io has a density of 3.5 grams per cubic centimetre.
richness
firmness
the firmness of the ground
solidity
viscosity
10 (noun)
Definition
a person
(informal)
Synonyms
person
Sam's the only person who can do the job.
being
beings from outer space
human
The drug has not yet been tested on humans.
individual
the rights and responsibilities of the individual
creature
He is one of the most amiable creatures in existence.
human being
not to hear a fellow human being's voice
mortal
impossible needs for any mere mortal to meet
idiom
See body and soul
related words
related adjectivescorporalphysical
see also subject word lists:
See Blood cellsSee Bodily humoursSee BonesSee GlandsSee MusclesSee Parts of the brainSee Parts of the earSee Parts of the eyeSee Parts of the heartSee Teeth
subject word lists
See Parts of the body
Quotations
The human body is the best picture of the human soul [Ludwig Wittgenstein – Philosophical Investigations]What we think and feel and are is to a great extent determined by the state of our ductless glands and our viscera [Aldous Huxley – Music at Night]Body and spirit are twins: God only knows which is which: The soul squats down in the flesh, like a tinker drunk in a ditch [Algernon Charles Swinburne – The Heptalogia]diaphragm: a muscular partition separating disorders of the chest from disorders of the bowels [Ambrose Bierce – The Devil's Dictionary]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of area
Definition
range or scope
Although large in area, the flat did not have many rooms.
Synonyms
range,
reach,
size,
sweep,
extent,
scope,
sphere,
domain,
width,
compass,
breadth,
parameters (informal),
latitude,
expanse,
radius,
ambit,
footprint
in the sense of army
Definition
a large number of people or animals
data collected by an army of volunteers
Synonyms
vast number,
host,
gang,
mob,
flock,
array,
legion,
swarm,
sea,
pack,
horde,
multitude,
throng,
host (archaic)
in the sense of assembly
Definition
a number of people gathered together for a meeting