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Body

//ˈbɒd.i// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun

1
A surname transferred from the nickname.
2
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. archaic

Noun

1
Physical frame.; The physical structure of a human or animal seen as one single organism. countable
"I saw them walking from a distance, their bodies strangely angular in the dawn light."
2
the external structure of a vehicle wordnet
3
Physical frame.; The fleshly or corporeal nature of a human, as opposed to the spirit or soul. countable, uncountable
"The body is driven by desires, but the soul is at peace."
4
a resonating chamber in a musical instrument (as the body of a violin) wordnet
5
Physical frame.; A corpse. countable
"Her body was found at four o’clock, just two hours after the murder."

Show 27 more definitions

6
the property of holding together and retaining its shape wordnet
7
Physical frame.; A person. countable, uncountable
"Indeed, if it belonged to a poor body, it would be another thing; but so great a lady, to be sure, can never want it […]"
8
the main mass of a thing wordnet
9
Physical frame.; A human being, regarded as marginalized or oppressed. countable, uncountable
"the early modern English husband not only took control over his wife's property upon marriage, he also acquired property in her body."
10
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being) wordnet
11
Main section. countable, uncountable
"(countable) A bodysuit. [from 19th c.]"
12
a natural object consisting of a dead animal or person wordnet
13
Main section.; The torso, the main structure of a human or animal frame excluding the extremities (limbs, head, tail). countable, uncountable
"The boxer took a blow to the body."
14
the body excluding the head and neck and limbs wordnet
15
Main section.; The largest or most important part of anything, as distinct from its appendages or accessories; (of vehicles, sometimes) the outer shell (as contrasted with the frame and powertrain). countable, uncountable
"The bumpers and front tyres were ruined, but the body of the car was in remarkable shape."
16
the central message of a communication wordnet
17
Main section.; The section of a dress extending from the neck to the waist, excluding the arms. archaic, countable, uncountable
"Penny was in the scullery, pressing the body of her new dress."
18
a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity wordnet
19
Main section.; The content of a letter, message, or other printed or electronic document, as distinct from signatures, salutations, headers, and so on. countable, uncountable
20
a collection of particulars considered as a system wordnet
21
Main section.; The code of a subroutine, contrasted to its signature and parameters. countable, uncountable
"In many programming languages, the method body is enclosed in braces."
22
an individual 3-dimensional object that has mass and that is distinguishable from other objects wordnet
23
Main section.; nave. countable, uncountable
24
Coherent group.; A group of people having a common purpose or opinion; a mass. countable, uncountable
"I was escorted from the building by a body of armed security guards."
25
Coherent group.; An organisation, company or other authoritative group. countable, uncountable
"The local train operating company is the managing body for this section of track."
26
Coherent group.; A unified collection of details, knowledge or information. countable, uncountable
"We have now amassed a body of evidence which points to one conclusion."
27
Material entity.; Any physical object or material thing. countable
"All bodies are held together by internal forces."
28
Material entity.; Substance; physical presence. uncountable
"The voice had an extraordinary sadness. Pure from all body, pure from all passion, going out into the world, solitary, unanswered, breaking against rocks—so it sounded."
29
Material entity.; Comparative viscosity, solidity or substance (in wine, colours etc.). uncountable
"The red wine, sadly, lacked body."
30
Material entity.; An agglomeration of some substance, especially one that would be otherwise uncountable. countable, uncountable
"The English Channel is a body of water lying between Great Britain and France."
31
The shank of a type, or the depth of the shank (by which the size is indicated). countable, uncountable
"a nonpareil face on an agate body"
32
A three-dimensional object, such as a cube or cone. countable, uncountable

Verb

1
To give body or shape to something. often, transitive
"And as imagination bodies forth / The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen / Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing / A local habitation and a name."
2
invest with or as with a body; give body to wordnet
3
To construct the bodywork of a car.
4
To embody. transitive
"I don’t say, one bodies the other / One’s spiritual truth; / But I do say it’s hard to lose either, / When you have both."
5
To murder someone. slang, transitive

Show 1 more definition

6
To murder someone.; To utterly defeat someone. broadly, slang, transitive
"I keep getting bodied by kids half my age."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- Proto-West Germanic *bodag Old English bodiġ Middle English bodi English body From Middle English body, bodi, bodiȝ, from Old English bodiġ, bodeġ (“body, trunk, chest, torso, height, stature”), from Proto-West Germanic *bodag (“body, trunk”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“to be awake, observe”). Cognate with Old High German botah (“body, corpse, trunk, torso”) (whence Swabian Bottich (“body, torso”), Bavarian Bottich (“body, torso, carcass; lower part of a shirt or jacket”)).

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

* As an English surname, from Middle English body, probably a nickname for a corpulent person; and occupational surname from Middle English bode (“messenger”) + -y (diminutive ending). Equivalent to bode (“messenger, herald”) + -y. * As a French surname, variant of Bodin. * As a Hungarian surname Bódy, variant of Bódi, Bodi.

Etymology 4

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