# body

Pronunciation: US say "BAH-dee" /ˈbɑ.di/; UK say "BO-dee" /ˈbɒd.i/

## Noun

1. The complete physical structure of a person or animal, including a person's physical side as distinct from the mind or soul.
   - Simple: The whole physical form of a person or animal, sometimes set against the mind or soul.
   - _The human body contains hundreds of muscles working together._
   - _Cold weather forces the body to burn more energy to stay warm._
2. A group of people who act together for a shared purpose, often as an official organization.
   - Simple: A group of people who work or act together, often as an official group.
   - _An independent body oversees elections to ensure they are fair._
   - _Several regulatory bodies investigated the bank's lending practices._
3. The lifeless physical form of a person who has died; a corpse.
   - Simple: A dead person's whole physical form.
   - _Investigators recovered the body from the wreckage._
   - _The funeral home prepared the body for burial._
4. The largest or most important part of something, as distinct from its added or accessory parts; in vehicles, the outer shell around the frame and engine.
   - Simple: The main and biggest part of something, not its smaller added parts.
   - _The car's body had rusted, though the engine and frame were sound._
   - _The body of the cathedral survived the fire, but the spires collapsed._
5. The central part of a human or animal frame, excluding the limbs, head, and tail.
   - Simple: The main middle part of a person or animal, not counting the arms, legs, and head.
   - _The boxer landed several punches to his opponent's body rather than the head._
   - _The armor plate shielded the body, leaving the joints and head exposed._
6. A distinct physical object or mass, including a solid figure in geometry.
   - Simple: A separate physical object or mass, such as a planet, or a solid shape like a cube.
   - _Gravity pulls every body toward the center of the earth._
   - _Astronomers tracked several bodies moving through the outer solar system._
7. A unified collection of facts, knowledge, information, or creative works, such as an artist's whole output.
   - Simple: A large set of facts or knowledge about a subject, or all the works one person has made.
   - _A growing body of research links sleep quality to memory._
   - _The artist's body of work spans four decades._
8. A mass or collected amount of some substance, especially something that is otherwise uncountable, such as water.
   - Simple: A large amount of something gathered together, such as water.
   - _The reservoir is the largest body of water in the region._
   - _Cold bodies of water hold more dissolved oxygen._
9. The main content of a letter, message, document, or piece of code, as distinct from its headings, signature, or declarations.
   - Simple: The main part of a letter, message, or piece of computer code, not counting the headings or other extras.
   - _The body of the report runs to forty pages, not counting the appendices._
   - _He pasted the address into the header and typed his message in the body._
10. A full, solid, or rich quality, as of wine, hair, fabric, or sound.
   - Simple: A full, thick, or strong quality that something like wine, hair, or cloth has.
   - _This red wine has a rich body that coats the glass and fills the mouth._
   - _The cheap paint lacked body and dripped in thin runs down the wall._
15. A snug one-piece top, cut like a leotard, that closes with fasteners between the legs; a bodysuit. *(UK)*
   - Simple: A tight one-piece top, like a leotard, that fastens between the legs.
   - _A lace body looks smart under a blazer with high-waisted trousers._
   - _The shop's new range includes ribbed bodies in black, white and four brighter shades._
17. A human being considered as a member of a marginalized or oppressed group.
   - Simple: A human being thought of as someone who is treated unfairly or pushed aside.
   - _The conference focused on how queer and trans bodies have been policed, erased, and pushed out of public spaces._
   - _In her essay, she asks why the Black body is still treated as a threat in American public life._
19. The main central part of a church, running from the entrance toward the chancel; the nave.
   - Simple: The main open middle part of a church, where people sit.
   - _Worshippers filled the body of the cathedral._
   - _Stone columns lined the body of the church on both sides._
21. The metal shank of a piece of type, or the depth of that shank, by which the size of the type is measured.
   - Simple: The small metal block that holds one printing letter and sets its size.
   - _The compositor measured the body of each piece of type._
   - _A larger body produces more space between the printed lines._

## Verb

12. To give body or shape to something, making it fuller or more substantial.
   - Simple: To give shape or fullness to something.
   - _Varnish makers once used open fires to body their oils, cooking them slowly until they turned thick and syrupy._
   - _Long, slow heating bodies linseed oil, turning it into a thick, honey-like medium that helps paint flow smoothly and hide brush marks._
13. To give concrete form to something abstract; to embody.
   - Simple: To give a real, living form to an idea or feeling.
   - _The sculptor bodied forth the idea of freedom as a woman breaking her chains._
   - _A good novelist can body forth a vague mood so vividly that readers feel they have lived it._
14. To defeat someone utterly and humiliatingly. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To beat someone completely in a game or contest.
   - _She bodied the reigning champion in straight sets._
   - _Players who body their rivals online love to brag about it._
16. To construct the bodywork of a car, fitting its outer shell to the frame.
   - Simple: To build the outer metal shell of a car.
   - _Skilled craftsmen can body a sedan almost entirely by hand._
   - _The firm bodied luxury cars on imported chassis._
18. To murder a person. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To kill or murder a person.
   - _He swore he'd body the man who betrayed him._
   - _They bodied two dealers over unpaid debts._

## Noun

11. A person, in older or informal use. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A person, often said in a warm, old-fashioned way.
   - _She's a kind old body who always brings something to share._
   - _A body could easily get lost wandering these woods._
20. The part of a dress extending from the neckline to the waist, not including the sleeves. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: The part of a dress that covers from the neck down to the waist, without the arms.

## Origin

From Middle English body, from Old English bodiġ ("body, trunk, chest, torso, stature"), from Proto-West Germanic *bodag ("body, trunk"), perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- ("to be awake, observe"). It is cognate with Old High German botah ("body, corpse, trunk").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/body (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).