Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English

reduce costs, such as removing workers from their jobs, closing parts of a company, etc: Up to 300 workers are facing the axe at the struggling company, о The company has not announced which of its factories will get the axe. • verb [+ obj] to take strong measures to reduce costs, such as removing workers from their jobs, closing parts of a company, etc: Other less profitable services are to be axed later this year.

axis /'aeksis/ noun [C] (plural axes /'aeksi:z/) a fixed line against which the positions of points are measured, especially points on a graph: The horizontal axis measures the level of unemployment. О the horizontal/vertical axis ♦ the axis is/measures/ shows...

8 b

B2B {also spelled b2b, B-to-B) /.birfa 'bf:/ adjective [only before noun]

(E-commerce) business-to-business used to describe the buying, selling and exchanging over the Internet of products, services or information between companies, rather than between companies and consumers: B2B solutions for e- commerce о business-to-business advertising СЫП It can also be used as a noun: Business to business accounts for 75% of all Internet revenue. B2C, B2E

,B2'B ex change noun [c] (abbr B2X, B2BX)

(E-commerce) a network or website on the Internet that allows businesses to buy and sell goods and services directly between each other

B2BX /,bi: ta bi:'eks/ = B2B exchange

B2C (also spelled b2c, B-to-C) /,bi: ta 'si:/ adjective [only before noun]

(E-commerce) business-to-consumer, business-to-

customer used to describe the selling of products, services or information to consumers over the Internet: B2C e-commerce о business-to-consumer transactions СЕШ It can also be used as a noun: B2Chas been a big disappointment so far. B2B, B2E

B2E (also spelled b2e, B-to-E) /,bi: tu 'i:/ adjective [only before noun]

(IT) business-to-employee used about a website that all employees of a company use to enter the Internet, and which brings together all the information they need to do their job whether in the office or away from it intranet

(HR) business-to-employee used to describe ways in which some companies try to help employees feel happy in their job and to develop their skills and education, so that the company will attract and keep good staff

(E-commerce) business-to-employer used to describe the selling over the Internet of products or services that help companies provide sth for employees or find new employees

-> B2B, B2C

B2X /.bi: tu 'eks/ = B2B exchange

B&B (also spelled В and B. b and b) /,bi: an 'bi:/ = bed and breakfast

baby boom noun [c] a time when the population of a country increases rapidly, especially used to refer to a time in the UK and the US between 1948 and 1964 baby .boomer noun [c] a person born during a baby boom, especially between 1948 and 1964 in the UK or the US: Their traditional customers are ageing baby boomers.

'babysitting .service noun [c] a service provided by a hotel in which sb takes care of your children while you go out

back /Ьэек/ adjective, adverb, verb

adjective [only before noun]

see also: buy-back, dial--, write-- 2 (/7) the system of connections that carries information long distances over the Internet: The high-speed Internet backbone has to deal with more and more traffic every day.

,back 'catalogue (also 'catalogue) {AmEspelling also catalog) noun [C, usually sing.] the designs, films/movies or music that a company has produced or bought in the past and that it can still produce. A back catalogue can be sold to make money, backdate /.baek'deit/ verb [+ obj]

to write an earlier date on a cheque or other document than the date at the time of writing

(BrE) {usually be backdated) to make sth, especially a payment, take effect from an earlier date: Postal workers are getting a 5% pay rise, backdated to March.

[oppI post-date

'back end noun, adjective

noun [c]

the part of a business that does not meet and deal directly with customers: They outsource much of the back end of their business.