English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

A

character

The first letter of the English alphabet.

aa

noun

A type of volcanic lava that cools into a rough, jagged, broken-up surface, as opposed to smooth pahoehoe lava.

AAA

noun

The top tier of minor-league baseball, one level below the major leagues; also used loosely for "top-tier" in other contexts.

aaagh

intj

A stretched-out cry of shock, pain, or fear, longer and more intense than a plain "agh".

aagh

intj

A cry expressing sudden horror, disgust, or frustration.

aah

intj

Used to express amazement, pleasure, or relief.

aaliyah

name

A female first name of Arabic origin.

Aarav

name

A male given name of Indian origin, popular among Hindi speakers.

aardvark

noun

A nocturnal, burrowing African mammal that eats ants and termites and somewhat resembles a pig with a long snout.

aardwolf

noun

A nocturnal, striped, hyena-like mammal of eastern and southern Africa that feeds on insects.

aaren

name

A male first name of Hebrew origin.

Aaron

name

A male given name, from the biblical figure who was the brother of Moses.

aaronson

name

A Hebrew patronymic surname derived from Aaron.

aarti

noun

A Hindu ritual of worship in which a small flame, often from a lamp fed with clarified butter, is offered to a deity.

Aaru

name

In ancient Egyptian mythology, the heavenly paradise ruled by Osiris, pictured as endless reed fields like the Nile Delta.

ab

noun

Informal short form of "abdominal muscle", usually used in the plural "abs" for the stomach muscles.

aba

noun

A simple, loose-fitting robe traditionally worn in parts of the Middle East, often made from coarse woven wool or camel hair.

abaca

noun

A type of banana plant from the Philippines, grown for the fibre used to make cloth, rope and paper.

abaciscus

noun

A single tile or square in a mosaic floor.

abacist

noun

A person who works out sums using an abacus.

aback

adv

Used in the phrase "taken aback": caught by surprise, startled, or momentarily thrown off guard.

abaculus

noun

A small coloured tile of glass, marble or a similar material, used to make patterns in mosaic floors.

abacus

noun

A manual calculating tool made of a frame with rows of sliding beads, used to add, subtract, and perform other arithmetic.

abada

noun

Another name for the rhinoceros.

Abaddon

name

In the Bible, the angel or personification of destruction who rules over the bottomless pit; by extension, the pit itself.

abaft

prep

Behind, or towards the back of a ship, in relation to something else.

abalienate

verb

To give up ownership of something and hand it over to someone else.

abalone

noun

An edible sea snail with a flattened, ear-shaped shell lined with mother-of-pearl; also, its meat.

abandon

verb

To leave someone or something behind for good, especially when you have a duty to stay.

abandoned

adj

Left behind and no longer cared for, used, or lived in.

abandoning

noun

The act of leaving something or someone behind for good.

abandonment

noun

The act of leaving someone or something behind completely, or the state of having been left that way.

abandons

noun

Children who have been abandoned by their parents or guardians; foundlings.

abase

verb

To lower someone's position, rank or status in a way that hurts their feelings.

abased

adj

Made to feel humble, with lower rank, position or status.

abasement

noun

The act of lowering or humbling someone.

abash

verb

To make someone feel embarrassed or ashamed, so that they lose their composure.

abashed

adj

Feeling embarrassed or ashamed.

abate

verb

To become less strong or severe; to die down.

abated

adj

Describing a pattern in stone or metal carving where the background has been cut away so the design stands out.

abatement

noun

A reduction in the amount, degree or intensity of something, especially something unwanted such as noise, pollution or tax.

abattoir

noun

A place where animals are killed for food; a slaughterhouse.

abaxial

adj

(biology) Describing the side of something that faces away from its central axis, for example the underside of a leaf.

abba

noun

An Aramaic word for "father", used as a religious title and, in the New Testament, as an intimate name for God.

abbacy

noun

The position, authority or area of responsibility held by an abbot or abbess.

Abbas

name

A male given name and surname of Arabic origin.

abbatial

adj

Relating to an abbey, an abbot or an abbess.

abbee

name

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail.

abbess

noun

A woman who heads a convent of nuns, holding the same authority over her community that an abbot holds over monks.

abbey

noun

A monastery or convent, or the buildings that house it, led by an abbot or abbess.

Abbi

name

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail.

Abbie

name

A unisex nickname, most often short for Abigail, and occasionally for Albert.

abbot

noun

The monk who is head of an abbey or monastery.

Abbott

name

A surname, originally referring to someone who worked for or was connected to an abbot.

abbreviate

verb

To make something shorter by leaving out some parts.

abbreviation

noun

A shortened form of a word or phrase, standing in for the full version.

abbreviature

noun

A shortened summary of a longer piece of writing.

Abbs

name

A surname derived from a short form of the name Abel.

Abby

name

A common diminutive of the given name Abigail, also used as a standalone name.

ABC

noun

The alphabet, or the basics of a subject.

abdal

noun

A Persian holy man or dervish devoted to religion.

abderian

adj

Relating to Abdera or its people.

abdi

name

A boy's forename, a variant of Abdul.

abdicate

verb

To formally give up a position of power, especially a throne.

abdication

noun

The act of rejecting or cutting off a child as an heir.

abdomen

noun

The part of the body between the chest and the pelvis, containing the stomach and other digestive organs.

abdominal

adj

Relating to the abdomen.

abduct

verb

To take a person away by force, usually secretly and against their will; to kidnap.

abducted

adj

Having been taken away by force; kidnapped.

abductee

noun

A person who has been abducted, especially by aliens.

abduction

noun

The crime of taking a person away by force or deception, typically to hold them against their will.

abductor

noun

Someone who unlawfully takes a person away by force; a kidnapper.

Abdul

name

A male first name of Arabic used by Muslims origin.

Abdullah

name

A male given name of Arabic origin, meaning "servant of God".

Abe

noun

A five-dollar bill, in American slang.

abear

verb

To tolerate or put up with something.

abecedarian

noun

A person who is learning their letters.

abed

adv

In or on a bed; confined to bed.

Abel

name

A male given name of Hebrew origin, also the name of the biblical son of Adam and Eve killed by his brother Cain.

Abercrombie

name

A Scottish surname, also the name of several small places in Scotland and North America.

Aberdeen

name

A port city and council area in northeastern Scotland, also the name of several towns in the United States and elsewhere.

aberrance

noun

The state of being aberrant; a move away from what is normal or correct.

aberrancy

noun

The state of being unusual or not normal.

aberrant

adj

Differing from what is normal or expected; deviating from the usual pattern.

aberration

noun

Something that departs noticeably from what is normal, expected, or typical.

abet

verb

To help or encourage someone to do something wrong, especially a crime.

abetting

noun

The act of helping or encouraging someone to do something wrong, especially a crime.

abettor

noun

A person who helps or encourages someone else to commit a crime.

abeyance

noun

(law) A state in which it is not yet settled who owns a piece of land or a title.

abeyant

adj

Temporarily on hold or suspended.

Abhay

name

A male given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "fearless", used in India.

Abhi

name

A diminutive form of Indian given names such as Abhinav, Abhishek, or Abhilasha.

Abhimanyu

name

A male given name from Sanskrit, borne by a hero of the Mahabharata, son of Arjuna and Subhadra.

abhor

verb

To hate or detest something intensely; to regard it with disgust.

abhorred

adj

Hated or strongly disliked.

abhorrence

noun

A powerful feeling of hatred or disgust towards something.

abhorrency

noun

The quality of causing hatred, or the feeling of hating something.

abhorrent

adj

Causing intense disgust or hatred; utterly repugnant.

abhorrently

adv

In a way that shows strong hatred or disgust.

abhorrer

noun

A person who hates or strongly dislikes something.

abhorring

noun

Strong hatred or dislike.

Abi

name

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail.

abidance

noun

The act of staying or carrying on in a place.

abide

verb

To accept and follow a rule, decision, or agreement (used with "by").

abiding

adj

Lasting for a long time; enduring; not fading.

abigail

noun

(dated) A lady's personal maid or servant.

abigeat

noun

(law) The crime of stealing cattle by driving them away for oneself.

Abilene

adj

Relating to the ancient region of Abila.

ability

noun

The capacity or power to do something.

abiogenesis

noun

The origin of living organisms from lifeless matter, without living parents.

abiogenetic

adj

Relating to or produced by abiogenesis.

abiotic

adj

Not alive; having to do with non-living matter.

abject

adj

Experienced or done in the most extreme or miserable degree, especially poverty or failure.

abjection

noun

A state of great misery or of being looked down on.

abjuration

noun

A formal statement, made under oath, giving up a belief such as a religious one.

abjure

verb

To firmly reject or give up someone or something for good.

ablactation

noun

The process of stopping a baby, or a young animal, from feeding on milk.

ablation

noun

A medical procedure that destroys a small amount of tissue deliberately, usually with heat, cold or a laser, to treat a condition such as an irregular heartbeat or a tumour.

ablative

adjective

Relating to the grammatical case that, in languages such as Latin, chiefly marks removal, separation or the means by which something is done.

ablaut

noun

Ablaut is a pattern in which a word's root vowel changes to mark a related shift in meaning or grammatical function.

ablaze

adj

On fire; burning fiercely.

able

adj

Having the power, skill, resources, or opportunity to do something.

abled

adj

Having a stated level of physical ability.

ableism

noun

Unfair treatment of people because they have a disability.

ableist

adjective

Discriminating against disabled people, or assuming that being non-disabled is the normal and superior state.

ablepsia

noun

The inability to see; blindness.

ablow

adj

In flower; blooming.

ablution

noun

The act of washing oneself or something, often used in the plural as ablutions.

ably

adv

Skilfully and competently.

abm

name

Ellipsis of ABM Treaty or Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

abnegate

verb

To give up something, such as a right or privilege, often as an act of self-denial.

abnegation

noun

The act of holding back your own wishes, needs or interests.

Abner

name

A male given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "father of light", borne by a cousin of Saul in the Old Testament.

abnormal

adj

Different from what is usual, expected, or average; not normal.

abnormality

noun

A feature or condition that departs from what is normal or expected.

abnormally

adv

In a way that is not normal; unusually.

abo

noun

An alternative letter-case form of abo.

aboard

adv

On or into a ship, plane, train, or other vehicle.

abode

noun

A place where someone lives; a home or dwelling.

abogado

noun

(law) A lawyer who gives advice and represents clients.

aboil

adj

Boiling, or at boiling point.

abolish

verb

To officially end a law, system, or practice.

abolishment

noun

The act of ending or doing away with something completely.

abolition

noun

The act of officially ending a law, system, or practice, especially slavery.

abolitionist

noun

A person who campaigns to abolish something, historically and most often the slave trade and slavery.

abomasum

noun

The fourth and final chamber of the stomach of a cow or other ruminant, or its lining when used as food.

abominable

adj

Extremely unpleasant or disgusting; causing strong hatred or disapproval.

abominably

adv

In a hateful, disgusting way.

abominate

verb

To hate something intensely, with strong disgust.

abomination

noun

Something that causes intense disgust or hatred.