English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

anemone

noun

A flowering plant of the buttercup family, such as the windflower, prized for its bright, delicate blooms.

anent

prep

Concerning or about something.

anergy

noun

Energy that is spread out or disordered and so cannot be used to do work.

anesthesia

noun

A medically induced state in which a patient cannot feel pain, used during surgery or other procedures.

anesthesiologic

adj

Relating to anaesthesiology, the branch of medicine concerned with anaesthesia.

anesthesiologist

noun

A doctor who specializes in giving anesthesia and monitoring patients during surgery.

anesthesiology

noun

The branch of medicine concerned with giving patients drugs so they feel no pain during an operation.

anesthetic

noun

A drug used to stop pain or cause unconsciousness for a medical procedure.

anesthetics

noun

Another name for anesthesiology, the medical specialty of pain relief during surgery.

anesthetist

noun

A person trained to give patients drugs that stop them feeling pain, especially during surgery.

anesthetize

verb

To give someone a drug that stops them feeling pain or puts them to sleep, usually before an operation.

anethical

adj

Not connected with questions of right and wrong at all, rather than simply good or bad.

aneurism

noun

A dated spelling of aneurysm.

aneurysm

noun

A dangerous bulge in the wall of a blood vessel, caused by a weak spot that swells under blood pressure.

anew

adv

Once again, from the beginning, or in a fresh way.

Ang

name

A short given name or surname of East Asian origin, notably borne by the filmmaker Ang Lee.

Angad

name

A masculine given name of Punjabi and Sikh origin, meaning "part of the body" or "limb".

Ange

name

A given name, a French short form related to Angela or Angelo, meaning "angel".

angel

noun

A spiritual being who serves as a messenger of God, traditionally pictured with wings and a robe.

Angela

name

A feminine given name of Greek origin, meaning "angel" or "messenger".

Angeles

name

A Spanish feminine given name meaning "angels", and part of the city name Los Angeles.

angelic

adj

Resembling or characteristic of an angel; heavenly.

angelica

noun

A tall garden herb with hollow stems, related to celery and parsley, whose stalks are sometimes candied.

angelical

adj

Belonging to angels, or having the qualities of an angel.

Angelina

noun

A young or inexperienced hobo, historically.

Angelique

name

A feminine given name, the French form of Angela, meaning "angelic".

angellike

adj

Like an angel in looks or character.

angelly

adj

Connected with angels, or like an angel.

Angelo

name

A masculine given name of Italian origin, meaning "angel" or "messenger".

angelologist

noun

Someone who studies angels.

angelology

noun

The study of angels, including their nature and ranks.

angelos

name

A daughter of Zeus and Hera, and a goddess of the Underworld.

Angelus

noun

A Catholic prayer devotion commemorating the Annunciation, said three times a day.

anger

noun

A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility, often triggered by feeling wronged or threatened.

angered

adj

Made angry; provoked to a state of anger.

Angers

name

A city in western France, historic capital of the Anjou region.

angevin

adj

Belonging to or connected with Anjou, a historical region of France.

Angie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Angela or Angelica.

angiogram

noun

An X-ray image of blood vessels, produced after injecting a dye that makes them visible.

angle

noun

The space between two lines or surfaces that meet at a point, measured in degrees.

angled

adj

Set or shaped so as to form an angle rather than lying flat or straight.

angler

noun

A person who fishes using a rod, line, and hook.

anglerfish

noun

A sea fish that dangles a fleshy growth on its head like bait to draw in and catch its prey.

angleworm

noun

An earthworm kept or used as bait for catching fish.

Anglia

name

The Latin and historical name for England, surviving in terms like East Anglia.

Anglican

adj

Relating to the Church of England or churches within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

angling

noun

The sport or activity of fishing with a rod, line, and hook.

anglo

noun

A person of English or British descent, especially as distinguished from other ethnic groups.

Angola

name

A country in southern Africa, on the Atlantic coast, formerly a Portuguese colony.

angora

noun

A cat of the Turkish Angora breed.

angrily

adv

In a way that shows or expresses anger.

angry

adj

Feeling or showing strong displeasure or hostility.

angst

noun

A deep, often vague feeling of anxiety or dread, sometimes tied to broader worries about life or meaning.

angstful

adj

Feeling great anxiety or fear.

angstrom

noun

An angstrom is a unit of length equal to one ten-billionth of a metre, roughly the size of an atom, used mainly to measure wavelengths of light and distances between atoms.

anguish

noun

Severe mental or physical suffering, often caused by grief, loss, or distress.

anguished

adj

Showing or full of extreme suffering or distress.

angular

adj

Having sharp corners or angles rather than smooth curves.

angulate

adj

Having corners or angles in its shape.

Angus

noun

A breed of hornless black beef cattle, originally from Scotland, prized for the quality and marbling of its meat.

angy

adjective

An informal, intentionally misspelled way of writing "angry," used online to make the anger sound small, cute, or not entirely serious.

anhedonia

noun

The inability to feel pleasure in things that would normally be enjoyable — a common symptom of depression and some other conditions.

anhydrous

adj

Containing very little or no water.

ani

noun

A black, long-tailed tropical bird in the cuckoo family, found across the Americas.

anil

noun

The indigo shrub, or the deep blue dye extracted from it.

aniline

noun

A poisonous, oily, colourless chemical made from nitrobenzene, used to make dyes and medicines.

anima

noun

The soul or life force of a living being, as opposed to the animus.

animadversion

noun

A critical comment or remark.

animadvert

verb

To criticise or find fault with something.

animal

noun

A living, moving organism that feeds on other organisms rather than making its own food, as distinct from plants and fungi.

animalistic

adj

Like an animal in appearance or behaviour.

animate

verb

To bring something to life, or to make a picture or object appear to move on its own.

animated

adj

Made using drawings, models, or computer graphics that are shown in sequence to create the illusion of movement.

animation

noun

The technique of creating the illusion of movement from a sequence of still images, drawings, or models, or a work made this way.

animator

noun

A person who creates animated films, shows, or effects, such as an illustrator who draws frame-by-frame movement.

anime

noun

Animation that originates from Japan, or animated work drawn in the visual style associated with it.

animose

adj

Determined and full of energy or passion.

animosity

noun

Strong hostility or ill will toward someone.

animus

noun

Strong dislike, hostility, or ill will toward someone or something.

anion

noun

A negatively charged ion.

anise

noun

A plant grown for its licorice-flavored seeds, used as a spice and in flavoring drinks and sweets.

aniseed

noun

The seed-like fruit of the anise plant, used in baking and to flavour drinks such as ouzo.

anisotropy

noun

The quality of a material or property varying depending on the direction in which it is measured.

Aniston

name

A surname of Greek origin, widely known through the actress Jennifer Aniston.

Anita

name

A female given name, a Spanish diminutive of Ana ("Ann").

Anjali

name

A female given name from Sanskrit, widely used in India.

Anjou

noun

A variety of pear with green or red skin and a sweet, mild flavor.

Anju

noun

Korean food eaten alongside alcoholic drinks, such as fried snacks or skewers.

Ankara

name

The capital city of Turkey.

anker

noun

An old unit of liquid measure for wine or spirits, roughly ten gallons, or a barrel of that size.

ankle

noun

The joint connecting the foot to the leg.

anklebone

noun

The bone in the ankle that forms the base of the ankle joint and links to the two lower leg bones.

anklet

noun

A piece of jewelry worn around the ankle.

ankylosis

noun

The fusing together of bones so that they become a single, rigid unit.

Ann

name

A female given name, an English form of Hannah.

anna

name

A female given name, a Latinate form related to Ann and Hannah.

Annabel

name

A female given name, generally understood today as a blend of "Anna" and "belle" (beautiful).

annabella

name

A female first name of Latin, variant of Annabel or Annabelle origin.

Annabelle

name

A female given name, a spelling variant of Annabel.

Annabeth

name

A female given name formed by combining "Anna" and "Beth."

Annalise

name

A female given name, a variant related to Anna and Elise.

annalist

noun

A person who writes a yearly record of events; a historian.

annals

noun

A written record of events arranged by year, or historical records more generally.

Annapolis

name

The capital city of Maryland, USA, and home to the United States Naval Academy.

Annas

name

A Jewish high priest of the New Testament era, remembered for his role alongside his son-in-law Caiaphas in the trial of Jesus.

Anne

name

A female given name, the French form of Ann.

anneal

verb

To heat something, usually metal, and then cool it slowly to make it less brittle and stronger.

annealing

noun

Annealing is the process of heating solid metal or glass and then letting it cool slowly so that its internal structure settles and stress is removed.

annetta

name

The name of a female forename that is a variant of Annette.

Annette

name

A female given name, a French diminutive of Anne.

annex

noun

A separate or attached building added to a larger one.

annexation

noun

The act of taking control of territory and formally incorporating it into another country or state.

annexe

noun

A separate or extra building attached to, or built alongside, a larger one.

Annie

name

A female given name, a diminutive of Ann popular since the 19th century.

annihilable

adj

Able to be destroyed completely.

annihilate

verb

To destroy completely; to wipe out entirely.

annihilated

adj

Completely destroyed.

annihilation

noun

Total destruction; the act of wiping something out of existence.

annihilative

adj

Causing complete destruction.

annihilator

noun

A person who annihilates.

annihilatory

adj

Relating to or causing complete destruction.

Annika

name

A female given name, a Swedish diminutive of Anna.

anniversary

noun

The yearly date on which a significant past event, such as a wedding, is remembered or celebrated.

annotate

verb

To add notes to a text, diagram or image that explain, comment on or draw attention to parts of it.

annotation

noun

A note added to a text, diagram or image to explain or comment on part of it.

announce

verb

To make something known publicly, especially for the first time.

announced

adj

Made known publicly; declared.

announcement

noun

A public or formal statement telling people about something.

announcer

noun

Someone whose job is to introduce or read out information, especially on radio, TV, or at an event.

annoy

verb

To bother or irritate someone, especially through repeated small actions.

annoyance

noun

A feeling of mild irritation, or the thing that causes it.

annoyed

adj

Feeling mild irritation or displeasure about something.

annoying

adj

Causing irritation; bothersome.

annoyingly

adv

In a way that is irritating or bothersome.

annual

adj

Happening once every year.

annually

adv

Once a year; every year.

annuity

noun

A fixed sum of money paid to someone at regular intervals, often for the rest of their life, usually as part of a retirement or investment plan.

annul

verb

To officially declare something invalid or void, as if it never legally existed.

annular

adj

Shaped like a ring.

annulled

adj

Officially declared invalid or void.

annulment

noun

The act of officially cancelling something, especially a legal declaration that a marriage was never valid.

annulus

noun

A shape or object like a ring, with an open space in the middle.

annunciation

name

The archangel Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she would bear a son, Jesus, commemorated on 25th March.

anny

det

A pronunciation spelling of any.

Ano

name

A short given name or surname found in various cultures, including Japanese and West African usage.

anode

noun

The electrode in a cell or similar device where a positive electric current flows in, or electrons flow out; its voltage can be positive or negative compared with the cathode, depending on the device.

anodyne

adjective

Deliberately bland and inoffensive, so mild that it cannot upset or interest anyone.

anoint

verb

To put oil on someone or something, often as part of a religious ceremony.

anointed

adj

Having gone through a ceremony of anointing; formally chosen for a special role.

anomal

noun

Something unusual or irregular, especially an odd word form in a language.