English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

antiquary

noun

Someone with expert knowledge of antiques, or who collects them, sometimes in an official role.

antiquated

adj

Old-fashioned or outdated, no longer suited to modern needs.

antique

noun

An object, usually furniture or decorative item, valued for being old and often collectible.

antiquity

noun

Ancient times, especially the era of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

antirealism

noun

A philosophical view that certain things do not truly exist on their own, or that some statements cannot simply be called true or false.

antired

adj

In particle physics, describing a colour charge of an antiquark that matches red in a quark.

antireligion

adj

Against religion, or working to oppose it.

antiromance

noun

A novel or other piece of writing that deliberately breaks the usual rules of romantic fiction.

antisemitism

noun

Hostility, prejudice or discrimination directed at Jewish people, whether as individuals, as a community or through conspiracy theories about Jewish power.

antisepsis

noun

The study and methods used to stop germs causing infection, for example with antiseptics and sterile technique.

antiseptic

noun

A substance applied to skin or wounds to stop the growth of germs and prevent infection.

antiserum

noun

A blood serum, taken from a person or animal, that carries antibodies able to fight certain diseases or poisons.

antisocial

adj

Unwilling or unable to interact comfortably with other people.

antisynchronous

adj

Moving at the same rate as something else but completely out of step with it.

antisynergy

noun

Harmful results produced when several factors combine, the reverse of synergy.

antitheist

noun

Someone who actively opposes belief in God or gods.

antithesis

noun

The exact opposite of something, especially a person or thing that contradicts everything another stands for.

antithetical

adj

Involving a direct contrast or opposition between ideas or wording.

antiviral

adjective

Stopping or slowing the growth and reproduction of a virus.

antivirus

noun

A programme that looks for harmful software on a computer or phone, warns about it and removes or isolates what it finds, using both lists of known threats and checks on how programmes behave.

antizenith

noun

The point in the sky directly opposite the zenith, straight down; the nadir.

antler

noun

A bony, branching growth on the head of a deer, moose, or similar animal, shed and regrown each year.

Antlers

noun

The branching, bony growths on the head of a deer, moose, or similar animal, usually shed and regrown each year.

antlion

noun

An antlion is any of a group of mostly nocturnal insects in the family Myrmeleontidae whose larvae dig cone-shaped pits in sand to trap ants and other insects.

Antoine

noun

A male given name of French origin, equivalent to Anthony.

Antoinette

noun

A female given name of French origin, a feminine form of Antoine, best known from Queen Marie Antoinette.

Anton

noun

A male given name of Latin origin, common across several European languages, and also used as a surname.

Antonia

name

A feminine given name, the female form of Antonius, a Roman family name.

antonine

adj

Of or pertaining to the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius (86-161) or his reign or of the emperors in his dynasty

Antonio

name

A masculine given name of Latin origin, the Italian and Spanish form of Anthony.

antonius

name

The name of a Roman nomen gentilicium.

Antonov

name

A Russian surname, also the name of a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer founded by Oleg Antonov.

Antony

name

A masculine given name, a variant spelling of Anthony, of Roman origin.

antonym

noun

A word whose meaning is the opposite of another word's meaning.

antsy

adj

Restless, fidgety, and unable to sit still, often from impatience or nerves.

antu

name

A Mesopotamian goddess who was the female counterpart of Anu.

Antwerp

name

A city and port in Belgium, historically famous for its diamond trade.

antwerpen

name

The name of a province in Flanders, Belgium.

Antwon

name

A masculine given name, an American variant of Anthony or Antoine.

Anu

name

A feminine given name common in Finland and India, and the name of a Mesopotamian sky god.

Anubis

name

The ancient Egyptian god of the dead and embalming, usually depicted with a jackal's head.

Anuj

name

A masculine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "younger brother".

anumerical

adj

Not to do with numbers at all.

anuran

noun

Any amphibian belonging to the frog and toad group.

anus

noun

The opening at the end of the digestive tract through which solid waste leaves the body.

anvil

noun

A heavy block of iron with a flat top, used by blacksmiths as a surface for hammering and shaping hot metal.

Anwar

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "brighter" or "more luminous".

anxiety

noun

A persistent feeling of unease, nervousness, or worry, often about something uncertain that hasn't happened yet.

anxious

adj

Feeling nervous or worried, especially about something uncertain or upcoming.

anxiously

adv

In a nervous or worried way.

any

det

Used to refer to one or some of a thing, without specifying which, especially in questions and negatives.

anybody

pron

Any person at all; anyone.

anyhoo

adverb

A casual, jokey way of saying "anyhow" — used to change the subject or get back on track after a tangent.

anyhow

adv

Used to return to an earlier point or wrap up a digression; anyway.

anyone

pron

Any person at all; anybody.

anyplace

adv

(informal, chiefly American) In or to any location; anywhere.

anything

pron

Any thing, event, or fact at all, of whatever kind.

anytime

adv

At any time; whenever.

anyway

adv

Regardless of what has just been said or what happens; in any case.

anyways

adv

(informal) Anyway; in any case.

anywhere

adv

In, at, or to any place.

anywho

adverb

A jokey version of anyway, used to change the subject or steer a conversation back after a digression.

anzu

name

A divine storm-bird found in several Mesopotamian religions.

ao

noun

A colour covering both blue and green, treated as a single colour.

Aoi

name

A Japanese given name, often meaning "blue" or "hollyhock" depending on the characters used.

Aoki

name

A Japanese surname meaning "blue tree" or "green tree".

AOL

interjection

Internet slang for "I agree" or "me too," used to pile on to someone else's comment without adding anything new.

Aomori

name

A city and prefecture in northern Japan, known for its apple orchards.

aorist

noun

A verb form found in some languages, often the plain basic form, that presents an action as a complete whole.

aorta

noun

The largest artery in the body, carrying oxygen-rich blood from the heart out to the rest of the body.

aortal

adj

Relating to the aorta.

aortic

adj

Relating to the aorta.

Aoyama

name

A Japanese surname and also an upscale district in Tokyo.

apace

adv

Fast, at a quick pace.

Apache

noun

A member of any of several related Native American peoples of the southwestern United States.

apart

adv

Separated by distance or time.

apartheid

noun

The system of racial segregation enforced by law in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s.

apartment

noun

A self-contained set of rooms for living in, forming part of a larger building; a flat.

apathetic

adj

Showing little or no interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

apathy

noun

A lack of interest, enthusiasm, or emotion about something.

apatite

noun

A mineral made of calcium, phosphate and fluoride, used in fertiliser and sometimes as a gemstone.

ape

noun

A large tailless primate such as a gorilla, chimpanzee, or orangutan.

apely

adj

Like an ape, or typical of one.

aper

noun

Someone who copies or imitates something.

aperient

adj

Mildly helping to loosen the bowels.

aperitive

adj

Having a mild laxative effect.

apert

adj

Open, uncovered, or made visible.

apertion

noun

The action of opening something.

apertly

adv

In an open and public way, with nothing hidden.

aperture

noun

A small opening, gap, or hole, especially one that lets light or something else pass through.

apex

noun

The highest point of something, especially where it comes to a point; the peak or pinnacle.

aphanisis

noun

The loss of sexual desire, once thought by psychoanalysts to lie behind every neurosis.

aphasia

noun

A loss of the ability to understand or produce language, usually caused by brain damage such as a stroke.

aphelion

noun

The point in the orbit of a planet, comet, or similar body where it is furthest from the sun.

apheresis

noun

In linguistics, apheresis is the loss of a sound or syllable from the beginning of a word.

aphid

noun

A tiny soft-bodied insect that feeds by sucking sap from plants, often clustering in large numbers on new shoots and doing serious damage in gardens and crops.

aphonic

adj

Unable to produce sound with the voice.

aphonous

adj

Having no voice at all.

aphorism

noun

A short, memorable saying that states a general truth.

aphrodisia

noun

A feeling of sexual desire.

aphrodisiac

noun

A food, drink, or substance believed to increase sexual desire.

Aphrodite

name

In Greek mythology, the goddess of love and beauty.

API

noun

An agreed set of rules that lets one piece of software ask another for information or actions — what you can request, how to phrase the request, and what you will get back.

apiary

noun

A place where beehives are kept, typically a group of hives managed together for honey or pollination.

apiece

adv

For or to each one; individually.

apish

adj

Behaving like, or typical of, an ape.

apizza

noun

A thin, charred pizza from New Haven, Connecticut, topped with oregano and tomato sauce but very little grated parmesan.

APK

noun

The file format used to distribute and install an app on an Android phone or tablet. A single .apk file is a compressed package containing the app's code, images, sounds and settings, which the system unpacks when installing.

aplenty

adv

In large or generous quantity; in abundance.

aplomb

noun

Self-assurance; poise; calm composure.

apnea

noun

A temporary pause or stopping of breathing, especially during sleep.

apo

adjective

Describing a protein or molecule that is not currently bound to the partner (like a metal ion or another molecule) it normally works with — its inactive, "empty" form.

apocalypse

noun

A massive, catastrophic event causing widespread destruction; the end of the world.

apocalyptic

adj

Describing or resembling total, world-ending disaster.

apocope

noun

Apocope is the loss of one or more sounds from the end of a word, most strictly the final vowel and any consonants that follow it.

apogee

noun

The point on a satellite's path around the Earth where it is at its greatest distance from it.

Apollo

name

In Greek and Roman mythology, the god of the sun, music, prophecy, and healing.

apollonian

adj

Relating to Apollo, the Greek god.

apologetic

adj

Expressing regret or sorry for a mistake or fault.

apologetics

noun

Reasoned arguments put forward to defend a belief, idea, or set of principles.

apologia

noun

A piece of writing that defends a set of beliefs or a course of action.

apologies

noun

Expressions of regret for a fault or mistake (plural of apology).

apologise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of apologize.

apologist

noun

Someone who says sorry for something.

apologize

verb

To say sorry; to express regret for a mistake or wrongdoing.

apologizing

noun

The act of saying sorry for a mistake or wrongdoing.

apologue

noun

A brief tale that teaches a lesson, often using animals or objects that talk; a fable.

apology

noun

A statement expressing regret for a mistake or offense.

Apophis

name

In Egyptian mythology, a giant serpent god of chaos who tries to destroy the sun each night.

apoplexy

noun

A sudden loss of consciousness, movement or speech caused by bleeding in or blocked blood flow to the brain; the older medical name for a stroke.

apoptosis

noun

Apoptosis is a process of programmed cell death in which a cell follows an ordered sequence of steps that ends in its own destruction, as part of normal growth, ageing, or a response to injury.

aposematism

noun

An adaptation, such as a warning colouration, that signals danger to potential predators and discourages them from attacking.

apostasy

noun

The act of giving up or renouncing a religious faith that one previously held.

apostate

noun

Someone who has given up their religious faith.

aposteme

noun

(dated, medicine) A swollen, pus-filled abscess.

apostille

noun

An official certificate attached to a public document that confirms the signature, seal or stamp on it is genuine, so the document is accepted in other countries that belong to the Hague Convention.

apostle

noun

One of the twelve original followers of Jesus chosen to spread his teachings.

apostolic

adj

Relating to the apostles or their teachings.

apostrophe

noun

The punctuation mark ( ' ) used to show possession or mark missing letters in a contraction.

apotemnophilia

noun

A mental condition in which someone has a strong, lasting wish for one particular limb to be amputated.

apotemnophobia

noun

An intense fear connected with amputation, whether of losing one's own limbs, of others being amputated, or of people who have had limbs removed.

apothecary

noun

Historically, a person who prepared and sold medicines; an old-fashioned term for a pharmacist.

apothecium

noun

A type of fructification of some ascomycete fungi, forming cyst structures of various shapes. Often the fungal components of lichens have this sort of fertile structure.

apothegm

noun

A brief, clever saying that offers wisdom or advice.

apotheosis

noun

The act of raising someone to the rank of a god.

App

noun

A software application, especially one designed for a phone or tablet.

Appalachian

adj

Relating to the Appalachian Mountains or the region and culture of Appalachia in the eastern United States.

appall

verb

To shock or horrify someone deeply.

appalled

adj

Shocked and horrified, usually by something offensive or upsetting.

appalling

adj

Shockingly bad or unpleasant; horrifying.