English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

apparatus

noun

A set of equipment or machinery used for a particular purpose.

apparel

noun

Clothing, especially as a category of goods.

apparency

noun

The state of being obvious or clearly visible.

apparent

adj

Clearly visible or understood; obvious.

apparently

adv

According to what one has heard or read, though not necessarily confirmed.

apparition

noun

A ghost or ghostlike figure; a sudden, strange appearance.

apparitional

adj

Relating to a ghost or ghostly vision.

appeach

verb

(archaic) To accuse someone of committing a crime.

appeal

noun

A formal request to a higher court to review and change a lower court's decision.

appealing

adj

Attractive or interesting; likely to draw someone's interest.

appealingness

noun

The quality of being attractive or appealing.

appear

verb

To come into view; to become visible.

appearance

noun

The way someone or something looks.

appearing

noun

The act of becoming visible or showing up.

appease

verb

To calm someone down or make them less angry, especially by giving them what they want.

appeasement

noun

The act of calming someone, especially by giving in to their demands to avoid conflict.

appellant

adj

Relating to a legal appeal.

appellate

adjective

Relating to appeals, or to a court that has the power to review and overturn decisions made by a lower court.

appellation

noun

A name or title used to refer to someone.

appellative

adj

(grammar) Relating to a common noun, one used for a general class of thing rather than a single name.

append

verb

(archaic) To hang something from a string or similar so that it dangles.

appendage

noun

A part, especially a limb or similar structure, that sticks out from the main body of an animal or plant.

appendectomy

noun

A surgical operation to remove the appendix.

appendicectomy

noun

(medicine) A surgical operation to remove the appendix.

appendicitis

noun

Painful swelling and inflammation of the appendix.

appendix

noun

Extra material added at the end of a book or document, giving background or supporting details.

appertain

verb

To relate to something, or belong to it by right, nature or custom.

appetency

noun

A strong desire or craving, almost like an instinct.

appetite

noun

A desire to eat.

appetition

noun

A longing to have or reach something.

appetizer

noun

A small dish served before the main course of a meal.

appetizing

adjective

Looking or smelling good enough to make you want to eat.

applaud

verb

To clap your hands to show approval or enjoyment.

applauding

verb

Clapping the hands to show approval or praising something openly; the present participle of applaud.

applause

noun

Clapping and cheering used to show approval, usually after a performance or speech.

apple

noun

A round, firm fruit with red, green, or yellow skin and crisp white flesh, grown on trees.

Applebee

name

An English surname, also known from the Applebee's restaurant chain in the United States.

Appleby

name

An English surname and place name, from a market town in Cumbria.

Applegate

name

An English surname, originally denoting someone who lived near an orchard gate.

applejack

noun

A strong alcoholic drink made from apple cider, traditionally concentrated by partly freezing it.

apples

adjective

Fine or good; used informally, mainly in Australian English.

applesauce

noun

A soft, smooth food made from cooked, mashed apples.

applesaucey

adj

Like applesauce in taste, smell or texture.

Appleton

name

An English surname and place name meaning "apple orchard town".

appliance

noun

A device, usually electrical, designed to perform a specific household or office task.

applicability

noun

How well or how much something applies to a particular situation.

applicable

adjective

Relevant or suitable to a particular situation.

applicant

noun

Someone who formally requests something, such as a job, loan, or place at a school.

application

noun

A formal request for something, such as a job, place at university, or a document.

applied

adjective

Put into practical, real-world use, rather than purely theoretical.

apply

verb

To formally request something, such as a job or place at a school.

applying

verb

Making a formal request, putting something to use, or being relevant; the present participle of apply.

appoint

verb

To choose someone officially for a job or role.

appointed

adjective

Chosen officially for a role, rather than elected.

appointee

noun

Someone who has been chosen for a job or position.

appointment

noun

A prearranged meeting at a specific time.

apportion

verb

To split something into parts and give a share of it to each person.

apportioned

adj

Given to someone as their share.

apportionment

noun

The process of sharing something out, or the result of that sharing.

apposable

adj

Able to be placed directly against another part, in the way a thumb meets the fingers.

apposite

adjective

Very suitable to the particular situation or point being made; strikingly to the point.

apposition

noun

(grammar) The placing of a noun or noun phrase next to another one to explain or rename it, with both having the same role in the sentence.

appraisal

noun

A formal assessment of the value, quality, or performance of something or someone.

appraise

verb

To assess the value or worth of something, often officially.

appraiser

noun

A person whose job is to officially assess the value of something, such as property or antiques.

appreciable

adj

Big enough to be noticed and to matter in a practical way.

appreciably

adv

To a noticeable or fairly large degree.

appreciate

verb

To be grateful for something.

appreciated

adjective

Recognized and valued, especially with gratitude.

appreciating

verb

Being grateful for something, or recognizing its true value; the present participle of appreciate.

appreciation

noun

A feeling of gratitude or recognition of something's value.

appreciative

adjective

Feeling or showing gratitude and recognition of value.

appreciatively

adv

In a way that shows thanks or approval.

apprehend

verb

To arrest someone, especially a suspected criminal.

apprehended

adjective

Caught or arrested.

apprehending

verb

Arresting someone, or grasping something mentally; the present participle of apprehend.

apprehensible

adj

Able to be grasped or understood.

apprehensibly

adv

In a way that is easy to grasp or understand.

apprehension

noun

A worried feeling that something bad might happen; anxiety about the future.

apprehensive

adj

Nervous or worried about something that might happen.

apprehensively

adv

In a nervous or worried way.

apprentice

noun

Someone learning a skilled trade by working under an experienced person.

apprenticeship

noun

A period of time spent training in a trade under an experienced worker, often combining paid work with study.

apprisal

noun

The act of telling someone about something; notification.

apprise

verb

To let someone (or yourself) know about something; to tell them.

apprised

adj

Told or informed about something, usually kept up to date.

apprize

verb

An archaic form of appraise.

approach

verb

To move closer to something or someone.

approachability

noun

The quality of being easy to approach or talk to.

approachable

adj

Friendly and easy to talk to.

approaches

noun

Different methods or ways of handling something (plural of approach).

approaching

adj

Coming closer in time or place; happening soon.

approbate

verb

To give official approval or permission for something.

approbation

noun

Approval or praise, especially when given in an official way.

appropriate

adj

Suitable or correct for a particular situation.

appropriated

adj

Set aside or claimed for a specific purpose or use.

appropriately

adv

In a fitting or suitable way.

appropriation

noun

Money or resources officially set aside for a particular purpose, especially by a government.

appropriator

noun

Someone who takes something and uses it as their own.

approval

noun

Official permission or agreement that something is acceptable.

approve

verb

To officially agree to or accept something as satisfactory.

approved

adj

Officially accepted or given permission.

approvement

noun

Improvement of common lands by converting them for advantage of the landlord.

approving

adj

Showing that you think something is good or acceptable.

approximate

adj

Close to the exact number or amount, but not precise.

approximately

adv

Roughly; close to a particular amount or figure, but not exact.

approximation

noun

A rough estimate or figure that is close to, but not exactly, correct.

appurtenance

noun

Something extra that goes along with or is attached to a main thing.

appurtenances

noun

The smaller items, accessories or equipment that go along with something larger and are needed to use it properly.

appy

noun

A small dish served before the main course; a casual short form of "appetizer."

apr

name

An alternative capitalisation of Apr, short for “April”.

apricot

noun

A small round fruit with soft orange skin and flesh, related to the peach and plum.

April

noun

The fourth month of the year, between March and May.

April Fools' Day

noun

1 April, a day on which people traditionally play tricks and tell invented stories, with the custom in many countries that the joking stops at noon.

apron

noun

A piece of clothing worn over the front of the body to protect clothes, especially while cooking.

apropos

adj

Fitting or relevant to the situation at hand.

apse

noun

The rounded end of a church, usually at the east end, where the altar stands.

apt

adj

Suitable or fitting for the situation.

aptitude

noun

A natural talent or ability for learning or doing something.

aptly

adv

In a fitting or suitable way.

aptness

noun

The quality of being suitable or fitting for a purpose.

aqua

noun

A greenish-blue colour, similar to turquoise.

aquacultural

adj

Relating to the farming of fish or water plants.

aquaculture

noun

The farming of fish, aquatic plants and other water-dwelling organisms.

aqualung

noun

A piece of equipment consisting of an oxygen tank and breathing apparatus used by divers to allow them to breathe underwater.

aquamarine

noun

A pale blue-green colour, like the sea.

aquaponics

noun

A food-production system that combines fish farming with growing plants, using the fish waste in the water as plant nutrients.

aquarium

noun

A glass tank for keeping fish or other water animals.

Aquarius

noun

A constellation and zodiac sign, symbolised by a person pouring water, covering roughly late January to mid-February.

aquatic

adj

Living in, related to, or taking place in water.

aqueduct

noun

A channel or structure, often a bridge-like construction, built to carry water over long distances.

aquifer

noun

An underground layer of rock, earth or gravel that holds water and lets it pass through.

aquilegia

noun

A columbine, a garden plant of the genus Aquilegia.

ar

noun

The name of the letter R.

ara

noun

A large parrot with blue and yellow feathers, also called the blue-and-yellow macaw.

Arab

noun

A member of an ethnic group native to the Arabian Peninsula and the wider Arabic-speaking world.

Arabela

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Arabella.

Arabella

name

A feminine given name, likely derived from Latin meaning "yielding to prayer".

Arabia

name

A peninsula in southwest Asia, home to Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries.

Arabian

adj

Relating to Arabia or its people and culture.

Arabic

name

A major Semitic language spoken across the Middle East and North Africa, with many regional dialects and a shared formal written form.

arable

adjective

Describing land that can be ploughed and used to grow crops.

arachnid

noun

An eight-legged creature such as a spider, mite or scorpion.

arachnophobia

noun

An intense and persistent fear of spiders, strong enough to cause panic, avoidance or physical symptoms that go well beyond ordinary dislike.

Arafat

name

An Arabic surname, notably borne by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and the name of a hill near Mecca.

Aragon

name

An autonomous region in northeastern Spain, whose capital is Zaragoza; historically an independent medieval kingdom.

Arai

name

A Japanese surname meaning "new well".

Araki

name

A Japanese surname.

Aram

name

An ancient region roughly corresponding to modern Syria, home to the Aramean people, mentioned repeatedly in the Bible.

Aramaic

name

An ancient family of Semitic languages once used across the Near East, including the everyday language spoken by Jesus of Nazareth.