English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Aramis

name

One of the title characters in Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers", alongside Athos and Porthos.

Arapaho

noun

A member of a Native American people historically associated with the Great Plains, now living mainly in Wyoming and Oklahoma.

arational

adj

Outside the area that reason can explain or judge, and not itself rational.

arbalest

noun

A crossbow made of steel.

arbitary

adj

Relating to arbitration, or having the power of an arbiter.

arbiter

noun

Someone chosen by two sides to settle a dispute between them.

arbitrable

adj

Able to be settled through arbitration.

arbitrage

noun

The practice of buying something in one market and selling it at once in another, to make money from the difference in price.

arbitrarily

adv

In a way that is based on random choice or personal whim rather than any clear reason or system.

arbitrariness

noun

The state of being arbitrary, or how far something is arbitrary.

arbitrary

adj

Based on personal choice or chance rather than any clear reason, rule, or system.

arbitrate

verb

To settle a dispute by issuing a ruling as an arbitrator or arbiter.

arbitration

noun

A process for settling a dispute in which both sides agree to accept the decision of a neutral third party, instead of going to court.

arbitrator

noun

Someone given the job of deciding the outcome of a dispute between two sides.

arbor

noun

A shaded garden structure covered with climbing plants, used as a place to sit.

arboreal

adj

Relating to, or like, a tree.

arboreous

adj

(of a plant) Looking or growing like a tree.

arborescent

adj

Shaped like a tree, with branching parts.

arboretum

noun

A garden where many kinds of tree are grown for study, teaching and display.

arboriculture

noun

The area of gardening that deals with planting and looking after trees.

arbour

noun

A UK standard spelling of arbor.

arc

noun

A curved line, especially part of the edge of a circle.

arcade

noun

A covered passage or row of shops, often lined with arches, or a venue with coin-operated games.

Arcadia

name

A mountainous region of ancient Greece, later used in literature as a symbol of unspoiled rural happiness.

arcady

name

Arcadia, an ancient region of Greece with a tradition of rural, bucolic innocence.

arcane

adj

Understood by very few people; mysterious and difficult to grasp because of how obscure or specialized it is.

arch

noun

A curved structure that spans an opening, typically supporting the weight above it.

archaeological

adj

Relating to the study of past human life through excavated remains and artifacts.

archaeologist

noun

Someone who studies past human life by excavating and analyzing physical remains such as buildings, tools, and bones.

archaeology

noun

The study of past human societies through the excavation and analysis of buildings, tools, and other physical remains.

archaic

adj

Old-fashioned or belonging to an earlier time; no longer in common use.

archaism

noun

An old-fashioned word, phrase or style that is no longer in ordinary use.

Archana

name

A female given name of Sanskrit origin, popular in India, meaning roughly "worship" or "homage".

archangel

noun

An angel of high rank believed to lead other angels, such as Gabriel or Michael in Judeo-Christian tradition.

archangelic

adj

Relating to, or like, an archangel.

archangelical

adj

Typical of, or connected with, archangels.

archangelically

adv

In a way that is typical of an archangel.

archbishop

noun

A senior bishop who leads an archdiocese and oversees several other dioceses.

archbishopric

noun

An archbishopric is the rank or office held by an archbishop.

archdeacon

noun

A senior church official ranking just below a bishop, usually responsible for administering part of a diocese.

archdiocesan

adj

Connected with an archdiocese.

archdiocese

noun

A diocese, or church district, that is led by an archbishop.

archduchess

noun

A title for a daughter or granddaughter of an Austro-Hungarian emperor, or for the wife of his son or grandson.

archduchy

noun

The territory or principality ruled by an archduke.

archduke

noun

A prince of the former Austrian imperial family, ranking above an ordinary duke.

archenemy

noun

Someone's main or most powerful enemy.

archeopteryx

noun

A fossil specimen of the ancient bird species that shows an early link between dinosaurs and birds.

archer

noun

A person who shoots arrows from a bow.

archery

noun

The sport or skill of shooting arrows with a bow.

Arches

name

Arches National Park, a U.S. national park in Utah famous for its natural rock arches.

archetype

noun

An original pattern or model that other similar things are based on or compared to.

archfiend

noun

The most powerful or important devil, demon or evil being.

Archibald

name

A male given name of Germanic origin, often shortened to "Archie".

Archie

name

A shortened, informal form of the given name Archibald, also used on its own.

archimandrite

noun

The head of a large monastery, or of several monasteries, in the Orthodox Church.

Archimedes

name

An ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, and engineer, famous for his work on levers, buoyancy, and geometry.

archipelago

noun

A group or chain of many islands scattered across a stretch of water.

architect

noun

A professional who designs buildings and oversees their construction.

architectonic

adj

Relating to architecture and the way buildings are designed and put together.

architectural

adjective

Relating to architecture or the design of buildings.

architecture

noun

The art and practice of designing and constructing buildings.

architrave

noun

In classical architecture, the lowest part of an entablature, which rests on the tops of the columns.

archive

noun

A place or collection where historical documents or records are stored.

archived

adjective

Having been moved into storage for future reference rather than active use.

archiving

noun

The act of keeping old or unused information somewhere safe so it can be kept for a long time.

archivist

noun

A person whose job is to collect, organise, and look after archived records.

archmagician

noun

A magician with great power.

archpriest

noun

The top rank that a married priest can hold.

archway

noun

A path or entrance with an arch over it, often built of stone or brick.

archy

adj

Shaped like an arch, or having arches.

arcminute

noun

A unit for measuring angles, equal to one sixtieth of a degree.

Arctic

adjective

Relating to the region around the North Pole.

ard

noun

A simple early plough made from a spike dragged through soil to break it up.

Arden

name

A given name and surname of English origin, from a forest region in Warwickshire; also a unisex first name.

ardency

noun

The state of being ardent, or full of strong feeling.

ardennes

name

A placename for a forested upland region spanning France, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg, also called the Ardennes Forest; or for a French department in Grand Est, whose capital is Charleville-Mézières.

ardent

adjective

Full of strong feeling, enthusiasm, or devotion.

ardor

noun

Intense warmth of feeling, enthusiasm, or passion.

ardour

noun

A UK, Canada, and Australia spelling of ardor.

arduous

adjective

Requiring great effort or endurance; difficult and tiring.

are

noun

A metric unit of area equal to 100 square metres, rarely used today.

area

noun

The size of a surface, measured in square units.

areal

adj

Relating to an area or region.

areca

noun

A type of single-stemmed palm tree, one of about fifty species that grow in warm, wet tropical forests.

areligious

adj

Not connected with religion or religious belief.

arena

noun

A large enclosed space used for sports, concerts, or other public events.

arenaceous

adj

Made of or containing a lot of sand.

Arenas

name

A Spanish surname meaning "sands", common in Spain and Latin America.

arent

adjective

Dried out or withered; parched by heat.

areola

noun

The circular, darker-pigmented area of skin surrounding a nipple.

Ares

name

The ancient Greek god of war.

arete

noun

Excellence of character, especially moral goodness.

arf

interjection

Used to represent the sound of a dog barking.

argent

noun

Silver, or the silver-white colour used in heraldry.

Argentina

name

A country in South America, the second-largest by area on the continent.

argentine

adjective

Made of, coated with, or resembling silver.

Argentinean

adjective

Relating to Argentina or its people.

Argentinian

adjective

Relating to Argentina or its people.

argh

interjection

Used to express frustration, annoyance, or dismay.

arginine

noun

An amino acid found in animal foods that takes part in several important processes in the body.

Argo

name

The name of the ship sailed by Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology.

argon

noun

A colourless, odourless chemical element (symbol Ar) that is an inert noble gas found in the atmosphere.

argot

noun

A private vocabulary or established slang used specifically by thieves, tramps and vagabonds.

arguability

noun

How much something can reasonably be argued or questioned.

arguable

adj

Able to be supported by good reasons, evidence or logic.

arguably

adverb

Based on reasonable evidence or argument, though not beyond dispute.

argue

verb

To exchange differing opinions, often heatedly.

arguing

noun

The act of disagreeing with someone, often heatedly, or of putting forward reasons to support a position.

argument

noun

A reason or set of reasons given to support a conclusion.

argumentary

adj

Likely to argue, or based on argument.

argumentation

noun

The process of reaching a conclusion by reasoning from given statements.

argumentative

adjective

Tending to argue or disagree, often over small things.

argumentive

adj

Containing or putting forward a line of reasoning.

Argus

noun

A watchful guardian who misses nothing.

argyle

noun

A knitted pattern of overlapping diamond shapes, often in multiple colours.

argyll

name

A former county of Scotland, now incorporated into Argyll and Bute.

ari

name

A male given name from Hebrew, of Jewish usage, variant of Arieh (also transcribed as Aryeh, Arye).

aria

noun

An elaborate melody sung by a single voice, typically in an opera.

Ariadne

name

A feminine given name from Greek mythology, borne by the princess who helped Theseus escape the labyrinth.

Ariana

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, related to Ariadne, meaning "most holy".

Ariane

name

A feminine given name, the French form of Ariadne; also the name of a European rocket program.

arianism

noun

A Christological doctrine, condemned as heretical by the First Council of Nicaea, which holds that Jesus was created by God, rather than being God himself.

Arianna

name

A feminine given name, an Italian variant of Ariadne.

Arias

name

A Spanish surname of uncertain origin, common throughout Latin America and Spain.

ariba

interjection

A common misspelling of the Spanish arriba, shouted as a cry of encouragement, celebration or delight, roughly equivalent to 'up you go!' or 'yeah!'.

arid

adjective

Very dry, especially describing land or climate with little rainfall.

aridity

noun

A long period of very dry weather with little rain.

Ariel

noun

A male or female given name of Hebrew origin, literally meaning "lion of God."

Aries

noun

The first sign of the zodiac, represented by a ram and covering roughly late March to late April.

arigato

interjection

"Thank you" — used in English to evoke or reference Japanese, often informally or humorously.

aright

adverb

Correctly, properly, or in the right way.

aril

noun

An aril is a layer of tissue that covers the seed in certain fruits, such as pomegranates.

ariolater

noun

Someone who claims to foretell the future by interpreting signs.

aris

noun

Cockney rhyming slang for the buttocks.

arise

verb

To come into being, appear, or start happening.

arising

noun

The act or process of something coming into being or occurring.

Aristide

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning "best" or "excellent", notably borne by Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

aristocracy

noun

The hereditary upper class of a society, typically holding titles and inherited privilege.

aristocrat

noun

A member of the aristocracy or nobility.

aristocratic

adjective

Belonging to, or typical of, the aristocracy — noble, refined, or privileged in bearing.

Aristotle

name

A male given name, most famously borne by the ancient Greek philosopher (384-322 BCE) who was a student of Plato and tutor to Alexander the Great.

arithmetic

noun

The branch of mathematics dealing with basic operations on numbers: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

arithmetical

adj

Relating to arithmetic, the basic mathematics of numbers.

Arjun

name

A male given name of Sanskrit origin, popular in India.

Arjuna

name

A major hero of the Sanskrit epic the Mahabharata, and a male given name derived from him.

ark

noun

The large boat built by Noah in the Bible story, used to save his family and pairs of animals from a great flood.

arkansa

name

An old-fashioned spelling of Arkansas, referring to a river in the United States.

Arkansas

name

A state in the south-central United States, capital Little Rock.

arkwright

noun

Historically, a person who made chests or cabinets (an "ark-wright").

arleen

name

A female given name that began as an invented coinage, a variant of Arlene.