English dictionary — definitions & meanings

artery

noun

A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.

artful

adj

Clever and skilful, often in a way that shows careful thought or design.

arthritis

noun

Painful inflammation and stiffness in one or more joints.

Arthur

name

A male given name, traditionally linked to the legendary King Arthur of British folklore.

artichoke

noun

A thistle-like plant whose unopened flower bud is eaten as a vegetable.

article

noun

A piece of writing on a particular topic, published in a newspaper, magazine, or online.

articles

noun

A formal legal or contractual document setting out specific terms, often used of training agreements.

articulacy

noun

The condition of being articulate.

articular

adj

Of, at, or relating to the joints of the body.

articulate

adj

Able to express thoughts clearly and fluently in speech or writing.

articulated

adj

Built with a joint or hinge that allows bending, especially describing vehicles made of linked sections.

articulation

noun

A joint or the collection of joints at which something is articulated, or hinged, for bending.

Artie

name

A casual short form of the name Arthur.

artifact

noun

An object made or shaped by a person, especially a tool, ornament or vessel from the past that is studied for what it reveals about a culture.

artifice

noun

A crafty but underhanded deception.

artificer

noun

Someone who is skilled in their trade; an artisan.

artificial

adj

Made by humans rather than occurring naturally.

artificially

adv

In a manner that is man-made or not natural.

artificious

adj

Using, exhibiting, performed with or characterized by artfulness or skill

artillery

noun

Large guns used in warfare, or the branch of an army that operates them.

artilleryman

noun

A soldier enlisted in an artillery unit or who uses artillery.

artiodactyl

noun

Any ungulate mammal with an even number of toes and belonging to the Artiodactyla, including pigs, sheep, deer, cattle, and most grazing animals. In contrast, horses have an odd number of toes and as such are not Artiodactyla, but Perissodactyla.

artisan

noun

A skilled worker who makes things by hand using traditional techniques.

artisanal

adj

Made by hand using traditional skills, typically in small quantities.

artist

noun

A person who creates art, such as paintings, drawings, or sculpture.

artiste

noun

A professional performer, especially a singer, dancer, or entertainer.

artistic

adj

Relating to art, or showing creative skill and good taste.

artistically

adv

In a way that shows artistic skill or creative flair.

artistry

noun

Great skill and creativity in a craft or art form.

artless

adj

Having or displaying no guile, cunning, or deceit.

artlessness

noun

the state or quality of being artless

Artois

name

A historical region in northern France, also known from the Stella Artois beer brand.

arts

noun

The academic subjects that study human culture, thought, and expression — languages, literature, history, and philosophy — as opposed to the sciences.

artsy

adjective

Having an obvious artistic style or interest in the arts, especially in a self-conscious or slightly affected way.

Artur

name

A masculine given name, a Central and Eastern European form of Arthur.

artwork

noun

A piece of visual art, such as a painting, drawing, or sculpture.

arty

adj

Having a strong interest in or affinity for the arts.

Aruba

name

A small Caribbean island and constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

arugula

noun

A peppery salad green, also called rocket, with a distinctive sharp, slightly bitter flavor.

Arun

name

A masculine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "dawn" or "reddish-brown".

Arvid

name

A masculine given name of Scandinavian origin, meaning "eagle tree".

Arvin

name

A masculine given name, an American variant of Arvind or Erwin.

Arvind

name

A masculine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "lotus".

arvinda

name

A male given name from Sanskrit used in India.

arvo

noun

Afternoon (Australian and New Zealand slang).

Arya

noun

A member of the historical Indo-Iranian peoples who spoke early Indo-European languages; used in a strictly linguistic/historical sense.

Aryan

noun

In linguistics, a now largely retired term for the Indo-Iranian branch of languages, or more loosely the wider Indo-European language family.

as

conj

Used to compare two things that are equal, alike, or happening at the same time.

as long as

conjunction

On the condition that; used to say that one thing will happen only if another thing is true.

as soon as possible

phrase

At the earliest moment that circumstances allow; without any avoidable delay.

Asa

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "physician" or "healer".

Asad

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "lion".

Asahi

name

A Japanese given name and surname meaning "morning sun", also a well-known beer brand.

Asako

name

A Japanese feminine given name, often meaning "morning child".

asana

noun

A body position, typically associated with the practice of yoga.

Asano

name

A Japanese surname meaning "shallow field", historically borne by a prominent samurai clan.

ASAP

adverb

As quickly as circumstances allow; without any avoidable delay.

asbestos

noun

A group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals once widely used for fireproofing and insulation, now known to cause serious lung disease when inhaled.

ascend

verb

To move or climb upward.

ascendance

noun

Ascendancy, superiority; the act of ascending.

ascendancy

noun

The quality of being in the ascendant; dominant control, supremacy.

ascendant

adj

Rising in power, influence, or status; dominant.

ascendent

adj

Archaic spelling of ascendant.

ascender

noun

A person or thing that ascends.

ascending

adj

Increasing step by step; rising in order from lowest to highest.

ascension

noun

The act of rising or moving upward, especially to a position of power or a higher spiritual state.

ascent

noun

The act of climbing or rising, or the route by which one climbs.

ascertain

verb

To find out or establish something for certain, usually through checking or investigation.

ascetic

adj

Practicing strict self-discipline and avoiding physical comforts or pleasures, often for spiritual reasons.

asceticism

noun

The principles and practices of an ascetic; extreme self-denial and austerity.

ascorbic

adj

Of or pertaining to ascorbic acid or its derivatives.

Ascot

name

A town in England famous for its horse racing, and the source of the term for a wide neck scarf.

ascribe

verb

To regard as arising from a specified cause or source.

aseity

noun

The attribute of being entirely self-derived, in contrast to being derived from or dependent on another; the quality of having within oneself the entire reason for one's being; utter independent self-existence and self-sustenance.

asepsis

noun

The state of being free from sepsis.

aseptic

adj

Free of disease-causing microbes.

asexual

adj

Not experiencing sexual attraction to others.

asf

abbreviation

As fuck; added after an adjective in text and social media to intensify it, meaning extremely or very.

Asgard

name

In Norse mythology, the realm of the gods, home to Odin and Thor.

ash

noun

The gray powdery residue left after something has burned.

Asha

noun

In Zoroastrianism, the principle of truth, order, and rightness that governs the universe.

ashamed

adj

Feeling shame, embarrassment, or guilt over something one has done or been associated with.

ashcan

noun

A container for collecting ashes, especially from wood and coal fires, for eventual disposal elsewhere.

Ashcroft

name

An English surname and place name meaning "ash tree croft" or "ash tree field".

Ashe

name

An English surname derived from residence near an ash tree, notably borne by tennis player Arthur Ashe.

ashen

adj

Made from the wood of the ash-tree.

Asher

name

The eighth son of Jacob, by his wife's handmaid Zilpah.

Ashford

name

An English surname and place name meaning "ford by the ash trees", also a town in Kent.

Ashish

name

A masculine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "blessing" or "one who blesses".

Ashland

name

A place name shared by numerous towns in the United States, most named for their ash groves.

Ashlee

name

A female given name, a spelling variant of Ashley.

Ashleigh

name

A given name, used for both boys and girls, another spelling variant of Ashley.

Ashley

name

A given name, used for both men and women, originally taken from an English surname and place name.

ashly

name

A female given name transferred from the surname.

Ashok

name

A male given name of Indian origin, popular in Hindi-speaking regions.

ashore

adv

On dry land, rather than on a boat or ship.

ashram

noun

A retreat or community, often in a secluded setting, where people live under the guidance of a spiritual teacher.

Ashton

name

A surname and a common English place name, found in villages and towns across England.

ashtray

noun

A small dish or container used to hold ash and cigarette butts.

Ashura

name

A day of religious observance on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram, marked by fasting among Sunni Muslims and by mourning the death of Husayn ibn Ali among Shia Muslims.

Ashworth

name

An English surname, originally taken from a place name in Lancashire.

Asi

name

A short given name found in Hebrew and other traditions, sometimes a diminutive form.

Asia

name

The world's largest and most populous continent, stretching from the Ural Mountains and the Middle East in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east.

Asian

noun

A person from Asia or of Asian descent — in North America and Australia the word is often used specifically for people of East or Southeast Asian background, while in Britain it more often refers to people of South Asian background.

asiatic

adj

Asian, specifically, relating to the parts of Asia east of Egypt, i.e the Middle East or West Asia.

aside

adv

To one side, or out of the way.

Asif

name

A male given name common among Persian- and Urdu-speaking communities.

asinary

adj

Synonym of asinine (“ass-like, donkey-like, in sutbbornness, foolishness, or other ways”).

asinine

adj

Extremely foolish or lacking common sense.

ask

verb

To put a question to someone, or to request information.

askance

adv

With disapproval, skepticism, or suspicion.

askant

adv

Aslant; to one side, askance.

asked

adj

A casual British slang term meaning bothered or willing to make an effort, always used in the negative ("can't be asked").

askew

adj

Not straight; tilted or crooked to one side.

Askin

name

A surname of Turkish and English origin; in Turkish it can mean "love" or "in love".

asking

noun

The act of making a request or posing a question.

ASL

noun

American Sign Language: the sign language used by deaf communities in the United States and much of Canada, with its own grammar and vocabulary rather than being signed English.

Aslan

name

A masculine given name of Turkic origin meaning "lion", also the name of the lion character in the Narnia novels by C. S. Lewis.

aslant

adv

At or on a slant; in a slanting or sloping direction.

asleep

adj

In a state of sleep.

aslosh

adj

Sloshing; full of, covered or soaked (with or in a liquid).

asocial

adj

Not social, not relating to society.

asparagus

noun

A vegetable plant grown for its tender young shoots, eaten as food.

aspect

noun

A particular feature or part of something being considered.

aspen

noun

A type of poplar tree known for its pale bark and leaves that flutter easily in the wind.

asperger

noun

A now-outdated informal term for someone with what was once diagnosed as Asperger's syndrome, a developmental condition on the autism spectrum.

asperous

adj

Rough, rugged, uneven.

asperse

verb

To sprinkle or scatter (liquid or dust).

aspersion

noun

An attack on someone's or something's reputation or good name; often in the phrase to cast aspersions upon….

asphalt

noun

A thick, sticky black substance used mainly for surfacing roads, mixed with sand and gravel.

asphyxia

noun

A dangerous medical condition caused by a lack of oxygen reaching the body's tissues, which can lead to unconsciousness or death.

asphyxiate

verb

To smother or suffocate someone.

asphyxiation

noun

Death or severe harm caused by being deprived of oxygen.

asphyxiator

noun

One who or that which asphyxiates.

asphyxy

noun

asphyxiation, typically resulting in death; asphyxia

aspic

noun

A meat or fish jelly.

aspinwall

name

A surname from Old English.

aspirant

noun

Someone who aspires (for high office, etc.)

aspirate

verb

To accidentally draw food, liquid or another foreign substance into the airway or lungs instead of swallowing it into the stomach.

aspiration

noun

A strong hope or ambition to achieve something, especially something admirable.

aspire

verb

To have a strong ambition or hope to achieve something.

aspirer

noun

One who aspires to something.

aspirin

noun

A common over-the-counter medicine used to relieve pain, reduce fever, and lower inflammation; also used in low doses to help prevent heart attacks.

aspiring

adj

Hoping or working to become something, typically used before a profession or role.

ass

noun

A donkey, or a related wild species of horse-like animal.

Assad

name

An Arabic surname, most widely known through the Syrian presidents Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar al-Assad.

assail

verb

To attack with harsh words or violent force.

assailant

noun

A person who physically attacks another person.

Assange

name

A surname of French origin, most widely known through Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks.

assassin

noun

A person who kills someone deliberately, especially a public or political figure, often for money or political reasons.