English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

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 pose or posture used in 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

The state of rising to a position of power, or the act of rising.

ascendancy

noun

A position of dominant power or control over others.

ascendant

adj

Rising in power, influence, or status; dominant.

ascendent

adj

An archaic spelling of ascendant.

ascender

noun

A person or thing that goes up or climbs.

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

A way of living marked by strict self-discipline and giving up comforts and pleasures.

ascorbic

adj

Relating to ascorbic acid or substances derived from it.

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 say that something is caused by a particular thing.

aseity

noun

The quality of existing entirely through oneself, with no need to depend on anything else.

asepsis

noun

A condition that is completely free from harmful germs or infection.

aseptic

adj

Completely free from harmful germs.

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 bin used to collect ash, especially from coal or wood fires, before it is thrown away.

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 of wood from the ash tree.

Asher

name

Jacob's eighth son, born to 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 first name that came from a family name.

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

Relating to Asia, especially the regions from the Middle East eastwards.

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

Another word for asinine, meaning stubborn or foolish, like a donkey.

asinine

adj

Extremely foolish or lacking common sense.

ask

verb

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

askance

adv

In a disapproving or suspicious way.

askant

adv

To one side; at a slant.

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

In a sloping or slanting direction.

asleep

adj

In a state of sleep.

aslosh

adj

Full of liquid and moving about, or soaked in it.

asocial

adj

Not connected with, or not involving, 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

Having a rough, bumpy surface.

asperse

verb

To scatter drops of liquid or fine particles over something.

aspersion

noun

A remark that unfairly damages someone's reputation.

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 stop someone breathing by cutting off their air supply.

asphyxiation

noun

Death or severe harm caused by being deprived of oxygen.

asphyxiator

noun

A person or thing that causes suffocation.

asphyxy

noun

Loss of consciousness or death caused by a lack of oxygen.

aspic

noun

A savoury jelly made from meat or fish stock.

aspinwall

name

A surname of Old English origin.

aspirant

noun

A person who hopes to reach an important position, such as high office.

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

A person who strongly wants to achieve or become 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 someone fiercely, either physically or with strong criticism.

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.

assassinate

verb

To murder someone, especially a prominent or political figure, typically in a planned or sudden attack.

assassination

noun

The killing of someone, usually a prominent or public figure, carried out deliberately and often for political motives.

assault

noun

A sudden violent attack, whether physical or verbal.

assay

noun

A test that determines the composition or purity of a substance, or the potency of a drug or biological sample.

assemblage

noun

The act of putting things or people together.

assemble

verb

To fit or put pieces together to make something whole.

assembler

noun

(computing) A program that turns code written in assembly language into a form a computer can run.

assembling

noun

The act of gathering people or putting parts together; an assembly.

Assembly

noun

A group of people gathered together for a shared purpose, such as a meeting or ceremony.

assemblyman

noun

A member of a legislative assembly, especially the lower house of certain US state legislatures.

assent

verb

To agree to something, especially a proposal or suggestion.

assert

verb

To state something firmly and confidently, as if it were beyond doubt.

assertative

adj

Used to state something firmly and clearly.

asserted

adj

Stated firmly or claimed, often without solid proof behind it.

asserting

noun

The act of stating something firmly or claiming a right.

assertion

noun

A firm, confident statement, especially one made without offering proof.

assertive

adj

Confident and direct in stating opinions or defending one's interests, without being aggressive.

assess

verb

To judge or estimate the value, quality, or extent of something.

assessed

verb

Past tense and past participle of assess: judged the nature, quality, size or importance of something after examining it.

assessing

noun

The act of judging or evaluating the value or condition of something.

assessment

noun

A judgment or evaluation of something, or the amount of tax or duty charged.

assessor

noun

A person whose job is to evaluate the value of property, damage, or a claim, especially for tax or insurance purposes.

asset

noun

Something valuable that a person, company, or country owns or controls.

assets

noun

Everything of value that a person or company owns, especially as it relates to paying off debts.

asseverate

verb

(formal) To state something firmly and seriously, as if certain it is true.

assfaggot

noun

An insulting term for someone who engages in anal sex.

asshole

noun

A vulgar term for the anus.

assiduous

adj

Working hard and steadily at something, especially with great care.

assign

verb

To give a specific task, role, or place to someone.

assignation

noun

A private arrangement to meet someone, often for romance or sex.

assigned

adj

Given or designated for a particular purpose or person.

assignment

noun

A task given to someone, especially a piece of schoolwork or a work project.

assimilate

verb

To take in and fully understand new information or ideas.

assimilation

noun

The process of taking in and absorbing something, whether ideas, nutrients, or a group of people into a wider culture.

assimilator

noun

A person or thing that absorbs and takes in something, such as information or experience.

Assisi

name

A town in central Italy, birthplace of Saint Francis of Assisi.

assist

verb

To help someone do something.

assistance

noun

Help given to someone, or the act of helping.

assistant

noun

A person who helps someone else with their work.

assisting

noun

Help given to someone; the act of assisting.

assload

noun

(informal) The amount that a donkey can carry.

associate

verb

To connect one thing or idea with another in your mind.

associated

adj

Connected or linked with something else, such as another person, idea, or company.

association

noun

A group of people organized for a shared purpose, such as a club or professional body.