English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Aboriginal

adj

Relating to the original, native inhabitants of a region, especially before colonization.

aborigine

noun

An Aboriginal Australian, a member of the peoples who lived in Australia before British settlement.

aborigines

noun

The original or earliest known inhabitants of a region.

abort

verb

To stop an action, plan, or process before it is finished, usually because of a problem.

aborted

adj

Stopped or ended before completion, usually due to a problem.

aborticide

noun

The killing of an unborn baby while it is still in the womb.

abortion

noun

The deliberate ending of a pregnancy before the foetus can survive on its own.

abortive

adj

Born too early, before it was fully formed, and so seeming unnatural.

abortus

noun

The medical term for an abortion.

abound

verb

To exist in large numbers or amounts; to be plentiful.

about

prep

Concerning a particular subject; on the topic of.

above

prep

In a position higher than something else; overhead of.

abovesaid

adj

Already named or referred to earlier in a piece of writing.

abra

noun

A narrow pass or gap through hills or a mesa.

abracadabra

noun

A magic word traditionally chanted as part of a spell or charm.

abradant

noun

A hard substance, such as sand or emery, used for rubbing or grinding surfaces smooth.

abrade

verb

To wear something away gradually by rubbing or scraping it.

Abraham

name

A prophet in the Old Testament, Qur'an and Aqdas; a Semitic patriarch son of Terah who practiced monotheism, father of the Jewish patriarch Isaac by Sarah and the Arab patriarch Ishmael by Hagar.

abrahan

name

A male first name of Spanish origin.

abraid

verb

To pull something out with force.

abram

adj

(of hair) Reddish-brown.

Abramoff

name

A surname of Russian origin.

Abrams

name

A surname derived as a patronymic from the given name Abraham.

abrasion

noun

A scraped area of skin where the surface has been rubbed or scratched off.

abrasive

adj

Rough enough to grind or wear away a surface through friction.

abrasiveness

noun

The quality of being rough or harsh, in texture or in manner.

abreaction

noun

(psychology) The release of built-up stress by recalling and reliving a difficult past experience.

abreast

adv

Side by side, facing the same direction.

abridge

verb

To take something away from someone; to cut it off.

abridged

adj

Made shorter, especially describing a book or other piece of writing.

abridgment

noun

The act of making something shorter or of taking something away.

abroad

adv

In or to a foreign country.

abrogate

verb

(formal) To officially cancel a law or agreement.

abrogation

noun

The act of officially stopping or cancelling something.

abrosexual

adjective

Describing a person whose sexual orientation changes over time, so that they may be attracted to different genders at different points in their life.

abrupt

adj

Happening suddenly and without warning.

abruptly

adv

Suddenly and without warning.

abruptness

noun

The quality of being sudden, blunt or unexpectedly cut short.

Abs

name

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail.

abscess

noun

A swollen, pus-filled pocket in the body, usually caused by infection.

abscissa

noun

In a system of coordinate axes, the value that fixes a point's horizontal position, usually its x-coordinate.

abscond

verb

To leave secretly and hurriedly, usually to escape custody or having taken something that is not yours.

absconding

noun

An occasion when someone runs away secretly, often to escape trouble or the law.

absence

noun

The state of not being in a place where one is expected.

absent

adj

Not present in a place where one is expected to be.

absentee

noun

Someone who is not present where they are expected to be, such as work or school.

absenteeism

noun

Being away from work, school or a duty often, usually without a good reason.

absey

noun

(dated) The alphabet.

absinthe

noun

A strong, anise-flavoured spirit traditionally distilled with wormwood.

absolute

adj

Complete and total, with no exceptions or limits.

absolutely

adv

Completely and without qualification.

absolution

noun

A formal declaration of forgiveness for sins, especially one given by a priest.

absolutism

noun

(religion) The belief that God has fixed everything in advance through absolute decrees.

absolutist

noun

A person who supports absolute or autocratic government.

absolve

verb

To officially clear someone of blame, guilt, or responsibility.

absolved

adjective

Formally cleared of blame, guilt, or a wrongdoing.

absorb

verb

To soak up a liquid, gas, or other substance.

absorbed

adj

Completely focused on something, to the exclusion of everything else.

absorbent

adj

Able to soak up liquid easily.

absorbing

adj

Extremely interesting; holding someone's full attention.

absorption

noun

The process of taking in and incorporating a substance, such as light, heat, or liquid.

absorptive

adj

Able to soak up or take in liquid or other substances easily.

absquatulate

verb

(informal) To leave somewhere suddenly and in a hurry.

abstain

verb

To deliberately not take part in something, especially eating, drinking, or voting.

abstainer

noun

Someone who deliberately avoids something, especially alcohol, often on religious or moral grounds.

abstemious

adj

Eating and drinking only small amounts, especially of alcohol, in a careful, controlled way.

abstemiousness

noun

The habit of eating and drinking only moderate amounts, especially of food and alcohol.

abstention

noun

The act of holding oneself back from doing something.

abstentiousness

noun

The quality of holding back from indulgence or from taking part.

abstinence

noun

The practice of deliberately avoiding something one wants, such as food, alcohol, or sex.

abstinent

adj

Choosing not to give in to a desire, especially for food or drink.

abstract

noun

A short summary of a longer document, especially an academic paper.

abstracted

adj

Taken away, kept apart, or separated from something else.

abstractedness

noun

The quality of being lost in thought or detached from what is around you.

abstraction

noun

The process of considering an idea or quality separately from any specific object.

abstractor

noun

(dated, British) A civil-service clerk holding a particular rank.

abstruse

adj

Hard to understand, especially because it deals with complicated ideas.

abstruseness

noun

The quality of being difficult to understand.

absurd

adj

So unreasonable or illogical that it seems ridiculous.

absurdity

noun

The quality of being absurd or ridiculous.

absurdly

adv

In a way that is ridiculous or illogical.

Abu

name

The name of a language spoken in Papua New Guinea.

abuela

noun

A grandmother, especially in a Spanish-speaking or Hispanic family.

abundance

noun

A very large supply of something; more than enough.

abundant

adj

Existing in large quantities; plentiful.

abundantly

adv

In large quantities; plentifully.

abuse

noun

Cruel or violent treatment of a person, often repeated.

abused

adj

Having suffered mistreatment, especially violence or cruelty.

abuser

noun

A person who mistreats or is violent toward another person.

abusive

adj

Behaving in a cruel, violent, or insulting way toward someone.

abut

verb

To share a border with, or be right next to, something else.

abutting

adj

Positioned directly opposite and facing each other.

abuzz

adj

Full of excited talk, activity or gossip.

aby

verb

(archaic) To suffer the punishment for something, or to make up for it.

abysm

noun

(literary) Hell, or the formless chaos thought to exist before the world was made.

abysmal

adj

Extremely bad; of very poor quality.

abysmally

adv

Extremely, or to a shocking degree, usually describing something bad.

abyss

noun

A very deep, seemingly bottomless chasm or void.

abyssal

adj

So deep that it seems to have no bottom.

abyssinia

name

Former name of Ethiopia: a country and former empire in East Africa; used as an exonym until the mid 20th century.

ac

noun

Common abbreviation for air conditioning or an air conditioner.

acacia

noun

A tree or shrub with feathery leaves and small clustered flowers, common in warm and dry climates.

academe

noun

The Athenian garden where scholars gathered.

academia

noun

The world of universities, teaching, and scholarly research, considered as a whole.

academic

adj

Relating to schools, universities, or formal education and scholarship.

academical

adj

Connected with Plato's school of thought, or having a doubtful, questioning attitude.

academically

adv

In a way that relates to school or university study and performance.

academicals

noun

The special clothing worn at some universities and colleges, usually for formal events such as graduation.

academician

noun

A teacher or scholar, especially a senior one, working at a university or college.

academicism

noun

The set of ideas taught at Plato's school, including the later view that true knowledge is impossible.

academics

noun

Schoolwork and scholarly study, especially as distinct from sports or social activities.

academism

noun

The philosophy taught at Plato's school, including later Greek forms of doubt about certain knowledge.

academist

noun

A philosopher who works or teaches within a university.

academy

noun

A school, college, or institution devoted to a particular subject or level of education.

Acapulco

name

A port city on the Pacific coast of Mexico, known as a beach resort destination.

accede

verb

To consent or agree (to a proposal or request); to yield.

accelerant

noun

A substance, especially a flammable one, used to speed up a fire or chemical reaction.

accelerate

verb

To go faster, or to make something go faster.

accelerated

adj

Moving or happening faster than normal.

accelerating

adj

Becoming faster over time.

acceleration

noun

An increase in speed, or the rate at which speed increases.

accelerator

noun

The pedal in a vehicle that controls speed.

accent

noun

A distinctive way of pronouncing a language, typical of a region, country, or social group.

accentuate

verb

To make something more noticeable or prominent; to emphasize.

accept

verb

To agree to receive or take something that is offered.

acceptability

noun

The state of being good enough or suitable to be accepted.

acceptable

adj

Good enough to be approved of or allowed; satisfactory.

acceptableness

noun

The quality of being good enough to be accepted or well received.

acceptably

adv

In a way that is good enough to satisfy someone.

acceptance

noun

The act of agreeing to receive, believe, or approve of something.

acceptant

noun

A person who accepts something.

acceptation

noun

The particular meaning that a word or phrase is usually understood to have.

accepted

adj

Generally agreed upon, approved, or recognized as standard.

accepter

noun

A person who accepts something offered to them.

acceptilation

noun

(law) The cancelling of a debt with no payment being made.

accepting

adj

Willing to tolerate or approve of people or ideas without judgment.

acception

noun

The usual or accepted meaning of a word.

acceptor

noun

A person who accepts something.

access

noun

The right or ability to enter, use, or obtain something.

accessary

noun

(law) A person who helps or encourages someone else to commit a crime.

accessibility

noun

The degree to which a place, product, service or website can be used by people with disabilities.

accessible

adj

Easy to reach, enter, or obtain.

accession

noun

The act of joining or agreeing to something.

accessory

noun

An additional item that complements or completes something, especially an outfit.

accident

noun

An unplanned event, often unfortunate, that happens without anyone intending it.

accidental

adj

Happening by chance rather than on purpose.

accidentally

adv

By chance or mistake, without intending to.

accidentary

adj

Happening by chance rather than being planned.

accidently

adv

Nonstandard spelling of accidentally.

accidie

noun

A deep laziness that leaves someone feeling tired and uninterested in everything.