English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

associative

adj

Connected with, or formed through, the linking of ideas or things together.

assoil

verb

(archaic) To forgive someone and clear them of guilt or wrongdoing.

assoilment

noun

The act of making something dirty; defilement.

assonance

noun

The repeating of similar vowel sounds in nearby words, often used in poetry.

assort

verb

To arrange things into groups according to their type.

assorted

adj

Made up of various different kinds mixed together.

assortment

noun

A varied collection of related items.

asspussy

noun

(vulgar) The anus, when used as the opening for anal sex.

assuage

verb

To make an unpleasant feeling, such as fear, guilt, or grief, less intense.

assuagement

noun

The act of calming or easing something, such as pain or distress.

assume

verb

To accept something as true without proof.

assumed

adj

Taken as true or accepted without being proven.

assuming

adj

Arrogant or overly confident; taking too much for granted.

assumption

noun

Something accepted as true without proof, or the act of accepting it as true.

assumptive

adj

Accepted as true without any real proof.

assurance

noun

A confident promise or statement meant to remove doubt.

assure

verb

To tell someone something confidently in order to remove their doubt or worry.

assured

adjective

Confident and self-possessed, without any nervousness or doubt.

assuredly

adverb

Without doubt; certainly.

assuredness

noun

A feeling of confidence and certainty.

assuring

adjective

Giving confidence or comfort; reassuring.

asswipe

noun

A vulgar insult for someone considered annoying, worthless, or contemptible.

assy

adj

(informal) Behaving like a stupid or unpleasant person.

assyth

noun

Payment made to make up for harm or an insult.

Ast

name

A short surname of German origin, also used as an abbreviation in other contexts.

Asta

name

A feminine given name of Scandinavian origin, a short form of names like Astrid.

Astaire

name

A surname best known through American dancer and actor Fred Astaire.

astand

verb

To get up or stand up.

astatine

noun

A strongly radioactive halogen element, symbol At, atomic number 85.

aster

noun

A garden plant with daisy-like flowers, typically purple, pink, or white, that bloom in late summer and autumn.

asterisk

noun

The star-shaped symbol (*) used in writing to mark a footnote, show an omission, or flag something as an exception.

asterism

noun

A small, recognisable group of stars that is not an official constellation.

Asterix

name

The title character of a French comic book series about an Ancient Gaulish warrior, created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.

astern

adverb

Behind a ship or boat, or moving backward.

asteroid

noun

A rocky body, smaller than a planet, that orbits the sun, mostly found in the belt between Mars and Jupiter.

asthma

noun

A chronic condition in which the airways narrow and swell, causing wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath, often triggered by allergens, cold air, or exercise.

asthmatic

adjective

Relating to or affected by asthma.

astigmatism

noun

In optics, astigmatism is a defect of a lens where light rays from a single point fail to meet at one focal point, so the resulting image is blurred.

Aston

noun

Informal shorthand for a car made by Aston Martin.

astonish

verb

To surprise someone so much that they are left amazed.

astonished

adjective

Filled with great surprise; amazed.

astonishing

adjective

So surprising or impressive that it causes amazement.

astonishingly

adverb

In a way that causes great surprise or amazement.

astonishment

noun

A feeling of great surprise or amazement.

Astor

name

An English surname, made famous by the wealthy Astor family of New York.

Astoria

name

A place name used for several towns in the United States and a neighbourhood of Queens, New York City, most named after John Jacob Astor.

astound

verb

To shock or amaze someone so much that they are left almost speechless.

astounded

adjective

Overwhelmed with shock or amazement.

astounding

adjective

So impressive or surprising that it leaves people stunned.

astraddle

adv

With one leg on each side of something.

astragal

noun

Synonym of anklebone: the bone forming the ball of the ankle joint.

astragalus

noun

Another word for anklebone.

astral

adjective

Relating to or resembling stars.

astray

adverb

Away from the correct path or intended route.

Astrid

name

A feminine given name of Germanic origin, popular in Scandinavia.

astride

adverb

With one leg on each side of something.

astringe

verb

To squeeze or tighten something.

astringency

noun

The state or property of being astringent.

astringent

noun

A liquid or substance applied to the skin to make the tissue contract, reducing oil and tightening pores.

Astro

noun

Informal name for a player on the Houston Astros baseball team.

astrolabe

noun

An early instrument used by astronomers and navigators to measure the height of the Sun and stars above the horizon.

astrologer

noun

A person who studies or practices astrology, interpreting the positions of stars and planets to predict events or personality traits.

astrological

adjective

Relating to astrology.

astrologist

noun

A person who studies or practises astrology.

astrology

noun

The belief system that studies the positions of stars and planets in order to predict human affairs or personality traits.

astrometry

noun

The area of astronomy concerned with measuring the positions and movements of stars and other objects in space.

astronaut

noun

A person trained to travel and work in a spacecraft beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

astronautics

noun

The practice of travelling and finding your way through space.

astronomer

noun

A scientist who studies stars, planets, and the wider universe.

astronomic

adj

Relating to astronomy.

astronomical

adjective

Relating to astronomy or to space and celestial objects.

astronomically

adv

In a way that relates to astronomy.

astronomy

noun

The scientific study of stars, planets, and the wider universe, including their positions, motion, and physical properties.

astrophysicist

noun

A scientist who studies the physical properties and behavior of stars, planets, and other celestial bodies.

astrophysics

noun

The branch of science that applies the laws of physics to study stars, planets, and other objects in space.

astute

adjective

Quick to notice things and judge situations accurately; sharp-witted.

astuteness

noun

The quality of being clever and quick to notice things.

Asu

name

A name used for either of two unrelated African languages: a Nupoid language of Nigeria and a Bantu language (also called Pare) of Tanzania.

Asuka

name

A feminine Japanese given name.

asunder

adverb

Torn or broken into separate pieces, especially violently.

Aswell

name

An English surname, a variant of Haswell.

asylum

noun

Protection given by a country to someone fleeing danger or persecution in their own country.

asymmetric

adj

Not the same on both sides; lacking symmetry.

asymmetrical

adjective

Not identical or balanced on both sides; lacking symmetry.

asymmetry

noun

A lack of balance or matching proportion between the parts of something.

asymptomatic

adjective

Having a disease, infection or condition without showing any of its noticeable signs or feeling unwell.

asymptote

noun

A straight line that a curve gets closer and closer to but never actually touches as it extends towards infinity.

asynchronicity

noun

The fact of not happening at the same time or rate.

asynchronous

adjective

Not happening or done at the same time, so that the people involved take part whenever it suits them rather than together in real time.

asynergy

noun

(medicine) Poor or missing coordination between muscles or body parts, making movement slow or difficult.

asynonymous

adj

Another word for nonsynonymous.

asystole

noun

A medical condition in which the heart stops contracting entirely, showing no electrical activity.

at

preposition

Indicating a specific location or place.

ATA

noun

A computer interface standard (Advanced Technology Attachment) used to connect hard drives to a computer.

ataman

noun

A title given to various Cossack and haidamak leaders, and also to the head of a fishing group or a gang of robbers.

ataraxis

noun

A calm state, free from stress or worry.

atari

noun

In the board game Go, a position where a stone or group of stones is one move away from being captured.

atavism

noun

The sudden return of a trait from a distant ancestor after it had disappeared for generations.

atavist

noun

A trait that reappears in a family line after skipping several generations.

ataxia

noun

A lack of coordination in voluntary movements, which can look like clumsiness, inaccuracy or unsteadiness.

atb

abbreviation

All the best; a friendly sign-off used at the end of a text, email or message, wishing the reader well.

ate

verb

The past tense of "eat".

atelier

noun

A workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist, designer, or fashion house.

atemporal

adj

Existing outside of time, so that it never changes or ages.

ATF

phrase

An abbreviation meaning "as trustee for," used in legal and financial documents to show that an account or asset is held by one person on behalf of another.

athanasy

noun

The state of living forever, with no death.

atheism

noun

The belief that no gods or deities exist, or the absence of belief in any deity.

atheist

noun

A person who does not believe that any gods or deities exist.

atheistic

adj

Connected with atheists or with not believing in God.

atheistical

adj

Connected with atheism; not believing in God.

atheisticalness

noun

The fact or quality of not believing in God.

Athelstan

name

A masculine given name and surname, historically borne by Æthelstan, the first king of a unified England.

Athena

noun

Slang for a woman regarded as supporting or upholding patriarchal norms rather than opposing them.

Athenian

noun

A person from Athens, Greece.

Athens

name

The capital city of Greece, and by extension its national government; also used as a place name for several towns in the United States.

atheophobia

noun

A strong dislike or fear of people who do not believe in God.

Atherton

name

An English habitational surname, and a place name for towns in England, Australia, and the United States.

athina

name

Synonym of Athens (“the capital city of Greece”).

athirst

adj

Very keen to have or get something.

athlete

noun

A person who competes in sports, especially one who trains and performs at a high level.

athletic

adjective

Relating to athletes or physical sports.

athletics

noun

Track and field sports such as running, jumping, and throwing.

Athos

name

A peninsula in Greece, home to Mount Athos; in Greek mythology, one of the Gigantes.

athwart

adv

Lying or moving in a slanting line, from one side to the other.

ativan

name

A brand name for the drug lorazepam.

Atlanta

name

The capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Georgia.

atlantean

noun

A person said to live on the legendary island of Atlantis.

Atlantic

adj

Relating to the Atlantic Ocean or to the countries and coastlines that border it.

Atlantis

name

A legendary island or continent said to have sunk beneath the Atlantic Ocean.

atlas

noun

A book of maps, often with extra tables, charts, or explanatory text.

ATM

noun

A machine, usually built into a wall or standing in a public place, that lets you withdraw cash and carry out simple banking with a card and a PIN.

atmosphere

noun

The layer of gases surrounding a planet, especially Earth.

atmospheric

adjective

Relating to or coming from the atmosphere.

atmospherics

noun

Crackling noise on a radio caused by electrical activity in the air, such as lightning.

atoll

noun

A ring-shaped coral island or string of islands surrounding a central lagoon.

atom

noun

The smallest unit of a chemical element that retains its properties, made up of a nucleus and surrounding electrons.

atomic

adjective

Relating to atoms.

atomic mass

noun

The mass of a single atom, counted mainly from its protons and neutrons and usually given in atomic mass units, where one unit is a twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom.

atomic mass unit

noun

A standard unit for stating the masses of atoms and molecules, defined as exactly one twelfth of the mass of a single carbon-12 atom, which is about 1.66 x 10^-27 kilograms. It is symbolised u or amu and is also called the dalton.

atomic number

noun

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, which determines what element the atom is and where it sits on the periodic table.

atomize

verb

To break something down into its smallest particles.

atomizer

noun

A device that turns a liquid into a fine mist, used for things like perfume or medicine.

aton

noun

An alternative letter-case form of AtoN.

atonal

adj

Written or played with no central musical key.

atone

verb

To make amends for a wrongdoing or mistake.

atonement

noun

The act of making amends for wrongdoing.

atop

preposition

On top of.

ATP

noun

A molecule that stores and carries chemical energy inside living cells, releasing it for muscle contraction, nerve signals and other processes when one of its phosphate groups is broken off.

atrabiliary

adj

Connected with black bile, one of the old bodily humours.

atrabilious

adj

Containing too much black bile, according to old medical belief.