English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

anchovy

noun

A small, strong-tasting saltwater fish, often preserved in salt or oil and used to flavor other dishes.

ancient

adj

Belonging to a very distant, long-past time, especially before the Middle Ages.

ancients

noun

The peoples of the distant past, especially the writers, thinkers, and civilizations of classical antiquity.

and

conj

Used to join two words, phrases, or ideas that go together.

Anda

name

A surname of Basque origin, transmitted through Spanish.

Andalusia

name

An autonomous community in southern Spain, the most populous in the country, whose capital is Seville.

Anders

name

A male given name and surname from Scandinavian languages, equivalent to English Andrew.

Andersen

name

A Danish and Norwegian surname derived as a patronymic, borne by fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen.

Anderson

name

A Scottish surname derived as a patronymic, also used as a male given name and the name of numerous places worldwide.

Andersson

name

A Swedish surname derived as a patronymic.

Anderton

name

An English surname of habitational origin, also the name of several villages in England.

Andes

name

The long mountain range running down the western edge of South America.

Andhra

name

A former Indian state, in existence from 1953 to 1956, later merged into Andhra Pradesh.

Andi

name

A Northeast Caucasian language spoken in Russia; also used as a diminutive form of Andrea or Andrew.

Andie

name

A diminutive of the given name Andrew or Andrea, from Ancient Greek.

Ando

name

A Japanese surname, also the name of a barangay in the Philippines.

Andrade

name

A surname of Galician origin.

Andre

name

A male given name of French origin, an anglicized form of André.

Andrea

name

A female given name of Ancient Greek origin used in English, also a male given name in Italian.

Andreas

name

A male given name of Ancient Greek origin, the Latin form of Andrew, meaning "manly".

Andrei

name

A masculine given name, the Russian and Romanian form of Andrew, meaning "manly" or "brave".

Andres

name

A masculine given name, the Spanish form of Andrew.

Andrew

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning "manly" or "brave".

Andrews

name

An English surname derived from the given name Andrew.

Andrey

name

A masculine given name, a Russian variant of Andrew.

android

noun

A robot built to look and move like a human.

Andromeda

noun

A spiral galaxy in the constellation of the same name, and the nearest large galaxy to our own Milky Way.

Andros

name

The largest island in the Bahamas, and also a Greek given name meaning "man".

Andy

noun

Informal term for a person of a particular type or category, often used dismissively (e.g. 'karen', 'chad').

anecdote

noun

A short, often amusing story about a real event or person.

anemia

noun

A condition in which the blood has too few red blood cells or too little hemoglobin, leaving the body short of oxygen and often causing tiredness and paleness.

anemic

adj

Suffering from or related to anemia.

anemone

noun

A flowering plant of the buttercup family, such as the windflower, prized for its bright, delicate blooms.

anesthesia

noun

A medically induced state in which a patient cannot feel pain, used during surgery or other procedures.

anesthesiologist

noun

A doctor who specializes in giving anesthesia and monitoring patients during surgery.

anesthetic

noun

A drug used to stop pain or cause unconsciousness for a medical procedure.

aneurysm

noun

A dangerous bulge in the wall of a blood vessel, caused by a weak spot that swells under blood pressure.

anew

adv

Once again, from the beginning, or in a fresh way.

Ang

name

A short given name or surname of East Asian origin, notably borne by the filmmaker Ang Lee.

Angad

name

A masculine given name of Punjabi and Sikh origin, meaning "part of the body" or "limb".

Ange

name

A given name, a French short form related to Angela or Angelo, meaning "angel".

angel

noun

A spiritual being who serves as a messenger of God, traditionally pictured with wings and a robe.

Angela

name

A feminine given name of Greek origin, meaning "angel" or "messenger".

Angeles

name

A Spanish feminine given name meaning "angels", and part of the city name Los Angeles.

angelic

adj

Resembling or characteristic of an angel; heavenly.

angelica

noun

A tall garden herb with hollow stems, related to celery and parsley, whose stalks are sometimes candied.

Angelina

noun

A young or inexperienced hobo, historically.

Angelique

name

A feminine given name, the French form of Angela, meaning "angelic".

Angelo

name

A masculine given name of Italian origin, meaning "angel" or "messenger".

Angelus

noun

A Catholic prayer devotion commemorating the Annunciation, said three times a day.

anger

noun

A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility, often triggered by feeling wronged or threatened.

angered

adj

Made angry; provoked to a state of anger.

Angers

name

A city in western France, historic capital of the Anjou region.

Angie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Angela or Angelica.

angiogram

noun

An X-ray image of blood vessels, produced after injecting a dye that makes them visible.

angle

noun

The space between two lines or surfaces that meet at a point, measured in degrees.

angled

adj

Set or shaped so as to form an angle rather than lying flat or straight.

angler

noun

A person who fishes using a rod, line, and hook.

Anglia

name

The Latin and historical name for England, surviving in terms like East Anglia.

Anglican

adj

Relating to the Church of England or churches within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

angling

noun

The sport or activity of fishing with a rod, line, and hook.

anglo

noun

A person of English or British descent, especially as distinguished from other ethnic groups.

Angola

name

A country in southern Africa, on the Atlantic coast, formerly a Portuguese colony.

angrily

adv

In a way that shows or expresses anger.

angry

adj

Feeling or showing strong displeasure or hostility.

angst

noun

A deep, often vague feeling of anxiety or dread, sometimes tied to broader worries about life or meaning.

anguish

noun

Severe mental or physical suffering, often caused by grief, loss, or distress.

anguished

adj

Showing or full of extreme suffering or distress.

angular

adj

Having sharp corners or angles rather than smooth curves.

Angus

noun

A breed of hornless black beef cattle, originally from Scotland, prized for the quality and marbling of its meat.

angy

adjective

An informal, intentionally misspelled way of writing "angry," used online to make the anger sound small, cute, or not entirely serious.

ani

noun

A black, long-tailed tropical bird in the cuckoo family, found across the Americas.

anil

noun

The indigo shrub, or the deep blue dye extracted from it.

animal

noun

A living, moving organism that feeds on other organisms rather than making its own food, as distinct from plants and fungi.

animate

verb

To bring something to life, or to make a picture or object appear to move on its own.

animated

adj

Made using drawings, models, or computer graphics that are shown in sequence to create the illusion of movement.

animation

noun

The technique of creating the illusion of movement from a sequence of still images, drawings, or models, or a work made this way.

animator

noun

A person who creates animated films, shows, or effects, such as an illustrator who draws frame-by-frame movement.

anime

noun

Animation that originates from Japan, or animated work drawn in the visual style associated with it.

animosity

noun

Strong hostility or ill will toward someone.

animus

noun

Strong dislike, hostility, or ill will toward someone or something.

anise

noun

A plant grown for its licorice-flavored seeds, used as a spice and in flavoring drinks and sweets.

Aniston

name

A surname of Greek origin, widely known through the actress Jennifer Aniston.

Anita

name

A female given name, a Spanish diminutive of Ana ("Ann").

Anjali

name

A female given name from Sanskrit, widely used in India.

Anjou

noun

A variety of pear with green or red skin and a sweet, mild flavor.

Anju

noun

Korean food eaten alongside alcoholic drinks, such as fried snacks or skewers.

Ankara

name

The capital city of Turkey.

anker

noun

An old unit of liquid measure for wine or spirits, roughly ten gallons, or a barrel of that size.

ankle

noun

The joint connecting the foot to the leg.

anklet

noun

A piece of jewelry worn around the ankle.

Ann

name

A female given name, an English form of Hannah.

anna

name

A female given name, a Latinate form related to Ann and Hannah.

Annabel

name

A female given name, generally understood today as a blend of "Anna" and "belle" (beautiful).

Annabelle

name

A female given name, a spelling variant of Annabel.

Annabeth

name

A female given name formed by combining "Anna" and "Beth."

Annalise

name

A female given name, a variant related to Anna and Elise.

annals

noun

A written record of events arranged by year, or historical records more generally.

Annapolis

name

The capital city of Maryland, USA, and home to the United States Naval Academy.

Annas

name

A Jewish high priest of the New Testament era, remembered for his role alongside his son-in-law Caiaphas in the trial of Jesus.

Anne

name

A female given name, the French form of Ann.

Annette

name

A female given name, a French diminutive of Anne.

annex

noun

A separate or attached building added to a larger one.

annexation

noun

The act of taking control of territory and formally incorporating it into another country or state.

Annie

name

A female given name, a diminutive of Ann popular since the 19th century.

annihilate

verb

To destroy completely; to wipe out entirely.

annihilated

adj

Completely destroyed.

annihilation

noun

Total destruction; the act of wiping something out of existence.

Annika

name

A female given name, a Swedish diminutive of Anna.

anniversary

noun

The yearly date on which a significant past event, such as a wedding, is remembered or celebrated.

announce

verb

To make something known publicly, especially for the first time.

announced

adj

Made known publicly; declared.

announcement

noun

A public or formal statement telling people about something.

announcer

noun

Someone whose job is to introduce or read out information, especially on radio, TV, or at an event.

annoy

verb

To bother or irritate someone, especially through repeated small actions.

annoyance

noun

A feeling of mild irritation, or the thing that causes it.

annoyed

adj

Feeling mild irritation or displeasure about something.

annoying

adj

Causing irritation; bothersome.

annoyingly

adv

In a way that is irritating or bothersome.

annual

adj

Happening once every year.

annually

adv

Once a year; every year.

annuity

noun

A fixed sum of money paid to someone at regular intervals, often for the rest of their life, usually as part of a retirement or investment plan.

annul

verb

To officially declare something invalid or void, as if it never legally existed.

annulled

adj

Officially declared invalid or void.

annulment

noun

The act of officially cancelling something, especially a legal declaration that a marriage was never valid.

Ano

name

A short given name or surname found in various cultures, including Japanese and West African usage.

anoint

verb

To put oil on someone or something, often as part of a religious ceremony.

anointed

adj

Having gone through a ceremony of anointing; formally chosen for a special role.

anomalous

adj

Different from what is normal or expected; not fitting the usual pattern.

anomaly

noun

Something that deviates from what is normal or expected; an irregularity.

anon

adv

Soon; shortly (an old-fashioned or literary word).

anonymity

noun

The state of not being known or identified by name.

anonymous

adj

Not identified by name; of unknown identity.

anonymously

adv

Without giving one's name.

anorexic

adj

Relating to or affected by anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder involving extreme restriction of food.

another

det

One more, in addition to what has already been mentioned.

Ans

name

A feminine given name common in the Netherlands, a short form of Anna or Antje.

Ansari

name

A surname of Arabic origin meaning "helper", common among Muslims in South Asia and the Middle East.

Ansel

name

A masculine given name of Germanic origin, meaning "protected by God", notably borne by photographer Ansel Adams.

Anselmo

name

A masculine given name, the Italian and Spanish form of Anselm.

Anson

name

A surname and masculine given name of English origin, meaning "son of Ann".

answer

noun

A reply given to a question, or a solution to a problem.

answerable

adj

Required to explain or justify one's actions to someone; accountable.

answered

adj

Having had a response given.

answering

noun

The act of giving a reply.

answerphone

noun

A telephone device that automatically records messages from callers.

ant

noun

A small insect that lives in large, highly organized colonies, usually working in groups to gather food and build nests.

antacid

noun

A medicine that neutralizes stomach acid to relieve heartburn or indigestion.

antagonism

noun

A strong feeling of hostility or opposition toward someone or something.

antagonistic

adj

Showing active hostility or opposition.