English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

chewet

noun

Another name for a chough or a jackdaw.

chewie

noun

Informal word for chewing gum.

chewing

noun

The action of biting and grinding something with the teeth.

chewy

adj

Needing a lot of chewing; having a tough, elastic texture.

Cheyenne

noun

A member of the Cheyenne, an Indigenous people of the Great Plains in North America.

cheyne

name

A rarely used male given name.

cheyney

noun

A woollen or worsted fabric used for curtains or covering furniture.

chez

prep

At the home or place of.

chi

noun

The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, written Χ, χ.

chia

noun

A flowering plant grown for its small, edible seeds, popular as a health food.

Chiang

name

A Chinese surname, romanized from Mandarin, a variant of Jiang.

Chianti

noun

A dry red wine traditionally made in the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy.

Chiara

name

An Italian female given name and surname, meaning "clear" or "bright."

chiaroscuro

noun

An artistic technique that uses strong contrasts of light and dark to give the impression of solid volume.

chib

noun

(informal) A crude, homemade knife used as a weapon.

Chiba

name

A prefecture in Japan, east of Tokyo, and also the name of its capital city.

chic

adj

Elegant and fashionable in a stylish, effortless way.

chica

noun

A young Latin-American woman or girl (used especially in Spanish-influenced English).

Chicago

name

A major city in Illinois, USA, on the shore of Lake Michigan.

chicane

noun

A petty or unfair objection, or an act meant to mislead someone.

chicanery

noun

Dishonest behaviour that relies on tricks or misleading arguments.

chicha

noun

A fermented drink from South and Central America, usually made using maize, grapes or apples.

chichi

adj

Fashionable or fancy in a showy, try-hard way.

chick

noun

A young, newly hatched bird, especially a baby chicken.

chickabiddy

noun

A chicken or a bird like it.

chickadee

noun

A small North American songbird, usually black and white, related to the tits.

chicken

noun

A common domesticated bird raised for its eggs and meat.

chickenshit

adj

(vulgar slang) Cowardly, or pettily unfair.

chickie

noun

(informal, affectionate) A baby chick or small chicken.

chickpea

noun

A plant grown for its round edible seeds, which form in short, puffed-up pods.

chickweed

noun

A small, low-growing herb, especially common chickweed, with tiny white flowers, found widely across Europe and North America and often eaten as a salad plant.

chicky

noun

(informal, especially child-directed) A chicken or baby chick.

chico

noun

(informal) A young Latin-American man or boy.

chicon

noun

A science fiction convention held in Chicago, in the United States.

chicory

noun

A blue-flowered plant whose leaves are eaten as a salad green and whose root is used to make a coffee substitute.

chide

verb

To scold or express disapproval of someone, usually mildly.

chief

noun

The leader or head of a group, organization, or tribe.

chiefly

adv

Mainly or for the most part.

chieftain

noun

The leader of a clan, tribe, or group, especially in traditional or historical contexts.

Chieko

name

A Japanese female given name.

Chien

name

A Chinese surname or given name.

chiffchaff

noun

A small warbler with yellowish-green plumage that breeds widely across Europe and Asia, in northern and temperate regions, or any closely related species in the same genus.

chiffon

noun

A light, sheer, delicate fabric, often made of silk or polyester.

chiffonier

noun

A tall, stylish set of drawers, sometimes fitted with a mirror.

chignon

noun

A knot of hair twisted and pinned up at the back of the neck; a bun.

Chihiro

name

A Japanese unisex given name.

Chihuahua

noun

The smallest breed of dog in the world, known for its tiny size and large ears.

chii

noun

In mahjong, a call made to complete a run of three same-suit tiles using a discarded tile.

Chika

name

A Japanese female given name.

child

noun

A young human being, from birth up to the start of the teenage years.

childbearing

noun

The act of being pregnant and giving birth to a baby.

childbed

noun

The last stage of pregnancy, up to and including the birth.

childbirth

noun

The process of giving birth to a baby.

childcare

noun

The supervision and care of young children, especially while their parents are working.

childe

noun

A young person born into a noble family.

childermas

name

A religious service and holiday commemorating the supposed Massacre of the Innocents in Judea around the time of the birth of Christ, typically observed on 28 December in Western Christianity and 29 December in Eastern Christianity; in Spanish and Latin American contexts, the day is frequently filled with light-hearted pranks similar to April Fools' Day.

childhood

noun

The period of a person's life from birth to the onset of adolescence.

childish

adj

Behaving in an immature way, typically expected only of a child.

childishness

noun

Immature behavior or an immature way of acting.

childless

adj

Having no children.

childlike

adj

Having the innocent, trusting, or curious qualities typical of a child.

childlover

noun

A person sexually attracted to prepubescent children, pubescent children, or adolescent teenagers.

childly

adj

Like or typical of a young child.

childminder

noun

Someone who is paid to take care of other people's children while their parents are out.

Children

noun

The plural of child — more than one young person, or more than one son or daughter.

Childress

name

An English surname, also the name of a city in Texas.

Childs

name

An English surname, also the name of several small communities in the United States.

Chile

name

A long, narrow country on the western coast of South America.

Chilean

adj

Relating to Chile or its people and culture.

chili

noun

A hot-tasting pepper (fresh or dried) used to add spice to food.

chiliad

noun

A group or set of one thousand things.

chill

noun

An uncomfortable feeling of coldness.

chillax

verb

To relax completely and stop worrying about something.

chilled

adj

Made cold, especially food or drink.

chiller

noun

Something that makes a thing or place cold.

chilliness

noun

An unpleasant feeling of coldness.

chilling

adj

Causing fear or horror.

chillout

noun

A time of calm and rest, often taken after an event such as a party.

chills

noun

A feeling of coldness in the body, often a symptom of illness or a reaction to fear or excitement.

chilly

adj

Cold enough to be uncomfortable.

chimaera

noun

A sea fish with a skeleton made of cartilage, a blunt nose, a long tail, and a spine in front of its first back fin.

chime

noun

A bell-like instrument, or set of them, that rings out a musical note.

Chimera

noun

An organism, plan, or idea made up of very different or clashing parts, especially one that is unrealistic.

chimere

noun

A loose outer robe, usually without sleeves, worn by some Anglican bishops.

chiming

noun

The act or sound of a bell or bell-like device ringing.

chimney

noun

A vertical structure that carries smoke and fumes up and out of a building.

chimp

noun

Short for chimpanzee.

chimpanzee

noun

A highly intelligent great ape native to Africa, one of humanity's closest living relatives.

chin

noun

The part of the face below the mouth, forming the bottom of the jaw.

China

name

A large country in East Asia, the People's Republic of China.

chinaman

noun

In cricket, a type of spin delivery bowled by a left-handed bowler that turns unexpectedly toward a right-handed batter.

chinapatam

name

The former name of Chennai, the largest city and capital of Tamil Nadu, India.

chinapatana

name

Former name of Chennai: the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, India.

Chinatown

noun

A neighborhood outside China with a large concentration of Chinese residents, shops, and restaurants.

chinchilla

noun

A small rodent from the Andes mountains, prized for its extremely soft, dense fur and often kept as a pet.

chine

noun

The highest part of a ridge of land.

Chinese

adj

Relating to China, its people, or their culture.

chinesian

noun

Another word for Chinese, meaning a person from China or of Chinese ethnicity, especially Han Chinese.

ching

intj

A word imitating the ringing sound of metal or glass being struck.

chingadera

noun

(informal) A thing whose proper name you don't know or can't remember.

chink

noun

A narrow crack or opening, often letting through a beam of light.

chinkland

name

An informal term for East Asia, or, mainly in the US, for Asia as a whole.

chino

noun

A sturdy cotton fabric, or trousers made from it.

chinook

noun

A warm, dry wind that blows down the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, quickly raising the temperature.

chinookan

adj

Relating to a small family of languages spoken by Chinook peoples along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington.

chinquapin

noun

Any of several kinds of tree belonging to the same genus as the chestnut.

chintzy

adj

Made of, or decorated with, chintz fabric.

chinwag

noun

A casual chat about ordinary things.

chiong

verb

(informal) To hurry or rush somewhere, or to get something done quickly.

chionodoxa

noun

A plant that used to belong to its own separate genus, Chionodoxa.

chip

noun

A small piece broken off a larger object, or the mark left where it broke off.

chip on your shoulder

phrase

A lasting resentment or sense of grievance that makes someone quick to take offence, argue or feel looked down on.

chipmunk

noun

A small striped rodent found mostly in North America.

chipotle

noun

A ripe jalapeño pepper that has been dried and smoked, used to add a smoky heat to food.

chipped

adj

Having a small piece broken off.

chipper

adj

Cheerful and full of energy.

chipping

noun

A small fragment broken off something, or the act of breaking such pieces off.

chippy

noun

British informal term for a fish-and-chip shop.

chips

noun

Plural of chip: broken pieces, fried potato slices, or tokens used in gambling.

Chirag

name

A male given name of Persian origin, often used in India, meaning "lamp" or "light."

chirality

noun

The property of an object having a mirror image that cannot be turned to match the original, found in chemistry, physics and mathematics.

chirl

verb

To make a soft, low sound, or to sing in a trilling way.

chirography

noun

Another word for handwriting: a person's own individual style of writing by hand.

chiropodist

noun

Someone who works professionally caring for people's feet.

chiropractor

noun

A healthcare practitioner who treats problems of the spine and joints through manual adjustment.

chirp

noun

A short, high-pitched sound made by a bird or insect.

chirping

noun

The sound made by birds or insects chirping.

chirpy

adj

Cheerful and lively, especially in a way that seems a bit much early in the day.

chirr

verb

To make the long, buzzing, trilling noise that insects such as grasshoppers or cicadas make.

chirrup

verb

To make a quick series of short, chirping sounds.

chisel

noun

A hand tool with a sharp flat edge, used to cut or shape wood, stone, or metal.

chiseled

adj

Having sharply defined facial features.

chiseler

noun

A person who carves or shapes things using a chisel.

Chisholm

name

A Scottish surname, also the name of several towns in Australia, Canada, and the United States.

chit

noun

A short, informal written note, often used to record a small debt or purchase.

chitra

noun

A type of small biting midge or sandfly.

chittering

noun

A rapid series of short, high-pitched sounds, like the noise small birds or squirrels make.

chitty

noun

A short written note, voucher, or slip used to record a small debt or authorize a purchase.

Chiu

name

A Chinese surname, romanized from Cantonese, Hokkien, or Mandarin.

chivalresque

adj

Having the qualities typical of chivalry.

chivalrous

adj

Showing old-fashioned courtesy and gallantry, especially in the way a man treats women.

chivalry

noun

The medieval code of conduct for knights, built around honour, courage, mercy, and courtesy.

chive

noun

A small plant related to the onion that grows back each year and is used in cooking.

chives

noun

A thin, mild-tasting herb related to onions, with hollow green stalks often snipped over food as a garnish.

chivvy

verb

(informal) To keep pushing someone to hurry up and do something.

Chiyo

name

A Japanese female given name and surname.

chiyogami

noun

A traditional repeated pattern printed on origami paper, once stamped with wooden blocks but now usually made using silkscreen printing.

Chiyoko

name

A Japanese female given name.

chlamydia

noun

A common sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria, which often shows no symptoms.

Chlo

name

A diminutive of the female given name Chloe.