English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

ea

noun

An old or dialectal word for a river or watercourse.

each

det

Used to refer to every individual member of a group, considered one at a time.

eager

adj

Keen and enthusiastic to do or have something.

eagerly

adv

In a way that shows keen enthusiasm or desire.

eagerness

noun

A strong, enthusiastic desire to do or have something.

eagle

noun

A large, powerful bird of prey with a hooked beak and excellent eyesight.

Eagles

name

A surname, and a common nickname for sports teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles.

Eagleton

name

A surname, and a suburb of Newcastle, Australia.

Eames

name

A surname of Old English origin, notably borne by designers Charles and Ray Eames.

Eamon

name

A male given name of Irish origin, a variant of Edmund.

ear

noun

The organ used for hearing, including the visible outer part and the internal structures that detect sound.

eardrum

noun

The thin membrane inside the ear that vibrates in response to sound and passes the vibration on to the inner ear bones.

earful

noun

A sharp scolding or telling-off.

Earhart

name

A German surname, notably borne by aviator Amelia Earhart.

earl

noun

A British nobleman ranking above a viscount and below a marquess.

Earle

name

A surname and given name, a variant of Earl, originating as an occupational name.

early

adj

Happening or arriving before the expected or usual time.

earn

verb

To receive money in return for work done.

earned

adj

Gained through one's own effort or merit, rather than given freely.

earner

noun

A person who earns money, especially through employment.

earnest

adj

Serious and sincere in intention or feeling.

earnestly

adv

In a sincere, serious way, with real effort or feeling behind it.

earnings

noun

Money made from work, such as wages or salary.

Earp

name

A surname, notably borne by lawman Wyatt Earp of the American Old West.

earphones

noun

Small speakers worn in or over the ears for listening privately to audio.

earpiece

noun

A small speaker that fits in or against the ear, often part of a headset or hearing aid.

earring

noun

A piece of jewelry worn on or through the ear.

earshot

noun

The distance within which a sound can be heard.

earth

name

The planet we live on, third from the Sun.

earthbound

adj

Stuck on or tied to the Earth, unable to leave it.

Earthling

noun

A person from Earth, especially as imagined from the perspective of aliens.

earthly

adj

Belonging to this world or life, rather than to heaven or the afterlife.

earthquake

noun

A sudden shaking of the ground caused by movement in the Earth's crust.

earthworm

noun

A long, segmented worm that lives in soil and helps aerate it.

earthy

adj

Resembling soil in smell, taste, or appearance.

earwig

noun

A small insect with pincers at the end of its abdomen.

ease

noun

The quality of being simple or effortless.

eased

adj

Made less difficult, painful, or intense.

easel

noun

A stand, usually with three legs, used to hold up a canvas or board for painting or display.

easily

adv

Without difficulty or effort.

easing

noun

The process of making something less severe, tight, or difficult.

east

noun

The direction toward which the Earth rotates, where the sun rises.

eastbound

adj

Traveling or heading toward the east.

Easter

name

The Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, held in spring.

eastern

adj

Located in, facing, or relating to the east.

Eastman

name

A surname, notably borne by George Eastman, founder of Kodak; also a city in Georgia.

Easton

name

A habitational surname of Old English origin, and the name of numerous towns and villages in England and the United States.

eastside

noun

The eastern part or district of a city or area.

eastward

adv

Toward the east.

Eastwood

noun

A brave, tough, hardy man (an informal, jocular usage referencing actor Clint Eastwood).

easy

adj

Requiring little effort or skill; not difficult.

easygoing

adj

Relaxed, tolerant, and not easily upset or worried.

eat

verb

To take food into the mouth and swallow it.

eaten

adj

Consumed as food; the past participle of eat.

eater

noun

A person or animal that eats, especially in a described way.

eatery

noun

A casual restaurant or place to buy and eat food.

eating

noun

The act of consuming food.

Eaton

name

An English habitational surname, and the name of many villages in England and towns in North America.

eats

noun

Food, especially in a casual sense (informal).

eau

noun

Water — used in English mainly in borrowed French phrases.

eaves

noun

The edge of a roof that overhangs the walls of a building.

eavesdrop

verb

To secretly listen in on a conversation you were not meant to hear.

eavesdropping

noun

The act of secretly listening to a conversation that isn't meant for you.

eBay

noun

A well-known online marketplace where people buy and sell items, often through auctions.

ebb

noun

The falling back of the tide as it moves away from the shore.

Eben

name

A male given name, shortened from Ebenezer.

Ebenezer

name

A male given name from Hebrew, popularised by English Puritans in the 1600s and meaning "stone of help."

Ebert

name

A German surname, notably borne by film critic Roger Ebert.

Ebola

noun

A severe, often fatal viral disease causing fever and internal bleeding, first identified near the Ebola River in Central Africa.

ebony

noun

A hard, dense, nearly black wood from certain tropical trees, prized for furniture and instruments.

Eby

name

A surname of German origin.

eccentric

adj

Behaving in an unconventional or slightly odd way; not following normal habits.

ecclesiastical

adj

Relating to a church or its organisation and clergy.

echelon

noun

A level or rank within an organisation, especially one of importance or seniority.

echidna

noun

A small, spiny, egg-laying mammal native to Australia and New Guinea, related to the platypus.

echo

verb

Of a sound, to bounce off a surface and be heard again; to reverberate.

echoing

noun

The repeated sound of something reverberating.

eclectic

adj

Drawing from many different sources, styles, or ideas rather than sticking to one.

eclipse

noun

An event where one astronomical body passes in front of another, blocking it from view, such as the Moon passing in front of the Sun.

eclipsed

adj

Overshadowed or surpassed by something greater in importance, achievement, or attention.

eco

noun

A shortened, informal form used to mean anything relating to ecology or the environment, often used as a prefix (eco-friendly, eco-tourism).

ecological

adj

Relating to ecology — the study of how living things interact with their environment.

ecology

noun

The branch of biology that studies how living things relate to each other and to their environment.

economic

adj

Relating to money, trade, industry, or the management of an economy.

economical

adj

Careful with money or resources; not wasteful.

economically

adv

In a way that avoids waste; thriftily or efficiently.

economics

noun

The academic and social science studying how resources, wealth, goods, and money are produced, distributed, and consumed.

economist

noun

A person who studies or is an expert in economics.

economy

noun

The system of production, trade, and consumption within a country, region, or community.

ecosystem

noun

A community of living things together with the physical environment they interact with.

ecstasy

noun

A feeling of intense joy or pleasure, often so strong it overwhelms rational thought.

ecstatic

adj

Extremely happy or joyful; overjoyed.

ectoplasm

noun

In spiritualism, a mysterious substance said to be given off by a medium's body during a séance.

Ecuador

noun

A country on the northwestern coast of South America, home to the Galápagos Islands and named for the equator, which passes through it.

eczema

noun

A skin condition causing red, itchy, inflamed patches that can become scaly or weep fluid.

ed

noun

A short informal way of saying "education," especially in school or course names.

Eda

name

A female given name of Old English origin, and a municipality in Sweden.

Eddie

name

A familiar short form of male names such as Edward, Edgar, or Edwin.

Eddington

name

A habitational surname of Old English origin, and the name of several English villages, notably borne by physicist Arthur Eddington.

eddy

noun

A swirl of water or air that spins in the opposite direction to the main flow around it.

Edelstein

name

A German surname, meaning "gemstone".

edelweiss

noun

A small alpine flower with woolly, star-shaped white blooms and silvery-grey leaves, found high in mountain ranges like the Alps.

edema

noun

Swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body's tissues.

Eden

name

A garden built by God as the home for Adam and Eve; sometimes identified as part of Mesopotamia.

Edgar

name

A male given name from Old English, meaning roughly "rich spear."

edge

noun

The outer boundary or line where something ends.

edged

adj

Having a sharp, defined edge or surface.

Edgehill

name

An English surname, also the name of a village in Warwickshire and the site of the first major battle of the English Civil War.

edging

noun

A strip, border, or trim that marks the outer edge of something.

edgy

adj

Tense, nervous, or on the verge of losing patience.

Edi

name

A short feminine given name, sometimes used as a nickname for Edith or Edwina.

edible

adj

Safe and fit to eat.

edict

noun

An official order or proclamation issued by someone in authority.

Edie

name

A feminine given name, commonly used as a diminutive of Edith.

edifice

noun

A large, imposing building, especially one of architectural significance.

Edison

name

An English surname and masculine given name, historically meaning "son of Adam" or "son of Eden," and famously associated with inventor Thomas Edison.

edit

verb

To change, correct, or improve a piece of writing, video, or other content.

edited

adj

Changed or revised from an original version.

Edith

name

A feminine given name of Old English origin, meaning "prosperous in war" or "riches, blessed."

editing

noun

The process of reviewing and revising written or recorded material.

edition

noun

A particular version of a published work, issued at a specific time or in a specific format.

editor

noun

A person who reviews and revises written material before publication.

editorial

noun

An article expressing the opinion of a publication's editors on a current issue.

Edmond

name

A masculine given name, a variant spelling of Edmund, meaning "wealthy protector."

Edmonds

name

An English surname meaning "son of Edmund," and the name of a city in Washington state.

Edmonton

name

The capital city of Alberta, Canada, and also a district in North London.

Edmund

name

A masculine given name of Old English origin, meaning "wealthy protector."

Edmunds

name

An English surname meaning "son of Edmund."

Edna

name

A feminine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "delight" or "pleasure."

Edo

name

The former name of Tokyo, Japan, used during the Edo period (1603-1868), and also a masculine given name.

edu

noun

Informal short form of "education."

Eduard

name

A masculine given name, a European variant of Edward, meaning "wealthy guardian."

Eduardo

name

A masculine given name, the Spanish and Portuguese form of Edward, meaning "wealthy guardian."

educate

verb

To teach or train someone, giving them knowledge or skills.

educated

adj

Having received a significant level of schooling or training.

educating

adj

Serving to teach or inform; having an educational effect.

education

noun

The process of teaching or learning, especially in schools.

educational

adj

Relating to education or teaching.

educator

noun

A person who teaches, especially one recognized for skill in the profession.

Edward

name

A male given name from Old English, borne by numerous kings of England.

Edwardian

adj

Relating to the period of British history from about 1901 to 1910, during the reign of King Edward VII.

Edwards

name

An English and Welsh surname, originally meaning "son of Edward."

Edwin

name

A male given name of Old English origin, roughly meaning "wealthy friend."

Edwina

name

A female given name, the feminine form of Edwin.

ee

intj

A dialectal or informal exclamation used much like "eh" or "oh," often in Scottish or Northern English speech.

eee

intj

An excited exclamation of happiness, similar to "yay!"

eek

intj

An exclamation representing a sudden scream, especially one of surprise or mild fear.

eel

noun

A long, snake-like fish with a smooth body and no obvious scales.

een

adv

A dialectal shortening of "even," used in older or regional English.

eeny

adj

Tiny; extremely small.