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English dictionary — definitions & meanings

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“E” Words

elevator
noun
A machine that carries people or goods up and down between floors of a building.
elevatory
adj
Tending to raise, or having power to elevate.
eleven
num
The number after ten and before twelve; 11.
eleventeen
num
Twenty-one (21).
eleventh
adj
Coming after the tenth and before the twelfth in a sequence; 11th.
eleventy
num
The number 110, 11 × 10.
elf
noun
A small, magical humanlike creature from folklore, often mischievous; in modern fantasy, a tall, graceful, immortal being.
elfishness
noun
The quality or state of being elfish.
Elgar
name
A surname, most famously borne by the English composer Edward Elgar.
Elgin
name
A surname and place name, most notably a town in Moray, Scotland, and the earldom associated with it.
Eli
name
A male given name of Hebrew origin, also the name of a biblical priest.
elianic
adj
Of or relating to Elijah.
Elias
name
A male given name, the New Testament Greek form of Elijah.
elicit
verb
To draw out a response, reaction, or piece of information from someone, often through careful questioning.
elif
noun
In computer programming, a keyword meaning "else if," used to check another condition if an earlier one was false.
eligibility
noun
The state of meeting the requirements needed to qualify for something.
eligible
adj
Meeting the requirements needed to take part in, apply for, or receive something.
Elijah
name
A Hebrew prophet in the Bible known for his miracles and confrontations with false prophets; also a common male given name.
eliminate
verb
To completely remove or get rid of something.
elimination
noun
The act of completely getting rid of something or removing someone from a competition.
Elina
name
A female given name.
Elinor
name
A female given name, a variant spelling of Eleanor.
Eliot
name
A surname and male given name, a variant of Elliott.
eliott
name
A male given name, variant of Elliott.
elis
name
An ancient Greek city-state in northwestern Peloponnese, modern Greece.
Elisa
name
A feminine given name, a variant of Elisa/Elissa related to Elizabeth or Eliza.
Elisabeth
name
A feminine given name, a spelling variant of Elizabeth, of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my oath."
Elise
name
A feminine given name, a French short form of Elizabeth.
Elisha
name
A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God is salvation," and the name of a biblical prophet.
elision
noun
The deliberate omission of something.
elisjsha
name
A male given name from Hebrew.
Elissa
name
A feminine given name, a variant of Elisa or Elizabeth, also linked in legend to the founder of Carthage.
elite
noun
The smallest, most powerful or most accomplished group within a larger population.
elitism
noun
The belief that a society or system should be run by an elite.
elitist
adj
Reflecting the belief that a small select group deserves special status or privilege.
elixir
noun
A magical or legendary potion believed to cure any illness or grant eternal life.
Eliza
name
A feminine given name, a short form of Elizabeth.
Elizabeth
name
A feminine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God is my oath," borne by several queens of England.
Elizabethan
adj
Belonging to or typical of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603) — a period known for its drama, poetry, and exploration.
elk
noun
A very large species of deer found across Europe and Asia, called a moose in North America.
elke
name
A female given name of German and Dutch origin.
Elkins
name
An English surname meaning "son of Elkin," and the name of a city in West Virginia.
Elks
noun
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, a fraternal and charitable club found in towns across the United States.
ell
noun
An old unit of length, roughly the distance from elbow to fingertip, historically around 45 inches in England.
Ella
name
A feminine given name, often used as a short form of names like Eleanor or Isabella.
Elle
name
A feminine given name derived from the French word "elle," meaning "she," and also a fashion magazine title.
ellen
name
A female given name derived from the Ancient Greek name Helen.
Eller
name
A German and English surname, an occupational or topographic name often linked to alder trees or estate ownership.
Ellery
name
A given name and surname of English origin, notably used for the fictional detective Ellery Queen.
ellice
name
A former rural municipality in Manitoba, Canada, now part of Ellice-Archie.
Ellie
name
A feminine given name, commonly a short form of Eleanor, Ellen, or Elizabeth.
Ellingham
name
An English surname and place name, originally denoting someone from a village called Ellingham.
Ellington
name
An English surname and place name, famously borne by jazz composer and bandleader Duke Ellington.
Elliot
name
A masculine given name and surname, a variant of Elliott, related to the name Elijah.
elliott
name
A male given name.
ellipsis
noun
A row of three dots (…) used in writing to show that words have been left out of a quotation, or that a thought trails away unfinished.
elliptic
adj
Of or pertaining to an ellipse.
elliptical
adj
Shaped like an ellipse — a flattened, oval curve.
Ellis
name
An English surname derived from the given name Elias, and the name of Ellis Island in New York Harbor.
Ellison
name
An English surname meaning "son of Ellis," borne by writers and businesspeople including novelist Ralph Ellison.
Ellsworth
name
An English surname and place name, also used as a masculine given name, meaning roughly "noble's estate."
ellwood
name
A hamlet in West Dean parish, Forest of Dean district, Gloucestershire, England (OS grid ref SO5808).
elm
noun
A tall deciduous tree with broad, ridged leaves, once common as a shade tree along streets.
elmbridge
name
A local government district with borough status in northern Surrey, England.
Elmer
name
A male given name, an English surname originally, brought back into use as a first name in 19th-century America.
elmhurst
name
A suburb of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England (OS grid ref SP8214).
Elmo
noun
A document camera — a device that projects a live image of a paper, book, or object onto a screen, common in classrooms.
Elmore
name
An English surname and place name, also used as a given name, notably borne by crime novelist Elmore Leonard.
Elms
name
An English surname, originally denoting someone who lived near elm trees.
elmwood
noun
A wood populated with elm trees.
elocution
noun
The skill of speaking clearly and expressively in public, including how you pronounce words, project your voice and time your delivery.
elogy
noun
Praise, eulogy; inscription on a tombstone, epitaph
Elohim
noun
One of the principal Hebrew names for God in the Hebrew Bible, used of the God of Israel as creator and sovereign; it is grammatically a plural form but takes singular verbs when it refers to the one God.
elon
noun
A chemical used in photographic developer, also known as metol, that helps convert exposed silver crystals into a visible image.
elongate
adj
Elongated, extended, lengthened; (especially biology) having a long and slender form.
elongated
adj
Stretched out so as to be longer and thinner than usual.
elope
verb
To run away secretly with a partner in order to get married, usually without a big wedding or family involvement.
eloping
noun
The act of running away secretly to get married.
eloquence
noun
Skill in speaking or writing that is fluent, persuasive, and moving.
eloquent
adj
Able to express ideas fluently, persuasively, and with polish, especially in speech.
eloquently
adverb
In a fluent, persuasive, and well-expressed way.
elouise
name
A female given name from French.
elrick
name
A suburban village in Aberdeenshire council area, Scotland, west of Aberdeen (OS grid ref NJ8206).
Elroy
name
A masculine given name, an English form related to Leroy, meaning "the king."
Elsa
name
A feminine given name, a short form of Elizabeth, popularized worldwide as the main character in Disney's "Frozen."
else
adjective
Other than the person or thing already mentioned; additional.
elsewhere
adverb
In, at, or to some other place.
Elsie
name
A feminine given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth or Elspeth.
Elspeth
name
A feminine given name, the Scottish form of Elizabeth.
elt
verb
To injure (anything) by rough handling; handle roughly.
Elton
name
An English surname and given name, notably associated with musician Elton John, meaning "old town" or "Ella's town."
elucidate
verb
To make something clearer by explaining it, especially something that was confusing or only half understood.
elucidating
adj
Serving to make something comprehensible or well understood; enlightening.
elucidation
noun
A making clear; the act of elucidating or that which elucidates, as an explanation, an exposition, an illustration
elucubrate
verb
To solve, write or compose by working studiously at night; to study.
elude
verb
To avoid or escape someone or something, often through cleverness or luck.
elusive
adjective
Hard to catch, find, pin down, or fully understand.
elves
noun
Small magical beings of folklore, often depicted as mischievous, long-lived and possessing supernatural powers.
Elvin
name
A masculine given name and surname, a variant of Alvin, meaning "elf friend" or "noble friend."
Elvira
name
A feminine given name of Spanish or Germanic origin, meaning uncertain but often linked to "true" or "noble."
Elvis
name
A male given name, made famous worldwide by singer Elvis Presley (1935-1977).
elwin
name
A census-designated place in South Wheatland Township, Macon County, Illinois, United States; the name is from the founders Daniel Elwood and William Martin.
Elwood
name
A masculine given name and surname of English origin, meaning "old forest."
Ely
name
A cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, and also a surname derived from it.
Elyse
name
A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Elise, related to Elizabeth.
Elysian
adj
Blissfully happy; heavenly, as if belonging to paradise.
Elysium
noun
In Greek and Roman mythology, the paradise where virtuous or heroic souls went after death.
em
noun
A typographic unit of measurement equal to the point size of the current font, used to size text and spacing.
ema
noun
A small wooden plaque on which a wish or prayer is written and hung at a Shinto shrine in Japan.
emaciated
adjective
Extremely thin and weak, usually from starvation or serious illness.
emaciation
noun
The act of making very lean.
email
noun
A system for sending and receiving messages electronically over a network such as the Internet.
emailing
noun
The act of sending a message or messages by email.
emanate
verb
To come from a source; issue from.
emancipate
verb
To set free (a person or group) from the oppression or restraint of another; to liberate.
emancipated
adjective
Freed from control, restriction, or oppression.
emancipation
noun
The act of freeing someone from slavery, legal control, or oppressive restriction.
emancipator
noun
A person who emancipates.
emancipatrix
noun
A woman, girl, or any other entity treated as female who emancipates; a female emancipator.
Emanuel
name
A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God is with us."
embalming
noun
The process of treating a dead body with chemicals to slow decay and preserve its appearance.
embankment
noun
A raised bank of earth or stone built to hold back water, or to carry a road or railway across low ground.
embargo
noun
An official ban on trade with a particular country.
embark
verb
To board a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle at the start of a journey.
embarkation
noun
The act of embarking.
embarking
noun
The act of boarding a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle, or of starting a new undertaking.
embarrass
verb
To make someone feel awkward, ashamed, or self-conscious, often in front of others.
embarrassed
adjective
Feeling awkward, ashamed, or self-conscious.
embarrassing
adjective
Causing feelings of shame or awkward self-consciousness.
embarrassment
noun
A feeling of awkward shame or self-consciousness.
embase
verb
To lower physically.
embassy
noun
The official group of diplomats representing one country's government in another country, along with the building they work from.
embattle
verb
To arrange in order of battle; to array for battle.
embayment
noun
A bay. (the water)
embed
verb
To lay (something) as in a bed; to lay in surrounding matter; to bed.
embedded
adjective
Fixed firmly and deeply into a surrounding mass or structure.
embellish
verb
To decorate something to make it more attractive.
embellished
adjective
Decorated or made more elaborate, often with added detail that may not be strictly true.
embellishment
noun
An act of embellishing.
ember
noun
A small glowing piece of coal or wood left over after a fire has died down.
embers
noun
The glowing, smoldering remnants of a fire after the flames have died down.
embezzle
verb
To steal or misappropriate money that one has been trusted with, especially to steal money from the organisation for which one works.
embezzlement
noun
The crime of secretly stealing money or property that was entrusted to your care, usually by an employee from an employer.
embezzler
noun
A person who steals money or property that has been placed in their trust, often an employee stealing from their employer.
embezzling
verb
Stealing money or property that has been entrusted to your care; committing embezzlement.
embiggen
verb
To enlarge; to make or become bigger.
embittered
adj
Made bitter, resentful, or angry, usually because of a painful experience.
emblazon
verb
To adorn with prominent markings.
emblem
noun
A symbol or design that represents an idea, organization, or quality, such as a badge or logo.
emblematic
adj
Serving as, or relating to a symbol, emblem or illustration of a type.