English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Erskine

name

A Scottish surname and place name, originally from a village on the River Clyde.

erudite

adj

Having or showing deep knowledge gained through extensive reading and study.

erupt

verb

To violently throw out material, especially lava, ash, or steam from a volcano.

eruption

noun

A sudden, forceful discharge of material, especially lava or ash from a volcano.

Erwin

name

A masculine given name of Germanic origin, related to Irwin, meaning "boar friend."

es

noun

The name of the Cyrillic letter С (lowercase с), used in Russian and other Slavic alphabets.

escalade

noun

The act of climbing over a wall or fortification, especially using ladders during an assault.

Escalante

name

A Spanish surname meaning "climber" or "one who scales," and the name of a town in Utah.

escalate

verb

To increase in intensity, size, or seriousness.

escalation

noun

A rapid increase in the size, intensity, or seriousness of something.

escalator

noun

A moving staircase made of a continuous loop of steps that carries people between floors.

escapade

noun

A reckless, adventurous, or mischievous act, often one that breaks the rules.

escape

verb

To get free from confinement, danger, or an unpleasant situation.

escaped

adj

Having broken free from confinement, especially prison.

escapee

noun

A person who has escaped from prison or another form of confinement.

escaping

noun

The act of getting free from confinement or an unwanted situation.

escargot

noun

A dish of cooked edible snails, typically served in the shell with garlic butter, associated with French cuisine.

Escher

name

A Dutch surname, most associated with graphic artist M. C. Escher, known for mathematically inspired prints.

Escobar

name

A Spanish surname meaning "bramble patch" or "thicket," notably borne by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

escort

noun

A person or group accompanying someone to protect or guide them.

escorted

adj

Accompanied by a guide, guard, or companion.

escorting

noun

The act of accompanying someone, especially to protect or guide them.

escrow

noun

Money or property held by a neutral third party until agreed conditions are met.

ese

noun

An informal, chiefly Mexican-American term of address for a man, roughly equivalent to "dude" or "man."

Eskimo

noun

A member of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic regions of Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, including the Inuit and Yupik.

Esme

name

A feminine given name derived from the French "aimé," meaning "esteemed" or "loved."

Esmeralda

name

A feminine given name derived from the Spanish word for "emerald."

esoteric

adj

Understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge or interest.

espada

noun

A bullfighter who delivers the final sword thrust; a matador.

Esparza

name

A Spanish and Basque surname, originally denoting someone from a place called Esparza.

especially

adv

To a greater degree than usual; particularly.

esperanza

noun

yellow bells (Tecoma stans)

Espinosa

name

A Spanish surname meaning "thorny" or "place of thorns."

espionage

noun

The practice of spying or using spies to gather secret information, especially for a government or organization.

Esposito

name

An Italian surname historically given to foundlings, from a word meaning "exposed" or "abandoned."

espresso

noun

A strong, concentrated coffee made by forcing hot water through finely ground beans under high pressure.

esquire

noun

A title placed after a lawyer's name in the US, often abbreviated "Esq."

ess

noun

The name of the letter S.

essay

noun

A short piece of writing that explores or argues a particular topic.

Essen

name

A large industrial city in western Germany, historically important for coal and steel production.

essence

noun

The most basic, defining quality of something — what makes it what it truly is.

essential

adj

Absolutely necessary; unable to be done without.

essentially

adv

Basically, or in the most important respects.

essentials

noun

The basic facts or items needed to understand or get by in a situation.

Essex

name

A county in eastern England, on the North Sea coast northeast of London.

Essie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Esther or Estelle.

est

noun

Grace or favour shown to someone; goodwill.

establish

verb

To set something up so firmly that it becomes permanent or generally accepted.

established

adjective

Widely recognized and accepted because it has existed for a long time.

establishing

noun

The process of setting something up so it becomes permanent or accepted.

establishment

noun

A business, organization, or institution, especially one with a physical location.

estate

noun

A large area of land, usually with a big house, owned by one person or family.

Este

name

An Italian noble family name, historically rulers of Ferrara, Modena, and Reggio.

Esteban

name

A masculine given name, the Spanish form of Stephen, meaning "crown" or "garland."

esteem

noun

Respect and admiration for someone or something.

esteemed

adj

Widely respected or admired.

Estella

name

A feminine given name meaning "star," related to Estelle and Stella.

Estelle

name

A feminine given name derived from the French and Latin word for "star."

Estep

name

An American surname, likely an anglicized form of a German or French name.

ester

noun

A type of chemical compound formed when an acid and an alcohol react together, releasing water; many esters give fruits and flowers their smell.

Estes

name

An English surname, and the name of Estes Park, a town in Colorado near Rocky Mountain National Park.

Estevez

name

A Spanish surname meaning "son of Esteban (Stephen)."

Esther

name

A female given name, also the name of a book in the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament about a Jewish queen of Persia.

estimate

noun

A rough calculation of a cost, size, or amount, made without exact figures.

estimated

adj

Calculated roughly rather than measured exactly.

estimation

noun

The process of calculating an approximate value.

Estonia

name

A country in northeastern Europe on the Baltic Sea, north of Latvia.

Estonian

adj

Relating to Estonia, its people, or its language.

Estrada

name

A Spanish surname, originally denoting someone who lived near a road or highway.

estranged

adj

No longer close or on speaking terms with someone, especially a family member or spouse, after a falling-out.

Estrella

name

A feminine given name and Spanish surname meaning "star."

estrogen

noun

A hormone produced mainly in the ovaries that regulates the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics.

estuary

noun

The wide part of a river where it meets the sea, where fresh water mixes with salt water.

eta

noun

The seventh letter of the Greek alphabet (Η, η).

etch

verb

To cut a design or pattern into a hard surface using acid, a needle, or another sharp tool.

etched

adj

Cut or engraved into a surface, as by acid or a sharp tool.

eternal

adj

Lasting forever, without beginning or end.

eternally

adv

Forever; for all time.

eternity

noun

Time without end; existence that never stops.

eth

noun

The letter Ð/ð, used in Old English and modern Icelandic and Faroese to represent a "th" sound, and still used in phonetic alphabets like the IPA.

Ethan

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "strong" or "firm."

ethanol

noun

A colourless alcohol (CH3CH2OH) made by fermenting sugars, used in drinks, solvents, and fuel.

Ethel

name

A female given name from Old English, popular at the turn of the 20th century.

ether

noun

A sweet-smelling, highly flammable liquid once widely used as an anaesthetic and still used as a solvent.

ethereal

adj

Extremely light, delicate, and seemingly not quite of this world.

ethic

noun

A set of moral principles that guides a person's or group's behaviour.

ethical

adj

Relating to principles of right and wrong conduct.

ethically

adv

In a way that follows moral principles of right and wrong.

ethics

noun

The branch of philosophy dealing with what is morally right and wrong.

Ethiopia

name

A country in East Africa, one of the oldest continuously independent nations in the world.

Ethiopian

adj

Relating to Ethiopia, its people, or its culture.

ethnic

adj

Relating to a group of people sharing a common ancestry, culture, language, or nationality.

ethnicity

noun

The fact of belonging to a group defined by shared ancestry, culture, or nationality; or that group itself.

ethos

noun

The characteristic spirit, values, or beliefs of a person, culture, or organisation.

etiquette

noun

The accepted rules of polite, correct behaviour in social or professional situations.

etomidate

noun

A fast-acting anaesthetic drug given by injection, often used to sedate patients briefly before a medical procedure.

Etsuko

name

A Japanese feminine given name, often interpreted as meaning "joyful child."

Etta

name

A feminine given name, often used as a short form of names ending in "-etta" or "-ette."

eucalyptus

noun

A tall evergreen tree, mostly native to Australia, valued for its aromatic oil-bearing leaves.

Euclid

noun

Refers to Euclid of Alexandria, the ancient Greek mathematician known as the father of geometry, or to the traditional geometry based on his work.

Eugene

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning "well-born" or "noble."

Eugenia

name

A female given name from Ancient Greek. Variant: Eugenie.

eugenics

noun

A discredited social philosophy that sought to \"improve\" the human population through selective breeding or by restricting who could reproduce.

Eugenie

name

A feminine given name, the French and English female form of Eugene, meaning "well-born."

eulogy

noun

A speech given to honour someone who has died, typically at their funeral.

Eunice

name

A feminine given name of Greek origin, meaning "good victory."

eunuch

noun

A man who has been castrated, historically often so he could serve as a guard or official in a royal household.

euphemism

noun

A mild or indirect word or phrase used in place of one considered too harsh, blunt, or unpleasant.

euphoric

adj

Feeling or expressing intense happiness and excitement.

Euphrates

noun

A major river in West Asia that flows through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, historically forming the western boundary of Mesopotamia.

Eurasian

adj

Relating to Eurasia, the combined landmass of Europe and Asia.

eureka

intj

An exclamation of triumph on making a discovery or solving a problem.

eurgh

intj

An exclamation expressing disgust or distaste.

euro

noun

The official currency shared by many European Union countries.

Europa

noun

One of Jupiter's largest moons, known for its icy surface and the possibility of a subsurface ocean.

Europe

name

The continent bordered by the Atlantic to the west, Asia to the east (roughly along the Urals), and the Mediterranean to the south.

European

adj

Relating to Europe or its people, culture, or institutions.

Euros

name

A Welsh masculine given name, also the plural of "euro," the European currency.

Eurovision

name

The annual televised song contest in which countries across Europe (and a few beyond) compete with original songs.

Eurydice

name

A figure in Greek mythology, the wife of Orpheus who died and was nearly rescued from the underworld.

Eustace

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning "fruitful" or "productive."

Euston

name

A district and major railway station in London, England.

euthanasia

noun

Deliberately ending a life, human or animal, to relieve suffering from an incurable condition.

Eva

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Eve, of Hebrew origin meaning "life."

evacuate

verb

To leave a dangerous place, or move people out of one, for their safety.

evacuated

adj

Describing a place whose population has been moved out for safety.

evacuation

noun

The organized removal of people from a dangerous place.

evade

verb

To cleverly avoid or escape something, such as a person, question, or duty.

eval

verb

To run a piece of program code that is stored as a text string, rather than as compiled instructions.

evaluate

verb

To carefully judge the value, quality, or significance of something.

evaluation

noun

A formal assessment of someone or something's quality or performance.

Evan

name

A masculine given name of Welsh origin, a form of John meaning "God is gracious."

Evander

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning "good man."

evangelical

adjective

Relating to the teachings and message of the Christian gospel.

Evangeline

name

A feminine given name of Greek origin, meaning "bearer of good news."

evaporate

verb

To turn from a liquid into a vapor or gas.

evaporation

noun

The process by which a liquid turns into vapor.

evasion

noun

The act of avoiding something, especially a direct answer, duty, or obligation, often through trickery.

evasive

adj

Avoiding direct answers or clear commitment.

eve

noun

The day or evening before an event, especially a holiday.

Evelyn

name

A given name, used for both men and women, of Norman French origin.

Evelyne

name

A feminine given name, a French spelling variant of Evelyn.

even

adj

Flat, level, or smooth.

evening

noun

The part of the day between afternoon and night.

evenings

adverb

Regularly in the evening, on a recurring basis.

evenly

adv

In equal amounts or to an equal degree.

Evens

name

An English surname derived from the given name Evan.

event

noun

Something that happens, especially something notable.

eventful

adj

Full of notable happenings; busy or eventive.

eventual

adj

Happening at last, after a period of time; ultimate.