English dictionary — definitions & meanings

fractured

adjective

Broken or cracked, especially describing a bone.

fracturing

noun

The process of breaking or splitting something apart.

frag

noun

A fragmentation grenade.

fragile

adjective

Easily broken or damaged; delicate.

fragility

noun

The quality of being easily broken, damaged, or destabilized.

fragment

noun

A small broken-off piece of something larger.

fragmentary

adj

Consisting of fragments; disconnected; scattered.

fragmentation

noun

The act of fragmenting or something fragmented; disintegration.

fragmented

adjective

Broken into separate, disconnected pieces.

fragmentize

verb

To break, cut, or otherwise separate (something) into fragments.

fragrance

noun

A pleasant smell.

fragrant

adjective

Having a pleasant, often strong, smell.

frail

adjective

Physically weak or delicate, especially due to age or illness.

frailness

noun

The state of being frail; frailty; weakness.

frailsome

adj

Characterised or marked by frailness

frailty

noun

The state of being physically or mentally weak, especially with age.

frain

name

A surname from Old French.

fraise

verb

To put in danger, in terror, or at risk.

Fraiser

name

A surname, a variant spelling of Frazer or Fraser.

frak

verb

A fictional swear word used as a stand-in for a much stronger curse, expressing anger, frustration, or shock.

frame

noun

A rigid structure that supports or surrounds something, such as a picture, window, or building.

framed

adjective

Enclosed in or fitted with a frame.

framework

noun

A basic supporting structure that gives shape to a building or object.

framing

noun

The act of putting something in a frame.

framis

noun

speech that uses a mixture of real and nonsense words.

frammis

noun

Synonym of gizmo.

Frampton

name

An English surname and place name.

Fran

name

A short, informal form of the names Frances or Francine (for women) or Francis (for men).

franc

noun

A unit of currency formerly used in France, Switzerland, and several other countries, and still used in parts of Africa.

Franca

name

A feminine given name of Italian origin, related to Frances.

france

name

A country located primarily in Western Europe. Official name: French Republic. Capital and largest city: Paris.

Frances

name

A feminine given name of Latin origin, meaning "from France" or "free one."

Francesca

name

A feminine given name of Italian origin, meaning "free one" or "from France."

Francesco

name

A masculine given name of Italian origin, meaning "free one" or "from France."

franchise

noun

A business that is authorized to sell a company's goods or services in a particular area, operating under its brand.

franchising

noun

The establishment, granting, or use of a franchise.

Francie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Frances.

Francine

name

A feminine given name, a French form of Frances.

Francis

name

A male given name, from Latin Franciscus ("Frenchman").

Francisca

name

A female given name from Portuguese or from Spanish [in turn from Latin].

Franciscan

noun

A member of a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi, known for vows of poverty and simplicity.

Francisco

name

A masculine given name of Spanish and Portuguese origin, meaning "free one" or "from France."

franciscus

name

A male given name from Latin.

Franck

name

A surname and given name, a variant spelling of Frank.

franco

name

A male given name, and a surname, from Italian or Spanish, related to Frank and Francis.

frangibility

noun

The state or quality of being frangible.

frangible

adj

Able to be broken; breakable, fragile.

frangibleness

noun

The quality of being frangible.

frank

adj

Honest and direct, even if the truth is blunt or uncomfortable.

Frankel

name

A Jewish surname of German origin, denoting someone from Franconia.

Frankenstein

noun

A creation that ends up monstrous, uncontrollable, or dangerously different from what its creator intended.

frankfort

name

A number of places in the United States, including:

Frankfurt

name

A major city in Germany, and the country's main banking and financial center.

frankfurter

noun

A moist sausage of soft, even texture and flavor, often made from mechanically recovered meat or meat slurry.

Frankie

name

A casual, friendly short form of the given names Frank, Francis, Frances, or Francesca.

frankincense

noun

A fragrant resin from Boswellia trees, dried and burned as incense.

Franklin

noun

Historically, a free landowner in medieval England who ranked just below the nobility.

frankly

adv

Speaking honestly and directly, without holding back.

Franklyn

name

A masculine given name and surname, a variant spelling of Franklin.

frankness

noun

The quality of being open and honest, even when the truth is blunt.

Franks

name

An English surname, a patronymic form of Frank.

Franky

noun

Synonym of Frankenstein.

Frannie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Frances.

Franny

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Frances, also known from J. D. Salinger's "Franny and Zooey."

Frans

name

A masculine given name, the Dutch and Scandinavian form of Francis.

Franta

name

A masculine given name, a Czech diminutive of František (Francis).

frantic

adj

Wild with panic, worry, or urgency.

frantically

adv

In a panicked, rushed, or frenzied way.

Frantz

name

A surname and given name, a German and French form of Francis.

Franz

name

A masculine given name, the German form of Francis.

frappe

noun

A liqueur or cocktail served on shaved ice.

Fraser

name

A Scottish surname of Norman French origin.

Frasier

name

A surname, a variant spelling of Frazer, also known as the title character of the sitcom "Frasier."

frat

noun

A college fraternity, especially in casual US usage.

fraterculine

adj

Belonging to or characteristic of the genus Fratercula; pertaining to puffins.

fraternal

adj

Relating to brothers, or having a warm, brotherly closeness.

fraternity

noun

A feeling of brotherhood and mutual support among a group of people.

Frau

noun

A title used before the surname of a German-speaking woman, equivalent to "Mrs." or "Ms."

fraud

noun

The crime of deceiving someone to gain money or an unfair advantage.

fraudster

noun

A person who carries out fraud; a swindler.

fraudulence

noun

The condition of being fraudulent; deceitfulness.

fraudulent

adj

Involving deliberate deception, especially for financial gain.

fraught

adj

Filled with something unpleasant, especially tension, danger, or difficulty.

fraulein

noun

A title for a young, unmarried German-speaking woman, equivalent to "Miss."

fray

verb

To wear away at the edges through rubbing, so that threads separate.

frayed

adj

Worn away or unravelled at the edge, especially of fabric or rope.

Frazer

name

A Scottish surname, a variant spelling of Fraser.

Frazier

name

A surname, a variant spelling of Frazer, notably that of boxer Joe Frazier.

frazzled

adj

Exhausted and stressed, especially from too much to deal with at once.

freak

noun

A person, animal, or thing that is highly unusual or abnormal.

freakazoid

noun

A very strange or eccentric person (informal, playful).

freaking

adj

Used as a mild substitute for a stronger swear word to add emphasis.

freakish

adj

Strange, abnormal, or bizarre in an unsettling way.

freakishly

adv

In a strikingly strange or abnormal way.

freakishness

noun

The characteristic or quality of being freakish

freaky

adj

Strange, bizarre, or unsettling.

freckle

noun

A small patch of brownish pigment on the skin, often from sun exposure.

Fred

name

A short form of Frederick, Alfred, or Wilfred, also used as a standalone male name.

Freda

name

A female first name of Germanic origin.

Freddie

name

A diminutive form of the male name Frederick.

Freddy

name

A diminutive form of the male name Frederick.

Frederic

name

A male first name of Germanic origin, a French-style spelling variant of Frederick.

Frederick

name

A male first name of Germanic origin meaning roughly "peaceful ruler."

Fredo

name

A male first name of Italian origin.

Fredrick

name

A male first name, a less common spelling of Frederick.

free

adj

Not under the control of someone else; not imprisoned or restricted.

freebie

noun

Something given away for free, especially as a promotion or bonus.

freeboard

noun

The vertical distance between the waterline and the uppermost watertight deck of a vessel, or the vertical distance from the waterline up to the top of the gunwale (of an open boat).

freebooter

noun

An adventurer who pillages, plunders, or thieves privately or for compensation; or wages ad-hoc war on other nations, similar to mercenary; also a "freeboot".

freedman

noun

A man who has been released from slavery.

freedom

noun

The state of being free from control, restriction, or oppression.

freedwoman

noun

A woman who has been released from a condition of slavery.

freefall

noun

The state of falling under gravity alone, with no other force acting to slow it.

freehold

noun

Outright ownership of a property and the land it stands on, for an unlimited period and with no ground rent payable to a landlord.

freeholder

noun

A person who holds tenure by freehold

freeing

noun

The act of setting someone or something free.

freelance

noun

A person who works independently for different clients rather than being employed long-term by one company.

freelancer

noun

A person who works independently for multiple clients rather than for a single employer.

freeloader

noun

A person who takes advantage of others' generosity without contributing or paying their fair share.

freely

adv

Without restriction or interference.

freeman

noun

A person who is not enslaved or bound in servitude.

freemason

noun

A member of a guild of skilled itinerant masons during the Middle Ages and early modern times.

freephone

noun

A service offering telephone calls free of charge to designated numbers.

freer

noun

A person who sets someone or something free.

freestanding

adj

Standing or set apart.

freestone

noun

Sedimentary rock: a type of stone that is composed of small particles and easily shaped, most commonly sandstone or limestone.

freestyle

verb

To improvise, rather than following a set routine or script.

freethinking

noun

The principles of a freethinker; free thought.

freety

adj

Superstitious; belonging to or pertaining to superstitions.

freeway

noun

A major road designed for fast traffic, with no intersections or traffic lights.

freeze

verb

To turn solid from cold, or to lower something's temperature until it does.

freezer

noun

An appliance, or a compartment within a refrigerator, used to store food at below-freezing temperatures.

freezing

adj

Extremely cold.

freight

noun

Goods transported in bulk by ship, train, truck, or aircraft.

freighted

adj

Loaded with cargo; charged.

freighter

noun

A large ship or aircraft built mainly to carry cargo.

frell

verb

A euphemistic swear word used as a stand-in for "fuck."

fremd

adj

Strange, unusual, out of the ordinary; unfamiliar.

fremdling

noun

One who is not a kinsman; a stranger

French

name

The language spoken in France and by French-speaking communities around the world.

frenchie

noun

A condom; abbreviated form of French letter.

Frenchman

noun

A man from France.

frenchwoman

noun

A French woman; a woman of French ancestry, descent or citizenship.

Frenchy

adj

Having an exaggerated or stereotypical French style or manner.

frenetic

adjective

Fast, intense and slightly out of control, in a way that suggests hurried energy or agitation.

frenzied

adj

Wildly excited, panicked, or frantic.

frenzy

noun

A state of wild excitement, panic, or uncontrolled activity.

frequency

noun

How often something happens over a given period of time.

frequent

adj

Happening often; occurring at short intervals.

frequently

adv

Often; at frequent intervals.