English dictionary — definitions & meanings

Frere

name

A surname of French origin.

fresco

noun

A painting made by applying pigment onto wet plaster, so the colour becomes part of the wall as it dries.

fresh

adjective

Newly made, picked, or obtained; not old or stale.

freshen

verb

To make something fresh, clean, or lively again.

freshener

noun

A product or device used to make something smell or feel fresher, such as a spray for a room.

freshening

noun

The act or process of making something fresh again.

fresher

noun

British informal: a first-year student at a university.

freshet

noun

A flood resulting from heavy rain or a spring thaw.

freshie

noun

A new immigrant (usually to the UK).

freshly

adverb

Very recently; just now.

freshman

noun

A student in their first year at a high school, college, or university.

freshness

noun

The quality of being fresh, new, or recently made.

freshwater

adjective

Living in or made of water that is not salty, such as rivers and lakes.

Fresno

name

A city in central California, United States.

fret

verb

To worry or feel anxious about something.

fretful

adj

Given to fretting.

fretfulness

noun

The quality of being fretful, or prone to fretting; an emotional state combining restlessness, anxiety and irritability.

fretsaw

noun

A saw consisting of a metal frame having a fine-toothed narrow blade held under tension, used in making curved cuts.

fretting

noun

Constant worrying or anxious complaining.

fretwork

noun

Ornamental woodwork either carved in low relief or cut through.

Freud

name

A surname, most notably that of Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis.

Freudian

adjective

Relating to the theories of Sigmund Freud, especially ideas about the unconscious mind.

Frey

name

A surname of German origin; also the name of a Norse god associated with fertility and prosperity.

friar

noun

A man belonging to certain Christian religious orders, such as the Franciscans or Dominicans, who often lives among the public rather than in seclusion.

friary

noun

A house or convent where friars (members of certain religious communities) live.

fribble

verb

To waste or fritter.

fricative

noun

Any of several speech sounds produced by air flowing through a constriction in the oral cavity and typically producing a sibilant, hissing, or buzzing quality; a fricative consonant.

Frick

name

A German surname, notably that of industrialist Henry Clay Frick.

fricking

adjective

Informal: used as a milder substitute for a much stronger swear word, to add emphasis.

friction

noun

The resistance created when one surface rubs against another.

frictionless

adj

Of or pertaining to lack of friction.

frictionlessly

adv

In a frictionless way; without friction.

Frida

name

A feminine given name of Germanic origin, meaning "peace," notably that of painter Frida Kahlo.

Friday

noun

The day of the week between Thursday and Saturday, often the last working day of the week.

Fridays

adverb

On Friday, or on every Friday, as a repeated habit.

fridge

noun

An appliance used to keep food and drink cold.

fried

adjective

Cooked in hot oil or fat.

Frieda

name

A feminine given name of Germanic origin, meaning "peace," a variant spelling of Frida.

Friedman

name

A Jewish surname of German origin, notably that of economist Milton Friedman.

Friedrich

name

A masculine given name of German origin, meaning "peaceful ruler."

friend

noun

A person you know well and like, and who is not a family member or romantic partner.

friendhood

noun

The state, quality, or condition of being a friend or friends.

friendless

adjective

Having no friends.

Friendlies

name

A traditional nickname for the Friendly Islands, an older name for Tonga.

friendliness

noun

The quality of being warm, kind, and welcoming toward others.

friendly

adjective

Kind, warm, and easy to get along with.

Friends

noun

The Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement better known as the Quakers, founded on the idea that anyone can experience God directly without clergy or ritual.

friendship

noun

A relationship of mutual affection and trust between people who are not related or romantically involved.

Fries

noun

Strips of potato deep-fried until crisp; short for "French fries."

frig

verb

Vulgar slang: used as a milder alternative to a stronger swear word, often to express annoyance.

frigate

noun

A fast, medium-sized warship, historically used for patrol and escort duties and today for anti-submarine and general naval operations.

Frigg

name

In Norse mythology, the goddess of marriage, motherhood, and foresight, and the wife of Odin.

frigga

name

77 Frigga, a main belt asteroid.

frigging

adjective

A softened swear word used for emphasis, similar to "fricking."

fright

noun

A sudden, strong feeling of fear.

frighten

verb

To make someone feel afraid or alarmed; to scare.

frightened

adj

Feeling fear; scared.

frightening

adj

Causing fear; scary.

frighteningly

adv

In a way that causes fear.

frightensome

adj

Characterized by frightening; inducing fear; scary

frightful

adj

Causing shock, horror, or fear; dreadful.

frightfully

adv

In a shocking or dreadful manner.

frigid

adj

Extremely cold.

frigidity

noun

The state of being frigid; coldness; lack of heat.

frigidness

noun

The state of being frigid; frigidity; coldness.

frigorific

adj

Causing to chill or cool.

frill

noun

A strip of pleated fabric or paper used as decoration or trim.

frilly

adj

Decorated with frills (small gathered strips of fabric).

frine

verb

To grumble, whine, or whimper; fret; show discontent; murmur; complain.

fringe

noun

A decorative border of hanging threads or tassels.

fringie

noun

A member of a beatnik-like subculture in Seattle in the 1960s.

frippery

noun

Ostentation, as in fancy clothing.

Frisbee

noun

A flat, disc-shaped plastic toy that is thrown and caught, originally a trademarked brand name.

Frisco

noun

Informal nickname for the city of San Francisco.

frisk

verb

To search someone by running your hands over their body and clothing, usually checking for hidden items.

frisky

adj

Full of energy and playfulness.

frisson

noun

A sudden surge of excitement.

frit

noun

A pre-fused ceramic mixture used to make glass and glazes.

frittata

noun

An Italian-style open-faced omelette made by mixing ingredients like vegetables or cheese directly into the eggs and cooking them together, often finished in the oven.

fritter

noun

A piece of food, often fruit or vegetable, coated in batter and deep-fried.

Fritz

noun

Informal: a broken or malfunctioning state, almost always used in the phrase "on the fritz".

frivol

noun

An unserious person; a shallow person.

frivolity

noun

Playful, silly, or lighthearted behavior that lacks serious purpose.

frivolosity

noun

The quality of being frivolous.

frivolous

adj

Silly or lacking seriousness, especially at a time when seriousness is expected.

frivolousness

noun

The quality of being frivolous.

frizz

verb

Of hair, to form into a mass of tight curls.

frizzle

verb

To fry something until crisp and curled.

frizzy

adj

Made up of tight, wiry curls that stick out in different directions; unruly.

fro

adv

Away, back — now used almost only in the fixed phrase "to and fro" (back and forth).

Frobisher

name

An English surname, notably borne by the Elizabethan explorer Sir Martin Frobisher.

frock

noun

A dress, especially one for a woman or girl (somewhat old-fashioned in everyday use).

Frodo

name

A masculine given name popularized by the hobbit hero Frodo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings."

frog

noun

A small tailless amphibian with long hind legs built for jumping and swimming.

frogfish

noun

Any fish of the genus Lophius.

froggy

adj

Resembling a frog, or full of frogs.

frogman

noun

A Open Water Certified Diver, especially one in a diving suit (as opposed to one not in scuba gear).

frolic

verb

To play or move about happily and without restraint.

frolicking

noun

Playful, carefree activity; the act of frolicking.

frolicsome

adj

Characterised or marked by frolicking; playful.

from

prep

Used to show the origin, starting point, or source of something.

Fromm

name

A German surname, borne by figures such as the psychoanalyst and philosopher Erich Fromm.

fromward

adj

Turned away; averse.

frond

noun

A large, divided leaf, especially of a fern or palm.

front

noun

The forward-facing part or side of something.

front end

noun

The part of a website or application that runs in the user's own browser or device and produces everything they see and interact with.

frontage

noun

The front part of a property or building that faces the street.

frontal

adj

Relating to, or situated at, the front.

fronted

adj

Having a specified kind of front, or arranged with a front facing forward.

frontier

noun

The border area between two countries, or the edge of settled and unsettled land.

frontiersman

noun

A person who lives on the borders of a country, or in a wild and undeveloped area on the fringes of civilization.

fronting

noun

Slang: putting on a false or exaggerated image to impress or intimidate others.

frontline

adj

Located at, or closest to, the main area of action, conflict, or activity.

frontside

noun

The obverse, in contrast to the reverse.

frood

adj

Shrewd; sagacious; wary; cautious.

frosh

noun

A first-year student, at certain universities, and a first-or-second-year student at other universities.

frost

noun

A thin layer of ice crystals that forms on surfaces exposed to freezing air.

frostbite

noun

Injury to body tissue, usually fingers, toes, or the nose, caused by extreme cold.

frosted

adj

Covered with frost.

frosting

noun

A sweet, often creamy coating spread over cakes and baked goods.

frosty

adjective

Cold and icy, often with a thin layer of frost.

froth

noun

A mass of small bubbles on top of a liquid; foam.

frothy

adjective

Covered in or full of small bubbles; foamy.

frow

noun

A woman; a wife, especially a Dutch or German one.

froward

adj

Disobedient, contrary, unmanageable; difficult to deal with; with an evil disposition.

frown

noun

A facial expression made by lowering the eyebrows, usually showing displeasure, worry, or concentration.

frowning

noun

The act of making a frown.

frozen

adjective

Turned to ice, or kept at a very cold temperature.

fructose

noun

A simple sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, sweeter than table sugar.

frugal

adjective

Careful with money; avoiding unnecessary spending or waste.

frugality

noun

The quality of being frugal; prudent economy.

frugivore

noun

An animal whose diet is mostly fruit.

frugivorous

adj

Having a diet that consists mostly of fruit; fruit-eating.

fruit

noun

The seed-bearing part of a plant, often sweet and eaten as food, such as an apple or orange.

fruitcake

noun

A dense cake made with dried fruit, nuts, and spices, often served at Christmas or weddings.

fruitful

adjective

Producing good or useful results.

fruitfulness

noun

The state or quality of being fruitful; exuberant abundance.

fruition

noun

The point at which a plan or effort is finally achieved or realized.

fruitless

adjective

Producing no useful result; unsuccessful.

fruity

adjective

Tasting or smelling like fruit.

frum

adj

Pious, observant; committed to obeying all the laws of Judaism.

frump

noun

A frumpy person, somebody who is unattractive, drab or dowdy.

frustrate

verb

To prevent someone from achieving something, causing annoyance or disappointment.

frustrated

adjective

Annoyed and discouraged because you cannot do or get what you want.

frustrating

adjective

Causing feelings of annoyance or discouragement, often because something is unnecessarily difficult.

frustration

noun

A feeling of annoyance or distress caused by being unable to do or achieve something.

fry

verb

To cook food in hot oil or fat.

Frye

name

An English surname, also used as a given name, historically an occupational name related to a free man or a variant of a place name.

fryer

noun

An appliance or pan used for frying food.

frying

noun

The action of cooking food in hot fat or oil.