English dictionary — definitions & meanings

flustered

adj

Confused and agitated, especially from sudden pressure or embarrassment.

flute

noun

A woodwind instrument played by blowing air across a hole, producing sound through a long tube.

fluted

adj

Having flutes or grooves, either for decoration or to trim weight.

fluting

noun

A decoration consisting of parallel, normally vertical, flutes (grooves) incised into the surface.

flutter

verb

To flap or move quickly and irregularly.

fluttered

adj

Confused, befuddled, flustered.

fluttering

noun

Rapid, irregular back-and-forth movement.

flux

noun

A state of continuous change.

fluxive

adj

flowing; lacking solidity

fly

noun

A small flying insect, especially the common housefly.

flyboy

noun

An informal term for an aircraft pilot, especially in the military.

flyer

noun

A printed sheet, usually advertising an event or product, handed out or posted publicly.

flying

adj

Able to fly, or moving through the air.

Flynn

name

An Irish surname and given name, an Anglicized form of Ó Floinn, meaning "descendant of the red-haired one."

Flynt

name

A surname, a variant spelling of Flint.

flyover

noun

A road, bridge, or railway built above another so that traffic can cross without stopping (British English; called an overpass in the US).

flypast

noun

A low-level flight of a ceremonial nature; a flyover (US)

flyspeck

noun

Housefly excrement, visible as a minuscule black dot.

flyswatter

noun

A hand-held device for swatting flies or other insects, to kill or shoo them.

fm

symbol

Abbreviation for "fathoms," a unit used to measure water depth.

FML

interjection

Written after describing something that has gone wrong, to express weary frustration or self-pitying despair, usually with a note of humour.

Fo

name

The Chinese term for Buddha, used in the context of Chinese Buddhism; also an Italian surname, notably that of playwright Dario Fo.

Foa

name

An island in the Ha'apai group of Tonga.

foal

noun

A baby horse, or the young of a related animal such as a donkey or zebra, usually under a year old.

foam

noun

A mass of small bubbles formed on or in a liquid, such as sea spray, soapy water, or the head on a drink.

foaming

noun

The process by which a liquid produces or fills with foam.

fob

noun

A small handheld device used to unlock a car or open a secured door remotely, or a decorative attachment on a keychain or watch chain.

focal

adj

Central or most important; forming the main point that everything else relates to.

focus

noun

The main center of attention, activity, or interest.

focused

adj

Giving full, concentrated attention to a particular goal or task.

focusing

noun

The act of directing attention, effort, or a lens toward a particular point.

focussing

adj

Commonwealth standard spelling of focusing.

fodder

noun

Food, such as hay or grain, given to livestock like cattle and horses.

foe

noun

An enemy, especially one actively opposed to or fighting against someone.

foehn

noun

A warm dry wind blowing down the north sides of the Alps, especially in Switzerland.

foeman

noun

An enemy; a foe in battle; an armed or unarmed adversary; a demon.

foeship

noun

The condition of possessing any enemies.

fog

noun

A thick cloud of tiny water droplets close to the ground that reduces visibility.

Fogarty

name

An Irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Fogartaigh.

fogey

noun

A dull person (especially an old man) who is behind the times, holding antiquated, over-conservative views.

Fogg

name

An English surname, notably that of Phileas Fogg, the fictional protagonist of Jules Verne's "Around the World in Eighty Days."

fogginess

noun

The characteristic or quality of being foggy

foggy

adj

Full of fog; hard to see through because of mist.

foghorn

noun

A loud, low-pitched horn used by ships and lighthouses to warn of their position in fog.

fogy

noun

Extra pay granted to officers for length of service.

foh

name

The station code of Fortress Hill in Hong Kong.

foible

noun

A quirk, idiosyncrasy, frailty, or mannerism; an unusual habit that is slightly strange or silly.

FOIL

noun

A very thin, flexible sheet of metal, especially aluminum, used for wrapping food.

foiled

adj

Prevented from succeeding; thwarted.

foin

verb

To thrust with a sword; to stab at.

foison

noun

An abundance, a rich supply of.

foist

verb

To introduce or insert surreptitiously or without warrant.

Fok

name

A surname, from Dutch as an occupational or nickname surname, and separately a Cantonese surname (also romanized as Fok/Huo).

fold

verb

To bend something, especially paper or fabric, over on itself.

foldaway

adj

That may be folded away when not in use.

folded

adj

Bent over on itself; having creases from folding.

folder

noun

A container, physical or digital, used to store and organize documents or files.

folderol

noun

Nonsense or foolishness.

folding

adj

Designed to be folded flat or collapsed for storage.

foley

noun

The art of creating and recording everyday sound effects for film, television, and games.

foliage

noun

The leaves of plants and trees, collectively.

foliate

adj

Of or relating to leaves.

foliation

noun

The process of forming into a leaf or leaves.

folio

noun

A leaf of a book or manuscript.

folivore

noun

A herbivore that eats mostly foliage.

folk

adj

Belonging to or originating from ordinary people, their traditions, and their culture, rather than experts or elites.

folkish

adj

Popular; referring to the culture of ordinary people.

folkishness

noun

The quality of being folkish.

folklore

noun

The traditional stories, beliefs, customs, and superstitions of a particular culture or community, passed down informally.

folks

noun

Informal term for one's parents or immediate family.

folksiness

noun

The quality of being folksy.

folksy

adj

Friendly, simple, and informal in a way that evokes traditional or rural community life.

folkway

noun

A belief or custom common to members of a culture or society.

follicle

noun

A small cavity or sac, such as a hair follicle.

follow

verb

To move behind someone or something, going in the same direction.

follower

noun

A person who supports, admires, or adheres to the ideas of another person, movement, or belief.

following

adj

Coming next, whether in a sequence, list, or in time.

followingly

adv

subsequently, consequently

follows

verb

Third-person singular form of "follow" — to come after, to go in pursuit of, or to obey or act in accordance with.

folly

noun

A foolish act or belief, especially one with serious or costly consequences.

Folsom

name

A surname and place name, notably a city in California known for its state prison.

foment

verb

To incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.

fomenter

noun

One who incites or promotes.

FOMO

noun

Fear of missing out: the uneasy feeling that others are having rewarding experiences you are being left out of, often prompted by seeing them online.

fon

noun

An old-fashioned or dialect word for a foolish person.

fond

adj

Having a liking or affection for someone or something.

fonda

noun

A small inn or informal restaurant found in Spanish-speaking countries.

Fonder

adj

Comparative form of "fond" — feeling greater affection or liking.

fondle

verb

To touch or stroke gently and affectionately.

fondling

noun

A person or animal that is doted on and much loved.

fondly

adv

In an affectionate or tender way.

fondness

noun

A liking or affection for someone or something.

fondu

noun

The graded shift from one color into another.

fondue

noun

A dish of melted cheese or chocolate, kept warm in a pot, into which pieces of food are dipped.

fong

noun

Slang for a kick.

font

noun

A set of letters and characters sharing one consistent design, style, and weight, used in printing or on a screen.

Fontaine

name

A French surname meaning "fountain" or "spring."

Fontainebleau

name

A town south of Paris, France, famous for its royal château and surrounding forest.

Fontana

name

An Italian surname meaning "fountain," also the name of a city in California.

fontanelle

noun

A soft membraneous spot on the head of a baby due to incomplete fusion of the cranial bones.

foo

intj

An exclamation of disappointment or mild disgust.

foobar

noun

A serious mistake.

food

noun

Any substance eaten or drunk to sustain life and provide energy.

food chain

noun

A sequence of living things in which each one is eaten by the next, showing how energy passes from plants up through animals in an ecosystem.

food for thought

noun

Something that is worth thinking about carefully, especially an idea or piece of information that changes how you see a subject.

foodie

noun

Someone with a strong interest in and knowledge of good food.

foofaraw

noun

Overly excessive or flashy ornamentation or decoration.

fook

intj

A softened spelling of a common swear word, imitating certain accents.

fool

noun

A person who acts or thinks without good sense or judgment.

foolery

noun

Foolish behaviour or speech.

foolhardiness

noun

The quality of being foolhardy.

foolhardy

adj

Recklessly bold, taking risks without any regard for danger.

fooling

noun

Silly, playful behavior; joking around.

foolish

adj

Lacking good sense; unwise or silly.

foolishly

adv

In a way that shows poor judgment.

foolishness

noun

The state or quality of being unwise or silly.

foolproof

adj

Designed so simply or solidly that it can't go wrong, even if misused.

foon

noun

Another word for a spork, a combined spoon and fork.

foosball

noun

A tabletop game in which players spin rods to control miniature figures and hit a small ball into the opponent's goal.

foot

noun

The body part at the end of the leg that a person or animal stands and walks on.

footage

noun

Recorded video or film material.

footbag

noun

A small beanbag or sandbag used as a ball in a number of sports and games. It is typically controlled by the feet, but in some sports every part of the body except the hands and arms may be used.

football

noun

A sport where two teams try to score by getting a ball into a goal, especially soccer in most of the world or American football in the US.

footballer

noun

A person who plays football, especially professionally.

footboard

noun

An upright board across the foot of a bedstead.

footer

noun

A footgoer; pedestrian

footfall

noun

The sound made by a footstep; also, the footstep or step itself.

foothold

noun

A secure place to put one's foot when climbing.

footholder

noun

In Welsh mythology, a virgin maiden tasked with holding a warrior's feet in her lap.

footie

noun

A blanket sleeper or similar covering that covers the foot.

footing

noun

Balance or a stable position for standing.

footle

verb

To waste time; to trifle.

footless

adj

Without feet.

footlocker

noun

A sturdy rectangular trunk kept at the foot of a bed for storing personal belongings, often used in military barracks or dormitories.

footloose

adj

Free to travel and act as one pleases, without commitments tying one down.

footman

noun

Historically, a male servant who attended the door, carriage, or dining table of a wealthy household.

footmark

noun

footprint (an impression made by a foot)

footmeal

adv

Step by step: incrementally, little by little, by degrees, one foot (measure) at a time.

footnote

noun

A short note at the bottom of a page giving extra comment, reference, or citation.

footpath

noun

A path or trail intended for walking.

footprint

noun

The mark left by a foot on a soft surface such as sand or snow.

footslog

noun

An instance of footslogging.

footstall

noun

A type of stirrup, predominantly found on saddles designed for women.

footstep

noun

The sound or mark made by a step while walking.

footstone

noun

A gravestone placed at the foot of a grave; typically smaller than a headstone, and frequently resembling a large cobblestone.

footstool

noun

A low stool for supporting the feet while seated.

footway

noun

A passage reserved only for pedestrians.

footwear

noun

Anything worn on the feet, such as shoes, boots, or sandals.

footwork

noun

Skilled or quick movement of the feet, especially in sports, dancing, or boxing.

footy

noun

Informal British/Australian word for football; depending on the region, it can mean soccer, rugby league, or Australian rules football.