English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

girlfriend

noun

A woman in an ongoing, unmarried romantic relationship with someone.

girlhood

noun

The period or condition of life during which a female is a girl.

girlie

noun

A magazine featuring nude or scantily dressed women, aimed at men.

girlish

adj

Resembling or typical of a young girl.

girlishness

noun

How girlish someone or something is.

girls

noun

Slang for a woman's breasts.

girly

adj

Stereotypically feminine or delicate; not masculine.

girn

verb

To pull a face, or to snarl.

giro

noun

A bank transfer of funds between account holders, made on the payer's instruction.

girth

noun

The measurement around something; its circumference.

Gisborne

name

A city on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, known for being among the first places in the world to see the sunrise.

Giselle

name

A feminine given name of Germanic origin meaning "pledge" or "hostage," also the title of a famous Romantic ballet.

gist

noun

The main point or essential meaning of something longer or more complicated.

git

noun

(British, informal) A stupid, annoying, or contemptible person.

gitano

noun

A Spanish Roma man.

Gitmo

noun

An informal name for the U.S. naval base and detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

gitty

noun

A narrow footpath between walls, fences or hedges in a housing area.

Giuliani

name

An Italian surname, notably borne by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.

giuseppe

name

A male first name of Italian, equivalent to English Joseph origin.

give

verb

To hand over or transfer something to someone.

give up

phrasal verb

To stop trying to do something because it has become too hard or seems hopeless.

giveaway

noun

Something handed out for free, often as a promotion.

given

prep

Taking into account; considering.

Givens

name

An English surname derived from the given name Given or Givan.

giver

noun

A person who gives, especially one who is generous.

giving

adj

Generous; inclined to give.

giving head

phrase

Performing oral sex on someone, most often on a man.

Giza

name

A city in Egypt on the Nile, home to the famous pyramids and the Great Sphinx.

gizah

name

An old-fashioned spelling of Giza.

gizmo

noun

A small device or gadget, especially one whose name or purpose isn't known.

gizzard

noun

A muscular organ in birds and some other animals used to grind up food.

gizzit

noun

(informal) Something taken, grabbed or got cheaply without paying for it; loot.

Gl

name

An abbreviation commonly standing for "good luck" in online chat and gaming, or used as an initialism in various technical contexts such as OpenGL.

glacial

adj

Relating to glaciers or ice ages.

glacier

noun

A large, slow-moving mass of ice formed from compacted snow.

glaciology

noun

The scientific study of ice, especially glaciers, and how it shapes the land.

glacis

noun

A gentle slope, sometimes formed naturally by material being deposited or worn away.

glad

adj

Pleased or happy about something.

gladden

verb

To make someone feel happier.

gladdening

adj

Making you feel happy.

glade

noun

An open, grassy clearing within a forest.

Glades

name

A place name element referring to open, low-lying grassy wetlands, most familiar from the Florida Everglades.

gladfulness

noun

How gladful someone feels.

gladiator

noun

In ancient Rome, a fighter — often a slave or captive — who fought other men or animals for public entertainment.

gladiature

noun

Fighting with swords, or a contest between gladiators.

gladiolus

noun

The middle part of the breastbone.

gladius

noun

A short sword used by Roman soldiers, about two feet long.

gladly

adv

Willingly and with pleasure.

gladness

noun

The state of feeling glad; joy.

gladsome

adj

Full of happiness and cheer.

Gladstone

name

An English surname, notably borne by British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone.

Gladys

name

A feminine given name of Welsh origin, an anglicized form of Gwladys, related to a word for "sovereign" or "princess."

glam

adj

(informal) Glamorous; stylish and attractive.

glamor

noun

An uncommon spelling of glamour.

glamorous

adj

Attractive in a stylish, exciting, or luxurious way.

glamour

noun

Alluring beauty, charm, or style, often tied to wealth, fame, or fashion.

glance

verb

To take a quick, brief look at something.

glancing

adjective

Striking at an angle rather than head-on, so that only light or partial contact is made.

gland

noun

An organ or group of cells in the body that produces and releases a substance, such as a hormone, sweat, or saliva.

glanders

noun

A contagious illness affecting horses and similar animals, caused by bacteria, which can sometimes pass to people.

glandular

adjective

Relating to, or affecting, a gland or glands.

glandule

noun

A tiny gland that produces and releases a substance.

glandulous

adj

Relating to, or made up of, glands.

glans

noun

The rounded head at the tip of the penis or the clitoris, present in people and other mammal species.

glare

noun

A harsh, dazzling light.

glaring

adjective

Extremely obvious, especially in a bad way; blatant.

glaringly

adv

In a way that stands out sharply.

Glaser

name

A German and Jewish surname, an occupational name for a glassmaker or glazier.

Glasgow

name

The largest city in Scotland, on the River Clyde.

glasnost

noun

A historical Soviet policy of greater government openness and transparency, introduced under Gorbachev in the 1980s and early 1990s alongside the reform of perestroika.

glass

noun

A hard, usually transparent material made by melting sand with other minerals, used for windows, bottles, and similar items.

glasses

noun

A pair of lenses in a frame worn over the eyes to correct or protect vision.

glassful

noun

The quantity that a glass can hold.

glasshouse

noun

A glass building used for growing plants, usually on a commercial scale.

glassware

noun

Objects made of glass, especially drinking glasses, bowls, and other tableware.

glasswork

noun

The craft or industry of making glass items.

glassy

adjective

Smooth and shiny, like glass.

Glastonbury

name

A town in Somerset, England, known for its ancient abbey and its huge annual music festival.

glaucodot

noun

A mineral made of cobalt, iron, arsenic and sulphur.

glaucoma

noun

An eye disease that damages the optic nerve, often due to raised pressure inside the eye, which can cause gradual loss of vision if untreated.

glaum

verb

To reach out and try to grab something clumsily or weakly, often without being able to see.

glaze

noun

A thin, shiny coating applied to pottery, food, or another surface.

glazed

adjective

Covered with a thin, shiny coating.

glazer

noun

Someone whose job is adding a shiny coating to pottery, cloth or paper.

glazier

noun

A tradesperson who fits glass into windows and similar structures.

glazing

noun

The glass fitted into a window or similar opening, or the process of fitting it.

gleam

noun

A brief or faint flash of light.

gleaming

adjective

Shining brightly, especially with a polished sheen.

glean

verb

To gather information or knowledge gradually, often bit by bit and with some effort.

gleaner

noun

Someone who gathers leftover crops from a field after harvest.

Gleason

name

An Irish surname anglicized from Gaelic, notably borne by comedian and actor Jackie Gleason.

Gleb

name

A Russian and Belarusian masculine given name.

glee

noun

Great delight or high-spirited joy.

gleeful

adj

Full of delight and triumph.

gleefulness

noun

A feeling of great delight and joy.

gleek

noun

An old card game for three players.

gleesome

adj

Full of joy and delight.

gleesomeness

noun

A joyful, delighted feeling.

gleet

noun

Mucus from the stomach, particularly a hawk's.

glen

noun

A narrow, secluded valley, especially in Scotland or Ireland.

Glenda

name

A feminine given name of Welsh origin.

Glendale

name

A place name used for several cities and towns in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere, including a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona and a city in the San Fernando Valley, California.

Glenn

name

A male given name, from the Scottish Gaelic surname Glen(n), meaning "of the valley."

glenys

name

A female first name of Welsh origin.

glib

adjective

Speaking smoothly and fluently but in a way that seems shallow, insincere, or lacking real thought.

glibbery

adj

Slippery, or liable to change.

Glick

name

A Jewish and German surname.

glide

verb

To move smoothly and effortlessly, without visible effort or friction.

glider

noun

An aircraft designed to fly without an engine, using air currents to stay aloft.

gliding

noun

The sport or activity of flying in an engineless aircraft.

glim

noun

Radiance or splendour.

glimmer

noun

A faint, unsteady light.

glimpse

noun

A brief, incomplete view of something.

glint

noun

A brief flash of light, often reflected off something shiny.

glisten

verb

To shine with a sparkling, glittering light.

glistening

adjective

Shining with a wet or smooth sparkle.

glisteny

adj

Appearing to glisten; shiny-looking.

glister

verb

To shine brightly; to glitter.

glitch

noun

A small, usually temporary problem or fault, especially in a machine, computer, or software.

glitter

noun

Tiny, shiny decorative particles, or a sparkling light.

glittering

adjective

Sparkling brightly.

glitz

noun

Flashy, showy glamour, often suggesting style without real substance.

gloam

noun

Short for 'gloaming', meaning twilight.

gloaming

noun

The soft, dim light of early morning or, more often, evening; dusk.

gloat

verb

To show obvious, often smug pleasure at your own success or at someone else's failure.

gloating

noun

Smug, self-satisfied behaviour after a win or someone else's loss.

glob

noun

A round or shapeless lump of something soft or semi-liquid.

global

adj

Affecting or involving the whole world.

globalisation

noun

The way the world's countries and people are becoming more connected.

globalism

noun

The belief that people, goods and information should be free to move across national borders without restriction.

globalist

adj

Relating to globalism.

globalization

noun

The process by which businesses, cultures, and economies become increasingly connected and interdependent across the world.

globally

adv

Throughout the whole world.

globe

noun

The planet Earth.

globefish

noun

Any of several marine fish of the family Tetraodontidae, particularly the puffer or sunfish, capable of inflating itself into a ball.

globular

adj

Shaped like a ball or globe.

globule

noun

A tiny round drop of a substance.

glocester

name

The name of a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States.

Glock

noun

A brand of semi-automatic pistol widely used by police and in popular culture.

glockenspiel

noun

A percussion instrument with metal bars laid out like a piano keyboard, played by striking them; it is smaller and higher-pitched than a xylophone.

glom

verb

To take firm hold of something; to catch or fasten onto it.

glomerate

verb

To gather something, such as threads, into a rounded mass or ball.

glomeration

noun

The act of coming together into a round mass.

glomerular

adj

(medicine) Relating to a glomerulus.

glomerule

noun

(botany) A tight cluster of flowers formed from a cyme, as seen in the flowering dogwood.

glomerulopathy

noun

(medicine) Any disease affecting the kidney's glomeruli.

glomerulus

noun

(anatomy) A tiny cluster of blood vessels in the kidney that filters blood to make urine.

glomp

verb

(informal) To hug someone eagerly, sometimes by running up and jumping on them.

gloom

noun

Near-darkness or dim, murky light.

gloominess

noun

The quality of being gloomy.