English dictionary — definitions & meanings

kilohertz

noun

A unit of frequency equal to one thousand cycles per second; one thousand hertz

kilometer

noun

US spelling of kilometre.

kilometre

noun

A metric unit of distance equal to 1,000 metres, abbreviated km.

Kilpatrick

name

A Scottish and Irish surname, from a place name meaning "church of Patrick."

Kilroy

name

A surname best known from the "Kilroy was here" graffiti popularized by American soldiers in World War II.

kilt

noun

A knee-length pleated garment, traditionally made of tartan wool, worn originally by Scottish men as part of Highland dress.

Kim

name

A unisex given name, often short for Kimberly, and also a common Korean surname.

Kimba

name

A given name and the title character of a classic Japanese anime about a white lion.

kimball

name

A surname from Welsh.

Kimber

name

A feminine given name and surname, also a well-known American firearms brand.

Kimberley

name

A feminine given name, and also a city in South Africa and a region in Australia.

Kimberly

name

A feminine given name, from an English place name meaning "royal fortress meadow."

Kimble

name

An English surname, most familiar as the fugitive doctor Richard Kimble in The Fugitive.

kimchi

noun

A traditional Korean side dish of vegetables — most often cabbage — salted, seasoned with chilli and other spices, and left to ferment.

Kimi

name

A unisex given name of Japanese and Finnish origin, also short for names like Kimberly.

Kimiko

name

A feminine Japanese given name, often meaning "child of the emperor" or "noble child."

Kimmel

name

A German surname, most familiar from American late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Kimmie

name

A feminine given name, an informal diminutive of Kimberly or Kim.

Kimmy

name

A feminine given name, an informal diminutive of Kimberly or Kim.

kimono

noun

A traditional Japanese T-shaped robe with wide sleeves, wrapped around the body and tied with a sash, now worn mainly on formal occasions.

kimura

noun

A grappling submission hold in martial arts in which an opponent's arm is trapped and the shoulder is twisted to force a tap-out.

kin

noun

One's relatives, considered together as a group.

Kincaid

name

A Scottish surname, derived from a place name possibly meaning "head of the battle."

Kinch

name

An English surname, historically a nickname derived from "kinsman."

kind

noun

A type or category of thing that shares common features with others.

kinda

adv

Somewhat, or to some extent — an informal, spoken-style contraction of "kind of."

kinder

noun

Young children, especially as a collective term (chiefly used in some regional or informal English, borrowed from German/Yiddish).

kindergarten

noun

A school or class for young children, typically aged around four to six, that comes before the first formal grade of primary school.

kindergartner

noun

A child who attends a kindergarten.

kindhearted

adj

Having an innately kind disposition or character.

kindle

verb

To light or start a fire.

kindling

noun

Small sticks, twigs, or other easily burnable material used to start a fire.

kindly

adj

Warm-hearted, gentle, and considerate in nature.

kindness

noun

The quality of being kind; a caring, generous, and considerate nature.

kindred

noun

One's relatives, taken collectively; family connections.

kindsome

adj

Marked by, or indicating kindness; gentle; kind.

kine

noun

A proposed unit of velocity in the CGS system, equal to one centimeter per second.

kinesis

noun

The movement of an organism in response to an external stimulus.

kinesthetic

adjective

Relating to the body's awareness of its own movement, position, and muscular effort.

kinetic

adj

Relating to or caused by motion.

kinetic energy

noun

The energy an object has because it is moving, equal to half its mass multiplied by the square of its speed, and measured in joules.

kinetics

noun

The branch of mechanics concerned with motion of objects, as well as the reason i.e. the forces acting on such bodies. This, along with kinematics constitute dynamics, which is concerned purely with the effects of forces on moving bodies.

king

noun

A male monarch who rules a country, typically inheriting the position by birth.

kingbolt

noun

The main bolt of a structure, especially the bolt in a vehicle that links the chassis to the axle, providing the steering pivot.

kingdom

noun

A country or territory ruled by a king or queen.

kinglike

adj

Resembling or characteristic of a king.

kingly

adj

Belonging to, characteristic of, or fit for a king; regal and majestic.

Kingman

name

An English surname and place name, also a city in Arizona.

kingpin

noun

The most important person in an organization, especially one running a large criminal enterprise.

kings

noun

A drinking game played using a standard deck of playing cards, where each card triggers a specific rule or action.

Kingsbridge

name

A market town in Devon, England, and a fictional town in Ken Follett's novel The Pillars of the Earth.

kingship

noun

The position, rank, or authority of being a king; the state of ruling as a monarch.

Kingsley

name

An English surname and given name, from a place name meaning "king's meadow."

Kingston

noun

The monkfish, a bottom-dwelling flattened shark also called the angel shark.

kink

noun

A tight twist or bend in something that is normally straight, such as hair, rope, or wire.

kinkade

name

A surname from Scottish Gaelic.

kinky

adj

Full of tight curls or twists, especially describing hair.

kinnon

name

A surname from Scottish Gaelic.

kino

noun

A reddish resin produced by certain trees, especially some eucalypts, used in dyeing, tanning leather, and traditional medicine.

Kinoshita

name

A Japanese surname, meaning "beneath the tree."

Kinsella

name

An Irish surname, anglicized from a Gaelic name meaning "descendant of Cinnsealach."

Kinsey

noun

A rating on the Kinsey scale, a system for describing where someone falls between exclusively heterosexual and exclusively homosexual.

kinship

noun

The connection between people through blood, marriage, or adoption.

kinsman

noun

A male relative.

kiosk

noun

A small stall or booth, often open on one side, used to sell newspapers, snacks, tickets, or similar small items.

Kiowa

noun

A member of an Indigenous people of North America, historically of the southern Plains and now centered in Oklahoma.

kip

noun

British informal: sleep, or a place to sleep.

kipe

noun

An osier basket used for catching fish.

Kipling

name

Rudyard Kipling, the British writer best known for "The Jungle Book" and poems such as "If—".

kipper

noun

A herring (or similar fish) that has been split open, salted, and smoked.

kippered

adj

Stiff and lacking vitality; stale.

kir

noun

A cocktail made by topping up white wine with a splash of blackcurrant liqueur.

Kira

name

A female given name of Persian or Irish origin.

Kiran

name

A given name of Sanskrit origin, used by both men and women, meaning "ray of light."

Kirby

name

An English surname and given name, from a place name meaning "church settlement," also a popular Nintendo video game character.

kirigami

noun

An art similar to origami, with cutting permitted.

Kirill

name

A masculine given name, the Russian form of Cyril, meaning "lordly."

kirin

noun

A mythical hooved chimerical creature from East Asian folklore, similar to the qilin; the term is typically used in Japanese contexts.

kirk

noun

A church, especially in Scottish and northern English usage.

kirkby

name

A town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, England (OS grid ref SJ4198).

Kirkland

noun

Land owned by, or belonging to, a church.

kirkman

noun

A clergyman or official who serves in a kirk (a Scottish church).

Kirkpatrick

name

A Scottish surname, from a place name meaning "church of Patrick."

Kirkwood

name

A Scottish and English surname and place name, meaning "church wood."

Kirov

name

A Russian surname and city, named after Soviet politician Sergei Kirov.

kirsch

noun

A clear, unsweetened brandy distilled from black cherries, including their pits.

Kirsten

name

A feminine given name, the Scandinavian form of Christine, meaning "follower of Christ."

Kirstie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive of Kirsty or Kirsten.

Kirsty

name

A feminine given name, a Scottish diminutive of Christina or Christine.

Kishan

name

A masculine given name of Indian origin, another form of Krishna, a major Hindu deity.

Kishore

name

A masculine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "young man" or "prince."

kismet

noun

Fate; the idea that events are destined to happen and cannot be avoided.

kiss

verb

To touch someone with your lips as a sign of love, affection, or greeting.

kisser

noun

Slang for a person's mouth or face.

kissing

noun

The act of touching someone with the lips as a sign of affection.

Kissinger

name

A German-Jewish surname, most associated with American diplomat Henry Kissinger.

kissy

adj

Informal: overly affectionate or fond of kissing.

kit

noun

A set of equipment, tools, or personal items packed together for a particular purpose, such as a soldier's gear or a workman's tools.

Kita

name

A Japanese surname meaning "north."

kitchen

noun

A room used for preparing and cooking food.

Kitchener

noun

A cook, especially one who works in a kitchen.

kite

noun

A bird of prey with long wings and a forked tail, known for gliding and soaring.

kitemark

noun

A certification symbol placed on products by the British Standards Institute, based on the letters B, S, and V.

kith

noun

Friends and acquaintances.

Kits

name

An informal given name, sometimes short for Katherine or Christopher, and a nickname for the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver.

kitsch

noun

Art or decoration seen as tacky, overly sentimental, or in poor taste, often enjoyed ironically.

kitschy

adj

Having the nature of kitsch: excessively sentimental, overdone or vulgar.

kitsune

noun

A Japanese fox spirit, often but not exclusively female, said to have powers such as shape-shifting, and whose power is symbolized by increase in number of tails.

kitt

noun

A kittiwake, a small gull known for its sharp, high-pitched call.

kitten

noun

A young cat.

kitter

noun

A person or company that manufactures kits.

kittle

verb

To tickle, to touch lightly.

Kitto

name

A Cornish surname, historically derived from the given name Christopher.

kitty

noun

An affectionate name for a cat.

kiwi

noun

A flightless New Zealand bird with a long beak and hair-like feathers.

Kiyoko

noun

A Japanese female given name.

Kiyomi

noun

A sweet citrus fruit, a hybrid variety popular in Japan.

Kiyoshi

noun

A Japanese male given name.

Kizzy

noun

A female given name.

kk

phrase

Informal online shorthand for "okay," used to confirm something was understood with no further comment needed.

Klan

noun

Short informal form of "Ku Klux Klan," the white supremacist organisation.

Klara

name

A feminine given name, a European variant of Clara, meaning "bright" or "clear."

klatch

noun

An informal social gathering, especially one held over coffee for the purpose of conversation.

Klaus

name

A masculine given name of German origin, a short form of Nikolaus, meaning "victory of the people."

klaxon

noun

A loud electric horn or alarm, especially the type once used on early cars and emergency vehicles.

kleenex

noun

A disposable paper tissue, from the brand name.

Klein

noun

A surname of German origin, meaning "small."

Kleist

name

A German surname, most associated with the writer Heinrich von Kleist.

klepto

noun

Informal short form of "kleptomaniac," someone who compulsively steals.

kleptocracy

noun

A government whose leaders use their power mainly to steal from the state and enrich themselves, treating public money and national resources as personal property.

kleptomaniac

noun

A person with an uncontrollable urge to steal things, often items of little value or need.

klick

noun

A kilometer.

Kline

name

A German-Jewish surname, an Americanized form of Klein, meaning "small."

Klinger

name

A German surname, and the name of a character on the sitcom M*A*S*H.

Klingon

noun

A member of a fictional warrior alien species in the Star Trek universe.

Klink

name

A German surname, familiar as the bumbling Colonel Klink from the sitcom Hogan's Heroes.

klipspringer

noun

A small antelope native to eastern and southern Africa having a dense, brown, speckled coat (Oreotragus oreotragus).

Klondike

noun

A source of sudden or unexpected wealth, from the Klondike gold rush.

Kloss

name

A German surname, most associated with American model Karlie Kloss.

kludge

noun

An improvised device, typically crudely constructed to test the validity of a principle before implementing a finished design.

Klunk

name

A surname of German origin, occasionally used as an informal or comic given name.

klutz

noun

A clumsy or awkward person.

KMS

intj

Internet slang expressing extreme frustration or exasperation, literally "kill myself" but almost always used hyperbolically rather than literally.

knack

noun

A natural skill or ability for doing something well, often something that seems to come easily.

knacker

noun

One who makes knickknacks, toys, etc.

knackered

adj

Extremely tired or worn out.

Knapp

name

An English and German surname, originally describing someone who lived on a hilltop.

knapsack

noun

A bag, usually made of canvas or leather, carried on the back for holding supplies or belongings.

knave

noun

A dishonest or deceitful man.

knavery

noun

The antics or tricks of a knave; boyish mischief.