English dictionary — definitions & meanings

monotheism

noun

Belief in the One True God, defined by More as personal, immaterial and trinitarian.

monotone

adj

Unvarying in pitch or tone; flat and unchanging in sound.

monotonic

adj

Of or using the Greek system of diacritics which discards the breathings and employs a single accent to indicate stress. It replaced polytonic system in 1982.

monotonous

adj

Tediously repetitive or lacking variety.

monotony

noun

The state of being tediously repetitive or unchanging.

monoxide

noun

A chemical compound containing one oxygen atom per molecule, most familiar in "carbon monoxide."

Monroe

name

A Scottish surname meaning "foot of a hill," also a unisex given name, and the name of dozens of towns across the United States.

Mons

name

The capital city of Hainaut province, Belgium; also a diminutive of the given names Monica and Montgomery.

Monsanto

name

A surname of Portuguese origin, also historically the name of a major American agrochemical company.

monseigneur

noun

A French honorific title used to address a person of high rank, especially in earlier centuries.

monsieur

noun

A French title equivalent to "Mister," used to address or refer to a man.

monsignor

noun

An honorary title given by the Pope to certain senior Roman Catholic priests.

monsoon

noun

A seasonal wind that brings heavy rainfall to a region, or the rainy season it causes.

monster

noun

A frightening, dangerous creature, often imaginary or mythical.

monsterize

verb

To make something or someone into a monster.

monstrose

adj

Having an abnormal, distorted and disfigured growth of the body (especially of a cactus)

monstrosity

noun

Something grotesquely large, ugly, or badly designed.

monstrous

adj

Shockingly evil or cruel.

mont

noun

An old or dialect word for a mountain or hill, now mostly seen in place names.

montage

noun

A single work made by combining separate pieces — images, clips, sounds, or text — into one composition.

Montague

name

A surname and given name of Old French origin, made famous as the family name of Romeo in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Montaigne

name

A French surname, notably borne by the Renaissance essayist Michel de Montaigne.

Montalbano

name

An Italian surname.

Montana

name

A state in the Mountain West region of the United States, capital Helena; also a unisex given name and a Spanish-derived surname.

montane

adj

Of, inhabiting, or growing in mountain areas; specifically, the cool, moist upland slopes below the timberline.

montanha

name

A former island in Xiangzhou district, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, that became part of Hengqin.

montant

noun

An upward cut with a blade.

Montauk

name

The easternmost point of Long Island, New York, known for its lighthouse.

monte

noun

A gambling card game in which several cards are dealt face-up and players bet on which will be the next to match a card already turned.

Montecito

name

An affluent community in Santa Barbara County, California, United States.

Montenegro

name

A country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe, capital Podgorica.

Monterey

adj

Describing a building style influenced by early Spanish-Californian architecture, typically with a low-pitched roof and a long, roofed balcony on the upper floor.

montero

noun

A round, brimless Spanish cap with side or back flaps, historically worn by huntsmen.

Monterrey

name

A city in Mexico, the capital of the state of Nuevo León.

Montevideo

name

The capital city of Uruguay.

Montez

name

A surname.

Montezuma

name

A Nahuatl masculine given name borne by two Aztec emperors, most famously Moctezuma II, who ruled at the time of the Spanish conquest.

Montgomery

name

A surname and given name of Norman French origin, notably borne by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, and the name of the capital city of Alabama.

month

noun

One of the twelve divisions of the calendar year, originally tied to the cycle of the moon.

monthly

adj

Happening or produced once every month.

months

noun

A woman's monthly menstrual period (dated or dialectal usage).

Montmartre

name

A hilltop neighborhood in Paris, France, known for its artistic history and the Sacré-Cœur basilica.

Montoya

name

A surname of Spanish origin, ultimately from Basque.

Montparnasse

name

A neighborhood in Paris, France, historically associated with artists and writers.

Montrose

name

A Scottish surname and dukedom, and a coastal town in Angus, Scotland, whose name has also spread to towns and neighborhoods across the English-speaking world.

montross

name

A small town, the county seat of Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States.

montserrat

name

An island and overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the Caribbean. Official name: Montserrat.

Monty

name

A diminutive of the male given names Montgomery and Montague.

monument

noun

A structure, statue, or building built to honour and remember a person or event.

monumental

adj

Extremely large, impressive, or grand in scale.

moo

noun

The deep, drawn-out sound made by cattle.

mooch

verb

To get something, such as money or food, from someone else without paying or giving anything back; to sponge off others.

moocha

noun

A loincloth made from animals' tails or strips of skin; part of the traditional dress of Zulu males.

moocher

noun

A person having a tendency to take advantage of the help of others, especially if making little effort to help themselves.

mood

noun

A temporary state of mind or feeling.

moody

adj

Prone to sudden changes in emotional state; temperamental.

mooing

noun

The lowing sound made by cattle, or the act of making it.

mook

noun

(informal) An incompetent, foolish, or unimpressive person.

Mookie

name

A diminutive of the male given name Michael.

mookish

adj

Resembling or characteristic of a mook; foolish; bumbling.

mooli

noun

Synonym of daikon, particularly its Indian varieties.

Moomin

noun

One of the round, white, hippo-like troll characters from Tove Jansson's Finnish book and comic series, later a cartoon and theme park.

moon

noun

The natural satellite that orbits the Earth, visible in the night sky.

moonbase

noun

A base or outpost built on the surface of a moon, especially Earth's moon.

moonbeam

noun

A ray or beam of light from the moon.

Mooney

noun

A surname of Irish origin, from Ó Maonaigh, meaning roughly "descendant of the wealthy or beloved one."

mooning

noun

The act of exposing one's bare buttocks, usually as a prank, insult, or protest.

moonlet

noun

a very small body orbiting a planet, often as part of a planetary ring system.

moonlight

noun

The light given off by the moon.

moonlighter

noun

A person who moonlights, working a second job on the side.

moonlighting

noun

The practice of working a second job, often secretly or in the evenings, in addition to one's regular employment.

moonlike

adj

Resembling the Moon, or a moon

moonlit

adj

Lit by the moon; bathed in soft, silvery light from the night sky.

moonrise

noun

The time of day or night when the moon begins to rise over the horizon.

moonscape

noun

A view of an area of the Moon.

moonshine

noun

The light given off by the moon.

moonshiner

noun

Someone who makes or distributes moonshine (illicit alcohol).

moonsick

adj

Insane or emotionally deranged, either temporarily or permanently.

moonstone

noun

A pale, shimmering gemstone with a soft, pearly glow, often used in jewelry.

moontime

noun

The time of menstruation.

moony

adj

Resembling the Moon.

moor

noun

A wide stretch of open, often hilly land covered in heather and rough grass, with poor, boggy soil.

moorage

noun

The act of mooring.

mooring

noun

A place where a boat is tied up, or the ropes, chains, and anchors used to secure it there.

moorland

noun

Open land that has an acidic peaty soil and is mostly covered with heather or bracken.

Moors

name

An English surname, historically a variant referring to a Moor or transferred from the given name.

Moos

name

A surname.

moose

noun

A very large member of the deer family found in North America, with the male carrying broad, flat antlers.

mooselimb

noun

Alternative letter-case form of mooselimb.

moot

adj

Open to debate; not settled, or (especially in American English) no longer having any practical importance.

mop

noun

A cleaning tool with a long handle and a bundle of absorbent strands, used for washing floors.

mope

verb

To move around in a gloomy, listless way, feeling sorry for oneself.

moped

noun

A small motorbike with pedals, built to travel at low speeds.

mopey

adj

Gloomy, listless, and prone to sulking.

moping

noun

The act of sulking around in low spirits.

mopped

verb

Past tense and past participle of "mop" — cleaned a floor by wiping it with a mop, or wiped away liquid such as sweat.

moppet

noun

A child. Often used lovingly or in an affectionate way.

mopping

noun

The act of cleaning a floor with a mop.

mops

noun

A pug dog.

mopsy

name

A nickname for a person with a mop of hair.

MOQ

noun

Minimum order quantity: the smallest number of units a supplier is willing to sell in a single order.

MOR

noun

A layer of acidic, poorly decomposed organic matter that builds up on top of forest soil, typical of coniferous woodland.

mora

noun

A unit used to measure the weight or timing of a syllable in certain languages.

moral

adj

Concerned with right and wrong behaviour, or conforming to accepted standards of good conduct.

morale

noun

The overall confidence, enthusiasm, and spirit of a person or group.

Morales

name

A Spanish surname, and also the name of several towns in Latin America.

morality

noun

The distinction between right and wrong, and the principles that guide good behaviour.

moralize

verb

To make moral reflections (on, upon, about or over something); to regard acts and events as involving a moral.

moralizing

noun

The behaviour of one who moralizes.

morally

adv

In terms of right and wrong conduct.

Moran

noun

An unmarried young warrior in traditional Maasai or Samburu society, responsible for defending the community and cattle.

morass

noun

A tract of soft, wet ground; a marsh; a fen.

moratorium

noun

An official, temporary halt to an activity or agreement.

moray

noun

A large, often fierce-looking eel found in warm seas, known for hiding in rocks and reefs.

morayshire

name

Synonym of Moray: a historical county of Scotland.

morbid

adj

Having an unhealthy interest in death, disease, or other disturbing subjects.

morbidezza

noun

Softness, smoothness; also in a negative sense, weakness, effeminacy.

morbidity

noun

The presence of disease or ill health in a person or a population, including how often a condition occurs and how much harm it causes.

morbidly

adv

In a way that shows an unhealthy interest in death or disturbing subjects, or to an extreme, unhealthy degree.

mordant

adj

Having or showing a sharp or critical quality.

Mordecai

name

A male given name of Hebrew origin, borne in the Book of Esther by the man who raised his cousin Esther and foiled a plot against the king.

Mordor

noun

(informal) A place seen as bleak, dangerous, or full of hardship — used allusively.

Mordred

name

In Arthurian legend, the illegitimate son of King Arthur who ultimately killed him in battle.

more

adv

To a greater degree or extent.

more and more

adverb

To a steadily increasing degree; continuing to increase over time.

more likely

adjective

Having a greater probability of happening or being true than something else.

more than

preposition

Greater in number, amount or degree than a stated figure or thing.

moreen

noun

A thick woollen fabric, watered or with embossed figures, once used in upholstery, for curtains, etc. It is a variety of camlet.

morefold

adj

Being greater than one in number; plural; multiple; multiplex; manifold.

Morehouse

name

An English surname, and the name of several small towns in the United States.

moreish

adj

Causing one to want to have more; addictive.

morel

noun

An edible wild mushroom with a distinctive honeycomb-like cap.

Moreland

name

An English surname, and the name of several places in the United States.

Morell

name

A surname, and the name of a rural municipality in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Morelli

name

A surname of Italian origin.

morello

noun

A variety of dark-skinned, tart cherry often used in cooking and preserves.

Moreno

name

A Spanish surname, and the name of a city in Argentina.

moreover

adverb

On top of what has already been said; furthermore.

mores

noun

The unwritten customs and moral standards that a particular group or society expects people to follow.

moresome

noun

A sexual act involving more than three people, or a group of individuals involved in such an act.

moreton

name

A number of places in England:

Morey

name

A surname, and the name of a village in France.

morfound

verb

To affect (an animal or person) with catarrh or coldlike illness.

morgan

noun

A unit used by geneticists to describe how far apart two genes sit on a chromosome, based on how often they are inherited together.

Morgana

name

A female given name, associated with the sorceress Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend.

Morgen

noun

A traditional unit of land area used in the Netherlands, parts of Germany, and former Dutch colonies, roughly equal to two-thirds of an acre to two acres depending on region.

morgenstern

noun

A medieval war club or mace whose head is studded with spikes, resembling a spiked ball.

morgue

noun

A building or room, especially at a hospital or under police authority, where dead bodies are kept until identification or burial.

Mori

name

A Japanese surname.

Moriarty

name

An Irish surname, famously borne by Professor James Moriarty, the archenemy of Sherlock Holmes.