English dictionary — definitions & meanings

moribund

adj

Approaching death; about to die; dying; expiring.

morin

noun

A yellow plant pigment (a flavonoid) found in the wood of the Old Fustic tree, once used as a natural dye for wool.

moringa

noun

Any of several trees, of genus Moringa, that grow in tropical and subtropical India and Africa.

morita

noun

A reddish-brown variety of the chipotle chili pepper.

Moritz

name

A German surname.

Mork

name

A surname.

Morland

name

A surname, and the name of a village in Cumbria, England.

Morley

name

An English surname derived from a place name, and also used as a given name; also the name of several towns in England.

Mormon

noun

A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose faith centers on the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

morn

noun

Morning (a literary or poetic word).

morning

noun

The early part of the day, from midnight or dawn up to noon.

mornings

adverb

Regularly, every morning.

Moro

noun

A member of the Muslim population native to the southern Philippines, especially Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.

Moroccan

noun

A person from Morocco.

Morocco

noun

A soft, fine-grained leather made from goatskin, traditionally used for bookbinding and shoes.

moron

noun

An insult for a stupid or foolish person.

moronic

adjective

Extremely stupid or foolish; acting like a moron.

moronicity

noun

The quality, state or condition of being a moron.

moronicness

noun

The quality of being moronic.

morose

adjective

Gloomy, sullen, and in a persistently bad mood.

morph

verb

To change smoothly and gradually from one form or shape into another, especially through computer animation.

Morpheus

name

In Roman mythology, the god of dreams, said to appear to sleepers in human form.

morphew

noun

A blemish or mark on the skin, especially a blister caused by scurvy.

morphine

noun

A powerful painkiller extracted from opium, used medically to relieve severe pain.

morphing

noun

The digital technique of smoothly transforming one image into another.

morphodite

noun

Hermaphrodite.

morphology

noun

The study of the form and structure of living things, or the form and structure themselves.

morra

noun

A hand game in which players simultaneously throw out a number of fingers and try to guess the total shown by all players.

Morrell

name

A surname, a variant of Morel.

morris

noun

A traditional English folk dance performed by groups of dancers, often with bells, sticks, or handkerchiefs.

Morrison

name

A Scottish surname originating as a patronymic, and the name of several towns in the United States.

Morrissey

name

An Irish surname.

morrow

noun

The day following today or a specified day; the next day.

Morse

verb

To send a message using Morse code, a system of dots and dashes representing letters.

morsel

noun

A small piece or amount of food, or more generally, a tiny bit of something.

mort

noun

Death, especially of an animal killed during a hunt; also the horn call sounded to mark that moment.

mortal

adjective

Certain to die eventually; not immortal.

mortality

noun

The fact of being subject to death; the condition of eventually dying.

mortally

adv

In a way that causes death; fatally.

mortar

noun

A paste of sand, water and cement or lime used to bond bricks or stones together.

Morten

name

A male given name of Danish or Norwegian origin, also used as a surname.

Mortensen

name

A surname of Danish or Norwegian origin.

mortgage

noun

A loan used to buy property, where the property itself is used as security for the debt.

mortician

noun

Someone whose job is to prepare bodies for burial and arrange funerals; an undertaker.

mortification

noun

The act of mortifying.

mortified

adj

Extremely embarrassed or ashamed.

mortify

verb

To discipline (one's body, appetites etc.) by suppressing desires; to practise abstinence on.

mortifying

adj

So embarrassing that it makes you want to disappear.

Mortimer

name

A British surname of Old French origin, also used as a given name.

Morton

name

An English and Scottish surname meaning "settlement near a moor or marsh," also used as a given name and the name of numerous places in England and the United States.

mortuary

noun

A room or building where dead bodies are kept before a funeral or cremation.

Morty

name

A short form of the male given names Mortimer and Morton.

morula

noun

A spherical mass of blastomeres that forms following the splitting of a zygote; it becomes the blastula

Morwenna

name

A female given name of Celtic, particularly Cornish, origin.

MOS

phrase

Filmed or recorded without synchronized sound, often marked on film sets as "MOS".

mosaic

noun

A picture or pattern made by fitting together small pieces of colored tile, glass or stone.

mosambique

name

Dated spelling of Mozambique

Mosby

name

A surname.

Mosca

name

A surname of Italian origin.

moscovium

noun

The chemical element with atomic number 115.

Moscow

name

The capital and largest city of Russia.

moseley

name

A place name:

moser

noun

An informer; someone who reports on or betrays another person to the authorities.

Moses

name

The biblical prophet who, according to the Book of Exodus, led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.

mosey

verb

To walk or move somewhere in a slow, relaxed, unhurried way.

mosh

verb

To dance by intentionally jumping into and colliding with other, similarly behaving dancers, and performing other wild or aggressive movements.

Moshe

name

A male given name of Hebrew origin, the Hebrew form of Moses.

moskva

name

A river in Russia, a tributary of the Oka.

moslawi

noun

A citizen or resident of Mosul.

moslem

noun

Dated spelling of Muslim.

Mosley

name

An English surname derived from a place name.

mosque

noun

A building used by Muslims for worship, typically featuring a minaret.

mosquito

noun

A small biting insect whose females feed on blood and can spread diseases such as malaria.

moss

noun

A small, soft green plant without flowers that grows in damp places on ground, rocks or trees.

Mossad

name

The national intelligence agency of Israel.

mossley

name

A town and civil parish with a town council in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England (OS grid ref SD9702).

most

adj

The greatest in amount, degree, or number.

most importantly

adverb

Used to introduce the point the speaker considers the single most significant, usually at the end of a list.

most likely

adverb

Very probably; in all probability.

mostly

adv

For the greater part; mainly or generally.

Mosul

name

A major city in northern Iraq, the capital of the Nineveh governorate.

mot

noun

A clever, witty remark.

mote

noun

A small particle; a speck.

motel

noun

A roadside hotel where rooms open directly onto a parking area, built for travelers arriving by car.

moth

noun

A flying insect related to the butterfly, usually active at night and less colorful, with feathery antennae.

mother

noun

A female parent.

motherboard

noun

The main circuit board inside a computer, connecting the processor, memory, and other components.

motherfuck

intj

A vulgar exclamation expressing anger or frustration, more forceful than "fuck".

motherfucker

noun

A vulgar term for someone considered thoroughly contemptible or despicable.

motherfucking

adj

A vulgar intensifier used before a noun for emphasis, stronger than "fucking".

motherhood

noun

The state or experience of being a mother.

motherland

noun

One's native country, especially spoken of with strong emotional or patriotic attachment.

motherless

adj

Having no mother, whether through death, absence, or abandonment.

motherling

noun

A mother, especially a precious one.

motherly

adj

Warm, protective, and nurturing in the way typically associated with a mother.

mothership

noun

The condition or state of being a mother.

motif

noun

A recurring idea, image, or element that runs through a work of art, music, or literature.

motile

adj

In organisms: having the power to move spontaneously.

motility

noun

The ability of a cell or organism to move by itself, most often used of sperm.

motion

noun

Movement from one place or position to another.

motionless

adj

Not moving at all; perfectly still.

motionlessness

noun

The property of being motionless.

motivate

verb

To give someone a reason or incentive to act; to inspire them into action.

motivated

adj

Feeling driven or enthusiastic about achieving something.

motivating

adj

Giving someone the drive or incentive to act.

motivation

noun

The desire, drive, or reason behind a person's actions.

motivational

adj

Intended to inspire people to act or try harder.

motivator

noun

A person or thing that drives someone to take action.

motive

noun

A reason that drives someone to act, especially in a suspicious or criminal context.

motley

adj

Made up of a wildly varied, often mismatched, mix of elements or people.

moto

noun

Informal shorthand for a motorcycle or moped.

motocross

noun

A sport in which motorcycles race over rough, off-road terrain with jumps and tight turns.

motor

noun

A machine that converts energy, such as electricity or fuel, into motion.

motorbike

noun

A motorcycle, especially a smaller or lighter one (chiefly British).

motorboat

noun

A boat powered by an engine rather than sails or oars.

motorbus

noun

A motorized bus or coach.

motorcade

noun

A procession of vehicles, especially one escorting an important person.

motorcar

noun

An automobile; a car (somewhat old-fashioned or formal term).

motorcoach

noun

A motorised bus, or coach.

motorcycle

noun

A two-wheeled motor vehicle steered with handlebars, ridden while straddling the seat.

motored

adj

Having a motor or motors.

motoring

noun

The activity of driving a car, especially for pleasure (somewhat dated or British).

motorist

noun

A person driving a car.

motorized

adj

Fitted with a motor, or equipped with motor vehicles.

motormouth

noun

One who talks very quickly or incessantly; a chatty or loquacious person.

motorway

noun

A major road designed for fast-moving traffic, with no crossroads and limited access points (chiefly British).

Motown

noun

A style of soul music popularized by Motown Records in Detroit during the 1960s.

motrin

noun

Brand name for ibuprofen.

mott

noun

A small clump or grove of trees, especially in the southern United States.

Motta

name

A surname of Italian origin.

motte

noun

A raised earth mound, often topped with a wooden or stone structure and surrounded with a ditch.

mottle

verb

To mark with blotches of different color, or shades of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate.

mottled

adj

Colored in patches; spotted.

mottling

noun

spots or blotches of different shades or colours

motto

noun

A short phrase that expresses a guiding belief or principle.

mou

particle

A sentence-final particle used in some Chinese dialects to turn a statement into a yes/no question.

moue

noun

A pout, especially as expressing mock-annoyance or flirtatiousness.

mould

noun

The British spelling of mold: a fuzzy fungal growth that forms on food or damp surfaces.

mouldy

adj

Covered in mould; gone bad from fungal growth (British spelling of moldy).

moulin

noun

A near-vertical shaft in a glacier, formed by meltwater draining down through the ice.

moult

noun

The process of shedding or losing a covering of fur, feathers or skin etc.

mound

noun

A raised pile or hill of earth, often built up rather than natural.

mount

noun

A hill or mountain, especially used before a proper name.

mountain

noun

A very tall, steep natural landform rising well above the surrounding land.

mountaineer

noun

A person who climbs mountains, especially as a sport.

mountaineering

noun

The sport or activity of climbing mountains.

mountainous

adjective

Having many mountains; full of steep, rugged terrain.

mountainside

noun

The sloping face of a mountain.

mountaintop

noun

The summit or peak of a mountain.

mountebank

noun

One who sells dubious medicines.