English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

necking

noun

Informal: passionate kissing and cuddling.

necklace

noun

A piece of jewelry worn around the neck, often made of metal, beads, or gems.

necklet

noun

A necklet is a piece of jewellery worn closely round the neck.

neckline

noun

The shape and position of the edge of a garment around the neck.

necktie

noun

A long strip of fabric worn around the neck under a collar and tied at the front, typically with a suit.

necrology

noun

A register kept by a church, listing the names of members or associates who have died.

necromancer

noun

Someone who practices necromancy: supposedly communicating with or raising the dead through magic.

necromancy

noun

The practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to foretell the future or obtain hidden knowledge.

necrophage

noun

A necrophage is an animal that feeds on rotting flesh.

necropolis

noun

A cemetery; especially a large one in or near a city.

necropsy

noun

A necropsy is a medical examination of a dead body to find out how the person died.

necrosis

noun

The death of cells or tissue in the body, usually from injury, infection, or loss of blood supply.

nectar

noun

The sweet liquid produced by flowers to attract bees and other pollinators.

nectareal

adj

Nectareal means relating to nectar, or tasting sweet like it.

nectarean

adj

Nectarean describes something sweet like nectar, or connected with it.

nectarine

noun

A nectarine is a type of peach with smooth skin instead of a fuzzy one.

nectarous

adj

Nectarous means like nectar, or very sweet.

nectary

noun

A nectary is a gland in a plant that produces nectar.

ned

noun

UK slang, chiefly Scottish: a young person associated with petty crime, aggressive behavior, and a particular sportswear-heavy style.

neddy

noun

Informal British: a donkey.

Nedra

name

A feminine given name, possibly derived by reversing the word "Arden."

nee

adj

Used before a woman's maiden name to show the name she was born with, before marriage.

need

noun

A requirement for something essential or important.

needed

adj

Required; necessary.

needful

adj

Necessary or required.

needfully

adv

Needfully means in a way that is necessary.

neediness

noun

Neediness is the quality of being needy.

needing

verb

Present participle of need — currently requiring or lacking something necessary.

needle

noun

A thin, sharp tool used for sewing, injections, acupuncture, or piercing.

needlecraft

noun

Needlecraft is the skill of sewing, especially embroidery or needlepoint.

needlefish

noun

A needlefish is a long, thin fish, usually found in shallow parts of the sea.

needlepoint

noun

A form of embroidery in which thread is stitched through a stiff canvas mesh to create a design.

Needles

name

A city in California, United States, located on the Colorado River near the Arizona border.

needless

adj

Not necessary; unwarranted.

needlessly

adv

In a way that is not necessary; without good reason.

needlewoman

noun

A needlewoman is a woman who sews or embroiders.

needlework

noun

Sewing or embroidery work done with a needle, or the finished product of such work.

needling

noun

Needling is the act of teasing or annoying someone.

needs

adv

Of necessity (usually paired with "must," as in "must needs").

needy

adj

Lacking basic necessities; poor.

Neel

name

A given name and surname, an alternate spelling of Neil, or in South Asian contexts derived from a Sanskrit word meaning "blue."

Neely

name

A surname of Scottish and Irish origin, an anglicized form of Ó Néill.

neep

noun

A neep is a swede or turnip.

nefarious

adj

Wicked or criminal, especially in a way that is notorious or widely condemned.

nefariousness

noun

Nefariousness is the character of someone or something that is nefarious.

nefastous

adj

Nefastous describes something unlucky, disastrous, or seen as a bad sign.

Nefertiti

name

An ancient Egyptian queen of the 14th century BC, chief consort of Pharaoh Akhenaten, known for her iconic painted bust.

Neff

name

A German surname derived from a word meaning "nephew" or "cousin."

negate

verb

To cancel out or make ineffective.

negation

noun

Negation is the act of making something negative or cancelling it out.

negative

adj

Expressing disapproval, pessimism, or something undesirable.

negatively

adv

In a way that causes harm or shows disapproval.

negativeness

noun

Negativeness is the quality of being negative.

negativism

noun

Negativism is a lasting attitude of doubt or gloominess.

negativist

noun

A negativist is a person who shows negativism.

negativity

noun

A pessimistic or overly critical attitude.

negentropy

noun

In physics, negentropy is the gap between a system's actual entropy and its highest possible entropy.

neglect

verb

To fail to give proper care or attention to someone or something.

neglected

adj

Not given the care or attention needed; left in a poor state.

neglectful

adj

Neglectful means often failing to look after things that need attention.

negligence

noun

A failure to take proper care, especially when it causes harm.

negligent

adj

Careless or failing to give proper attention, especially to duties or responsibilities.

negligently

adv

Negligently means done carelessly, without proper attention.

negligible

adj

So small or unimportant that it can be ignored.

negotiable

adj

Open to discussion or change; not fixed.

negotiant

noun

A negotiant is a person who carries out negotiations on someone's behalf.

negotiate

verb

To discuss something with others in order to reach an agreement.

negotiation

noun

Discussion aimed at reaching an agreement.

negotiator

noun

A person who negotiates, especially on someone else's behalf.

negro

noun

A dated and now offensive term for a Black person, once in common formal use but now considered outdated and inappropriate.

Negros

name

An island in the central Philippines, known for its sugar production.

negus

noun

A king or ruler in Ethiopia; used as a royal title, with the emperor styled negusa nagast, "king of kings".

Neha

name

A feminine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "rain" or "love."

Nehru

name

An Indian surname, most notably borne by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India.

neif

noun

A neif is a woman born into serfdom.

neigh

noun

The high-pitched cry made by a horse.

Neighbor

noun

A person who lives next door to you or nearby, especially in the same street or building.

neighborhood

noun

A district within a town or city, especially one where people live.

neighboring

adj

Located next to or close by.

neighborly

adj

A US standard spelling of neighbourly.

Neighbors

noun

Plural of neighbor — people or places that live or sit close to one another.

neighborship

noun

The fact of being neighbours, especially a bond between people or things that live close to each other.

neighbour

noun

A person who lives close by, especially next door.

neighbourhood

noun

A district within a town or city, especially one where people live.

neighbourly

adj

Friendly and helpful, in the way a good neighbour is.

neighing

noun

The sound a horse makes when it cries out.

Neil

name

A masculine given name of Irish origin, meaning "champion" or "cloud."

Neill

name

A surname and given name variant of Neil, of Irish origin.

Neiman

name

A surname of German and Jewish origin, related to "Neumann," meaning "new man."

neither

det

Not one and not the other, of two things.

nekkid

adj

A pronunciation spelling of naked, representing Southern US English.

nekton

noun

Sea creatures that can swim on their own, rather than just drifting with the current.

Nel

name

A short form of names such as Eleanor or Helen, used chiefly in Dutch and Afrikaans.

Nell

name

A feminine given name, traditionally a short form of Eleanor or Helen.

Nelle

name

A feminine given name, a variant short form of Eleanor or Helen.

Nellie

name

A feminine given name, a diminutive form of Eleanor, Helen, or Ellen.

nelly

noun

A silly or foolish person (informal, dated).

nelson

noun

A wrestling hold in which one arm is forced up behind the opponent's back.

nemesis

noun

A person's worst enemy or greatest rival — someone who always seems to oppose or defeat them.

Nemo

noun

A clownfish, especially as a pop-culture reference.

nen

pronoun

A dialectal or informal way of saying "none."

nene

noun

The Hawaiian goose, a rare native bird that is the official state bird of Hawaii.

Neo

noun

A given name or nickname, often associated with the "chosen one" hacker character from the film The Matrix.

neoarsphenamine

noun

A drug made from arsphenamine, formerly given as a treatment for syphilis and yaws.

neocolonialist

adj

Connected with neocolonialism.

neodymium

noun

A chemical element with the symbol Nd and atomic number 60, a hard, silvery rare earth metal that tarnishes quickly in air and moisture.

neofascism

noun

A right-wing political movement that takes its inspiration from fascism, especially the fascism of Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany and wartime Japan.

Neolithic

adj

Relating to the New Stone Age, the late prehistoric period marked by the rise of farming and polished stone tools.

neologism

noun

A word or phrase that has recently been coined.

neon

noun

A chemical element (symbol Ne) — a colorless, odorless noble gas that glows reddish-orange when electrified.

neonate

noun

A baby that has only just been born.

neophyte

noun

Someone who has just started learning a subject or skill.

neoplasm

noun

An unusual lump of tissue that grows out of control in an animal or plant.

neosalvarsan

noun

A man-made arsenic-based chemical once given to treat syphilis.

Nepal

noun

A country in South Asia, home to the Himalayas including Mount Everest, located between China and India.

nephew

noun

The son of one's brother or sister, or of one's sibling-in-law.

nephrite

noun

A semi-precious mineral, one of the two stones known as jade, the other kind being jadeite.

nephritic

adj

Connected with, or suffering from, nephritis or nephritic syndrome.

nepotism

noun

Giving jobs, favors, or advantages to relatives or close friends instead of choosing based on merit.

Neptune

noun

The eighth and outermost planet in the solar system, known for its deep blue color.

neptunian

adj

Of or pertaining to Neptune, the Roman god of fresh water and the sea, the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon.

neptunist

noun

A supporter of the theory of Neptunism.

neptunium

noun

A radioactive chemical element with the symbol Np and atomic number 93, which comes after uranium in the periodic table.

ner

interjection

A mocking exclamation used to gloat over someone else's mistake or misfortune.

nerd

noun

Someone who is highly intelligent or studious but socially awkward or introverted.

NERDS

noun

A set of technologies commonly used together to build web applications.

nerdy

adj

Resembling or characteristic of a nerd; intensely into intellectual or niche interests.

nerf

verb

To knock or bump something gently, whether by accident or on purpose.

Neri

name

A given name and surname of Hebrew or Italian origin, meaning "my light" in Hebrew.

Nero

noun

The Roman emperor remembered for his cruelty and excess, and by extension, any tyrannical ruler.

nerts

intj

Nuts! Used to show annoyance or disappointment.

nertz

name

A quick-moving card game for several players that uses multiple decks of playing cards.

nerve

noun

A fiber-like bundle in the body that carries signals between the brain and other parts of the body.

nervelessness

noun

The quality of lacking courage; cowardice.

nervous

adj

Easily agitated, anxious, or worried, especially about an upcoming event.

nervously

adv

In a way that shows anxiety or unease.

nervousness

noun

The state of feeling anxious, uneasy, or apprehensive.

nervy

adj

Bold and daring, even cheeky.

Nerys

noun

A female given name of Welsh origin.

Nesbitt

noun

A surname of English origin, originally referring to a place name.

nescient

noun

A person who lacks knowledge.

nesh

adj

Soft, delicate, and easily affected.

ness

noun

A headland or promontory jutting out into the sea, often used as part of place names.

Nessa

noun

A female given name, commonly used as a nickname for Vanessa.

Nessie

noun

A nickname for the Loch Ness Monster, the legendary creature said to live in a Scottish lake.

nest

noun

A structure built by a bird (or other animal) to hold eggs and raise young.

nesting

noun

The process of a bird building or occupying a nest.

nestle

verb

To make yourself comfortable by curling up snugly.

nestling

noun

A baby bird too young to have left its nest.

Nestor

noun

A wise, experienced older person, especially one who gives advice — from the wise elder king in Homer's Iliad.