English dictionary — definitions & meanings

revolve

verb

To move in a circular path around a central point.

revolver

noun

A handgun with a revolving chamber enabling several shots to be fired without reloading.

revolving

adj

Turning around a central point; rotating.

revue

noun

A light theatrical show made up of comic sketches, songs, and dances, often satirizing current events.

revulsion

noun

A strong feeling of disgust or repugnance.

revulsive

noun

That which causes revulsion; a revulsive remedy or agent.

revving

verb

Increasing the speed of an engine by pressing the accelerator, especially while the vehicle is stationary.

reward

noun

Something given in return for good behaviour, effort, or service.

rewarding

adj

Giving a strong sense of satisfaction or worthwhile benefit.

rewind

verb

To wind something back to an earlier point, especially a tape, film, or recording, often in order to replay part of it.

rewinding

noun

The process of winding something, such as tape or film, back to an earlier point.

rewire

verb

To replace or reconnect the electrical wiring in a building or device.

rewiring

noun

A new wiring

reword

verb

To change the wording of; to restate using different words.

rework

verb

To redo, revise, or rebuild something so it works better or fits a new purpose.

reworking

noun

An act in which something is reworked.

rewrite

verb

To write something again with changes, in order to improve, correct, or update it.

rewriting

noun

The process of writing something again with changes, or the result of doing so.

rex

noun

A king, especially used as a title in ancient Rome or in formal Latin-style titles.

Rey

name

A Spanish surname, a doublet of Roy, meaning "king."

Reyes

name

A common Spanish surname, meaning "kings."

Reynard

noun

A traditional name for the fox, especially in old European fables and folklore.

Reynold

name

A male given name from Germanic roots, now more often seen as Reginald or Ronald, or as the surname Reynolds.

Reynolds

name

A common surname, originally meaning "son of Reynold."

reyse

verb

To go on a military expedition.

Reza

name

A masculine given name and surname used among Persian and Urdu speakers, a variant of Riza meaning "satisfaction" or "contentment."

rezai

noun

A coverlet quilted with cotton.

rhapsode

noun

One who performs the poetry of a poet for an audience; not necessarily a writer of poetry.

rhapsodic

adj

highly emotional; rapturous

rhapsodomancy

noun

Divination by reading a random passage from a poem.

rhapsody

noun

A piece of music with a free, flowing structure, often mixing different moods and sometimes improvised passages.

rhason

noun

The clerical garb worn in the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches.

rhea

noun

A large flightless South American bird related to the ostrich and emu.

rhema

noun

A spiritual communication or inspiration from God to an individual, as opposed to the universal Logos.

rhenish

adj

Pertaining to wine produced in the Rhine region.

rhenium

noun

A metallic chemical element with the atomic number 75: a heavy, silvery-gray transition metal.

rhetoric

noun

The skill of using language persuasively, especially in speaking or writing.

rhetorical

adj

Relating to the art of persuasive speaking or writing.

Rhett

name

A masculine given name, originally an American surname of Dutch origin; famously borne by the character Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind.

rheum

noun

Thin or watery discharge of mucus or serum, especially from the eyes or nose, formerly thought to cause disease.

rheumatic

adj

Resembling or relating to rheumatism.

rheumaticky

adj

Of, pertaining to or having rheumatism.

rheumatism

noun

A general term for pain and stiffness in the joints, muscles, or connective tissue.

rheumatoid

adj

Involving or pertaining to rheumatism, especially rheumatoid arthritis.

rheumatologist

noun

A doctor specializing in the treatment of arthritis and other ailments of the joints.

rheumatology

noun

The branch of medicine specializing in arthritis and other ailments of the joints.

rheumy

adj

Of, relating to, or made of rheum (“thin or watery discharge of mucus or serum”); watery.

rhianna

name

A female given name from Arabic, variant of Rihanna.

rhinal

adj

Of or pertaining to the nose; nasal

Rhine

name

A major river flowing through Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands into the North Sea.

rhinestone

noun

A diamond simulant, strass.

rhino

noun

Informal short form of rhinoceros.

rhinoceros

noun

A large, thick-skinned plant-eating mammal from Africa or Asia with one or two horns on its snout.

Rhinos

noun

The nickname for Bangladesh's national cricket team.

rho

noun

The seventeenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ρ, ρ), corresponding roughly to the English R.

Rhoades

name

A surname, a variant spelling of Rhodes.

Rhoda

name

A feminine given name of Ancient Greek origin, meaning "rose" or "woman from Rhodes."

Rhode

name

An English surname originally describing someone who lived near a woodland clearing or a reed bed.

Rhodes

name

A Greek island in the Aegean Sea; also an English surname describing someone who lived near woodland clearings.

Rhodesia

name

A former country in Southern Africa, now Zimbabwe, named after British colonialist Cecil Rhodes.

rhodochrosite

noun

A crystalline mineral composed mainly of manganese carbonate MnCO₃.

rhodomontade

noun

Dated spelling of rodomontade.

rhomaian

adj

Of or pertaining to the Eastern Roman (or Byzantine) empire; alternative form of Romaean.

rhombus

noun

A parallelogram having all sides of equal length.

Rhonda

name

A female given name of Welsh origin.

rhondda

name

A former coal-mining valley in South Wales.

rhubarb

noun

A garden plant with long, tart red or green stalks that are cooked and eaten, usually sweetened, while its leaves are poisonous.

rhyme

noun

A similarity of sound between the endings of words, especially at the ends of lines of verse.

rhymer

noun

One who makes, composes, or recites rhymes or simple poems.

rhyming

adj

Having words that end in matching sounds.

rhyming words

noun

Words whose endings sound the same from the last stressed vowel onwards, such as light and night, or station and nation.

Rhys

name

A male given name and surname of Welsh origin.

rhythm

noun

A regular, repeating pattern of beats or sounds, especially in music or speech.

rhythmic

adj

Having or following a regular, repeating pattern of beats or movement.

rhythmically

adv

In a way that follows a steady, repeating beat or pattern.

rhytidectomy

noun

Plastic surgery to reduce the visible signs of aging in the face by removing wrinkles.

rhytidoplasty

noun

Plastic surgery to reduce the visible signs of aging in the face by removing wrinkles.

RI

noun

The initials once used by a British monarch after their name, standing for the Latin for "king-emperor" or "queen-empress" (used 1877-1947).

ria

noun

A long, narrow coastal inlet formed when a river valley floods with seawater.

riad

noun

A traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden.

Riaz

name

A surname and masculine given name found in South Asian and Middle Eastern communities.

rib

noun

One of the curved bones that run from the spine around toward the breastbone, forming the cage that protects the chest.

ribald

adj

Coarsely, vulgarly, or lewdly amusing; referring to sexual matters in a rude or irreverent way.

ribbing

noun

The action of the verb to rib; teasing.

ribbit

intj

Used to represent the croaking sound a frog makes.

ribbon

noun

A narrow strip of fabric, often decorative, used for tying, trimming, or as an award.

ribibe

noun

A kind of stringed instrument; a rebec or an instrument similar to it.

Ricardo

name

A masculine given name of Portuguese and Spanish origin, equivalent to English Richard.

Ricco

name

A surname.

rice

noun

A cereal grass grown widely in flooded paddies, or the starchy seeds it produces that are eaten as a staple food.

rich

adj

Having a great deal of money or valuable possessions; wealthy.

Richard

noun

Vulgar slang for a piece of solid human waste.

Richards

name

An English and Welsh surname, a patronymic meaning "son of Richard."

richdom

noun

Wealth; riches; richness; prosperity.

Riche

name

An English and French surname; the English form derives from Rich, the French from Old French riche.

Richelieu

name

A surname and place name, most famously borne by Cardinal Richelieu, the powerful chief minister of France in the 17th century.

richen

verb

To make or render rich or richer.

Richer

name

A surname.

riches

noun

Great wealth, especially in the form of money, property, or valuable possessions.

Richie

name

A diminutive of the masculine given name Richard, also used as a surname.

richly

adv

In a lavish, luxurious, or elaborately detailed way.

Richmond

name

A common English place name, borne by numerous towns and cities including the capital of Virginia; also an English surname and given name.

richness

noun

The quality of being rich, whether in wealth, flavour, detail, or abundance.

Richter

noun

Used (followed by a number) to state the magnitude of an earthquake on the Richter scale.

ricin

noun

A highly poisonous protein extracted from castor beans.

rick

noun

A large, often thatched, outdoor stack of hay, straw, or firewood.

Rickard

name

A surname, from a medieval variant of the given name Richard.

rickets

noun

A childhood bone disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, leading to soft or weakened bones.

rickety

adj

Weak, shaky, or unstable, typically because of poor construction or age.

Rickey

noun

A cocktail made with lime juice, a spirit (often gin), and carbonated water.

Ricki

name

A feminine given name, sometimes a diminutive of Richard, also spelled Rikki.

Rickie

name

A diminutive of the given name Richard, also used as a feminine name.

Rickman

name

An English surname.

rickroll

verb

To trick someone into clicking a link that leads to the music video for Rick Astley's song "Never Gonna Give You Up" instead of the content they were expecting.

Ricks

name

A surname originating as a patronymic, meaning "son of Rick."

rickshaw

noun

A small two- or three-wheeled vehicle for one or two passengers, pulled or pedalled by a driver.

Ricky

name

A masculine given name, a diminutive of Richard.

Rico

name

A masculine given name, a diminutive of Ricardo, Federico, or Enrico.

ricochet

noun

The action of a projectile bouncing off a surface at an angle rather than penetrating it.

ricotta

noun

A soft, mild Italian cheese made from whey, similar in texture to cottage cheese.

rid

verb

To free a person, place, or thing of something unwanted, usually followed by "of."

riddance

noun

The act of getting rid of something unwanted, or the relief that comes from it.

ridden

adj

Used as the second part of a compound to mean full of, or troubled and dominated by, something negative.

Riddick

name

A surname.

ridding

noun

A patch of land that has been cleared of trees or brush.

riddle

noun

A question or statement phrased puzzlingly, meant to be solved for fun or as a test of wit.

riddled

adj

Full of holes throughout.

riddler

noun

Someone who poses riddles or speaks in puzzles.

Riddles

name

A surname.

ride

verb

To travel while sitting on and controlling a horse, bike, or similar vehicle.

rider

noun

A person who rides a horse, bicycle, motorcycle, or similar.

ridge

noun

A long, narrow raised strip of land, such as a chain of hills or mountains.

ridgeway

noun

A path or track that runs along the crest of high ground.

ridiculable

adj

Able or fit to be ridiculed.

ridicule

verb

To mock or make fun of someone or something in a scornful way.

ridiculing

noun

The act of mocking or making fun of someone.

ridiculosity

noun

The quality of being ridiculous; absurdity.

ridiculous

adj

Deserving to be laughed at; absurd or foolish.

ridiculously

adv

In a way that is absurd or laughable.

ridiculousness

noun

The characteristic of being ridiculous.

riding

noun

The activity of travelling on horseback, a bicycle, or similar.

ridley

noun

A small sea turtle of the genus Lepidochelys, found in the Atlantic and Pacific.

Rie

name

A feminine given name of Japanese, Dutch, or Danish origin.

Riesling

noun

A variety of grape, especially grown in Germany and other cool-climate wine regions, or the wine made from it.

rife

adj

Widespread or common, usually referring to something unpleasant.

riff

noun

A short, repeated musical phrase, especially in rock or jazz.

riffian

noun

A member of a Berber ethnic group who inhabit the Rif in northern Morocco.

riffle

noun

A swift, shallow part of a stream causing broken water.

riffraff

noun

People regarded as disreputable or of low social standing, especially as a group.

rifle

noun

A long-barrelled firearm fired from the shoulder, with spiral grooves inside the barrel for accuracy.