English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

rivulet

noun

A very small stream.

Riya

name

A feminine given name of Indian usage.

Riyadh

name

The capital city of Saudi Arabia, and by extension a metonym for its government.

Riza

name

A masculine given name and surname of Persian origin, meaning "satisfaction" or "contentment".

rizz

noun

Skill at attracting a romantic or sexual partner through charm, confidence and smooth talking.

rizzler

noun

(informal) Someone who is extremely good at attracting or charming other people.

Rizzo

name

An Italian surname.

RMA

noun

Return Merchandise Authorisation: approval from a seller for a customer to send back a faulty or unwanted item, and the reference number issued with it.

rn

abbreviation

Right now — used in text messages and online chat to mean at this moment.

Ro

name

A short nickname or given name, also the name of an early constructed international auxiliary language created in 1904.

roach

noun

A small freshwater fish related to carp, common in European rivers and lakes.

road

noun

A paved or surfaced route built for vehicles and pedestrians to travel between places.

roadblock

noun

A barrier set up across a road, often by police or the military, to stop or check traffic.

roader

noun

A ship anchored in a sheltered stretch of water close to the shore.

roadhouse

noun

An inn, bar, or restaurant set on a highway outside a town, historically used by travellers on long journeys.

roadie

noun

A person who works on the technical crew for a touring band, setting up and moving equipment.

roadkill

noun

An animal killed by a vehicle on the road, or the act of an animal being killed this way.

roadman

noun

A man whose job is building and mending roads.

roadmap

noun

A plan setting out what will be done, in what order, over a period of time.

roadrunner

noun

A fast-running, ground-dwelling bird of the cuckoo family, native to North and Central America.

roads

noun

A sheltered stretch of water near the coast where ships can safely anchor.

roadside

adj

Situated at the edge of a road.

roadster

noun

A two-seat open-top sports car, typically without a back seat.

roadway

noun

The part of a road, bridge, or street actually used by vehicles for travel.

roam

verb

To wander or travel around freely, without a fixed destination.

roaming

noun

The act of wandering without a fixed destination.

Roan

adj

Describing an animal's coat, especially a horse's, that has a solid base colour mixed with white hairs throughout.

roanoke

noun

Small white beads made from shells, once used as ornaments and as a form of currency among Native American peoples of colonial-era Virginia.

roar

verb

To make a loud, deep sound, as from anger, pain, or excitement, or as a large animal does.

roarer

noun

A person or animal that makes a loud roaring sound.

roaring

adj

Extremely successful, lively, or intense.

Roark

name

A surname of Irish origin.

Roarke

name

A surname of Irish origin, a variant spelling of Roark.

roary

adj

Sounding like or resembling a roar.

roast

verb

To cook food, uncovered, with dry heat in an oven or over a fire, giving it a browned or crisped surface.

roasted

adj

Cooked using dry heat until browned.

roaster

noun

A person, or a company, whose business is roasting coffee beans.

roasting

adj

Extremely hot.

rob

verb

To take property from a person or place unlawfully, often through force or threat.

Robb

name

A surname and nickname derived from Robert.

robber

noun

A person who steals from someone, typically using force or the threat of force.

robbery

noun

The crime of taking property from someone by force or threat.

robbi

name

A diminutive of the female given name Roberta.

Robbie

name

A diminutive of the given name Robert, particularly common in Scotland, and sometimes of Roberta.

robbing

noun

The act of committing robbery.

Robbins

name

An English surname originating as a patronymic meaning "son of Robin".

Robbo

name

A British nickname for someone named Robert, Robin, Roberts, or Robinson.

Robby

name

A diminutive of the given name Robert, and sometimes Roberta.

robe

noun

A long, loose outer garment, often worn for comfort, ceremony, or to signify rank.

Robert

name

A masculine given name of Germanic origin, meaning "bright fame", and a French surname.

Roberta

name

A feminine given name, the feminine form of Robert.

Robespierre

name

A French surname, famously borne by Maximilien Robespierre, leader of the French Revolution, whose name is sometimes used as a byword for a ruthless demagogue.

Robie

name

A surname, a variant of Robey or Robey-type names related to Robert.

robin

noun

A small songbird with a red or orange breast; in Europe, a distinct species, and in North America, a different, larger species.

Robins

name

An English surname originating as a patronymic derived from Robin.

robo

noun

An informal short form of "robot," also used as a prefix meaning automated or computer-controlled.

robocop

noun

A police officer who is part machine, part human — a cyborg cop.

roborate

verb

(formal) To show or state that something is true.

robot

noun

A machine, often shaped like a person, built to move and perform tasks on its own or under programmed control.

robotic

adj

Relating to robots, or moving in a stiff, mechanical way that resembles one.

robotics

noun

The branch of engineering and science concerned with designing, building, and programming robots.

Robson

name

An English surname meaning "son of Rob".

robust

adj

Strong and healthy, or built to handle stress and hard use without breaking down.

robustness

noun

The state of being strong and able to cope well with difficult conditions.

Robyn

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Robin.

roc

noun

A giant bird from Middle Eastern legend, said to be strong enough to carry off elephants.

Rocco

name

A masculine given name of Italian origin, mostly used in American communities, from the name of a fourteenth-century French saint.

Rocha

name

A surname of Portuguese origin, meaning "rock".

roche

noun

A rocky outcrop, or a stony ridge of rock.

Rochefort

name

A French surname, also the name of towns in France, Belgium, and Switzerland.

Rochelle

name

A feminine given name transferred from the French place name La Rochelle, and also a surname.

Rochester

name

A historic city in Kent, England, and by extension the name of several cities in the United States, notably in New York.

rock

noun

A hard natural mineral material, or a piece of it such as a stone or boulder.

Rockefeller

noun

An extremely wealthy person (informal, used allusively).

rocker

noun

A rocking chair, or the curved piece underneath it that lets it rock.

rocket

noun

A vehicle or projectile driven by expelling burning gas, used to launch spacecraft, missiles, or fireworks.

rocketman

noun

A person who designs, builds or studies rockets.

rockfish

noun

Any of various fish species that live among rocks in the sea, especially members of the Sebastes family common in the Pacific.

Rockford

name

A city in Illinois, United States, and the name of several smaller towns elsewhere in the country.

rockheaded

adj

Very stubborn, sometimes to the point of being foolish about it.

Rockies

name

An informal name for the Rocky Mountains, a major mountain range in North America.

rocking

adj

Moving steadily back and forth, or (informally) excellent and lively.

Rockland

noun

An area of land covered in rock or rocky terrain.

rocks

noun

(slang) Money.

rockstar

noun

A famous musician in a rock band, or by extension, anyone treated like a celebrity in their field.

rocksteady

noun

A style of Jamaican music from the 1960s, slower and smoother than ska, that led into reggae.

Rockwell

name

An English surname, notably borne by the American illustrator Norman Rockwell.

rocky

adj

Covered with or made up of rocks.

rod

noun

A straight, thin bar, stick, or pole made of wood, metal, or similar material.

Rodders

name

A British nickname for someone named Rodney or Roderick.

roddy

adj

Covered in or made up of thin rods or twigs.

rode

verb

Of a male woodcock, to fly a repeated back-and-forth path over the edge of woodland while calling, as part of its courtship display.

rodent

noun

A mammal with continuously growing front teeth used for gnawing, such as a rat, mouse, or squirrel.

rodeo

noun

A competitive event, especially in North America, featuring skills such as bull riding, roping, and bronco riding.

Roderick

name

A masculine given name of Germanic origin, meaning "famous ruler", also used as a surname.

Rodger

name

A surname and masculine given name, a spelling variant of Roger.

Rodgers

name

An English patronymic surname derived from Roger, a variant of Rogers.

roding

noun

The flight a male woodcock makes over its territory to attract a female.

rodman

noun

A surveyor's assistant who holds the graduated pole (the "rod") used to take measurements.

Rodney

noun

A small, open wooden rowing boat once common in Newfoundland, traditionally built for one person to fish from close to shore.

rodomontade

noun

Loud, boastful talk or showy behaviour meant to impress.

Rodrigues

name

A surname of Portuguese origin meaning "son of Rodrigo".

Rodriguez

name

A patronymic surname of Spanish origin, meaning "son of Rodrigo".

roe

noun

The mass of eggs inside a female fish, often eaten as food.

roebuck

noun

An adult male roe deer.

roentgenium

noun

A chemical element with the symbol Rg and atomic number 111, heavier than uranium.

rofl

abbreviation

Rolling on the floor laughing — written in chat and text messages to show that something is extremely funny.

Rog

verb

(informal, dialect) To shake something.

Rogan

name

A surname of Irish origin, also used as a given name.

roger

intj

Used in radio communication to confirm that a message has been received and understood.

Rogers

name

An English patronymic surname meaning "son of Roger", and the name of several places in the United States.

rogerson

name

An English surname that arose as a patronymic.

rogin

name

A surname of Belarusian origin.

rogue

noun

A dishonest or unprincipled person; a scoundrel.

roguery

noun

Behaviour that is malicious or reckless.

roguishness

noun

The state of being, or of seeming to be, roguish.

rohan

noun

A tree from India that is valued for its timber.

Rohit

name

A masculine given name of Indian origin, from Sanskrit.

Rohypnol

noun

The brand name for flunitrazepam, a powerful sedative drug that has been misused to incapacitate victims for sexual assault (a so-called "date rape drug").

ROI

noun

A measure of how much money an investment has gained or lost compared with what it cost, normally written as a percentage of the original amount put in.

roil

verb

To disturb a liquid so that the sediment at the bottom mixes through it.

roisterous

adj

Noisy and boisterous, in a lively, rowdy way.

Rojas

name

A surname of Spanish origin.

Roland

name

A masculine given name of Germanic origin, meaning "fame-land", also used as a surname.

role

noun

A part played by an actor in a performance.

Rolex

noun

A luxury wristwatch made by the Swiss company Rolex.

Rolf

verb

To vomit (informal/slang).

Rolfe

name

An English surname, a spelling variant of Rolf, notably borne by colonist John Rolfe.

roll

verb

To move by turning over and over on a surface.

roller

noun

Any cylindrical device that turns, used to apply pressure, flatten, or move something.

rollerblade

noun

A roller skate with all its wheels aligned in a single row, resembling an ice skate.

rollercoaster

noun

An amusement park ride on a track that climbs, drops, and turns sharply.

rollick

verb

To play about happily and without a care.

rollie

noun

A hand-rolled cigarette (informal, chiefly UK).

Rollin

name

A surname, a variant of Rollins or Rollin, related to Rollo.

rolling

noun

The action of something turning over and over as it moves.

Rollins

name

An English surname transferred from a given name, ultimately derived from Rollo.

Rollo

name

A masculine given name of Germanic origin, and a surname derived from it; notably the Viking founder of Normandy.

rollout

noun

The gradual launch or introduction of something new, such as a product.

Rolls

name

An English surname, notably borne by Charles Rolls, co-founder of Rolls-Royce.

rolly

adj

Able to roll easily, especially because of wheels.

Rolodex

noun

A rotating desktop file used to store contact cards, or, more broadly, one's network of professional contacts.

Roly

name

A diminutive of the masculine given name Roland.

Rom

noun

A man of the Romani people, especially a married one considered a respected member of the community.

Roma

name

The Romani people, an ethnic group with historical roots in India, now found across the world, especially Europe.

romaean

adj

Relating to the Byzantine Empire, the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire.

romaic

name

The name for the modern Greek language, derived from a term used for speakers of Greek in the former Byzantine Empire.

Romain

name

A masculine given name and surname of French origin, equivalent to Roman.

romaine

noun

Short for romaine lettuce, a lettuce with long, crisp leaves growing in a tall head.

romaji

noun

A way of writing the Japanese language using the Latin alphabet.