English dictionary — definitions & meanings

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

One who roars.

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

Someone who roasts coffee beans; a company or place of business that does so.

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

Synonym of confirm, to verify, to establish.

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 quality of being robust.

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 rocketeer or rocket scientist.

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

Extremely, often stupidly stubborn

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 mating display of the male woodcock, consisting of a patrolling flight around its territory.

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

Vain boasting; a rant; pretentious behaviour.

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.

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 originating as a patronymic.

rogin

name

A surname from Belarusian.

rogue

noun

A dishonest or unprincipled person; a scoundrel.

roguery

noun

Malicious or reckless behaviour.

roguishness

noun

The property of being or appearing roguish.

rohan

noun

An East Indian timber tree.

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 render turbid by stirring up the dregs or sediment of.

roisterous

adj

Loud and disorderly; carousing.

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.

rollercoaster

noun

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

rollick

verb

To behave in a playful or carefree manner; to frolic or romp.

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

An act of rolling out; gradual deployment.

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

Of or pertaining to the Eastern Roman Empire, that is, to the Byzantine Empire.

romaic

name

The modern Greek language, deriving from terminology designating speakers of Greek from the former Byzantine Empire.

Romain

name

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

romaine

noun

Ellipsis of romaine lettuce (“a type of lettuce having long crisp leaves forming a slender head”).

romaji

noun

A representation of Japanese in Latin script.

roman

adj

Relating to the city of Rome or the ancient Roman Empire.

romance

noun

A loving relationship between two people, especially a passionate one.

romancing

noun

The act of pursuing someone romantically, or of turning something into an idealized, romantic version of itself.

romani

noun

A member of the Roma, a nomadic people originating in modern-day Pakistan or Northwest India and traditionally having an itinerant way of life, living widely dispersed across Europe and speaking a language that is related to Hindi.

Romania

name

A country in southeastern Europe, with Bucharest as its capital.

Romanian

adj

Relating to Romania, its people, or its language.

romanisation

noun

Alternative letter-case form of Romanisation: non-Oxford British English standard spelling of Romanization.

romano

noun

A hard, sharply flavored Italian cheese, usually grated over pasta or salads.

Romans

name

A book of the New Testament, being the apostle Paul's letter to the early Christian community in Rome.

romantic

adj

Full of feelings of love, especially idealized or passionate love; evoking that mood.

romantically

adv

In a way that shows or expresses romantic love or idealized emotion.

romanticism

noun

A quality of idealized emotion, imagination, or nostalgia in a person, idea, or artwork.

romanticist

noun

An advocate or follower of romanticism.

romanticistic

adj

Of or relating to romanticism.

romanticized

adj

Interpreted in an unrealistic, idealized fashion.

Rome

name

The capital city of Italy, historically the capital of the ancient Roman Empire, and by extension a name for that empire or the Catholic Church.

Romeo

noun

A passionate, devoted boyfriend or lover.

romero

noun

The pilot fish, a slender fish known for swimming alongside sharks and other large sea creatures.

Romi

name

A feminine given name of Hebrew origin.

Rommel

name

A surname of Dutch origin, notably borne by German field marshal Erwin Rommel.

Romney

noun

A breed of sheep, originally from the Romney Marsh in Kent, England, valued for its long wool and hardiness.

romp

verb

To play or move about in a lively, energetic, boisterous way.

Romulan

noun

(fiction, informal) In the Star Trek universe, a member of a cunning, militaristic alien species from the planet Romulus.

Romulus

name

The legendary founder and first king of Rome, twin brother of Remus.