English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

shortly

adverb

Soon, or after a brief time.

shortness

noun

The state or quality of being short, in height, length, or duration.

shorts

noun

Trousers cut off above the knee, worn in warm weather or for sport.

shortstop

noun

In baseball, the infield position (and player) between second and third base.

shortwave

noun

A radio wave with a wavelength of roughly 10 to 100 metres, used for long-distance broadcasting.

shorty

noun

Someone or something shorter than average; often used as an affectionate nickname.

Shostakovich

name

An English transliteration of the Russian surname Shostakóvich, most famously borne by the composer Dmitri Shostakovich.

shot

noun

The firing of a gun, or the result of firing it.

Shota

name

A male given name of Georgian origin.

shotgun

noun

A gun that fires a spray of small metal pellets, typically used for hunting or sport shooting.

should

verb

Used to give advice, an opinion, or an instruction about what is right or expected.

shoulder

noun

The joint and surrounding area where the arm meets the torso.

shout

verb

To say something loudly, especially to express strong emotion or get attention.

shouting

noun

The act of crying out loudly.

shove

verb

To push something or someone roughly.

shovel

verb

To move earth, snow, or other loose material using a shovel.

shoving

noun

The act of pushing roughly.

show

verb

To let someone see something.

Showa

name

The Japanese imperial era running from 1926 to 1989, spanning WWII and Japan's postwar economic recovery.

showboat

noun

A river steamboat with an onboard theatre, once used for travelling entertainment.

showcase

noun

A glass case used to display items attractively.

showdown

noun

A final, decisive confrontation between rivals.

shower

noun

A device that sprays water over a person for washing, or the act of washing this way.

showering

noun

Something that falls or is given in a shower-like burst.

showgirl

noun

A female performer, typically in a dance or musical stage show, often in elaborate costume.

showing

noun

An instance of something being shown or displayed, such as a film screening or exhibition.

showman

noun

Someone skilled at presenting or performing for an audience, often the person running a show such as a circus.

showmanship

noun

Skill at putting on an engaging, confident performance or presentation.

Shown

name

An uncommon variant spelling of the given name Sean or Shawn.

showroom

noun

A room used by a business to display its products to customers.

showstopper

noun

A moment in a performance so impressive that it draws a huge audience reaction.

showtime

noun

The scheduled start time of a performance or event.

showy

adj

Flashy or attracting a lot of attention, often in an exaggerated way.

shrank

noun

A large, ornately decorated cabinet or wardrobe in the German/Dutch Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.

shrapnel

noun

Metal fragments or fragments thrown out by an exploding shell, bomb, or mine.

shred

noun

A small torn or cut strip or fragment of something.

shredded

adj

Cut or torn into narrow strips or small pieces.

shredder

noun

A machine that cuts paper or other material into thin strips, often to destroy sensitive documents.

shredding

noun

The act of cutting or tearing something into shreds.

Shrek

noun

An extremely or comically ugly person (used as slang, from the animated character).

Shreveport

name

A city in northwestern Louisiana, named after its founder, Henry Miller Shreve.

shrew

noun

A small, mouse-like, mostly nocturnal mammal with a pointed snout.

shrewd

adj

Showing sharp, practical judgment, especially in business or dealing with people.

Shrewsbury

name

A historic market town in Shropshire, England, and the county town of Shropshire.

Shreya

name

A feminine Indian given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "auspicious" or "the best."

Shri

noun

A respectful title placed before a man's name, roughly equivalent to "Mr." in South Asian usage.

shriek

noun

A sharp, high-pitched scream or cry.

shrieking

adj

Making a sharp, high-pitched sound.

shrill

adj

High-pitched and sharp, often unpleasantly so.

shrimp

noun

A small, edible, long-tailed crustacean with slender legs.

shrine

noun

A place considered sacred and dedicated to a deity, saint, or revered figure.

shrink

verb

To become or make smaller.

shrinking

adj

Shy, timid, or reluctant to draw attention to oneself.

shrivel

verb

To shrink and wrinkle, especially from losing moisture.

shriveled

adj

Shrunk and wrinkled, typically from drying out.

Shropshire

noun

A breed of black-faced, hornless sheep originally from the English county of the same name.

shroud

noun

A cloth used to wrap a dead body for burial.

shrouded

adj

Concealed or hidden, as if covered by a shroud.

shrub

noun

A woody plant smaller than a tree, usually with several stems growing from its base.

shrubbery

noun

An area planted with shrubs, or shrubs collectively.

shrug

verb

To raise the shoulders briefly to show indifference, uncertainty, or a lack of concern.

shrunk

adj

Reduced in size; shrunken.

shrunken

adj

Made noticeably smaller, especially through age, illness, or shrinkage.

shruti

noun

The smallest audible difference in pitch used in Indian classical music theory.

shtick

noun

A repeated, characteristic routine or gimmick used to attract attention or amuse an audience.

Shu

name

A Chinese surname and given name, also the name of an ancient Egyptian god of air.

shuck

noun

The outer shell or husk of something, such as corn or a nut.

shucks

intj

An exclamation of mild disappointment.

shudder

verb

To shake briefly, usually from fear, cold, or disgust.

shuddering

noun

A prolonged or repeated shudder.

Shue

name

A surname notably borne by American actress Elisabeth Shue.

shuffle

verb

To mix cards, tracks, or items into a random order.

shuffleboard

noun

A game where players slide discs or pucks across a long board toward marked scoring zones.

shuffled

adj

Mixed up or jumbled together.

shuffling

noun

The act of walking with dragging steps, or of mixing something into a random order.

Shukla

name

An Indian surname of Sanskrit origin, meaning "white" or "pure," traditionally associated with Brahmin priests.

Shum

name

A Chinese surname, a Cantonese romanization of the surname often written Shen in Mandarin.

shun

verb

To deliberately avoid someone or something, often as a form of social rejection.

shunt

verb

To move something (often a train) onto a different track or path.

shura

noun

A council that offers advice or guidance to a ruler or leader.

shush

verb

To tell someone to be quiet, usually by saying "shh."

shushing

noun

The act of making a "shh" sound to silence someone.

Shuster

name

A surname of Yiddish or German origin, an occupational name meaning "shoemaker."

shut

verb

To close something, such as a door, book, or business.

shutdown

noun

The act of stopping something from operating, such as a computer, factory, or government.

shutter

noun

A hinged or sliding panel used to cover a window.

shutting

noun

The act of closing something.

shuttle

noun

A vehicle or service that travels back and forth between two places.

shuttlecraft

noun

A small spacecraft used mainly for short trips, often between a larger ship and a planet's surface.

shy

adj

Nervous or uncomfortable around other people; reluctant to draw attention to oneself.

Shyam

name

A masculine Indian given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "dark" or "black," used as an epithet of the god Krishna.

shylock

noun

A person who lends money at extremely high, often illegal, interest rates.

shyness

noun

The quality of feeling nervous or uneasy around other people.

shyster

noun

A dishonest or unscrupulous person, especially a lawyer or politician.

SI

noun

In solfège, the syllable used for the seventh note of a major scale.

sia

particle

A sentence-ending word (from Singlish/Malay) used to express frustration, shock, exhaustion, or exasperation.

Siam

name

The historical name of Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia, used until 1939.

Siamese

adj

Relating to Siam (historical Thailand) or the Thai people.

sian

adj

Bored, weary, or fed up; tired of something.

siao

adj

Crazy or mad.

Siberia

name

The vast region of Russia stretching across northern Asia from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific.

Siberian

adj

Relating to Siberia.

Sibley

name

An English surname, derived from a medieval feminine given name and later an Old English place name.

sibling

noun

A brother or sister; someone who shares at least one parent with another person.

sic

adv

Used in brackets after a quoted word to show it is copied exactly as written, errors included.

Sichuan

name

A province in southwestern China, known for its spicy cuisine and mountainous terrain.

Sicilian

adj

From or relating to Sicily, the large Italian island off the toe of Italy.

Sicily

name

The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, an autonomous region of Italy.

sick

adj

Unwell; suffering from an illness.

sickbay

noun

A room set aside for treating sick or injured people on a ship, spacecraft, or in a school or institution.

sicken

verb

To make someone feel disgusted or appalled.

sickened

adj

Filled with disgust or revulsion.

sickening

adj

Causing disgust, nausea, or revulsion.

sicker

adj

Comparative of "sick" — more ill than another person or than before.

sickle

noun

A hand tool with a short handle and a curved blade, used for cutting grass or grain crops.

sickly

adj

Frequently ill, or generally weak and unhealthy.

sickness

noun

The state of being ill; a specific illness.

sicko

noun

Slang: someone with disturbing or depraved tastes or habits.

sid

adv

In prescriptions, an abbreviation meaning "once a day" (from Latin semel in die), used for how often a medicine should be taken.

Siddhartha

name

A masculine given name of Sanskrit origin, meaning "one who has achieved his goal," the birth name of the Buddha.

side

noun

One of the surfaces or edges of an object, or one of two halves (left/right, front/back) of something.

sidearm

noun

A personal weapon, such as a handgun or sword, carried at the hip.

sidebar

noun

A short article or block of information printed or displayed alongside the main content, in print or on a webpage.

sideboard

noun

A piece of dining-room furniture with drawers and shelves for storing linen, dishes, and cutlery.

sideburns

noun

Strips of facial hair grown down the sides of the face in front of the ears.

sidecar

noun

A one-wheeled passenger or cargo compartment attached to the side of a motorcycle.

sidekick

noun

A close companion or assistant, especially to a more prominent or important person.

sideline

noun

The line marking the side boundary of a sports field, or the area just outside it.

sideshow

noun

A minor attraction at a larger event such as a fair or circus.

sideswipe

noun

A glancing blow delivered from the side, such as one car clipping another while changing lanes.

sidewalk

noun

A paved path alongside a road, reserved for pedestrians.

sideways

adv

Toward or from one side; not straight ahead.

sidewinder

noun

A small venomous rattlesnake native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico, known for its distinctive sideways slithering movement.

Sidhu

name

A Punjabi surname associated with a Jat clan in northern India.

siding

noun

Material used to cover and protect the outer walls of a building.

sidle

verb

To move sideways, often in a shy, cautious, or sneaky way.

Sidonia

name

A feminine given name derived from Sidon, an ancient Phoenician city.

sie

pron

A gender-neutral third-person subject pronoun used instead of "he" or "she".

Sieg

name

A German name element meaning "victory," used as a surname and as the root of names like Siegfried.

siege

noun

A prolonged military operation in which an army surrounds a city or fortress to force its surrender.

Siegel

name

A surname of German and Jewish origin, meaning "seal" or "signet."

Siegfried

name

A masculine given name of German origin, meaning "victorious peace," famous as the hero of Germanic legend.

Siena

name

A city in Tuscany, Italy, renowned for its medieval architecture and the Palio horse race.

sienna

noun

A reddish-brown pigment made from natural clay containing iron and manganese.

Sierra

name

A feminine given name and place name, from the Spanish word for "mountain range."

siesta

noun

A short nap or rest taken in the early afternoon, especially during the hottest part of the day.

sieve

noun

A kitchen tool with a mesh bottom used to separate larger pieces from smaller ones or to drain liquid from solids.

sift

verb

To pass a dry substance through a sieve to remove lumps or separate fine from coarse.

sifting

noun

The act of passing something through a sieve, or the careful process of separating useful information from the rest.

sifu

noun

A skilled teacher or master in Chinese martial arts such as kung fu or tai chi.