English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

separatism

noun

The belief that certain groups, institutions or places should be kept separate from each other, such as church and state, or a colony from the country that ruled it.

separatist

noun

A person who wants their region or group to break away and become politically independent.

separator

noun

Something placed between two or more things to keep them apart.

separatrix

noun

A mark, such as ⟨L⟩ or ⟨|⟩, once used to show where the whole-number part of a number ends and the decimal part begins.

sepia

noun

A dark brown colouring made from a substance produced by cuttlefish.

seppuku

noun

A ritual form of suicide by disembowelment historically practiced by Japanese samurai, often to preserve honor or avoid disgrace.

sepsis

noun

A dangerous, whole-body inflammatory response to infection that can damage tissues and organs and turn life-threatening very quickly.

sept

noun

A clan or family group descended from a common ancestor, especially one of the traditional clans of Ireland or Scotland.

September

noun

The ninth month of the year, between August and October, marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

septentrional

adj

(literary) Relating to the north; northern.

septic

adj

Infected or contaminated with bacteria that cause tissue decay or a whole-body infection.

septicemia

noun

(medicine) A serious illness caused by harmful germs, usually bacteria, or their poisons getting into the blood, causing fever and shivering.

septimate

verb

To reduce something by one seventh.

Septimus

name

A male given name derived from Latin, originally meaning "seventh," traditionally given to a seventh child.

sepulchre

noun

A room or vault where a dead body is buried.

sepulture

noun

(formal) The act of burying a dead body.

sequel

noun

A book, film, or show that continues the story of an earlier one, usually picking up after it.

sequelae

noun

Conditions or complications that persist or develop as a result of an earlier disease or injury.

sequence

noun

A set of things arranged in a particular order, one after another.

sequencing

noun

The process of working out the exact order of units in something, especially DNA bases or amino acids.

sequential

adj

Following one after another in a fixed order.

sequester

verb

To keep someone or something away from all outside contact or influence.

sequestered

adj

Kept apart or isolated from others, often deliberately.

sequestration

noun

The act of setting something apart or separating it.

sequoia

noun

Sequoiadendron giganteum, an evergreen conifer once classified in the genus Sequoia but now placed in Sequoiadendron.

ser

noun

A traditional unit of weight used historically in India, roughly equal to a kilogram depending on the region and era.

Sera

name

A female given name derived from Hebrew, related to "Sarah," meaning "lady" or "princess."

seraglio

noun

A sultan's palace.

seraph

noun

A burning serpent, often winged, with human hands and sometimes feet; one of God's entourage. On Earth, they strike with burning poison; in Heaven, with burning coal.

seraphic

adj

Relating to a seraph or seraphim.

seraphim

noun

The highest order of angels in Christian and Jewish tradition, often described as fiery, six-winged beings surrounding God's throne.

Serb

noun

A person of Serbian ethnic descent, whether or not they live in Serbia.

Serbia

name

A country in Southeast Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, with Belgrade as its capital.

Serbian

adj

Relating to Serbia, its people, or its language.

sere

adj

Lacking moisture; dried out.

serekh

noun

In Egyptian hieroglyphic writing, a rectangular frame showing a palace front below a bird's-eye view of a royal courtyard that holds a pharaoh's Horus name, generally topped by a Horus falcon.

Serena

name

A female given name derived from Latin, meaning "calm" or "serene."

serenade

noun

A romantic song performed for someone, often outside their window in the evening.

serendipitous

adj

Happening by a lucky chance that was not planned.

serendipity

noun

A pleasant surprise — finding something good without looking for it.

serene

adj

Calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

sereneness

noun

The quality of feeling calm and peaceful.

Serengeti

name

A vast grassland ecosystem in Tanzania and southern Kenya, famous for its huge seasonal migrations of wildebeest and other animals.

serenity

noun

A deep state of calm and peacefulness.

serf

noun

A peasant tied to a piece of land under a feudal lord, obliged to work it but with very limited personal freedoms.

serfdom

noun

The condition of a serf: a form of bondage under feudalism in which a peasant was tied to a lord's estate, owed labour and dues, and could not leave without permission.

serge

noun

A sturdy, twill-woven wool fabric often used for suits and uniforms.

sergeant

noun

A military rank above corporal and below officer ranks, or an equivalent senior rank in the police.

Sergei

name

A Russian male given name, an anglicised form of Sergéy, ultimately from the Latin name Sergius.

Sergey

name

A Russian male given name, transliterated from Серге́й, ultimately from the Latin name Sergius.

serial

adj

Arranged in, or having to do with, a series or repeated succession.

serialism

noun

A style of composing, mainly from the twentieth century, in which notes follow a fixed sequence.

serian

adj

Another word for Chinese, used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who linked the country with silk.

seric

adj

Made from silk.

serican

adj

Another word for Chinese, as it was understood by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

sericin

noun

A protein that dissolves in water and holds together the two threads inside a strand of silk.

series

noun

A number of related things that come one after another, or a set of connected events.

serif

noun

A small line added to the end of a main stroke in certain typefaces, such as Times New Roman.

serin

noun

A small finch, mostly yellow, belonging to the group Serinus.

serious

adj

Not joking or humorous; solemn in manner.

seriously

adv

In a solemn, earnest, or literal way.

seriousness

noun

The quality of being serious, grave, or important.

Serizawa

name

A surname of Japanese origin.

Serling

name

A surname, most notably borne by writer Rod Serling.

sermon

noun

A talk given during a religious service, usually on a moral or spiritual theme.

sermonize

verb

To talk the way a preacher does, pushing your own morals or opinions.

sermonizer

noun

Someone who preaches, especially a person who does it often.

Sermons

name

A surname, a variant of Sermon.

serotonin

noun

A brain chemical that helps regulate mood, appetite, and feelings of well-being.

serpent

noun

A snake, especially a large or dangerous one, or a snake-like mythical creature.

serpentine

adj

Winding and twisting like a snake.

Serpico

name

A surname of Italian origin, most notably borne by former police officer Frank Serpico.

serra

noun

A saw, or a part shaped like one.

Serrano

name

A Spanish surname, originally meaning "mountain dweller" or "from the mountains."

serrate

adj

Edged with small points like the teeth of a saw.

serrated

adj

Having a jagged, saw-like edge made up of small pointed teeth.

serration

noun

The fact of having a jagged, tooth-like edge.

serried

adj

Packed tightly together in rows.

serum

noun

A thin, lightweight skincare product, usually applied after cleansing and before a heavier cream, formulated to carry a high proportion of active ingredients in a small amount of liquid.

servant

noun

A person employed to do household or personal work for someone else.

serve

verb

To provide help, food, or a service to someone.

served

verb

Delivered something with real impact, especially a striking look, performance or piece of attitude. Often used with no object, or with the quality supplied afterwards.

server

noun

A computer or program that provides data or services to other computers over a network.

servia

name

The name of a city in West Macedonia, in northern Greece.

service

noun

Work done to help or benefit someone, or the act of providing this.

serviceability

noun

How useful or fit for a purpose something is.

serviceable

adj

Simple to repair or maintain.

serviceberry

noun

In Europe, a tree of the genus Sorbus, or the small fruit it produces.

serviceman

noun

A man who is a member of the armed forces.

serviceperson

noun

A member of the armed forces, whether male or female.

services

noun

A roadside stop offering fuel, food, and rest areas for travellers (chiefly UK usage).

servicewoman

noun

A woman who is a member of the armed forces.

servicing

noun

The act of carrying out maintenance or repairs on something, especially a vehicle or machine.

serviette

noun

A cloth or paper napkin used at the table.

servile

adj

Excessively willing to obey or please others; behaving like a slave.

servility

noun

The state of being overly submissive or obedient.

serving

noun

An amount of food or drink meant for one person.

servitor

noun

A person who carries out a servant's duties.

servitude

noun

The condition of being forced to work for someone else with little or no freedom, often against one's will.

servo

noun

A small motor or mechanism that controls movement with precision, used in robotics and machines.

servomechanism

noun

A device that uses a small amount of power, guided by feedback, to control and correct a much larger amount of power.

servosystem

noun

A servomechanism, or a group of them working together.

sesame

noun

A plant grown for its small, oily seeds, or the seeds themselves, widely used in cooking.

sesh

noun

An informal, shortened way of saying "session" — a period of time spent doing an activity, especially socializing, drinking, or hanging out.

sess

verb

To impose a tax on someone or something.

sessile

adj

Fixed permanently to a surface and unable to move about.

session

noun

A period of time set aside for a particular activity, such as a meeting, class, or performance.

sestet

noun

A piece of music written for six singers or six players.

seston

noun

The bits of solid matter floating in a lake or sea, including plankton and other organic and mineral particles.

set

verb

To put something in a particular place or position.

set off

phrasal verb

To begin a journey or start out towards somewhere.

setback

noun

A problem or delay that slows down or reverses progress.

Seth

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "appointed" or "placed."

Sethi

name

An Indian surname common among Punjabi and North Indian families, often associated with merchant communities.

Seti

name

A masculine name associated with ancient Egyptian pharaohs, meaning "man of Seth."

Setsuko

name

A feminine Japanese given name, often interpreted to mean "chastity" or "loyalty child."

sett

noun

An underground burrow where a badger lives.

settee

noun

A long upholstered seat with a back and arms, meant for more than one person; a sofa.

setter

noun

A breed of long-haired hunting dog trained to freeze and point when it detects game.

setting

noun

The place, time, and circumstances in which something happens, such as a story or event.

settle

verb

To resolve a dispute, disagreement, or debt, often by reaching an agreement.

settled

adj

Comfortable, secure, and at ease, especially after a period of change or difficulty.

settlement

noun

A formal agreement that resolves a dispute, often involving payment.

settler

noun

A person who moves to and establishes a home in a new, often previously unsettled, area.

settling

noun

The act of becoming established, calm, or resolved; the process of settling.

settlor

noun

A person who settles property on express trust for the benefit of beneficiaries.

setup

noun

The way something is arranged or organized, or the equipment used for a particular purpose.

Seuss

name

A surname best known from Dr. Seuss, the pen name of American children's author Theodor Geisel.

seven

num

The number 7, one more than six and one less than eight.

sevens

noun

A version of rugby played with seven players per side instead of the usual fifteen.

seventeen

num

The number 17, one more than sixteen and one less than eighteen.

seventeenth

adj

The ordinal number matching seventeen in a sequence (17th).

seventh

adj

The ordinal number matching seven in a sequence (7th).

seventies

noun

The decade from seventy to seventy-nine in a century, such as the 1970s.

seventieth

adjective

Coming after sixty-nine others in order; the ordinal form of the number seventy.

seventy

num

The number 70, ten times seven, coming after sixty-nine and before seventy-one.

sever

verb

To cut off or separate something completely, often abruptly.

several

det

More than two or three, but not very many.

severalize

verb

To tell things apart, or treat them as separate items.

severally

adv

Many times over; again and again.

severance

noun

The act of ending or cutting off a relationship, connection, or employment.

severe

adjective

Very bad, intense, or extreme.

severed

adjective

Cut off or completely separated.

severely

adverb

In a harsh, extreme, or intense way.

severeness

noun

How severe something is.

severing

noun

The act of cutting something off or apart.

severity

noun

The quality of being harsh, strict, or extreme.

Severus

name

A masculine given name of Latin origin, meaning "stern" or "severe," historically borne by Roman emperors.

Sevilla

name

The Spanish spelling of Seville, a city in southern Spain.

Seville

name

A city in southern Spain, capital of the region of Andalusia, known for its cathedral and Moorish architecture.