English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

sew

verb

To join or repair fabric by passing thread through it with a needle.

sewage

noun

Waste water and solid waste carried away through sewers for treatment or disposal.

sewed

adjective

Made or joined by sewing.

Sewell

name

An English surname, likely derived from an Old English place name meaning "sea well" or "sea stream."

sewer

noun

An underground pipe or channel that carries away waste water and sewage.

sewerage

noun

A connected set of pipes that carries dirty water away from an area.

sewing

noun

The activity of joining or repairing fabric with a needle and thread.

sex

noun

The biological category — male or female — based on reproductive roles.

sex appeal

noun

The quality of being sexually attractive to others, whether from looks, manner, voice or confidence.

sexable

adj

(informal) Sexually appealing; someone you would want to sleep with.

sexagenarian

noun

Someone aged between sixty and sixty-nine.

sexangular

adj

Six-sided; shaped like a hexagon.

sexiness

noun

How sexy someone or something is, or how much sexual appeal they have.

sexism

noun

Prejudice or discrimination based on a person's sex, especially against women.

sexist

adjective

Discriminating unfairly against people based on their sex.

sexless

adjective

Lacking sexual activity or desire.

sexlessness

noun

The condition of having no sexual quality.

sexology

noun

The study of sex and sexuality, generally approached from a psychological or clinical angle.

sextant

noun

A navigational instrument with a graduated arc and mirrors, used to measure the angle between a celestial body and the horizon in order to work out latitude and position at sea.

sextate

verb

To cut something down by a sixth of its original amount.

sextet

noun

Any set of six people or things together.

sextillion

num

The number written as a 1 followed by twenty-one zeros.

sexting

noun

Sending sexually explicit text messages or photos by phone.

sexton

noun

A church official who maintains the building and churchyard, and sometimes digs graves or rings bells.

sextuplet

noun

A set of six items.

sexual

adjective

Relating to sex, gender, or reproduction.

sexuality

noun

A person's sexual orientation, desires, or identity.

sexually

adverb

In a manner relating to sex or sexual intercourse.

sexy

adjective

Sexually attractive or appealing.

Seychelles

proper noun

An island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa.

Seymour

name

An English surname and masculine given name, derived from the Norman place name Saint-Maur.

SFS

noun

Shoutout for shoutout: an arrangement in which two social media users each promote the other's account to their own followers.

Sgt

noun

Abbreviation for sergeant, used before a name or rank.

sha

noun

The name of the Cyrillic letter Ш, used in Russian and other Slavic alphabets.

shabbat

name

The Jewish Sabbath, from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday, commemorating God's rest on the seventh day in the book of Genesis.

shabbos

name

A form of shabbos written with different letter casing.

shabby

adjective

Worn out or in poor condition from age or neglect.

shabu

noun

(informal) Methamphetamine.

shack

noun

A small, roughly built hut or cabin.

shackle

verb

To restrain someone with chains or metal restraints.

shackled

adjective

Restrained by chains or metal restraints.

Shackleton

proper noun

A surname, most famously belonging to Ernest Shackleton, the British Antarctic explorer.

shackly

adj

Wobbly and likely to fall apart; rickety.

shad

noun

A type of herring-like food fish that lives in the sea but spawns in rivers.

shade

noun

An area of relative darkness where direct sunlight is blocked.

shaded

adjective

Protected from direct sunlight.

shades

noun

Sunglasses (informal).

shading

noun

The technique or effect of adding darker tones to a drawing or picture to suggest depth or shadow.

shadow

noun

A dark shape cast on a surface when something blocks light.

shadowed

adjective

Marked with shading, as if partly covered in shadow.

shadowing

noun

The act of secretly following and watching someone, keeping them under close observation.

shadowy

adjective

Dim, dark, or full of shadows.

Shadwell

name

An English surname and place name, referring to a district in East London.

shady

adjective

Sheltered from direct sunlight; full of shade.

Shaeffer

name

A surname of German origin, a variant spelling of Schaefer, meaning "shepherd."

shaft

noun

A long, narrow, straight part of a tool, weapon, or machine — such as a handle, pole, or rotating rod that transmits power.

shafted

adjective

Fitted or equipped with a shaft or handle.

shag

noun

A tangled or shaggy mass of hair or fibres, or a thick, rough carpet pile.

shaggable

adj

(informal) Sexually desirable; worth having sex with.

shagged

adjective

Covered in long, rough, or tangled hair or growth.

shagging

noun

The act of having sex (crude slang).

shaggy

adjective

Covered in long, thick, untidy hair or fur.

shah

noun

A historical title for the king or ruler of Persia (modern-day Iran).

shaheed

noun

A Muslim or Sikh who has died carrying out a religious duty and is believed to enter Paradise.

Shahid

name

A masculine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "witness" or "martyr."

shaitan

noun

A devil, demon or evil spirit.

shaka

noun

A friendly hand gesture — thumb and little finger extended, middle fingers curled in — used to say hello, goodbye, or "all good".

shake

verb

To move something rapidly back and forth or up and down.

shakedown

noun

Extortion — pressuring someone for money through threats or blackmail.

shaken

adjective

Emotionally disturbed or upset, having lost one's composure.

shaker

noun

A small container used to sprinkle a granular substance, such as salt or pepper.

shakes

noun

Uncontrollable trembling, often caused by alcohol withdrawal or fear.

Shakespeare

noun

Used to refer to William Shakespeare, the English playwright and poet, or his body of work.

Shakespearean

adjective

Relating to, or characteristic of, William Shakespeare or his plays.

shakily

adverb

In a trembling or unsteady manner.

shakiness

noun

How shaky something or someone is.

shaking

noun

A trembling or vibrating movement.

Shakira

name

A feminine given name of Arabic origin, meaning "grateful" or "thankful," notably borne by the Colombian singer Shakira.

shako

noun

A tall, stiff military cap with a front badge, a small peak and a feather plume.

Shakti

noun

In Hindu belief, the divine feminine energy or creative power seen as animating the universe, sometimes personified as a goddess.

Shakuntala

name

A feminine Indian given name, famous as the heroine of an ancient Sanskrit legend and play by Kalidasa.

shaky

adjective

Trembling or unsteady, whether physically or figuratively.

shale

noun

A soft, fine-grained sedimentary rock that splits easily into thin layers.

Shalimar

name

A name associated with famous Mughal gardens in South Asia, also used as a feminine given name and a perfume brand.

shall

verb

Used before a verb, traditionally with "I" or "we", to express simple future tense.

shallot

noun

A small onion-family vegetable, used in cooking.

shallow

adjective

Not deep; having little depth of water, thought, or feeling.

shallows

noun

A shallow part of a lake, river, or sea.

shalom

interjection

A traditional Jewish greeting or farewell, meaning peace.

sham

adjective

Fake or intended to deceive; not genuine.

shaman

noun

A person believed to act as a go-between between the human and spirit worlds, often serving as a healer within their community.

shamanism

noun

A set of traditional beliefs and practices built around contacting the spirit world.

Shamar

name

A masculine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "to guard" or "keeper."

shamble

noun

One of a series of stepped platforms used to raise ore by tipping it upward from level to level.

shambles

noun

A scene of complete disorder, mess, or chaos.

shambling

adj

Walking with a slow, shuffling, dragging step.

shambo

noun

A style of Namibian music made by the Ovambo people, blending traditional rhythms with reggae influence.

shame

noun

A painful feeling of embarrassment or guilt caused by awareness of having done something wrong or improper.

shamed

adjective

Made to feel ashamed or publicly disgraced.

shamefaced

adj

Shy or modest, seeming a little embarrassed.

shameful

adj

Deserving of shame or disgrace; disgraceful.

shamefully

adv

In a way that deserves shame or disgrace.

shameless

adj

Feeling or showing no shame or embarrassment, even when it would be expected.

shamelessly

adv

Without any shame or embarrassment; brazenly.

shaming

noun

The act of publicly criticising or humiliating someone to make them feel ashamed.

shammer

noun

Someone who fakes or pretends; a fraud.

shammy

noun

Soft leather made from the skin of a chamois or a similar animal.

shampoo

noun

A liquid soap-like product made for washing hair.

shamrock

noun

A small clover leaf with three leaflets, widely used as a symbol of Ireland.

shamus

noun

Informal American slang for a private detective.

shan

noun

A member of an ethnic group of around six million people living mainly in Myanmar's Shan State, with communities also in China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Shana

name

A female given name, an anglicized form of the Welsh name Siân.

Shane

name

A given name, traditionally male, of Irish origin.

shang

noun

A traditional Chinese unit of land area, roughly equal to one hectare.

shanghai

verb

To trick or force someone into doing something, or going somewhere, against their will.

Shania

name

A female given name, popularized by the country singer Shania Twain.

shank

noun

The lower leg, between the knee and the ankle, in people or animals.

Shankar

name

A male given name of Sanskrit origin, common in India, meaning roughly "one who brings happiness."

shanked

adj

Fitted with or having a shank.

Shanks

name

A surname, most often of English or Scottish origin.

Shannon

name

The longest river in Ireland, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, and the town and airport near its mouth.

shanti

noun

Peace or inner tranquility, as understood in Hindu and Buddhist thought.

shanty

noun

A small, roughly built hut or shack, often makeshift.

shantytown

noun

A district made up of huts, shacks and other rough, makeshift homes.

Shanxi

name

A province in northern China, whose capital is Taiyuan.

shanzhai

noun

(informal) The copying of well-known brands to make cheap fake goods, especially electronics from China.

Shao

name

A Chinese surname.

Shaolin

name

A group of Chinese martial arts traditions linked to the Shaolin Monastery.

shape

noun

The outline or form of something, defined by its outer edges or surface.

shaped

adj

Formed into a particular shape.

shapeless

adj

Lacking a clear or defined shape.

shapely

adj

Having an attractive, well-proportioned shape or figure.

shapen

adj

Given a particular form; moulded into shape.

shapeshifter

noun

A being (real or fictional) able to change its physical form at will.

shaping

noun

The process of giving something form, direction, or structure.

Shapiro

name

A surname of Yiddish origin, tracing back to the German city of Speyer.

Shaq

name

A short form of the given name Shaquille.

Shaquille

name

A male given name, popular in the United States, styled after an Arabic word meaning "handsome."

shard

noun

A sharp broken piece of glass, pottery, or similar brittle material.

shards

noun

Plural of shard: broken sharp-edged fragments.

share

noun

A portion of something that is divided among people.

shared

adj

Used, owned, or experienced by more than one person.

shareholder

noun

A person or organisation that owns shares in a company.

Shari

noun

Vinegared rice used to make sushi.

sharia

noun

Islamic religious law, derived from the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, covering both religious duties and everyday conduct.

sharif

noun

A traditional Arab title given to someone entrusted with protecting a tribe and its interests.

sharing

noun

The act of letting others use or enjoy something along with you.

shark

noun

A large predatory fish with a skeleton made of cartilage rather than bone, known for its rows of sharp teeth.

Sharkey

name

A surname of Irish origin.

sharky

adj

Resembling a shark in look or behaviour.