English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

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.

shyanne

name

A female forename that is a variant of Cheyenne.

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.

siang

name

The name of a district in Arunachal Pradesh, India.

siao

adj

Crazy or mad.

sib

adj

Related by blood; part of the same family.

Siberia

name

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

Siberian

adj

Relating to Siberia.

sibilant

adj

Making a hissing sound, as with the s or sh in English.

sibilate

verb

To make a hissing noise while speaking.

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.

sibylline

adj

Relating to a sibyl, a woman believed able to foretell the future.

sic

adv

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

sicario

noun

A hired killer, especially one working for a Latin American drug cartel.

sice

noun

The number six when playing with dice.

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.

sickhouse

noun

A place where the sick or injured receive care; a hospital.

sickish

adj

Feeling a little unwell, but not badly ill.

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.

sidal

adj

Relating to a person's side, rather than their front or back.

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.

sidebox

noun

A box placed alongside the main text in a book, etc. containing further related text.

sideburn

noun

The unwanted fast burning along one side of a badly rolled cigarette.

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.

sidelight

noun

A light fitted to the side of something, such as a car.

sideline

noun

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

sideling

adj

Pointing or leaning to one side.

sideload

verb

To move data straight from one local device to another, without going through a remote server.

sidelong

adj

Aimed or pointing to one side rather than straight ahead.

sidely

adj

Relating to or situated at the side of something; lateral.

sidereal

adjective

Relating to or connected with the stars.

sideshow

noun

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

sideslip

noun

A flying manoeuvre using opposite rudder and aileron controls to move the aircraft sideways while keeping its heading unchanged.

sidesplitting

adj

Extremely funny; likely to make people laugh a great deal.

sidestep

noun

A movement in which someone steps sideways.

sidestepping

noun

The action of stepping to one side, either literally or as a way of avoiding an issue.

sideswipe

noun

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

sidetrack

noun

A short stretch of railway track set beside the main line and joined to it by points, used for loading and unloading goods or for letting trains pass each other.

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.

sidhe

name

A race of supernatural beings, the sidhe, that appear in Gaelic folklore and are similar to fairies or elves.

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.

sidling

noun

The movement made by someone who sidles.

sidney

name

An English surname of habitational origin.

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.

siegehouse

noun

A small outdoor building containing a toilet.

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.

sifter

noun

An implement used for sifting, particularly one for powdered food ingredients.

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.

sig

noun

A short block of text automatically added to the end of an email or forum post, often with the sender's name and contact details.

siggy

noun

Informal word for a sig — the signature text at the end of an email or forum post.

sigh

verb

To let out a long, audible breath, usually as a sign of tiredness, sadness, relief, or frustration.

sighing

noun

The act of letting out sighs.

sight

noun

The ability to see; vision.

sighted

adj

Able to see; not blind.

sightedness

noun

The state of being able to see.

sighting

noun

An instance of seeing something, especially something rare, unusual, or being searched for.

sightless

adj

Unable to see; blind.

sightlessness

noun

The condition of being unable to see; blindness.

sightly

adj

Nice to look at; pleasant in appearance.

sightseeing

noun

Visiting and looking at places of interest, typically as a tourist.

sightseer

noun

Someone who travels around looking at interesting places; a tourist.

sigma

noun

The eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet (Σ, σ).

Sigmund

name

A masculine given name of Germanic origin, meaning "victorious protector," notably borne by Sigmund Freud.

sign

noun

A visible indication that something exists, is happening, or is about to happen.

signage

noun

Signs collectively, especially those used for directions, advertising, or safety information.

signal

noun

Something transmitted or displayed that conveys information, such as a light, sound, or electrical impulse.

signaletic

adj

(specialist) Relating to an old method of identifying people by measuring parts of the body.

signaling

noun

The sending or transmission of a signal, especially in biology, electronics, or communication systems.

signalise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of signalize.

signalize

verb

To make something stand out or be seen as important.

signalling

noun

The use of signals to communicate, especially in telecommunications or transport systems.

signatory

noun

One who signs or has signed something.

signature

noun

A person's name written by their own hand, used to confirm identity or approval.

signboard

noun

A board displaying a sign, or used for putting up notices.

Signe

name

A feminine Scandinavian given name, meaning "new victory."

signed

adj

Bearing a signature; formally agreed to or authenticated.

signet

noun

An item, often a ring, once used to press a design into wax on a document to show where it came from.

significance

noun

The quality of being important or having a noticeable effect.

significant

adj

Important enough to be noticed or to have a real effect.

significant other

noun

The person someone is in a long-term romantic relationship with, named this way when the speaker does not want to specify whether they are a husband, wife, partner, girlfriend or boyfriend.

significantly

adv

To a noticeable or important extent.

signification

noun

The act of showing what something means, or the meaning itself.

signify

verb

To be a sign of; to indicate or represent something.

signifying

noun

The act of representing or indicating a meaning.

signing

noun

The act of formally agreeing to a contract, especially for a sports player or performer.

signora

noun

An Italian title of respect for a married or older woman, equivalent to "Mrs" or "madam".

signore

noun

An Italian title of respect for a man, equivalent to "Mr" or "sir".

signorina

noun

An Italian title of respect for an unmarried woman or young girl, equivalent to "Miss".

signpost

noun

A post with a sign that shows directions or distances.

Sigrid

name

A feminine Scandinavian given name, meaning "beautiful victory."

Sigurd

name

A masculine Scandinavian given name, meaning "guardian of victory," the Norse counterpart of Siegfried.

sike

noun

(regional) A small stream that often dries up in summer, or the ditch or boggy ground it flows through.

Sikes

name

An English surname, notably borne by the villain Bill Sikes in Dickens's Oliver Twist.

Sikh

noun

A follower of Sikhism, a religion founded in the Punjab region of South Asia.

sil

noun

A yellow colouring substance that painters used long ago.

silane

noun

(chemistry) Any of a family of compounds made of silicon and hydrogen that are similar to alkanes, especially the basic compound SiH4.

Silas

name

A masculine given name of Latin origin, meaning "of the forest," and a companion of the apostle Paul in the New Testament.

sile

noun

(dialect) A column or pillar.

silence

noun

Complete absence of sound.

silenced

adjective

Made quiet; stopped from making noise or being heard.

silencer

noun

A device fitted to a gun barrel to reduce the noise of firing.

silene

noun

In chemistry, a molecule containing a silicon atom joined to another atom by a double bond, the silicon counterpart of an alkene.

silent

adjective

Making no sound at all; completely quiet.

silently

adverb

Without making any sound.

silhouette

noun

A dark solid outline or shape seen against a lighter background, showing only the outer form.

silica

noun

Silicon dioxide, the chemical compound that makes up sand, quartz, and most glass.

silicon

noun

A hard, non-metallic chemical element (symbol Si) that is the basis of computer chips and most rock and sand on Earth.

silicone

noun

A flexible, heat-resistant synthetic material made from silicon, used in everything from bakeware to sealants to medical implants.