English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

statistic

noun

A single numerical fact drawn from a larger study or set of data.

statistical

adj

Relating to statistics or based on numerical data analysis.

statistically

adv

From the point of view of statistics or based on statistical evidence.

statistics

noun

The branch of mathematics concerned with collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data.

statue

noun

A three-dimensional sculpture, usually of a person or animal, made from stone, metal, or another solid material.

statues

noun

Plural of statue; also the name of a children's game where players must freeze in place without moving.

statuette

noun

A small statue, often made of bronze, marble, or a similar material.

stature

noun

A person or animal's natural height when standing upright.

statute

noun

A formal law passed by a parliament, congress, or other legislative body.

statutory

adj

Required, defined, or governed by a specific law rather than by custom or agreement.

staunch

adj

Firmly loyal and unwavering in support of a person, belief, or cause.

stave

noun

One of the curved wooden strips fitted together to form the side of a barrel or cask.

Stavros

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning "cross."

stay

verb

To remain in a place rather than leaving.

staying

noun

A period of remaining in or visiting a place.

stays

noun

A stiff, boned undergarment worn to shape the torso, historically an early form of corset.

stead

noun

The place or role of someone or something, especially when taken over by a replacement, as in "in his stead."

steadfast

adj

Firm and unwavering in loyalty, belief, or purpose.

steadily

adv

In a consistent, even, and gradually progressing manner.

Steadman

name

An English surname, an occupational name for a herdsman or farm worker.

steady

adj

Firmly fixed or balanced; not shaking or wobbling.

steak

noun

A thick slice of meat, especially beef, cooked by grilling or frying.

steakhouse

noun

A restaurant that specializes in serving steak and other cuts of meat.

steal

verb

To take something that belongs to someone else without permission or intention of returning it.

stealing

noun

The act of taking something without permission; theft.

steals

noun

In baseball, the count of bases a player has successfully stolen.

stealth

noun

The quality of acting secretly or without being noticed.

stealthily

adv

In a secretive, unnoticed manner.

stealthy

adj

Done in a quiet, secretive way to avoid being noticed.

steam

noun

The hot vapor that water turns into when it boils.

steamboat

noun

A boat powered by a steam engine.

steamed

adj

Cooked using steam.

steamer

noun

A ship or boat powered by a steam engine.

steaming

adj

Giving off visible steam or heat.

steamroller

noun

A heavy vehicle with large rollers used to flatten road surfaces.

steamship

noun

A large ship powered by a steam engine.

steamy

adj

Full of steam or humid heat.

Steckler

name

A surname of German origin.

Stedman

noun

A traditional method of change ringing (a pattern for ringing a set of church bells in a fixed sequence) used with an odd number of bells.

steed

noun

A horse, especially a spirited one used for riding, often in literary or poetic contexts.

steel

noun

A strong, hard metal made from iron combined with carbon and other elements.

Steele

name

An English surname, an occupational name for a worker in steel, and a variant spelling of the metal name.

steely

adj

Cold, hard, and unyielding in manner or determination.

Steen

noun

Chenin blanc, a variety of white wine grape (used especially in South African wine).

steep

adj

Rising or falling at a sharp angle, close to vertical.

steeper

noun

A container used for soaking or steeping something.

steeple

noun

A tall, pointed tower on a building, especially a church, usually topped with a spire.

steer

verb

To control the direction of a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft, typically using a wheel, rudder, or handlebars.

steerage

noun

Historically, the cheapest section of a passenger ship, with shared, basic accommodation rather than private cabins.

steering

noun

The mechanism or system that lets a driver control the direction of a vehicle.

Stef

name

An informal short form of Stefan, Stefanie, or Stephanie.

Stefan

name

A male given name of Greek origin, also used as a surname of German or Austrian origin.

Stefani

name

A feminine given name and Italian surname, a variant of Stephanie, notably the surname of singer Gwen Stefani.

Steffen

name

A masculine given name and surname, a German and Scandinavian form of Stephen.

Steffi

name

A feminine given name, a short form of Stephanie, notably borne by tennis champion Steffi Graf.

Stegman

name

A surname of German origin.

stein

noun

A large mug, typically made of ceramic or glass, used for drinking beer.

Steinberg

name

A surname of German and Jewish origin meaning "stone mountain."

Steiner

name

A surname of German origin, notably borne by philosopher and educator Rudolf Steiner.

Steinmetz

name

A surname of German origin, an occupational name for a stonemason.

stell

verb

To set something firmly in place; to fix or prop up.

Stella

noun

Informal British slang for a pint of Stella Artois lager.

stellar

adj

Relating to stars.

stem

noun

The main stalk of a plant that supports leaves, flowers, or fruit.

stemming

noun

A technique in computing and search engines that reduces words to their base or root form.

Sten

noun

A lightweight British submachine gun developed for World War II, prized for how cheaply and quickly it could be mass-produced.

stench

noun

A strong, unpleasant smell.

stencil

noun

A sheet with a cut-out pattern used to apply paint or ink in that shape onto a surface.

stenographer

noun

Someone trained to write in shorthand or use a stenotype machine, typically to transcribe speech quickly, as in courtrooms.

stent

noun

A small tube inserted into a blood vessel or other passage in the body to keep it open.

step

noun

A single movement of the foot when walking, or one of a set of surfaces used to go up or down, as on a staircase.

Stepan

name

A masculine given name, a Slavic form of Stephen.

stepbrother

noun

The son of one's stepparent from a previous relationship.

stepdad

noun

An informal word for a stepfather.

stepdaughter

noun

The daughter of one's spouse from an earlier relationship.

stepfather

noun

The man married to one's biological or adoptive parent, who is not one's own biological father.

Stepford

adj

Eerily obedient and conformist, especially in a way that suggests someone has had their individuality stripped away.

Steph

name

A short, informal form of the names Stephanie or Stephen.

Stephan

name

A masculine given name, a variant spelling of Stephen.

stephane

noun

A tall, crown-like headdress worn in ancient Greece, often by women or on statues of goddesses.

Stephanie

name

A female given name, the standard feminine form of Stephen.

Stephen

name

A male given name of Greek origin, meaning "crown."

Stephens

name

An English surname meaning "son of Stephen."

Stephie

name

An informal short form of Stephanie.

stepmom

noun

A casual, everyday word for a stepmother — the woman married to one's father who isn't one's birth mother.

steppe

noun

A vast, largely treeless grassland plain, especially in Eastern Europe and Asia.

stepped

adj

Having a series of level surfaces or offsets, like the steps of a staircase.

Steppes

name

Used as a proper name for the vast grassland regions of Eurasia, such as the Russian and Central Asian steppes.

stepping

noun

The action of putting one foot in front of the other; walking.

steps

noun

A sequence of individual movements or actions taken to get somewhere or accomplish something.

stepsister

noun

A girl or woman who is the daughter of your stepparent from an earlier relationship, and to whom you're not related by blood.

stepson

noun

A boy or man who is the son of your spouse from an earlier relationship.

stereo

noun

A sound system or recording that uses two or more separate channels to give a sense of space and direction to the audio.

stereotype

noun

An oversimplified, fixed idea about a whole group of people, often unfair or inaccurate.

stereotypical

adjective

Matching a common, oversimplified idea of what something or someone should be like; predictable in an unoriginal way.

sterile

adjective

Free from all living germs and microorganisms.

sterility

noun

The state of being sterile — either unable to reproduce, or completely free of germs.

sterilization

noun

The process of killing off all germs and microorganisms on something.

sterilize

verb

To destroy all germs and microorganisms on or in something.

sterilized

adjective

Made completely free of germs and microorganisms.

sterling

adjective

Relating to the official currency of the United Kingdom, the pound sterling.

stern

adjective

Serious and strict in manner; harsh or severe.

sternum

noun

The flat bone in the center of the chest that the ribs connect to; the breastbone.

steroid

noun

One of a class of organic compounds, including hormones like testosterone and cortisol, built around a distinctive four-ring carbon structure.

stethoscope

noun

A medical instrument used to listen to sounds inside the body, such as the heartbeat or breathing.

Stetson

noun

A wide-brimmed felt hat, especially the style associated with cowboys.

Steve

verb

To load and pack cargo tightly into a ship's hold.

Steven

noun

(archaic) A loud voice, or the sound of one's voice.

Stevens

name

An English surname meaning "son of Steven."

Stevenson

name

An English and Scottish surname meaning "son of Steven," notably borne by author Robert Louis Stevenson.

Stevie

name

An informal given name, a short form of Steven, Stephen, or Stephanie, notably borne by musician Stevie Wonder.

stew

noun

A dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly together in liquid.

steward

noun

Someone who manages property, affairs, or resources on behalf of someone else.

stewardess

noun

A woman who works as a flight attendant, looking after passengers' comfort and safety.

Stewart

name

A Scottish surname and given name, an occupational name for a steward or household official, also the name of a Scottish royal house.

stewed

adjective

Cooked slowly in liquid.

Stewie

name

An informal short form of Stewart or Stuart, notably the name of a baby character on the animated show "Family Guy."

stewing

noun

The process of cooking something slowly in liquid.

stian

noun

A stye — a small, painful swelling on the eyelid caused by an infected gland.

stick

noun

A thin piece of wood, especially a fallen branch or twig.

sticker

noun

A small piece of paper or plastic with an adhesive back, used for decoration or labeling.

sticking

noun

A pattern of drum notes worked out for which hand plays which beat.

stickler

noun

A person who insists on strict adherence to rules, details, or standards.

sticks

noun

Informal: a rural or remote area, far from a city.

stickup

noun

An armed robbery.

sticky

adjective

Coated with a substance that clings to things it touches; tending to stick.

stiff

adjective

Rigid; not easily bent or moved.

stiffen

verb

To make something rigid or less flexible.

stiffer

noun

Vulgar slang for an erect penis.

stiffness

noun

The quality of being rigid or resistant to bending.

stiffy

noun

(vulgar, slang) An erection.

stifle

verb

To suppress or hold back something such as a sound, feeling, or reaction.

stifled

adj

Held back, suppressed, or muffled.

stifler

noun

Someone or something that suppresses or holds something back.

stifling

adj

Oppressively hot, airless, or restrictive.

stig

noun

British slang for someone seen as scruffy or from a rough background.

stigma

noun

A mark of shame or disgrace attached to a person, group, or condition.

Stiles

name

An English surname, originally referring to someone who lived near a set of steps over a fence.

stiletto

noun

A short, slender knife or dagger used for stabbing.

still

adj

Not moving; calm and motionless.

stillborn

adj

Dead at the moment of birth.

stiller

noun

Someone or something that stills or calms something else.

Stillman

noun

A person who operates a still used for distilling liquids.

stillness

noun

The state of being calm, quiet, and without movement.

Stillson

noun

A type of adjustable wrench with serrated jaws, used for gripping pipes; also called a pipe wrench.

Stillwater

name

A place name shared by several towns in the United States, including cities in Oklahoma and Minnesota.

Stillwell

name

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "calm spring" or "still well."

Stilton

noun

A strong, blue-veined English cheese.

stimulant

noun

A substance that increases activity in the body or nervous system.

stimulate

verb

To encourage activity, growth, or interest.