English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

snippy

adjective

Short-tempered and curt, especially in a slightly condescending way.

snips

noun

Another word for shears, a hand tool used for cutting things such as sheet metal.

snitch

verb

To inform on someone, often betraying a friend or group.

snitcher

noun

One who snitches; an informer or informant.

snitchy

adj

Typical of an informer or the act of informing; tell-tale.

snithe

verb

To cut something with a knife or blade, for example to harvest a crop or kill an animal.

snivel

verb

To breathe noisily through a blocked nose.

sniveler

noun

Someone who snivels.

snivelling

noun

Whimpering or complaining tearfully in an annoying or weak way.

snivelly

adj

Having a nose that keeps running.

Snively

name

An English surname of uncertain origin, occasionally used as a given name.

snob

noun

A person who looks down on others they consider to have lower taste, status, or refinement.

snobbish

adjective

Behaving like a snob; arrogantly looking down on people seen as less refined.

snobby

adjective

Snobbish; acting or feeling superior to others.

snog

verb

To kiss someone passionately.

snood

noun

A tube of soft fabric worn round the neck and pulled up over the mouth or head for warmth, with no fastening.

snook

noun

A large, silvery game fish found in warm coastal and freshwater regions.

snooker

noun

A cue sport played on a large table with 22 balls, popular in the UK and Commonwealth.

snookered

adj

(snooker) Blocked by another ball so that you cannot hit the ball you need to hit directly.

snookums

noun

(informal) An affectionate name used for a loved one, especially a child.

snoop

verb

To secretly investigate or pry into someone else's private matters.

snooper

noun

Someone who snoops, prying into other people's private affairs.

snooping

noun

The act of secretly prying into someone else's private matters.

Snoopy

adjective

Inclined to pry into other people's business; nosy.

snoot

noun

An informal word for a nose or snout, often used playfully for animals.

snootful

noun

A large amount of alcohol that someone has drunk.

snooty

adj

Acting superior to others; snobbish and haughty.

snooze

verb

To sleep lightly for a short time; to nap.

snoozer

noun

Someone who is having a short sleep.

snoozy

adj

So boring that it makes you feel like falling asleep.

snore

verb

To make a loud, rough breathing sound while asleep.

snoring

noun

The act or sound of breathing noisily while asleep.

snorkel

noun

A tube you hold in your mouth or fit to a diving mask so you can breathe while your face is underwater.

snorkeling

noun

Swimming at the surface of the water using a snorkel to breathe while looking below.

snort

noun

A short, harsh sound made by forcing air through the nose.

snorting

noun

The act of making a harsh sound through the nose.

snot

noun

Mucus from the nose.

snotball

noun

A lump of mucus that has been spat out.

snotrag

noun

(informal) A cloth used for blowing your nose.

snotty

adj

Covered in or full of nasal mucus.

snotwad

noun

A soft lump made of mucus.

snout

noun

The projecting nose and mouth of an animal, especially a pig.

snow

noun

Soft white flakes of frozen water that fall from the sky in cold weather.

snowball

noun

A ball made of packed snow, often thrown for fun.

snowbird

noun

A bird, Junco hyemalis, also called the dark-eyed junco.

snowblower

noun

A machine that lifts snow off the ground and throws it aside to clear a path.

snowboard

noun

A wide board used to slide down snowy slopes, similar to a large skateboard without wheels.

snowboarding

noun

The sport of riding a snowboard down snowy slopes.

Snowden

name

An English surname and place name meaning "snow hill" or "snowy valley."

snowdrift

noun

A bank of snow piled up by the wind.

snowdrop

noun

A bulbous plant of the genus Galanthus, with a single hanging, white, bell-shaped flower.

snowfall

noun

An occurrence of snow falling, or the amount that falls.

snowflake

noun

A single small crystal of falling snow, usually with six-sided symmetry.

snowing

noun

The falling of snow.

snowman

noun

A figure shaped like a person, built by stacking balls of snow, often decorated with a face and arms.

snowmelt

noun

Water that flows away as snow melts.

snowmobile

noun

A motorized vehicle with skis at the front and a track at the back, used for traveling over snow.

snowplow

noun

A vehicle or attached blade used to push snow off roads and other surfaces.

snowshoe

noun

A flat frame or shoe worn on the foot to make it easier to walk over deep snow.

snowstorm

noun

A storm featuring strong winds and heavy snowfall.

snowy

adj

Covered in snow, or full of falling snow.

snozzled

adj

Drunk; intoxicated with alcohol.

snub

verb

To deliberately ignore or treat someone coldly, as an insult.

snubbing

noun

The action of treating someone with disdain; a rebuke.

snudge

verb

To keep and save money in a stingy way rather than spend it.

snuff

noun

Finely ground tobacco meant to be inhaled through the nose or held against the gum.

snuffbox

noun

A small container people use for carrying snuff or loose tobacco.

snuffle

verb

To sniff at something in a way that makes a loud noise.

snuffy

adj

Marked or dirtied with powdered tobacco.

snug

adj

Warm, cosy, and comfortable.

snuggery

noun

A cosy, comfortable room or home.

snuggle

verb

To settle into a warm, close, and comfortable position, often with another person.

snuggling

noun

The act of cuddling up close and comfortably with someone.

snuggly

adj

Warm and comfortable to hold close, in a way that invites a cuddle.

snugly

adv

Closely and comfortably, leaving little room to move.

snugness

noun

The feeling of being warm, cosy and comfortable.

Snyder

name

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

so

adv

To a great or specified extent; very.

so far

adverb

Up to the present moment, with the implication that things may still change.

so many

determiner

Such a large number of countable things that it produces a particular result or reaction.

so much

determiner

Such a large quantity of something uncountable that it produces a particular result or reaction.

so that

conjunction

Used to introduce the purpose or intention behind an action.

soak

verb

To leave something in liquid until it becomes thoroughly wet.

soakage

noun

The process of leaving something to soak.

soaked

adj

Extremely wet, as if drenched in water.

soaker

noun

A person or thing that soaks something.

soaking

noun

The act of being immersed in water or another liquid.

Soames

name

An English surname and occasional given name, notably used for the character Soames Forsyte.

soap

noun

A substance used with water to clean the skin or other surfaces.

soapbox

noun

A makeshift platform someone stands on to give an impromptu speech, or, figuratively, any opportunity to voice strong opinions.

soapwort

noun

Soapwort is any perennial herb of the genus Saponaria.

soapy

adj

Covered in or full of soap; resembling soap.

soar

verb

To fly high in the air with little effort, especially by gliding on air currents.

soaring

adj

Rising rapidly to a great height.

sob

verb

To cry with short, gasping breaths.

soba

noun

A thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour, served hot in broth or cold with a dipping sauce.

sobbing

noun

The act of crying with gasping breaths.

sober

adj

Not drunk or affected by alcohol or drugs.

sobering

adj

Making you think seriously or feel less carefree, often because of something troubling.

soberly

adv

In a calm, serious and controlled way.

soberness

noun

The condition of not being drunk, or of behaving in a calm, serious way.

sobful

adj

Crying with sobs.

sobriety

noun

The state of not being drunk or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

sobriquet

noun

A nickname for a person or thing that describes something about them.

soc

noun

Informal short form of "sociology" or "social science," especially as a school or university subject.

soccer

noun

Association football, the sport played with a round ball moved mainly by kicking, not touched by hand except by the goalkeeper.

sociable

adj

Enjoying the company of others and easy to talk to; friendly.

sociableness

noun

The quality of enjoying company and mixing easily with others.

social

adj

Relating to society, communities, or how people interact with each other.

social Darwinism

noun

The discredited belief that Darwin's idea of natural selection applies to human society, so that wealth and power prove a group's fitness and that helping the poor or weak interferes with progress.

social justice

noun

The principle that wealth, opportunity and rights should be distributed fairly across a society, and the political and campaigning work aimed at achieving that.

social media

noun

Websites and apps on which people create profiles and share posts, photos, video and messages with a network of other users; the platforms collectively, and the activity of using them.

socialism

noun

A political and economic system in which the means of production, distribution, and wealth are owned or controlled collectively, often by the state, rather than by private individuals.

socialist

adj

Relating to or supporting socialism.

socialite

noun

A person well known for attending fashionable parties and mixing in high society, often covered by the media.

sociality

noun

The tendency to enjoy mixing and forming relationships with other people.

socialization

noun

The process, especially in children, of learning how to behave in ways that fit in with the rest of society.

socialize

verb

To spend time with others in a friendly, informal way.

socializing

noun

The activity of spending time with other people in a friendly way.

socially

adv

In a friendly, informal way, in the context of social interaction.

socials

noun

(informal) Short for the school subject social studies.

societal

adj

Relating to society as a whole and its structures, norms, or customs.

society

noun

A large group of people who share a culture, laws, and way of life, typically within a country or region.

sociocultural

adj

Connected with both a society and its culture.

socioeconomic

adjective

Relating to the combination of a person's or group's social position and financial circumstances, such as income, education, occupation and class.

sociofugal

adj

Describes a space arranged so that each person in a group can keep some distance and privacy from the others.

sociolinguistics

noun

The study of how society and culture affect language, and how language affects society.

sociological

adj

Relating to sociology, the study of society and social behavior.

sociology

noun

The academic study of society, human social behavior, and the relationships and institutions people form.

sociopath

noun

A person with an antisocial personality disorder marked by a lack of empathy and disregard for others' rights.

sociopathic

adj

Showing the traits of a sociopath, such as manipulation and lack of empathy.

sock

noun

A knitted covering for the foot and lower leg, worn inside a shoe.

socked

adj

Wearing socks, especially without shoes.

socket

noun

A hollow opening designed to hold or receive a matching part, such as an electrical plug or a light bulb.

Socks

name

A common informal pet name, especially for a cat with white-colored paws.

SoCo

name

A short form or nickname, and the name of a town in North Carolina.

Socrates

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin, most famously borne by the classical Athenian philosopher.

sod

noun

A layer of grass-covered soil held together by roots; turf.

soda

noun

A sweet carbonated soft drink.

sodality

noun

A club or organisation whose members share a common aim.

sodbuster

noun

A farmer or farm worker who ploughs up new ground for growing crops.

sodden

adj

Extremely wet all the way through.

sodding

adjective

British slang used to add emphasis, usually showing annoyance or frustration, similar to "bloody" or "damn".

sodium

noun

A soft, silvery, highly reactive chemical element (symbol Na) that never occurs alone in nature.

Sodom

name

A city described in the Bible as destroyed, along with Gomorrah, as divine punishment for the wickedness of its people.

sodomise

verb

To have sodomy with someone; to be the penetrating partner in anal, or occasionally oral, sex, especially without the other person's consent.

sodomist

noun

A person who has anal sex.

sodomite

noun

A person who has anal sex.

sodomitess

noun

A woman who has anal sex.

sodomize

verb

An American and Oxford British English standard spelling of sodomise.