English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

stash

verb

To put something away safely or secretly, meaning to use later.

Stasi

noun

Someone who spies on or closely monitors others in a way associated with secret police, often said of intrusive surveillance.

stasis

noun

A state of no movement or change; a standstill.

stat

adv

Right away; immediately — especially in medical or urgent contexts.

state

noun

The particular condition someone or something is in at a given time.

state of the art

adjective

Using the most advanced methods or technology currently available.

statecraft

noun

Another word for statesmanship, the skill of governing a country well.

stated

adj

Said or written down explicitly.

stateless

adjective

Of a system, protocol or process, not keeping any record of what happened in previous requests.

stateliness

noun

The quality of being stately.

stately

adj

Grand and dignified in appearance or manner.

statement

noun

Something said or written that expresses a fact, opinion, or position.

Staten

name

A surname and the name of Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.

stateroom

noun

A private cabin on a ship or train, often reserved for passengers paying for extra comfort.

stateside

adj

Located in, or relating to, the United States, especially when described from abroad.

statesman

noun

A respected, experienced political leader, especially one known for wisdom and integrity rather than mere ambition.

statewide

adj

Affecting or covering an entire state (a political subdivision such as a US state).

static

adj

Not moving or changing; staying the same over time.

stating

verb

Saying or writing something clearly and directly (the -ing form of state).

station

noun

A regular stopping place for trains, buses, or other transportation.

stationary

adj

Not moving; staying in one place.

stationed

adj

Assigned or placed in a specific location to perform a duty.

stationery

noun

Writing materials — paper, pens, envelopes, and similar office supplies.

stationing

noun

The act of placing someone in a location to carry out military service.

stationmaster

noun

The person in charge of running a railway station.

stations

noun

Plural of station; regular stopping places, assigned posts, or broadcasting channels.

statism

noun

Another word for secularism, the idea that religious matters should give way to political practicality.

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.

stator

noun

The fixed part of a motor or similar machine.

statuary

noun

The skill or activity of creating statues.

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.

status

noun

The current state or condition of something at a given moment.

status quo

noun

The way things are at present, especially when contrasted with a proposed change.

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.

staunton

name

A village and civil parish next to Corse, Forest of Dean district, Gloucestershire, England (OS grid ref SO7829).

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.

steadfastly

adv

In a firm and determined way; with unwavering resolve.

steadfastness

noun

Loyalty and commitment shown even when things are difficult.

steadily

adv

In a consistent, even, and gradually progressing manner.

steadiness

noun

The condition of being steady.

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.

stealer

noun

A person who steals things; a thief.

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.

steamroll

verb

To crush something flat, as a heavy roller would.

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.

steatocystoma

noun

A cyst that forms in a sebaceous duct.

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.

steek

verb

To sew something using a needle and thread.

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.

steelie

noun

A one-cent coin made of steel coated with zinc, minted during the Second World War because of shortages of copper.

steelworks

noun

A factory where steel is made or shaped.

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.

steeping

noun

An occasion when something is left to soak in liquid.

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.

steerer

noun

Someone or something that guides or controls the direction of something.

steering

noun

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

steersman

noun

A person who steers a boat or ship.

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.

stefanie

name

A female first name of French, a less common spelling of Stephanie, from the French Stéphanie, feminine form of Stephen origin.

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.

stela

noun

An upright stone slab or pillar, often set up as a memorial or a marker on a grave.

stele

noun

An upright stone slab carved or painted with inscriptions or images, especially one surviving from antiquity.

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.

stellate

adj

Star-shaped, with points spreading out from a middle point.

stellify

verb

To transform from an earthly body into a celestial body; to place in the sky as such

stellion

noun

A type of lizard with olive-green skin and small star-shaped spots, found among rocks around the Mediterranean.

stem

noun

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

stemma

noun

A chart or written record showing a family's ancestors.

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.

stenchy

adj

Smelling very unpleasant.

stencil

noun

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

steno

noun

A stenographer: a person employed to record speech in shorthand.

stenographer

noun

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

stenography

noun

The skill of writing down speech quickly, usually in shorthand, so it can be read back later.

stenosis

noun

An abnormal narrowing of a passage in the body, such as a blood vessel, heart valve or the spinal canal, which restricts what can pass through it.

stent

noun

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

stentorian

adj

Very loud and powerful, like a voice that can fill a large hall or reach a crowd.

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.

step by step

adverb

By moving through one stage at a time, in a fixed order, so that nothing is skipped.

Stepan

name

A masculine given name, a Slavic form of Stephen.

stepbrother

noun

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

stepchild

noun

The child of one's husband or wife from an earlier 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.

stepfordian

adj

Behaving like an obedient, characterless person who does whatever they are told.

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."

stephenson

name

A surname of English and Scottish origin, originally a patronymic.

Stephie

name

An informal short form of Stephanie.

stepmeal

adv

Gradually, one small stage at a time.

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.