English dictionary — definitions & meanings

steaming

adj

Giving off visible steam or heat.

steamroll

verb

To flatten, as if with a steamroller.

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 of the 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 stitch (sew with a needle).

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 zinc-coated steel one-cent (penny) coin, produced during World War II because of copper shortages.

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 instance of something being steeped; a wetting.

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 steers.

steering

noun

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

steersman

noun

One who steers a ship or other vessel; the helmsman.

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 given name from French, a less common spelling of Stephanie, from the French Stéphanie, feminine form of Stephen.

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 obelisk or upright stone pillar, usually as a primitive commemoration or gravestone

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

Shaped like a star, having points, or rays radiating from a center.

stellify

verb

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

stellion

noun

A lizard (Laudakia stellio or Stellagama stellio). It is olive-green with small stellate spots, commonly found in the rocky areas around the Mediterranean.

stem

noun

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

stemma

noun

A family tree or recorded genealogy.

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

Having a stench or foul odour, malodorous.

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, someone whose job is to take dictation 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 practice of transcribing speech (primarily for later dictation or testimony), usually using shorthand

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

Loud, powerful, booming, suitable for giving speeches to large crowds.

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.

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

Resembling or characteristic of a Stepford wife; lacking personality or agency; docile.

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

An English and Scottish surname originating as a patronymic.

Stephie

name

An informal short form of Stephanie.

stepmeal

adv

One step at a time; step by step; gradually; by degrees.

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.

stereotyper

noun

One who makes stereotype plates, or works in a stereotype foundry.

stereotypic

adj

Of, pertaining to or characteristic of a stereotype; stereotypical.

stereotypical

adjective

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

stereotypy

noun

Excessive repetition, especially of meaningless gestures.

sterile

adjective

Free from all living germs and microorganisms.

sterileness

noun

The state or condition of being sterile.

sterilisation

noun

Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of sterilization.

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.

sternutation

noun

A sneeze; sneezing, especially as a symptom.

steroid

noun

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

stertor

noun

The act of snoring, especially heavy snoring.

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.

stevedore

noun

A dockworker involved in loading and unloading cargo, or in supervising such work.

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.

stewardship

noun

The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to your care, especially resources, money or land that others depend on.

stewardson

name

A village in Shelby County, Illinois, United States.

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.

STFU

interjection

An abbreviation of "shut the fuck up", used online and in text messages to tell someone forcefully to stop talking.

STG

abbreviation

An abbreviation of "swear to God", used in text messages and online to insist that what you are saying is true or to express exasperation.

stian

noun

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

sticharion

noun

The outer clerical garb worn by clergy in the Greek Orthodox Church, corresponding to the alb in Latin-Rite Catholic Churches.

stick

noun

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

stickable

adj

Capable of being stuck; adhesive.

sticker

noun

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

stickiness

noun

The property of sticking or adhering; adhesion.

sticking

noun

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

stickle

noun

A sharp point; prickle; a spine

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.

stigmatise

verb

Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of stigmatize.

stigmatize

verb

To characterize as disgraceful or ignominious; to mark with a stigma or stigmata.

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.

stillbirth

noun

The birth of a dead fetus; the delivery of an infant which is dead at birth.

stillborn

adj

Dead at the moment of birth.

stiller

noun

Someone or something that stills or calms something else.