English dictionary — definitions & meanings

stoss

adj

Facing towards the flow of a glacier or fluid.

stound

noun

A tide, season.

stour

adj

Tall; big; stout.

stout

adj

Solidly built; somewhat fat.

stouthearted

adj

Brave, courageous and plucky.

stove

noun

An appliance used for cooking food, usually with hotplates or burners.

stovepipe

noun

Sheet-metal tubing used as a chimney for a stove or furnace.

stow

verb

To pack or put something away neatly, especially in a compact space.

stowable

adj

Capable of being stowed away.

stowage

noun

The act or practice of stowing.

stowaway

noun

Someone who hides aboard a ship, plane, or train to travel without paying or being noticed.

Stowe

name

An English surname and place name; also the surname of writer Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

stowing

noun

A method of working in which the waste is packed into the space formed by excavating the vein.

Stoy

name

A surname of German or Czech origin.

straddle

verb

To sit or stand with one leg on each side of something.

Stradivarius

noun

A violin or other stringed instrument crafted by the Stradivari family, especially the master luthier Antonio Stradivari.

straggle

verb

To stray, rove, or wander from a normal course and others of its kind.

straggler

noun

Someone who goes against the direct or proper course, or from the company to which they belong.

straggling

noun

A movement or arrangement that straggles; disorder.

straggot

noun

A heterosexual person; a breeder.

straight

adjective

Extending in one direction without bending or curving.

straightaway

noun

A straight, unbending section of a road or racetrack.

straighten

verb

To make something straight, or to become straight.

straightening

noun

The process of making something straight.

straighter

adjective

More straight; the comparative form of "straight."

straightforward

adjective

Simple and easy to understand or do, without unnecessary complication.

straightness

noun

The result or product of being straight.

strain

verb

To injure a muscle or tendon by overstretching or overusing it.

strained

adjective

Tense, forced, or lacking in ease, especially describing a relationship or expression.

strainer

noun

A device through which a liquid is passed for purification, filtering or separation from solid matter; anything (including a screen or a cloth) used to strain a liquid.

straining

noun

The act of exerting great effort, especially with the muscles.

strainingly

adv

So as to strain; with a straining action.

strait

noun

A narrow stretch of water that connects two larger seas or bodies of water.

straiten

verb

To make strait; to narrow or confine to a smaller space.

straitjacket

noun

A restrictive garment with long sleeves that bind the arms across the body, used to stop someone from hurting themselves or others.

Straker

name

An English surname, historically an occupational name for a person who managed a stud farm or bred horses.

strand

noun

One of the individual threads or wires twisted together to make a rope, cable, or cord.

stranded

adjective

Left in a place with no way to leave or continue; abandoned somewhere without help.

Strang

name

A Scottish surname, a variant of "Strong," historically a nickname for a powerful person.

strange

adjective

Unusual, odd, or surprising, and not what you would expect.

strangeling

noun

One who is strange, foreign, or unusual; stranger.

strangely

adverb

In an odd or unusual way.

strangeness

noun

The quality of being odd, unusual, or hard to place.

stranger

noun

A person you do not know.

strangle

verb

To kill or injure someone by squeezing their throat and cutting off their air.

stranglehold

noun

A grip or level of control so tight that it chokes off any freedom of movement or action.

strangler

noun

A person who kills by strangling.

strangles

noun

A contagious bacterial infection in horses that causes swollen lymph nodes and breathing difficulty.

strangling

noun

The act of killing someone by choking off their air supply.

strangulate

verb

To strangle.

strangulation

noun

The act, or the resulting state, of being choked to death by pressure on the throat.

strap

noun

A narrow strip of leather, fabric, or similar material used to fasten, carry, or hold something in place.

strapless

adjective

Having no shoulder straps, especially describing a dress or top.

strapped

adjective

Short of money.

strapper

noun

A large, strong, robust person (usually a man).

strapping

adjective

Tall, strong, and physically robust.

Strasbourg

name

A city in eastern France, capital of the Alsace region and seat of the European Parliament.

Strasser

name

A surname of German origin, denoting someone from a place called Strass or living on a street.

strata

noun

In Australian and some other legal systems, a form of ownership covering individual units within a larger building, such as an apartment complex.

stratagem

noun

A clever plan or trick, especially one meant to outwit an opponent.

strategic

adjective

Relating to a carefully thought-out plan aimed at achieving a long-term goal.

strategically

adverb

In a manner that reflects careful, goal-driven planning.

strategist

noun

Someone skilled at planning how to achieve a long-term goal, especially in business, politics, or the military.

strategize

verb

To work out a plan for achieving a goal.

strategy

noun

A carefully worked-out plan for reaching a particular goal, especially over the long term.

Stratford

name

An English place name and surname, most famously Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

strathallan

name

A valley in Stirling council area and Perth and Kinross council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NN80).

stratification

noun

The process leading to the formation or deposition of layers, especially of sedimentary rocks.

stratified

adj

Arranged in a sequence of layers or strata.

stratosphere

noun

The layer of the atmosphere above the one we live in, where temperature actually rises with altitude because ozone absorbs UV radiation.

Stratton

name

An English surname and place name, originally meaning "settlement on a Roman road."

stratum

noun

One of several parallel horizontal layers of material arranged one on top of another.

Strauss

name

A German surname meaning "ostrich" or "bouquet," notably borne by composer Johann Strauss and jeans founder Levi Strauss.

Stravinsky

name

A Russian surname, most famously borne by composer Igor Stravinsky.

straw

noun

Dried stalks left over from cereal crops like wheat, used for bedding, fodder, or thatch.

strawberry

noun

A soft, red, juicy fruit covered in tiny seeds, or the low plant it grows on.

strawberrylike

adj

Resembling or characteristic of a strawberry (plant or fruit).

stray

verb

To wander away from where you should be, or to drift off a planned path or topic.

straya

name

Australia, often as viewed by the stereotypical bogan.

strayed

adj

Wandered away and lost, having drifted off course.

straying

noun

The act of wandering away, whether physically or from what one is supposed to be doing — including, informally, being unfaithful in a relationship.

streak

noun

A thin line or smear, often left by dirt, color, or motion.

streaked

adj

Bearing streaks.

streaking

noun

The act of running naked in public, usually as a stunt or dare.

streakline

noun

A locus of points of all the fluid particles that have passed continuously through a particular spatial point in the past.

stream

noun

A small natural flow of water, smaller than a river.

streamer

noun

A long, narrow flag, or piece of material used or seen as a decoration.

streaming

noun

Watching or listening to audio or video sent continuously over the internet, rather than downloaded first.

streamline

verb

To make a process simpler and more efficient by removing unnecessary steps.

streamlined

adj

Shaped to move smoothly through air or water with little resistance.

streamlining

noun

The process by which something is streamlined.

streamstyle

verb

to give something a streamlined style.

Streep

name

A surname of Dutch origin, most famously borne by actress Meryl Streep.

street

noun

A public road in a town or city, usually lined with buildings.

streetcar

noun

A passenger vehicle that runs on rails set into city streets, also called a tram or trolley.

streetlight

noun

A tall outdoor lamp that lights up a public street or area at night.

streetwalker

noun

A prostitute who looks for customers on the streets and in other public places.

streetwise

adj

Having the necessary knack, personality and instinct for survival in rough, urban environments.

Streisand

verb

To try to hide or suppress information online, only to draw far more attention to it than it would have gotten otherwise.

strength

noun

Physical power; the capacity to exert force or bear weight.

strengthen

verb

To make something stronger, more solid, or more effective.

strengthener

noun

One who, or that which, gives or adds strength.

strengthening

noun

The process of becoming, or making something, stronger.

strengthful

adj

Full of strength; strong; having strength; powerful.

strengthless

adj

Being powerless or weak; lacking strength.

strenuosity

noun

The quality or state of being strenuous.

strenuous

adj

Requiring a great deal of physical or mental effort.

stress

noun

A feeling of mental or emotional strain caused by pressure or difficult circumstances.

stressed

adj

Feeling mental or emotional strain.

stressful

adj

Causing worry or strain; mentally or emotionally demanding.

stretch

verb

To pull or extend something so it becomes longer or tighter.

stretchable

adj

Capable of being stretched.

stretcher

noun

A flat frame used to carry an injured or sick person.

stretching

noun

Exercise that gently extends a muscle to its full length to improve flexibility.

stretchy

adj

Able to stretch easily; elastic.

stretford

name

A town in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England (OS grid ref SJ7994).

strew

verb

To distribute objects or pieces of something over an area, especially in a random manner.

strewing

noun

The act of scattering or spreading.

strewn

adj

Scattered untidily across a surface.

strewth

intj

A mild oath expressing surprise or generally adding emphasis.

stria

noun

A stripe, usually one of a set of parallel stripes.

striation

noun

One of a number of parallel grooves and ridges in a rock or rocky deposit, formed by repeated twinning or cleaving of crystals.

stricken

adj

Badly affected by something harmful, such as illness, grief, or disaster.

Strickland

name

An English surname and place name meaning "land of the strickle," referring to a stream or landscape feature.

strict

adj

Demanding that rules be followed exactly, with little tolerance for exceptions.

strictly

adverb

In a strict, exact, or rule-following manner.

stricture

noun

A rule restricting behaviour or action.

stride

verb

To walk with long, confident steps.

strident

adj

Loud; shrill, piercing, high-pitched; rough-sounding.

strides

noun

Informal term for trousers.

striding

noun

The act of one who strides; a long step.

stridulation

noun

A high-pitched chirping, grating, hissing, or squeaking sound, as male crickets and grasshoppers make by rubbing certain body parts together.

strife

noun

Bitter conflict or struggle, sometimes violent.

strigoi

noun

In Balkan and Romanian folklore, a troubled spirit or vampire-like being said to rise from the grave.

strike

verb

To hit someone or something, often forcefully.

strikebreaker

noun

A non-unionized worker hired to replace a striking union worker.

striker

noun

In football (soccer), an attacking player positioned to score goals.

striking

adjective

Very noticeable or impressive; making a strong visual or mental impression.

strikingly

adverb

In a way that is very noticeable or impressive.

strikingness

noun

The state or condition of being striking.

string

noun

A thin cord or length of twisted thread, or a similar thin, flexible strand.

stringency

noun

A rigorous imposition of standards.

stringent

adjective

Very strict, precise, and demanding; allowing little flexibility.

stringer

noun

A freelance journalist who reports on events for a news organization without being a full-time staff member.

stringing

noun

The act of putting something on a string, or fitting an instrument or racket with strings.

strings

noun

The stringed instruments of an orchestra, considered as a group.

stringy

adjective

Made of, or resembling, thin string-like strands; tough and fibrous, especially of food.

strip

noun

A long, narrow piece of material or land.

stripe

noun

A long, narrow band of color that contrasts with the surrounding surface.

striped

adjective

Marked or decorated with stripes.