English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

strawberrylike

adj

Looking or seeming like a strawberry plant or its fruit.

stray

verb

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

straya

name

Australia, as it is typically seen from the perspective of a 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

Having streaks on it.

streaking

noun

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

streakline

noun

(physics) The curve traced by all the particles of a fluid that have gone through one fixed point over time.

stream

noun

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

streamer

noun

A long, thin flag or strip of material used as 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 act of making something simpler or more efficient.

streamstyle

verb

To make something look sleek and streamlined.

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 finds clients out on the street or in other public places.

streetwise

adj

Knowing how to cope, stay safe and get by in a tough city environment.

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

A person or thing that makes something stronger.

strengthening

noun

The process of becoming, or making something, stronger.

strengthful

adj

Strong and powerful.

strengthless

adj

Weak or powerless; without strength.

strenuosity

noun

The quality of requiring great effort or energy.

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

Able to be 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

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

strew

verb

To scatter things loosely over a surface or area.

strewing

noun

The action of scattering something.

strewn

adj

Scattered untidily across a surface.

strewth

intj

(informal) An exclamation showing surprise or adding emphasis.

stria

noun

A thin line, usually one of several parallel lines.

striation

noun

One of a series of parallel ridges and grooves in rock, caused by crystals splitting or twinning repeatedly.

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 that limits what people may do.

stride

verb

To walk with long, confident steps.

strident

adj

Loud, harsh and high-pitched in sound.

strides

noun

Informal term for trousers.

striding

noun

The action of taking long steps while walking.

stridulation

noun

A shrill chirping, grating, hissing or squeaking noise, of the kind male crickets and grasshoppers produce by rubbing parts of their bodies 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 worker brought in to do the job of someone who is on strike.

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 quality of being striking or eye-catching.

string

noun

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

stringency

noun

The strict enforcement of rules or 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.

striper

noun

A tool or machine that puts stripes onto something.

stripling

noun

(old-fashioned) A teenage boy who is not yet fully grown into a man.

stripped

adjective

Having had an outer layer, covering, or contents removed; laid bare.

stripper

noun

A person who takes off their clothes to music as a paid performance, usually in a club or at a private party.

stripping

noun

The act of removing an outer layer, covering, or clothing.

striptease

noun

A performance in which someone slowly removes their clothing in an erotic way, usually to music.

stripteaser

noun

Someone who does a striptease as a performance.

strive

verb

To make a great and sustained effort to achieve something.

striving

noun

Sustained effort made toward achieving a goal.

strobe

noun

A light that flashes on and off rapidly and repeatedly.

strobing

noun

A quick flashing on and off, like light from a strobe lamp.

stroboscope

noun

A device used to study repeating movement by making a moving object visible only at set intervals.

Strode

name

An English surname, originally denoting someone who lived near a marshy area crossed by a path.

stroganoff

noun

A dish of sautéed strips of beef served in a creamy sauce, typically with sour cream.

Stroh

name

A German surname meaning "straw."

stroke

noun

A sudden loss of blood flow to part of the brain, which can cause lasting damage or death.

stroked

adjective

Of an engine, fitted with a modified crankshaft that gives the pistons a longer stroke.

stroking

noun

The act of moving a hand or object gently across a surface.

stroll

noun

A slow, relaxed walk taken for pleasure.

stroller

noun

A wheeled chair used to push a baby or young child around; a pushchair.

strolling

noun

The act of walking slowly and leisurely.

strong

adjective

Physically powerful; capable of exerting or withstanding great force.

stronghold

noun

A fortified place built to resist attack.

strongly

adverb

In a powerful, forceful, or intense manner.

strongman

noun

A person, especially a performer, known for feats of physical strength.

strongroom

noun

A specially built, secure room used to store valuable items safely.

strongwoman

noun

A woman known for her great physical strength, often shown off in strength competitions.

strontium

noun

A soft, reactive, silvery metallic element with the symbol Sr and atomic number 38.

strop

noun

A strip of leather or similar material used for sharpening a razor.

strophe

noun

A shift in a poem's rhythm or pattern, especially where a chorus turns to speak.

stroud

noun

A coarse woolen cloth historically used for blankets and clothing, especially in trade with Native Americans.

strout

verb

To make something stick out or swell, or to puff it up in a showy way.

struck

verb

The past tense and past participle of "strike".

structural

adjective

Relating to the structure, framework, or underlying arrangement of something.

structurally

adverb

In terms of how something is built or organized, rather than in appearance or content.

structure

noun

A building or other physical construction made of connected parts.

structured

adjective

Arranged in an organized, planned way rather than left loose or random.

structuring

noun

The way something is arranged or put together.

strudel

noun

A pastry made of thin rolled layers of dough wrapped around a sweet filling, often apple.

struggle

verb

To make a strong, difficult effort to do, achieve, or overcome something.

strugglesome

adj

Full of struggle or difficulty.

struggling

adjective

Having a hard time succeeding or coping, especially financially or emotionally.

strum

verb

To play a stringed instrument by brushing the fingers or a pick across several strings at once.

strummer

noun

A person who strums an instrument such as a guitar.

strumming

noun

The action of playing a stringed instrument by sweeping across several strings.

strumpet

noun

An old-fashioned, disparaging term for a promiscuous woman or prostitute.

strut

verb

To walk in a proud, stiff, confident way, often with the head held high.

strutting

noun

The act of walking proudly and confidently, often showing off.

strychnine

noun

A highly poisonous, bitter crystalline compound extracted from certain plant seeds, historically used to kill rodents.

Stryker

noun

A heavily padded wheeled hospital gurney, often with distinctive coloured legs.

Stu

noun

A shortened, familiar form of the given name Stuart.

stuart

name

A Scottish surname that began as an occupational name, a variant of Stewart.

stub

noun

A short remaining piece of something after the main part has been used, cut, or removed.

stubbed

adjective

Short and blunt, as if cut off short.

stubble

noun

Short, rough hair growing on a man’s face after not shaving for a day or two.

stubborn

adjective

Refusing to change one’s mind, position, or behaviour despite pressure or good reason to.

stubbornly

adverb

In a way that shows refusal to change one’s mind or give in.

stubbornness

noun

The quality of being unwilling to change one’s mind or give in.

Stubbs

name

An English surname, most famously borne by 18th-century painter George Stubbs, known for his depictions of horses.

stubby

adjective

Short and thick.

stucco

noun

A mix of binder and gritty material spread over indoor walls or shaped into indoor mouldings.

stuck

adjective

Unable to move or be moved; fixed in place.

Stuckey

name

A surname of English origin.

stud

noun

A male animal, especially a horse, kept specifically for breeding.

studded

adjective

Decorated or covered with small studs or embedded objects.

Studebaker

name

A former American automobile manufacturer.

student

noun

A person who is enrolled in and attends a school, college, or university.

studied

adjective

Deliberately and carefully done rather than natural or spontaneous.

studies

noun

An organized field or programme of academic learning.

studio

noun

A room or building where an artist, photographer, or designer works.

studious

adjective

Devoted to studying and learning; diligent about schoolwork.

studly

adj

Like a stud; being or relating to a sexually attractive male.

studs

noun

Small metal or rubber protrusions on the sole of a shoe or boot to improve grip.

study

verb

To spend time learning about a subject, often in preparation for an exam or qualification.

studying

noun

The activity of learning material, especially in preparation for an assessment.

stuff

noun

Miscellaneous items, belongings, or unspecified material.