English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

seducing

adj

Alluring or tempting; having the effect of seduction.

seduction

noun

The act of seducing someone, especially into a sexual relationship.

seductive

adj

Very attractive or tempting, in a way that is hard to resist.

see

verb

To perceive something with the eyes.

seed

noun

A small hard part of a plant from which a new plant can grow.

seeded

adj

Planted with seed, or containing seeds.

seeding

noun

The process of arranging competitors' ranked positions before a tournament.

seedling

noun

A young plant grown from a seed, especially one still small enough to transplant.

seedy

adj

Run-down, disreputable, or associated with dishonest or illegal activity.

Seeger

name

A surname of German origin, most notably borne by folk musician Pete Seeger.

seeing

noun

The ability or act of perceiving with the eyes.

seek

verb

To try to find something.

seeker

noun

A person who is searching for something, especially in a spiritual or philosophical sense.

seeking

noun

The act of searching or trying to obtain something.

Seeley

name

A surname of English or German origin.

seem

verb

To give the impression of being something; to appear to be.

Seema

name

A female given name of Sanskrit origin, used in India.

seeming

adj

Appearing to be so, but not necessarily actually so.

seemingly

adv

As far as one can tell from appearances; apparently.

seen

noun

The name of the letter س in the Arabic alphabet, representing an "s" sound.

Seenu

name

Another name for Addu, an atoll of the Maldives.

seep

verb

To flow or leak slowly through small openings or a porous surface.

seeping

noun

The slow leaking of a liquid through small openings or a porous material.

seer

noun

Someone believed to be able to predict future events, such as a prophet or fortune-teller.

seesaw

noun

A playground plank balanced in the middle so that a person on one end goes up as the person on the other goes down.

seething

adj

Extremely angry, though the anger may not be openly shown.

Sefton

name

A metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England.

Segal

name

A surname of Hebrew origin.

Segawa

name

A surname of Japanese origin.

Seger

name

A surname, most notably borne by singer Bob Seger.

segment

noun

One of the parts something is divided into.

segregated

adj

Kept apart or separated from other people or things, often by group.

segregation

noun

The enforced separation of people into different groups, especially by race, and the denial of equal treatment that goes with it.

segue

verb

To move smoothly from one topic, activity, or piece of music into another without an abrupt break.

Segundo

name

A surname of Spanish origin, predominantly found in Mexico.

sei

noun

A large baleen whale found in oceans worldwide, related to the fin whale.

Seiji

name

A male given name of Japanese origin.

Seiko

name

A female given name of Japanese origin.

seine

noun

A long fishing net that hangs vertically in the water, held up by floats at the top and weighted at the bottom.

Seinfeld

name

A surname, most notably borne by comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

seismic

adj

Relating to earthquakes or other movements of the ground.

seizing

noun

The act of grabbing hold of something or taking control of it, often suddenly or by force.

seizure

noun

The act of taking something by force or by legal authority.

Sek

name

A surname.

seki

noun

In the board game Go, a standoff position where neither player can gain by playing further in that area.

Selby

name

A town in North Yorkshire, England.

seldom

adv

Not often; rarely.

select

verb

To choose one or more items from a group of options.

selected

adj

Chosen out from a larger group, often for a particular purpose or quality.

selecting

noun

The act of choosing something from a group of options.

selective

adj

Choosing carefully rather than accepting everything or everyone.

Selena

name

A female given name of Ancient Greek origin, associated with the moon.

Selene

name

The Ancient Greek goddess of the Moon.

self

noun

A person's own individual character, personality, or identity.

selfie

noun

A photograph someone takes of themselves, typically with a phone held at arm's length.

selfish

adj

Caring mainly about one's own wants and needs, with little concern for other people.

selfishly

adv

In a way that shows concern only for oneself, without regard for others.

selfishness

noun

The trait of putting one's own interests ahead of other people's.

selfless

adj

Putting other people's needs before one's own, with little regard for personal gain.

selflessly

adv

In a way that puts others' needs ahead of one's own.

selflessness

noun

The quality of caring more about others' needs than one's own.

Selfridge

name

A surname, most notably borne by retail entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge.

Selim

name

A surname of Arabic origin, mostly found in Egypt.

Selina

name

A female given name of Latin origin, first recorded in England in the 17th century.

sell

verb

To hand over goods or services to someone in exchange for money.

Selleck

name

A surname, most notably borne by actor Tom Selleck.

seller

noun

A person or business that sells goods or services.

Sellers

name

A surname of English origin, most notably borne by actor Peter Sellers.

selling

noun

The act or business of persuading people to buy something.

sellout

noun

Someone who abandons their principles for money or personal advantage.

Sells

name

A surname of English origin.

Selma

noun

A term used to describe a violent crackdown by authorities on peaceful civil rights protesters, evoking the 1965 Bloody Sunday attack on marchers in Selma, Alabama.

Seltzer

noun

Carbonated water, plain or flavored, often drunk on its own or used to mix with juice or alcohol.

Sema

noun

A member of a Sümi-speaking Naga people.

semantics

noun

The branch of linguistics concerned with meaning in language.

semblance

noun

An outward appearance of something, especially one that may not match the reality underneath.

semen

noun

The fluid produced by male reproductive organs that carries sperm.

semester

noun

Half of an academic year, typically lasting around six months.

semi

noun

A semi-detached house, sharing one wall with a neighbouring house.

semifinal

noun

A match or round played to decide who reaches the final of a competition.

seminal

adj

Highly influential and providing the basis for later work or ideas.

seminar

noun

A small class or meeting where a topic is discussed in depth, often led by an expert.

seminary

noun

A college that trains people to become priests, ministers, or rabbis.

semis

noun

A small bronze coin used in ancient Rome, worth half of an as.

semple

adjective

Archaic or dialectal for plain, ordinary, or of humble birth.

semtex

noun

A plastic explosive that can be molded by hand and is stable enough to be shaped without detonating.

Semyon

name

A male given name, the Russian form of Simon or Simeon.

sen

noun

A small unit of currency in several Asian countries, worth one hundredth of the main unit — for example, one hundredth of a Japanese yen, an Indonesian rupiah, or a Malaysian ringgit.

Sena

name

A language spoken in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

senate

noun

The upper chamber in certain two-house legislatures.

senator

noun

A member of a senate, usually an elected legislator.

send

verb

To cause something or someone to go from one place to another.

Sendai

name

The capital city of Miyagi Prefecture in northern Honshu, Japan.

sender

noun

A person who sends something, such as a letter, package, or message.

sending

noun

The act of causing something to be delivered or transmitted.

Seneca

name

A Roman cognomen, notably borne by Lucius Annaeus Seneca, a Roman stoic philosopher, dramatist, and statesman.

Senegal

name

A country in West Africa, officially the Republic of Senegal.

Seng

name

A surname.

senhor

noun

A polite Portuguese title of address for a man, equivalent to "sir" or "Mr."

senile

adj

Showing mental decline associated with old age, such as memory loss or confusion.

senility

noun

The mental and physical decline that can come with old age.

senior

adj

Higher in rank, age, or status.

seniority

noun

The length of time someone has been part of an organization compared to others, often used to decide who gets certain privileges or promotions first.

senna

noun

A plant whose leaves and pods are used to make a strong natural laxative.

senpai

noun

In Japanese culture, a more senior or experienced person in a school, workplace, or art form, who acts as a kind of mentor to those below them.

sensation

noun

A physical feeling produced by something affecting the body or senses.

sensational

adj

Extremely impressive or exciting.

sense

noun

One of the physical faculties — sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch — through which the body perceives the world.

sensed

adj

Having a certain number or type of senses.

sensei

noun

A martial arts instructor, especially in a Japanese discipline.

senseless

adj

Unconscious; unable to feel anything.

sensibilities

noun

A person's feelings, especially the delicate or easily-hurt ones.

sensibility

noun

Emotional sensitivity, especially regarding artistic, aesthetic, or moral matters.

sensible

adj

Showing good, practical judgment.

sensibly

adv

In a way that shows good, practical judgment.

sensing

noun

The act or process of detecting or perceiving something, especially by a device or organism.

sensitive

adj

Easily affected, upset, or hurt by things.

sensitivity

noun

The quality of being easily affected or upset.

sensor

noun

A device that detects a physical change or signal and responds or reports on it.

sensory

adj

Relating to the physical senses or to sensation.

sensual

adj

Relating to physical, especially erotic, pleasure and the senses.

sensuality

noun

The quality of being sensual; enjoyment of physical and sensory pleasure.

sensuous

adj

Pleasing or appealing to the senses.

sent

verb

Past tense and past participle of send.

sentence

noun

A group of words that forms a complete grammatical statement, usually with a subject and a verb.

sentencing

noun

The stage of a criminal case in which a judge decides and announces the punishment.

sentient

adj

Able to perceive, feel, or experience things consciously.

sentiment

noun

An opinion, attitude, or general feeling about something.

sentimental

adj

Relating to or triggering tender emotions, especially nostalgia or affection.

sentimentality

noun

An excessive or self-indulgent display of tender emotion.

sentinel

noun

A person or animal that stands guard or keeps watch.

sentry

noun

A soldier or guard posted to watch over an entrance or area.

Seo

name

A surname of Korean origin.

Seong

name

A surname of Korean origin.

Seoul

name

The capital city of South Korea, and the historical capital of Korea from 1394 until 1945.

separate

verb

To divide something into parts, or to keep things or people apart from each other.

separated

adj

No longer joined or connected.

separately

adv

Apart from one another; not together.

separating

noun

The act of dividing or dividing from.

separation

noun

The act or state of two or more things or people being kept or held apart.

separatist

noun

A person who wants their region or group to break away and become politically independent.

seppuku

noun

A ritual form of suicide by disembowelment historically practiced by Japanese samurai, often to preserve honor or avoid disgrace.

sepsis

noun

A dangerous, whole-body inflammatory response to infection that can damage tissues and organs and turn life-threatening very quickly.

sept

noun

A clan or family group descended from a common ancestor, especially one of the traditional clans of Ireland or Scotland.

September

noun

The ninth month of the year, between August and October, marking the start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

septic

adj

Infected or contaminated with bacteria that cause tissue decay or a whole-body infection.

Septimus

name

A male given name derived from Latin, originally meaning "seventh," traditionally given to a seventh child.

sequel

noun

A book, film, or show that continues the story of an earlier one, usually picking up after it.

sequence

noun

A set of things arranged in a particular order, one after another.

sequencing

noun

The process of working out the exact order of units in something, especially DNA bases or amino acids.