English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

seclude

verb

To keep someone, or yourself, apart from other people and society.

secluded

adjective

Quiet and private, away from other people or busy areas.

seclusion

noun

The state of being private and away from other people.

seclusionist

noun

Someone who supports the policy of seclusionism.

seclusive

adj

Tending to keep oneself away from others.

second

adjective

Coming after the first in order, position, or importance.

secondary

adjective

Of lesser importance than something else; not primary.

secondhand

adjective

Previously owned by someone else; not new.

secondly

adverb

Used to introduce the second point in a list or argument.

secondment

noun

A temporary transfer of an employee to another department, organisation or location, after which they return to their original job.

seconds

noun

An additional helping of food at a meal.

secrecy

noun

The practice of keeping something hidden or known only to a few people.

secret

noun

Something kept hidden or known only to a select few.

secretarial

adjective

Relating to the work of a secretary, such as typing, filing, and office administration.

secretarian

adj

Connected with secretaries or their work.

secretariat

noun

The administrative office or staff that supports an organisation, especially a government body or international agency.

secretary

noun

A person who handles correspondence, records, and administrative tasks for a person or organisation.

secrete

verb

Of a gland, cell, or plant, to produce and release a substance.

secretion

noun

A substance released by a gland, cell, or organism, or the process of releasing it.

secretive

adjective

Inclined to keep things hidden and reveal little information.

secretiveness

noun

The quality of keeping things hidden or private.

secretly

adverb

In a way that is hidden from others.

secretor

noun

A person or animal that produces and releases a bodily fluid.

sect

noun

A group with beliefs, especially religious ones, that differ from those of a larger group it split from.

sectarian

adj

Connected with, or favouring, a particular religious or political group.

sectary

noun

A member of a specific sect, school of thought, party, or profession; someone who is sectarian.

section

noun

A distinct part of something larger, such as a document, area, or object.

sector

noun

A distinct part or division of something larger, especially an area of economic or social activity.

secular

adj

Not connected to religion; concerned with worldly rather than spiritual matters.

secularism

noun

A stance of not favouring any religion over another.

secularist

noun

Someone who believes in and supports secularism.

secure

adj

Protected from danger, harm, or loss.

secured

adj

Made safe, fixed firmly, or backed by a guarantee.

securely

adv

In a way that is safe or firmly fixed; without risk of harm or failure.

secureness

noun

The state of being or feeling secure.

securer

noun

A person or thing that secures something.

security

noun

The state of being safe from danger, harm, or threat.

sed

noun

A command-line program used on Unix-like systems to search, replace, and edit text automatically, line by line, without opening it in a full text editor.

sedan

noun

A car with a separate boot and a fixed roof, seating passengers in an enclosed cabin.

sedate

adj

Calm, unhurried, and dignified in manner.

sedation

noun

The act or state of being calmed by a sedative drug.

sedative

noun

A drug that calms a person or induces sleep.

sedent

adj

Sitting down, or not moving; inactive.

sedentary

adjective

Involving or characterised by much sitting and little physical activity.

seder

noun

The ceremonial meal held on the first night or two of Passover, following a set order of readings and rituals.

sedge

noun

A plant that belongs to the Cyperaceae family.

Sedgwick

name

A surname of English origin, also borne by several places in England, Australia, and the United States.

sediment

noun

Solid particles, such as sand or silt, that settle at the bottom of a liquid or body of water.

sedition

noun

Speech or organized action that incites rebellion against a government or authority.

seditious

adj

Connected with or encouraging sedition.

Sedona

name

A female given name.

seduce

verb

To persuade someone to do something unwise or improper, often by charm or temptation.

seducement

noun

Something that tempts or lures a person away from what is right.

seducer

noun

A person who seduces someone else, typically into a sexual relationship.

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.

seductress

noun

A woman who is very good at seducing people.

sedulous

adj

Describes someone who works hard and steadily, staying persistent until a goal is reached.

see

verb

To perceive something with the eyes.

seeability

noun

The quality of being able to be seen.

seeableness

noun

The property of being able to be seen.

seed

noun

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

seed phrase

noun

A list of ordinary words, usually twelve or twenty-four, generated when a cryptocurrency wallet is set up. The words encode the master key from which all the wallet's addresses come, so anyone holding them can restore the wallet and move the funds.

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.

seel

adj

Favourable, lucky, well-timed or joyful.

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.

seemliness

noun

The quality of behaving in a proper and fitting way.

seemly

adj

Describes behaviour that is proper and fitting for the occasion.

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.

seepage

noun

The slow leaking of a liquid through a material that lets it pass; also used for something gradually spreading.

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.

seethe

verb

Of a liquid or other substance, or a container holding it: to be boiled (vigorously); to become boiling hot.

seething

adj

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

Sefton

name

A metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England.

seg

noun

(archaic) A brave male fighter, especially one thought of as a hero.

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.

segmentation

noun

The act of splitting something into separate parts.

segmented

adj

Divided into separate parts or sections.

segregate

adj

Kept apart from others, or specially chosen.

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.

segregationism

noun

The belief that groups of people, especially different races, should be kept apart.

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.

Segway

noun

A two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle ridden standing up, steered by leaning and by a handlebar column; a trademark.

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.

seism

noun

A sudden shaking of the ground, such as an earthquake.

seismic

adj

Relating to earthquakes or other movements of the ground.

seismologist

noun

A person who studies or practises seismology, the science of earthquakes.

seismology

noun

The scientific study of vibrations in the Earth's interior, especially those caused by earthquakes.

seiyuu

noun

A Japanese actor who provides voices for anime, video games, radio shows or adverts.

seize

verb

To grab hold of something on purpose, often quickly or firmly.

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.

selah

interjection

A word appearing at the ends of verses in the Hebrew Psalms and in Habakkuk, most often understood as a musical or liturgical direction, perhaps a pause, an instrumental interlude or an instruction to lift up the voice. Its exact sense is not known.

Selby

name

A town in North Yorkshire, England.

selcouth

adj

(archaic) Unfamiliar and amazing; strikingly rare or strange.

seld

noun

(archaic) A chair used by someone important, such as a throne.

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.

selection

noun

The act of choosing one or more things or people from a larger group.

selective

adj

Choosing carefully rather than accepting everything or everyone.

selector

noun

Someone or something that picks or chooses.

Selena

name

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

Selene

name

The Ancient Greek goddess of the Moon.

selenic

adj

Connected with or belonging to the Moon.

selenite

noun

A soft, glassy form of gypsum (chemical formula CaSO₄·2H₂O).

selenium

noun

A chemical element, symbol Se, a non-metal used in making glass, colourings and semiconductors.

selenography

noun

The scientific study of the Moon's geographic features; geography of the Moon.

selenology

noun

The branch of science that studies the Moon.

self

noun

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

self-actualization

noun

The realisation of a person's full potential, in which they become the most complete version of what they are capable of being.

self-awareness

noun

Accurate knowledge of your own character, feelings, motives and effect on other people.

self-centered

adjective

Concerned mainly with your own interests, needs and feelings, and giving little thought to other people's.

self-conscious

adjective

Uncomfortably aware of being watched or judged by others, and awkward or embarrassed as a result.

self-esteem

noun

Your overall sense of your own worth and value as a person.

self-improvement

noun

The effort to make yourself better through your own initiative, by building skills, habits, health, knowledge or character.

self-loathing

noun

Intense hatred or disgust directed at yourself, going beyond ordinary self-criticism into contempt for who you are.

self-love

noun

Regard for your own wellbeing and worth, shown in treating yourself with the same care, honesty and forgiveness you would give someone you love.

self-motivation

noun

The ability to get yourself to start and keep going at something without being pushed, supervised or rewarded by anyone else.

self-righteous

adjective

Convinced of your own moral superiority, and making it plain in a way others find insufferable.

selfconsciously

adv

In a way that shows awkward awareness of yourself, especially in front of others.