English dictionary — definitions & meanings

TA

intj

An informal way of saying thanks (chiefly British).

taan

noun

A rapid melodic vocal technique in raga singing.

tab

noun

A small flap or strip attached to something, used for holding, opening, or labeling it.

Tabasco

name

A state in southeastern Mexico.

Tabatha

name

A female given name, a variant spelling of Tabitha.

tabby

noun

A cat with a striped or mottled coat pattern.

tabefy

verb

To emaciate.

tabellion

noun

An official scribe who had some of the minor functions of a notary in the Roman Empire and pre-revolutionary France.

tabernacle

noun

A temporary or portable place of worship, especially the sacred tent used by the Israelites before the Temple was built.

tabhanging

noun

Listening secretly to the private conversations of others; eavesdropping.

tabid

adj

Pertaining to tabes.

Tabitha

name

A female given name of Aramaic biblical origin, meaning "gazelle."

table

noun

A piece of furniture with a flat top, supported by legs.

tableau

noun

A vivid, striking scene or picture, especially one made up of a group of people or objects arranged as if for a painting.

tablecloth

noun

A piece of cloth spread over a table, especially to protect it or dress it up for a meal.

tableland

noun

A relatively flat region of elevated terrain, particularly in reference to surrounding terrain.

tablemount

noun

A seamount with a flat top; synonym of guyot.

tables

noun

Backgammon, or any similar board game played with counters moved around a two-row board of marked points.

tablespoon

noun

A large spoon, used for eating food from a bowl.

tablet

noun

A small, solid, easy-to-swallow piece of medicine or a supplement.

tableware

noun

The cutlery, crockery and glassware used in setting a table for a meal.

tabloid

noun

A newspaper printed at roughly half the size of a broadsheet, typically known for punchy, sensational stories rather than sober reporting.

taboo

noun

A subject, word, or action that is avoided or forbidden because of strong social or cultural disapproval.

tabor

noun

A small drum, traditionally played with one stick while the other hand plays a pipe.

tabulate

verb

To arrange in tabular form; to arrange into a table.

tabulation

noun

The act or process of tabulating

tac

noun

Slang for cannabis.

tach

noun

Informal short form of "tachycardia," an abnormally fast heart rate.

Tachibana

name

A Japanese surname meaning "mandarin orange tree."

tachometer

noun

A device for measuring the revolutions per minute (RPMs) of a revolving shaft, as with the driveshaft of an automobile.

tachy

noun

Informal short form of tachycardia, an abnormally fast heart rate.

tachycardia

noun

An abnormally fast resting heart rate, typically above 100 beats per minute.

tachycardic

adj

Relating to or affected by tachycardia; having an abnormally fast heart rate.

tachygraphy

noun

The art and practice of rapid writing.

tachyon

noun

A hypothetical particle that would always travel faster than light.

tacit

adjective

Understood or agreed without being said aloud or written down.

taciturn

adjective

Saying very little by nature; habitually silent or reserved in speech.

tack

noun

A short nail with a broad, flat head.

tackle

verb

To confront and deal with a difficult problem or task head-on.

tackled

adj

Having been brought down or stopped, as in sport, or having been dealt with as a problem.

tackling

noun

The act or technique of physically stopping an opponent in sport, or the process of dealing with a difficult problem.

tacky

adj

Cheap-looking, gaudy, or in poor taste.

taco

noun

A Mexican dish of a folded tortilla filled with ingredients such as meat, beans, cheese, or vegetables.

Tacoma

noun

A city in Washington State, and the historic Native American name for Mount Rainier.

tact

noun

Skill in dealing with people or delicate situations without causing offense, even when being honest.

tactful

adj

Careful and sensitive when dealing with other people, especially in awkward situations.

tactic

noun

A specific action or method used to achieve a particular goal, especially as part of a larger plan.

tactical

adj

Relating to the specific methods used to achieve a goal, especially in the short term or on a smaller scale than overall strategy.

tactically

adv

In a way that is calculated to achieve a specific goal or advantage.

tactics

noun

The specific methods and arrangements used to achieve an objective, especially in a military, sporting, or competitive context.

tactile

adj

Relating to the sense of touch, or perceptible by touch.

tactless

adj

Lacking sensitivity to other people's feelings, often causing unintended offense.

tad

noun

A small amount; a little bit.

tadpole

noun

The tailed, legless larval stage of a frog or toad that lives in water and breathes through gills.

Taeko

name

A Japanese feminine given name, often meaning "child of great fortune."

taekwondo

noun

A Korean martial art known for its fast, high kicks, practiced as both a self-defense system and an Olympic sport.

taenia

noun

A ribbon worn in the hair in ancient Greece.

taffeta

noun

A crisp, smooth, shiny woven fabric, traditionally made of silk but often synthetic today.

taffy

noun

A soft, chewy candy made by boiling and pulling sugar or syrup with butter.

Taft

name

A surname.

tag

noun

A small label attached to an item, showing information such as its price, size, or owner.

tagball

noun

a game/sport similar to paintball, where one tags out opponents with rubber balls fired from air pistols or paintball guns, without the mess of paint, akin to dart tag

Taggart

name

A Scottish surname, anglicized from Gaelic "Mac an t-Sagairt," meaning "son of the priest."

tagged

adj

Marked with a label, keyword, or name, especially in online posts or on physical items.

tagger

noun

One who or that which tags.

tagging

noun

The act of labeling something, whether attaching a physical tag, adding a keyword online, or spray-painting graffiti signatures.

tagline

noun

The punch line of a joke.

taglock

noun

An entangled lock, as of hair or wool.

Tagore

name

A Bengali surname, most famously borne by the poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Taguchi

name

A Japanese surname.

Tahiti

name

The largest island of French Polynesia, in the South Pacific.

Tahoe

name

A large, deep freshwater lake straddling the California-Nevada border in the United States, popular for skiing and boating.

tai

noun

The Japanese sea bream, a fish prized in Japanese cuisine and often served on celebratory occasions.

taiga

noun

The vast belt of coniferous forest that stretches across the northern hemisphere, lying between the tundra to the north and grassy steppe to the south.

taikonaut

noun

A person who travels in space for the Chinese space program; a Chinese astronaut.

tail

noun

The flexible appendage extending from the rear of an animal's body.

tailed

adj

Having a tail, or having a tail of a specified kind.

tailgate

verb

To drive too closely behind another vehicle, without leaving a safe stopping distance.

tailing

noun

The act of following someone, especially covertly.

tailings

noun

The waste material left over after valuable minerals have been extracted from ore during mining.

taillight

noun

One of the red lights fitted to the rear of a vehicle so it is visible from behind at night.

tailor

noun

A person who professionally makes, fits, or alters clothing, especially suits.

tailored

adj

Fitted closely and neatly to the body, in the style of clothing made by a tailor.

tailoring

noun

The trade or craft of making and fitting clothes.

tailpiece

noun

An appendage or appendix.

tailpipe

noun

The pipe at the rear of a vehicle through which exhaust gases are released.

tailspin

noun

A steep, spiraling, uncontrolled descent of an aircraft.

taint

noun

A trace of contamination, corruption, or disgrace attached to something or someone.

tainted

adj

Contaminated, spoiled, or morally corrupted.

tainture

noun

Dirtiness; uncleanliness; contamination, tainting.

taipan

noun

A foreign business executive or tycoon, especially historically in China.

taipeh

name

Dated spelling of Taipei.

Taipei

name

The capital and a special municipality of Taiwan, in the north of the island.

tais

noun

A traditional handwoven cloth made by women in East Timor, often used in ceremonial dress and as a symbol of local identity.

tait

noun

The honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus).

Taiwan

name

A self-governing island territory in East Asia, officially the Republic of China, with its capital at Taipei.

Taiwanese

adj

Relating to Taiwan, its people, or its culture.

taj

noun

A tall, brimless ceremonial hat traditionally worn as a mark of rank in some Muslim cultures.

Tajima

name

A Japanese surname.

tak

verb

A dialectal or informal form of "take."

Takada

name

A Japanese surname.

Takagi

name

A Japanese surname.

Takahashi

name

A Japanese surname.

Takako

name

A female Japanese given name.

Takano

name

A Japanese surname.

Takao

name

A Japanese given name, and a historical name for the city now known as Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Takashi

name

A male Japanese given name.

Takayama

name

A Japanese surname, and the name of a city in Gifu Prefecture known for its preserved old town.

take

verb

To reach out and get hold of something, or to remove or carry it away.

take for granted

verb phrase

To stop appreciating someone or something because you assume they will always be there and always do the same for you.

take off

phrasal verb

To leave the ground and begin flying, as an aircraft or bird does.

takeaway

noun

The key point or lesson drawn from a discussion, event, or piece of information.

Takeda

name

A Japanese surname meaning "bamboo field," notably that of the historic Takeda samurai clan.

takedown

noun

An act of forcefully bringing someone or something down, or exposing and ending their operations.

taken

verb

Past participle of take.

Takeo

name

A Japanese masculine given name, often meaning "warrior man."

takeoff

noun

The moment a plane, rocket, bird, or jumper leaves the ground and becomes airborne.

takeout

noun

Food bought from a restaurant to eat somewhere else.

takeover

noun

The act of one company buying and gaining control of another.

taker

noun

A person who takes something, especially someone willing to accept an offer or bet.

Takeshi

name

A Japanese masculine given name, often meaning "fierce" or "warrior."

takin

noun

A large, heavily built goat-antelope native to the eastern Himalayas.

taking

adj

Charming or attractive in a way that draws people in.

takkie

noun

An athletic shoe, a trainer, a sneaker.

Taku

name

A Japanese masculine given name.

Tal

name

A Hebrew given name and surname meaning "dew."

talakawa

noun

An ordinary citizen; a commoner.

Talbot

noun

A now-extinct breed of hunting hound with a broad mouth and large ears, once used for tracking.

talc

noun

Originally a large range of transparent or glistening foliated minerals. Examples include mica, selenite and the hydrated magnesium silicate that the term talc generally has referred to in modern times (see below). Also an item made of such a mineral and depending for its function on the special nature of the mineral (see next). Medieval writers adopted the term from the Arabic.

talcum

noun

A fine, soft powder, often scented, used on the skin to absorb moisture.

tale

noun

A story, especially one that is told aloud and may be fictional or exaggerated.

talebearer

noun

An indiscreet person who spreads gossip or blame.

talent

noun

A natural ability to do something well.

talented

adj

Having a natural skill or ability.

talentless

adj

Lacking any notable skill or natural ability.

tales

noun

In law, a person available on standby to fill a vacancy on a jury.

talesman

noun

The (male) author or relater of a tale; storyteller.

taleteller

noun

A person who tells tales.

tali

noun

A traditional marriage necklace or cord, particularly in South Indian and Sri Lankan wedding customs.

Talia

name

A feminine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "dew from heaven."

Taliban

name

A Deobandi Islamist political and military movement founded in Afghanistan in 1994, which has governed the country intermittently since 1996.

talisman

noun

An object believed to bring good luck or protection to whoever carries or wears it.

talk

verb

To communicate using spoken words.

talkative

adj

Inclined to talk a great deal.

talker

noun

A person who talks a lot or is skilled at talking, such as a speaker or presenter.

talkie

noun

A motion picture with synchronized sound, as opposed to a silent film.

talking

noun

The action or activity of speaking.

talky

adj

Containing a lot of dialogue or spoken conversation, often used to describe a film or play.

tall

adj

Having greater than average height.

Tallahassee

name

The capital city of Florida, United States.