English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

TA

intj

An informal way of saying thanks (chiefly British).

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.

tabernacle

noun

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

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.

tables

noun

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

tablet

noun

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

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.

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."

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.

tachyon

noun

A hypothetical particle that would always travel faster than light.

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.

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.

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.

tagging

noun

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

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.

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.

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.

taipan

noun

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

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.

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.

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.

Taku

name

A Japanese masculine given name.

Tal

name

A Hebrew given name and surname meaning "dew."

Talbot

noun

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

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.

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.

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.

Tallinn

name

The capital city of Estonia.

Tallis

name

An English surname, notably that of Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis.

Tallulah

name

A female given name, and a city in Louisiana, United States.

tally

verb

To count or add up a total.

Talmud

name

A central text of Jewish law and tradition, existing in Babylonian and Jerusalem versions.

talon

noun

A sharp, curved claw belonging to a bird of prey or other predator.

tam

name

A common short form of the female given names Tamara or Tamsin.

tama

noun

A form of votive offering in the Eastern Orthodox Church, particularly the Greek Orthodox Church, usually in the form of a small metal plaque with an embossed image symbolizing the subject of prayer for which it is offered.

Tamaki

name

A Japanese given name and surname, often meaning "beautiful gem."

tamale

noun

A Mexican dish made of masa dough filled with meat or other ingredients, wrapped in a corn husk, and steamed.

Tamar

name

A Hebrew female given name of biblical origin, meaning "date palm."

Tamara

name

A female given name from Hebrew, regularly used in English since the mid-twentieth century.

tamarind

noun

A tropical tree that produces long, curved pods filled with sticky, sour-sweet pulp.

Tamayo

name

A Japanese and Spanish surname; notably that of Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo.

tambourine

noun

A small percussion instrument made of a round frame with jingling metal discs set into its rim, played by shaking or striking it.

tame

adj

Not wild; brought under human control, especially of an animal.

tamed

adj

Brought under control; made docile.

tamer

noun

Someone who trains or controls wild animals, or who brings something unruly under control.

Tami

name

A feminine given name, often a short form of Tamara or Tamsin.

Tamika

name

A feminine given name popular in African American communities, likely derived from Japanese "Tamiko."

Tamiko

name

A Japanese feminine given name, often meaning "child of the people."

Tamil

name

A Dravidian language spoken mainly in Tamil Nadu, India, and in Sri Lanka, and by diaspora communities in Singapore, Malaysia, and elsewhere.

taming

noun

The process of bringing something wild or unruly under control.

Tammi

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Tammy, itself a diminutive of Tamara.

tammy

noun

A woolen or wool-and-cotton fabric, often glazed, historically used for curtains and straining cloths.

Tampa

name

A city on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

tamper

verb

To interfere with something in an unauthorized or harmful way.

tampered

adj

Altered or interfered with without authorization.

tampering

noun

The act of interfering with something in an unauthorized way.

tampon

noun

A small plug of absorbent material inserted into the body to soak up fluid, most commonly used during menstruation.

tamponade

noun

A medical condition in which blood flow is blocked or compressed, such as fluid building up around the heart.

Tamra

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Tamara.

Tamsin

name

A feminine given name, a Cornish diminutive of Thomasina, meaning "twin."