English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Teague

noun

A dated and now offensive term for an Irishman.

teahouse

noun

A cafe or small restaurant that specialises in serving tea, often with light snacks.

teak

noun

A very hard, durable wood from the teak tree, prized for furniture and shipbuilding.

teal

noun

A small, brightly coloured freshwater duck.

team

noun

A group of people working or playing together toward a shared goal.

teamed

adj

Joined together with others as part of a team.

teaming

noun

The act of forming or working as a team.

teammate

noun

A person who is on the same team as someone else.

Teamsters

name

The Teamsters, a major North American labour union representing truck drivers and other workers.

teamwork

noun

The combined effort of a group working together toward a common goal.

teapot

noun

A container with a handle, spout, and lid, used for brewing and pouring tea.

tear

verb

To pull something apart or make a hole in it by force.

teardrop

noun

A single drop of tear fluid, or the rounded shape of such a drop.

tearful

adj

Crying, or on the verge of crying.

tearfully

adv

In a manner marked by crying or strong emotion.

tearing

adj

Informal: very great or impressive in size or effect.

teary

adj

Having eyes filled with tears, or inclined to cry.

tease

verb

To poke fun at someone playfully or, sometimes, unkindly.

teaser

noun

A short preview released ahead of a film, show, or product to build excitement.

teasing

noun

Playful or provoking behaviour directed at someone, often through jokes or ribbing.

teaspoon

noun

A small spoon used for stirring drinks or eating small amounts of food.

teat

noun

The nipple-like projection on a mammal's udder or breast through which milk is drawn.

teatime

noun

The traditional time in the late afternoon for tea and a light snack.

tech

noun

Informal short form of technology.

technical

adj

Relating to a specific field of knowledge or skill, especially one that's hard for outsiders to follow.

technicality

noun

A minor rule or detail that seems unimportant to most people but can have major consequences.

technically

adv

Strictly speaking, according to the precise facts or rules, even though it may seem to contradict common belief.

technician

noun

A person skilled in the practical or mechanical side of a particular field.

Technicolor

noun

A film colour process from the twentieth century famous for its bold, super-saturated colours.

technique

noun

A specific method or way of doing something that requires skill or practice.

techno

noun

A style of fast, repetitive electronic dance music built around a steady bass-drum beat, originally made for DJ sets.

technological

adj

Relating to or involving technology, particularly modern science-based technology.

technologically

adv

In a way that relates to or makes use of technology.

technology

noun

The practical application of scientific knowledge to solve problems or build tools and machines.

tectonic

adj

Relating to the large-scale structure and movement of the Earth's crust.

Tecumseh

name

A male given name, and the name of several towns across North America.

Ted

name

A nickname short for Edward, Theodore, Thaddeus, or Edmund.

teddy

noun

A one-piece women's undergarment combining a top and underwear.

tedious

adj

Boring and drawn out, especially because it takes a long time or is repetitive.

tee

noun

The small peg used to hold a golf ball, or the marked spot where a golfer starts each hole.

Teela

name

A female given name.

teeming

adj

Completely full of living things, especially in large, moving numbers.

teen

noun

A person aged between thirteen and nineteen; short for teenager.

teenage

adj

Between thirteen and nineteen years old, or relating to that age group.

teenager

noun

A person aged between thirteen and nineteen years old.

teenie

noun

A sixteenth of a dollar — an old fractional unit once used to quote and trade stock prices before decimalization.

teens

noun

The years of a person's life from thirteen to nineteen.

teensy

adj

Extremely small; a playful, informal way of saying tiny.

teeny

adj

Very small; tiny.

teepee

noun

A cone-shaped tent traditionally used by Native American peoples of the Great Plains.

Tees

name

A river in north-east England that flows through Middlesbrough.

teetering

noun

The state of wobbling unsteadily, close to falling or collapsing.

teeth

noun

Plural of tooth — the hard structures in the mouth used for biting and chewing.

teething

noun

The process of a baby's first teeth coming through the gums.

Teflon

name

A brand name for a non-stick coating material (PTFE) used on cookware and other products.

Tegan

name

A given name, used for both women (from Welsh) and men (from Irish), and also a surname.

Tehran

name

The capital city of Iran.

tej

noun

A honey wine or mead from Ethiopia and Eritrea, often served in a special rounded glass called a berele.

Tel

name

A nickname for the given name Terry.

tele

noun

Informal short form for a Fender Telecaster electric guitar.

telecast

verb

To broadcast something on television.

telecom

noun

Short for telecommunications, or a company that provides phone and internet services.

telegram

noun

A short written message sent by telegraph.

telegraph

noun

A system, or the device, used to send coded messages over long distances using electrical signals.

telekinesis

noun

The supposed ability to move objects using only the power of the mind.

telekinetic

adj

Relating to or having the power of telekinesis.

telemetry

noun

The automatic collection and transmission of data from a distant source to a place where it can be analysed.

telenovela

noun

A television soap opera, typically from Latin America, presented as a limited series rather than an ongoing show.

telepath

noun

Someone believed to be able to read (and sometimes project) other people's thoughts directly, without speech.

telepathic

adj

Able to communicate or sense things through telepathy, mind to mind.

telepathically

adv

By reading or transmitting thoughts directly, rather than through speech or writing.

telepathy

noun

The supposed ability to know someone else's thoughts or feelings directly, without speech, writing, or any normal signal.

telephone

verb

To call someone or pass on information using a phone.

telephoning

noun

The act of making a phone call.

telephoto

adj

Describing a camera lens built to make distant subjects appear large and close up.

teleport

verb

To move instantly from one place to another without crossing the space in between (usually in fiction).

teleportation

noun

The (mostly fictional) process of moving something from one place to another instantly, without passing through the space between.

teleporter

noun

A device (or, in fiction, a person) that teleports things from place to place.

teleprompter

noun

A screen near a camera that scrolls a script so a speaker can read it while appearing to talk naturally to the audience.

telescope

noun

An optical instrument that makes distant objects look closer and larger, especially used to view the night sky.

telethon

noun

A long televised event that asks viewers to donate money, usually by phone, for a charitable cause.

teletype

noun

An old machine that automatically prints out messages received over a wire, using ordinary letters rather than Morse code.

televised

adj

Shown on television; broadcast.

television

noun

A device with a screen and speaker that receives and displays broadcast pictures and sound.

telex

noun

A now largely obsolete network of teleprinters used to send typed messages over long distances, or a message sent that way.

Telford

noun

A road surface made of small stones packed and rolled tightly over a base of larger stones — an early paving method distinct from macadam, which relies on a looser stone bed.

tell

verb

To give someone information by speaking or writing; to say something to someone.

teller

noun

A bank employee who handles deposits, withdrawals, and other counter transactions for customers.

tellin

noun

A small burrowing sea clam that filters food particles from the sand it lives in.

telling

adj

Revealing something important, often without meaning to; significant.

telltale

noun

Something that gives away or reveals a fact, often one meant to stay hidden.

telly

noun

British informal word for television, either the broadcast medium or the physical set.

Telugu

noun

A Dravidian language spoken mainly in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and the ethnic group who speak it as a mother tongue.

temp

noun

A person hired to work somewhere for a short, fixed period rather than permanently.

temper

noun

A person's tendency to become angry, or a fit of anger itself.

temperament

noun

A person's natural way of thinking, reacting, and behaving, especially as it shows up in mood.

temperamental

adj

Prone to sudden, unpredictable changes in mood; easily upset.

temperance

noun

Self-restraint, especially in eating, drinking, or other appetites.

temperate

adj

Mild, not extreme in temperature or climate.

temperature

noun

A measurement of how hot or cold something is.

tempered

adj

Having a particular kind of temper or disposition, especially in combinations like "good-tempered" or "hot-tempered."

tempest

noun

A violent storm, especially one with fierce winds.

templar

noun

A member of the Knights Templar, a medieval Christian military order.

template

noun

A pre-made pattern or shape used as a guide for making other objects.

temple

noun

A building used for worship, especially in religions other than mainstream Christianity.

Temples

name

An English surname, originally denoting someone who lived near or worked for a religious temple, notably associated with the Knights Templar.

tempo

noun

The speed at which a piece of music is played, or the beat that sets that speed.

temporal

adj

Relating to time, as opposed to space or eternity.

temporarily

adverb

For a limited period of time; not permanently.

temporary

adjective

Lasting for only a limited time; not permanent.

tempt

verb

To try to get someone to do something, often something unwise, usually by making it look appealing.

temptation

noun

The urge or desire to do something, especially something unwise or forbidden.

tempting

adjective

Attractive or appealing in a way that makes you want to give in to it.

temptress

noun

A woman who deliberately uses her charm or attractiveness to lure or manipulate someone.

tempura

noun

A Japanese dish of vegetables, seafood, or other ingredients coated in a light batter and deep-fried.

Temujin

name

A Mongolian masculine given name, the birth name of Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire.

ten

number

The number after nine and before eleven, written as 10.

tenacious

adjective

Refusing to give up or let go, even when things get difficult.

tenacity

noun

The quality of refusing to give up; determined persistence.

tenant

noun

Someone who pays rent to live in or use a property owned by someone else.

tend

verb

To be likely to behave, happen, or turn out in a particular way.

tendency

noun

A natural inclination to behave or happen in a particular way.

tender

adjective

Gentle, loving, or showing warm affection.

tenderloin

noun

The most tender cut of meat from the loin, especially of beef or pork.

tenderly

adverb

In a gentle, caring, or loving way.

tenderness

noun

Gentle, caring, and affectionate feeling toward someone.

tendon

noun

A tough band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone.

tenement

noun

A large building divided into flats and rented out to multiple tenants, often old or run-down.

tenfold

adjective

Ten times as great or as many.

Teng

name

A Chinese surname, also used as a given name, meaning "to soar" or "to gallop."

tengu

noun

A supernatural creature from Japanese folklore, usually shown as a bird-like or long-nosed figure.

Tennant

name

An English surname derived from "tenant," historically denoting someone who held land from a landlord.

tenner

noun

Informal British term for a ten-pound note, or ten dollars in other dialects.

Tennessee

name

A state of the United States.

tennis

noun

A sport in which two or four players hit a ball back and forth over a net using racquets.

Tennison

name

An English surname meaning "son of Tenny," a medieval pet form of Dennis.

Tennyson

name

An English surname, historically meaning "son of Tenny," most famously borne by the Victorian poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

tenor

noun

A male singing voice higher than baritone and bass, or a singer with that voice.

tens

noun

A vague large quantity, roughly between ten and a hundred.

tense

adjective

Feeling or showing stress, anxiety, or strain; not relaxed.

tension

noun

A feeling of unease, stress, or unresolved conflict between people.

tent

noun

A portable shelter made of fabric stretched over poles, used for camping or outdoor events.

tentacle

noun

A long, flexible, limb-like organ used for grasping or feeling, found on animals like octopuses and squid.

tentative

adjective

Not yet certain or fixed; provisional, subject to change.

tenth

adjective

Coming after the ninth in a sequence; the ordinal form of ten.

tenuous

adjective

Weak, flimsy, or barely holding together; lacking a solid basis.

tenure

noun

The period of time someone holds a job, office, or position.

Tenzin

name

A Tibetan given name, meaning "holder of the teachings," commonly used by Buddhist monks including the Dalai Lama.

Teo

name

A masculine given name used in several languages, a short form of Teodoro or Matteo.

Teodoro

name

A masculine given name, the Italian and Spanish form of Theodore, meaning "gift of God."