English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

tendency

noun

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

tender

adjective

Gentle, loving, or showing warm affection.

tenderfoot

noun

Someone new to something and lacking experience.

tenderhearted

adj

Kind and easily moved by other people's suffering.

tendering

noun

The act of submitting a formal bid or offer.

tenderize

verb

To make food, especially meat, softer and easier to chew.

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.

tending

noun

Care given to someone or something, or the act of looking after them.

tendon

noun

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

tendril

noun

A thin, curling part of a plant that lets it cling on to something for support.

tendrilous

adj

Shaped like a tendril.

tendu

noun

A move in which the leg and foot stretch to point in a particular direction, but the foot does not leave the floor.

tenebrose

adj

Dark and gloomy.

tenebrous

adj

Dark, gloomy and hard to see clearly.

tenement

noun

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

tenet

noun

A principle or belief held to be true by a person or, more often, by a group, religion or movement.

tenfold

adjective

Ten times as great or as many.

tenfoot

noun

A narrow lane about ten feet wide, usually running behind houses.

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.

tennent

name

The name of a unincorporated community in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.

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.

tenpins

noun

A game, a form of bowling, played with ten pins as the target.

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.

tensioned

adj

Pulled tight or under strain.

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.

tentigo

noun

(medical) An erection of the penis, especially one that is abnormal and long-lasting.

tenting

noun

Fabric or other material used to make tents.

tenuity

noun

The quality of being thin or slender.

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."

tepal

noun

One of the outer parts of a flower that form its perianth, used when they are not clearly separate into petals and sepals.

tepid

adj

Lukewarm — neither warm nor cool.

tequila

noun

A Mexican spirit distilled from the fermented sap of the blue agave plant.

Ter

name

A short form used as a given name or as a prefix in Dutch surnames, meaning "at the" or "of the."

teras

noun

An unborn baby with severe physical deformities.

teratical

adj

Amazing, threatening, or extraordinary.

terbium

noun

A soft, silvery-white rare earth metal with the symbol Tb and atomic number 65, which can be hammered and drawn out easily.

tercet

noun

A verse made up of three lines.

terebic

adj

Relating to turpentine, especially a particular acid taken from it.

terebinth

noun

A small tree that grows around the Mediterranean.

Terence

name

A masculine given name derived from the Roman family name Terentius, borne by the ancient playwright Terence.

Teresa

name

A female first name of Ancient Greek, the Spanish and Italian form of Theresa origin.

TERF

noun

A person, usually described as a feminist, who holds that transgender women are not women and should be excluded from women's spaces, services and campaigns.

Teri

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Terri, itself a short form of Theresa.

teriyaki

noun

A Japanese cooking method in which meat or fish is grilled or broiled after being coated in a sweet, glossy soy-based marinade.

term

noun

A word or expression, especially one with a specific meaning in a particular field.

termagant

noun

A loud, aggressive and unruly person or thing.

terminal

noun

A building where passengers board or leave planes, trains, or ferries.

terminally

adv

In a way that will end in death.

terminate

verb

To bring something to an end.

terminated

adj

Brought to an end; ended or cancelled.

terminating

adj

Coming to an end.

termination

noun

The act of ending something, or the state of having ended.

terminator

noun

A person or thing that ends or destroys something.

terminological

adj

Connected with the special words used in a particular subject.

terminology

noun

The specialised set of terms used in a particular field or subject.

terminus

noun

The final stop of a transport route, or the station or town where it ends.

termite

noun

A pale, soft-bodied wood-eating insect that lives in large colonies.

termless

adj

Going on forever, with no end or limit.

tern

noun

A seabird similar to a gull but smaller, with a forked tail.

ternary

adj

Consisting of three parts.

ternion

noun

A set of three things considered as one group.

terp

noun

A person who translates spoken language for others.

terpene

noun

Any of a large group of natural or man-made chemical compounds based on isoprene, found in things like perfume, food flavouring and rubber.

terpsichore

name

A goddess associated with dance and the dramatic chorus, one of the Muses, who were daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne.

terpsichorean

adj

Connected with dancing.

terra

noun

Earth, ground, or land, especially as a physical surface (often in set phrases like terra firma).

terrace

noun

A paved outdoor area attached to a house, often used for sitting or dining.

terraced

adj

Describes a house that is joined to others in a row, or a row of such houses.

terracotta

noun

A hard, reddish-brown unglazed clay used for pottery, tiles, and building decoration.

terraforming

noun

The hypothetical process of changing a planet or moon so that it becomes like Earth and suitable for human life.

terrain

noun

The physical features of a stretch of land, especially how rugged or flat it is.

Terran

adj

Relating to Earth or its inhabitants (chiefly in science fiction).

Terrance

name

A masculine given name, a variant spelling of Terence.

terrapin

noun

Any of several small turtles found in various parts of the world.

terrasse

noun

A paved outdoor area next to a building; a patio.

Terrell

name

A masculine given name and surname, derived from an Old French nickname meaning "stubborn."

Terrence

name

A masculine given name, another common spelling variant of Terence.

terrene

adj

Belonging to the earth or physical world, rather than heaven or the sea.

terrestrial

adj

Relating to the Earth or its land, as opposed to sea, sky, or space.

Terri

name

A feminine given name, commonly a short form of Theresa or Teresa.

terrible

adj

Very bad or unpleasant.

terribly

adv

Very badly or poorly.

terrier

noun

Any of various small, energetic dog breeds originally bred to hunt burrowing animals.

terrific

adj

Excellent; wonderful.

terrifically

adv

To a very great degree.

terrified

adj

Extremely frightened.

terrify

verb

To frighten someone severely.

terrifying

adj

Causing intense fear.

territorial

adj

Relating to a particular area of land or territory.

territory

noun

An area or extent of land, especially one under a particular government's control.

terror

noun

Intense fear.

terrorise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of terrorize.

terrorism

noun

The climate of fear and harsh control enforced by the French government during the Terror of the 1790s.

terrorist

noun

A person who uses violence and fear against civilians to pursue political or ideological goals.

terrorize

verb

To frighten someone badly, usually by repeated threats or violence.

terrorsome

adj

Causing great fear; terrifying.

terry

noun

A looped cotton fabric used for towels and bathrobes because it soaks up water well.

terse

adj

Describes speech or writing that is short and says only what is necessary.

tersely

adv

In few words, saying only what is needed.

terseness

noun

The quality of using very few words.

tertiary

adjective

Third in order, rank or importance, coming after primary and secondary.

tertiary education

noun

All formal education taken after leaving secondary school, including universities, colleges, polytechnics and vocational or technical training.

tertiate

verb

To cut something by a third, especially to kill one in three of a group of people.

terzetto

noun

A piece written for three voices, or the group of three singers who perform it.

tesla

noun

The SI unit for measuring the strength of a magnetic field.

Tesoro

name

A surname of Italian and Spanish origin meaning "treasure."

Tess

name

A feminine given name, a short form of Theresa or Tessa.

Tessa

name

A feminine given name, likely derived from Theresa, popularized in part by Thomas Hardy's novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles."

tessellation

noun

The quality of a set of shapes fitting together to cover a flat area, leaving no gaps.

Tessie

noun

Another word for a Tesla, the vehicle.

test

noun

A set of questions or tasks used to check someone's knowledge or ability.

testament

noun

A legal document stating how a person wants their property divided after death.

tester

noun

A person whose job is to check that a product or system works correctly.

testicle

noun

Either of the two male reproductive glands that produce sperm and testosterone.

testicular

adj

Relating to the testicles.

testify

verb

To give a formal statement as a witness, usually under oath in court.

testimonial

noun

A written or spoken statement praising someone's character, work, or a product.

testimony

noun

A formal statement given by a witness, especially in court.

testing

noun

The process of checking whether something works correctly or meets a standard.

testis

noun

The testicle of an animal with a backbone.

testosterone

noun

A hormone, produced mainly in the testes, that drives male physical development and sex drive.

testudine

noun

Any reptile belonging to the group that includes turtles and tortoises.

testudineous

adj

Relating to a tortoise or its shell.

testy

adj

Easily irritated or short-tempered.

tet

noun

Short for tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect involving four related structural problems in the heart.

tetanus

noun

A serious bacterial infection, often from a dirty wound, that causes severe muscle stiffness and spasms.

tetchy

adj

Meaning much the same as touchy: quick to become annoyed or irritated, peevish, testy and irascible; figuratively, also very sensitive and hard to handle, operate or work with.

tether

noun

A rope or chain that keeps an animal or object within a limited range while still allowing some movement.

tethered

adj

Tied up or restrained with a rope or similar restraint.

tethering

noun

The act of tying something up, or whatever is used to do this.

tetra

noun

Any of several small, brightly coloured freshwater fish popular in home aquariums.

tetrachord

noun

A group of four different musical notes.