English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

thermometer

noun

An instrument used to measure temperature.

thermonuclear

adj

Relating to nuclear reactions, especially fusion, that occur at extremely high temperatures.

thermoregulator

noun

A living thing that controls its own body temperature.

thermos

noun

An insulated flask that keeps drinks or food hot or cold.

thermosphere

noun

The layer of the Earth's atmosphere directly above the mesosphere and directly below the exosphere.

thermostat

noun

A device that automatically controls temperature by switching heating or cooling systems on or off.

Theron

name

A masculine given name of Greek origin meaning "hunter," and a surname of the same origin.

thesaurus

noun

A reference book or website that groups words by meaning, so you can look up a word and find its synonyms and often its antonyms.

these

determiner

Used before a plural noun to point to people or things that are nearby or have just been mentioned, as the plural of this.

Theseus

noun

A legendary hero of Greek mythology, best known for slaying the Minotaur in the labyrinth of Crete.

thesis

noun

A statement or claim put forward and supported by argument.

thespian

adj

Relating to acting or drama; theatrical.

Thessaloniki

name

A major city in northern Greece, named after Thessalonike, half-sister of Alexander the Great.

Thet

name

A given name of Southeast Asian origin, used in Burmese naming traditions.

theta

noun

A letter of the Greek alphabet (Θ, θ), also used in mathematics and science to represent an angle or variable.

thew

noun

A pleasing physical feature, or strength of body, mind or character.

they

pron

Used to refer to a group of people or things already mentioned.

they/them

pronoun

A set of pronouns used to refer to a single person, especially one who is non-binary or whose gender is not known or not being specified. Often stated as a person's pronouns in introductions, email signatures and social media profiles.

Thi

name

A common element in Vietnamese feminine given names, often signifying a poem or a female lineage marker.

Thibault

name

A French masculine given name and surname derived from the Germanic elements for "people" and "bold."

thick

adj

Having a large distance between opposite surfaces; not thin.

thicken

verb

To make something wider or bulkier.

thicket

noun

A dense patch of bushes, shrubs, or small trees.

thickflowing

adj

Flowing in a thick, sticky way.

thickhead

noun

A silly or unintelligent person.

thickness

noun

The distance between two opposite surfaces of something; how thick it is.

thickshake

noun

A thick drink made by blending milk and ice cream, often with added flavours.

thief

noun

A person who steals something, typically without using force or confrontation.

thiefdom

noun

The act or habit of stealing.

thievery

noun

The act or practice of stealing.

thieving

adj

Inclined to steal; given to theft.

thigh

noun

The part of the leg between the hip and the knee.

thighbone

noun

The long bone running from the hip to the knee, also called the femur.

thimble

noun

A small protective cap, usually metal, worn on a finger to push a needle through fabric while sewing.

thimbleful

noun

A tiny amount, about the size a thimble could hold.

thin

adj

Having little distance between opposite surfaces; not thick.

thine

det

Archaic form of "your", used before a vowel sound.

thing

noun

Any object, item, or entity that isn't named more specifically.

thingamabob

noun

An object or person whose real name you cannot remember.

thingamajig

noun

An object whose name you don't know or can't recall.

thingamajigger

noun

A thing whose proper name has been forgotten.

thingamajiggy

noun

An object whose name you can't think of.

thingify

verb

To turn into a thing; to make solid or tangible.

thingmy

adj

Anxious and flustered, worked up into a nervous fuss.

thingo

noun

A thing whose proper name you don't know or can't bring to mind.

things

noun

One's belongings, such as clothes, luggage, or personal items.

thingummy

noun

Something you can't remember the name of, or don't want to name exactly.

thingy

noun

An informal word for an object whose name the speaker can't recall or doesn't need to state.

think

verb

To use one's mind to consider, reason about, or form an opinion.

thinker

noun

Someone known for serious, deep thought, especially a philosopher or intellectual.

thinking

noun

The process of using your mind to consider or reason about something.

thinko

noun

(informal) A silly slip made while working something out.

thinly

adv

In a thin layer or with little thickness.

thinner

noun

A liquid used to dilute paint or another substance and make it less thick.

thinness

noun

The quality of being thin.

thinning

noun

The process of removing some plants, hairs, or other things to reduce their density.

thiopental

noun

A barbiturate C₁₁H₁₈N₂O₂S (trademark Pentothal) used in the form of its sodium salt especially as an intravenous anesthetic; and as a supposed truth serum.

third

adj

Coming after the second and before the fourth in a sequence; ordinal form of three.

third world country

noun

A poor or economically underdeveloped country, typically one with weak infrastructure, low average income and limited public services. Now widely considered outdated and often offensive.

thirdhand

adj

Passed on to you through two other people rather than heard directly.

thirdly

adv

Used to introduce the third point in a list.

thirds

noun

A third helping of food or drink.

thirst

noun

The feeling of needing something to drink.

thirst trap

noun

A photo or video posted online that is deliberately sexy, intended to attract attention, compliments and desire from viewers.

thirsty

adj

Needing or wanting a drink.

thirteen

num

The number after twelve and before fourteen; 13.

thirteenth

adj

Coming after the twelfth and before the fourteenth; ordinal form of thirteen.

thirties

noun

The decade from thirty to thirty-nine within a century (e.g. the 1930s).

thirtieth

adjective

Coming number thirty in a series.

thirty

num

The number after twenty-nine and before thirty-one; 30.

this

det

Used to point to something or someone nearby or just mentioned.

thistle

noun

A prickly plant with sharp-edged leaves and a spiky flower head, often purple.

thistly

adj

Full of growing thistles.

thither

adv

To or toward that place (archaic or literary).

tho

conj

Informal spelling of "though", used to mean "although" or "but".

thock

intj

Used to represent a sharp, hollow thud, such as an axe makes hitting wood.

thole

verb

To bear something patiently, put up with it, or tolerate it.

Thom

name

A male given name, a variant of Tom, and a surname derived from it.

Thomas

name

A common male given name, from the Aramaic word for "twin", popular since biblical times.

thomason

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

thomasson

name

A family name that began as a patronymic.

Thompson

name

A common English and Scottish surname meaning "son of Thomas".

Thomson

name

A common English and Scottish surname meaning "son of Thomas", a variant spelling of Thompson.

thone

adj

(dialect) Wet or damp, and soft because of it.

thong

noun

A narrow strip of leather or other material used to fasten or tie things.

thonself

pron

themself; gender-neutral object of a verb or preposition that also appears as the subject, coordinate with himself or herself, the reflexive form of thon.

Thor

name

The Norse god of thunder, storms, and strength.

Thora

name

A female given name derived from Old Norse, based on the name of the god Thor.

thoracic

adj

Relating to the thorax, the part of the body between the neck and the abdomen containing the chest cavity.

thoracotomy

noun

A surgical cut into the chest wall, usually made so a surgeon can reach the heart, lungs, or other organs inside.

thorax

noun

The part of the body between the neck and abdomen, containing the heart and lungs; also the cavity itself.

Thorazine

noun

A brand name for chlorpromazine, an early antipsychotic medication used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia.

Thoreau

name

A surname of French origin, most notably borne by American writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau.

thorin

noun

A highly sensitive chemical indicator used in labs to detect and measure barium, beryllium, lithium, uranium, and thorium in solution.

thorium

noun

A weakly radioactive, silvery metallic element with the chemical symbol Th and atomic number 90.

thorn

noun

A sharp, hard, pointed growth on a plant stem or branch.

thornback

noun

Any creature with sharp spines on its back, especially certain sea animals.

Thorndyke

name

An English surname meaning "thorn ditch," originally denoting someone from a place with a thorny hedge or embankment.

Thorne

name

An English surname and given name meaning "thorn bush," originally a place name.

Thornhill

name

An English surname meaning "hill covered with thorn bushes," originally a place name.

thorniness

noun

The quality of being thorny, whether literally covered in thorns or difficult to deal with.

Thornton

name

An English surname and place name meaning "thorn-tree settlement."

thorny

adj

Covered in or bearing thorns or spines.

thorough

adj

Done with great care and attention, missing no detail.

thoroughbred

adj

Bred from pure, high-quality stock, especially of animals.

thoroughbreed

noun

A breed with a pure, unmixed lineage.

thoroughfare

noun

A public road or street that runs through an area, connecting one place to another.

thoroughgoing

adj

Done with great care and covering every detail.

thoroughly

adv

In a complete, careful way, leaving nothing undone.

thoroughness

noun

The quality of being thorough.

thorp

noun

A small cluster of houses in the countryside; a hamlet.

Thorpe

name

An English surname derived from an Old Norse word meaning "small village" or "hamlet."

those

determiner

Used before a plural noun to point to people or things that are further away or have already been mentioned, as the plural of that.

thot

noun

A derogatory term for a woman judged to be sexually promiscuous or to seek attention through sexual display.

thotty

adj

(informal, vulgar) Behaving like, or typical of, someone seen as sexually promiscuous.

thou

pronoun

An old-fashioned or poetic word for "you," used when speaking to one person.

though

conj

Despite the fact that; although.

thought

noun

An idea or mental image formed in the mind.

thoughtful

adj

Showing careful thinking or consideration.

thoughtfully

adv

In a way that shows careful thought or reflection.

thoughtfulness

noun

Kind, considerate attention shown towards others.

thoughtless

adj

Done without proper thought or care.

thoughty

adj

(informal) Inclined to think deeply, whether attentive or lost in thought.

thousand

num

The number 1,000, equal to ten times one hundred.

thousandth

adj

Coming after the nine hundred and ninety-ninth in a sequence; the ordinal form of one thousand.

Thr

symbol

Abbreviation for thrombin, an enzyme in the blood that helps it clot.

Thrace

noun

A historical region of southeastern Europe now split between Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey.

thraldom

noun

A condition of being enslaved or controlled by someone else.

thrall

noun

A person held as a slave or in servitude, under the total control of another.

thran

adj

(informal) Very stubborn and unwilling to change your mind.

thrash

verb

To beat someone severely, or to defeat an opponent decisively.

thrashing

noun

A severe beating.

thread

noun

A thin, long strand of spun fiber used for sewing or weaving.

threadbare

adjective

Worn so thin that the threads of the fabric show through; shabby from long use.

threaded

adj

Having a screw thread cut or formed into it.

threaden

adj

Made from thread.

threads

noun

Informal word for clothes.

thready

adj

Resembling a thread; thin and stringy.

threap

noun

A heated argument or quarrel.

threat

noun

A statement expressing intent to harm or punish someone.

threaten

verb

To say that you intend to harm or punish someone.

threatened

adj

At risk of being harmed or becoming endangered.

threatening

adj

Suggesting or carrying the risk of harm.

threatensome

adj

Having a threatening quality.

three

num

The number 3, one more than two and one less than four.

three dots

noun

The punctuation mark "...", properly called an ellipsis, used to show that words have been left out, that a sentence trails off, or that a speaker is pausing.

three fingers up

noun phrase

A hand gesture in which three fingers are raised, used online and in photographs with a range of meanings depending on context, most commonly as a salute of solidarity and resistance, as a sign for the number three, or as a gang or crew signal.

threefold

noun

(mathematics) An algebraic variety with three dimensions.

threeness

noun

The quality of being three in number, or a triad; a trinity.

threepeat

verb

To win the same thing three times in a row.