English dictionary — definitions & meanings

woodworker

noun

A person skilled at woodworking.

woodworking

noun

The crafts of carpentry, cabinet making and related skills of making things from wood.

woody

adj

Made of, resembling, or having the texture of wood.

wooer

noun

Someone who woos or courts.

woof

intj

Used to represent the sound of a dog barking.

woofer

noun

A loudspeaker that produces low-frequency sound.

woohoo

intj

An exclamation of excitement, joy, or approval.

wooing

noun

The act of trying to win someone's love or favor; courting.

wook

noun

A scruffy, unemployed festival-goer who travels from show to show and relies on others for food, drugs, or a place to crash (slang).

wool

noun

The soft, thick hair of sheep and some other animals, used to make yarn and fabric.

woolen

adj

Made of wool.

Wooley

name

An English surname, a variant spelling of Woolley, likely derived from a place name.

Woolf

name

An English surname, most notably borne by writer Virginia Woolf.

woolgathering

noun

The gathering of fragments of wool torn from sheep by bushes, etc.

woolies

name

Woolworths, a well-known chain of shops selling confectionery, stationery, etc.

woolly

adj

Made of wool, or having a soft, thick texture like wool.

woolsey

noun

A coarse fabric woven from a blend of wool and cotton or linen.

woomera

noun

A traditional spearthrower, consisting of a stick with a hooked end, used by First Nations Australians.

woon

noun

A traditional Burmese title for a government official or administrator.

Wooster

name

An English surname and place name, a variant of Worcester; also a fictional character, Bertie Wooster, in P. G. Wodehouse's novels.

woozy

adj

Feeling dizzy, queasy, or unsteady on your feet.

wop

noun

A highly offensive slur for a person of Italian descent.

wor

det

"Our" — used in Northumbrian and some northern English dialects.

word

noun

The smallest unit of language that carries meaning on its own, made up of one or more sounds or letters.

word for word

adverb

In exactly the same words as the original, with nothing changed, added or left out.

wordbook

noun

A reference book that lists words.

wordcraft

noun

Skill with words; clever use of words or speech, rhetoric.

wordiness

noun

The excessive, often unnecessary, use of words.

wording

noun

The particular words and phrasing chosen to express something.

wordmeal

adv

One word at a time; word by word.

wordplay

noun

Clever or humorous use of words, such as puns or double meanings.

words

noun

An angry exchange or argument.

wordsmith

noun

One who uses words skilfully.

wordstock

noun

The vocabulary (set of words) of a language.

Wordsworth

name

An English surname, most famously borne by Romantic poet William Wordsworth.

wordy

adj

Using far more words than necessary; long-winded.

work

noun

A job or occupation; the activity someone does to earn a living.

work ethic

noun

A person's attitude to work, and how hard, reliably and conscientiously they apply themselves to it.

work on

phrasal verb

To spend time and effort improving something or making progress with a task or project.

workability

noun

The ease with which something can be worked or fashioned.

workable

adj

Practical and capable of being put into effect; feasible.

workaday

adj

Suitable for everyday use.

workaholic

noun

Someone who feels compelled to work constantly, often to an unhealthy degree.

workaround

noun

A means or method of circumventing an obstacle, particularly one arising from constraints, laws or regulatory requirements.

workbench

noun

A sturdy bench or table at which manual work is done by a carpenter, machinist, etc.

workbook

noun

A book, used by a student, in which answers and workings may be entered besides questions and exercises.

workday

noun

A day on which people normally work, as opposed to a weekend or holiday.

worked

adj

Shaped, decorated, or processed through effort, as opposed to left raw or plain.

worker

noun

A person who performs labor, especially for pay.

workforce

noun

All the people employed by a company, industry, or country.

workhome

noun

A place where people both live and are given a job.

workhorse

noun

A horse used primarily for manual labor; a draft/draught horse.

workhouse

noun

Historically, an institution where poor people were housed and required to work in exchange for food and shelter.

working

adj

Currently employed or in paid work.

workingman

noun

A man who works in exchange for payment, especially a labourer who does manual labour.

workings

noun

The internal mechanism or process by which something operates.

workless

adj

Devoid of work.

worklessness

noun

The state of being without paid work.

workload

noun

The amount of work assigned to a person or machine over a given period.

workman

noun

A man who does manual labor, especially skilled labor, for wages.

workmanship

noun

The skill with which something is made, or the quality that results from it.

workmate

noun

Somebody with whom one works; a coworker.

workout

noun

A session of physical exercise.

workplace

noun

The location, such as an office or factory, where someone does their job.

workroom

noun

A room set aside for doing work, such as a studio or small workshop.

works

noun

A factory or industrial site, or the group of such facilities belonging to one operation.

workshop

noun

A room or small building used for manufacturing or manual work.

worksite

noun

A site where work occurs; usually used in reference to construction work.

worksomeness

noun

The state, quality, or condition of being worksome; diligence.

workspace

noun

An area set aside for someone to work in, such as a desk or office area.

workstation

noun

A desktop computer, normally more powerful than a normal PC and often dedicated to a specific task, such as graphics.

workup

noun

A thorough medical examination to assess a patient's health.

workwoman

noun

A woman who performs manual labour.

world

noun

The Earth, along with all its people, countries, and cultures.

worldie

noun

Anything particularly excellent of its kind; especially a goal in sports or a beautiful woman.

worldliness

noun

The quality of being worldly; familiarity with the ways of the world.

worldling

noun

A mundane person, preoccupied with worldly affairs rather than spiritual matters.

worldly

adj

Concerned with material or practical life rather than spiritual matters.

worlds

adv

To a great degree; by far (used for emphasis, as in "worlds apart" or "worlds better").

worldview

noun

A person's or group's overall way of seeing and interpreting the world.

worldwide

adj

Extending across or affecting the whole world.

worm

noun

A long, thin, legless invertebrate, such as an earthworm.

wormhole

noun

A small hole or tunnel bored by a worm.

Worms

name

A city in Germany on the Rhine, known for its cathedral and historical significance in the Reformation.

wormwood

noun

A very bitter herb used in medicine and in making absinthe and vermouth.

worn

adj

Damaged, thin, or shabby from long use.

worried

adj

Feeling anxious or afraid because of something that has happened, or might happen.

worrier

noun

Someone who worries a lot, often over things that turn out fine.

worrisome

adj

Causing worry or unease.

worry

verb

To feel anxious or uneasy about something.

worryful

adj

Full of or suffering worry or anxiety.

worryguts

noun

worrywart, someone who worries excessively.

worrying

adj

Causing anxiety or concern.

worrywart

noun

A person who worries excessively, especially about unimportant matters.

worse

adj

More bad; of lower quality, more severe, or less desirable, than something already bad.

worsen

verb

To make or become worse.

worseness

noun

The state or condition of being worse; inferiority.

worsening

noun

A decline into a worse state.

worship

noun

Reverence and devotion shown to a god or sacred figure.

worshipping

noun

The act of showing religious devotion or great admiration.

Worsley

name

An English surname and place name meaning "clearing frequented by wolves."

worst

adj

Most bad; lowest in quality or most severe.

wort

noun

A plant, especially one used for food or medicine — often the second half of a plant's name, as in "St. John's wort."

worth

adj

Having a particular value, or deserving of something.

worth it

adjective phrase

Good enough to justify the money, time, effort or trouble it costs.

worthen

verb

To give worth to; value; make or become worth or worthy; appraise.

worthiness

noun

The state or quality of having value or merit.

Worthing

name

A seaside town in West Sussex, England, and a surname derived from it.

Worthington

name

An English surname and place name meaning "estate of a man called Worth."

worthless

adj

Having no value or use.

worthlessness

noun

The quality of lacking worth, of being valueless, useless or devoid of benefit.

worthly

adj

Having great worth or value; valuable; important; dignified; stately; excellent; worthy; deserving (of).

worthwhile

adj

Important or rewarding enough to justify the time, effort, or money spent.

worthy

adj

Deserving respect, effort, or attention.

wortlore

noun

The traditional knowledge of the medicinal and nutritional use of plants, herbs, and worts.

wossname

noun

whatsitsname

Wotan

name

The German name for Odin, the chief god in Norse and Germanic mythology.

wotcher

contraction

Contraction of what + do + you.

wotsit

noun

A cheese-flavoured corn puff of the British brand Wotsits.

would

verb

Used to describe what someone was going to do, from the point of view of the past.

wound

noun

An injury where the skin is cut, pierced, or torn.

woundable

adj

Capable of being wounded; vulnerable.

wounded

adj

Having suffered a physical injury, especially in combat.

wounding

noun

The act of causing a wound, or an instance of being wounded.

wove

verb

Past tense of "weave."

woven

adj

Made by interlacing threads or strips of material.

wow

intj

Used to express surprise, excitement, or admiration.

wowed

verb

To apply an emoticon with the meaning of "wow"

wowee

intj

wow; expressing astonishment, surprise or excitement

Woz

name

An informal nickname for Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer.

Wozniak

name

A Polish surname, most notably borne by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc.

WPS

noun

Wi-Fi Protected Setup: a feature on many home routers that lets a device join the wireless network by pressing a button or entering an eight-digit PIN instead of typing the password.

wrack

noun

The remains of something; a wreck.

wraith

noun

A ghost or ghostly figure, especially one believed to appear around the time of a person's death.

wraithlike

adj

Resembling a wraith; ghostly.

wraithy

adj

Resembling or characteristic of a wraith.

wrangle

verb

To argue or quarrel at length, often noisily.

wrangler

noun

Someone who herds or manages livestock, especially horses.

wrangling

noun

Prolonged and often heated argument or dispute.

wrap

verb

To cover something completely by folding material around it.

wrapped

noun

An end-of-year summary feature, popularized by Spotify, showing a user's activity over the year.

wrapper

noun

A covering used to wrap something, especially food or a package.

wrapping

noun

Material used to wrap or cover something.

wraps

adj

Slang for finished, over, or without any hope of continuing.

wrath

noun

Intense anger, often with a desire for revenge.

wrawl

verb

To cry like a cat; to waul.

Wray

name

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "corner" or "nook of land."

wreak

verb

To cause or inflict something damaging or violent, such as havoc, damage, or revenge.

wreaking

verb

Causing severe damage or trouble; the -ing form of "wreak".

wreath

noun

A ring-shaped arrangement of flowers, leaves, or other material, used for decoration or as a mark of honour or remembrance.