Dutch–English dictionary

sommeren

(uncountable, arithmetic) The arithmetic operation of adding.

sommering

(uncountable, arithmetic) The arithmetic operation of adding.

sommige

(stressed) A nonzero, unspecified proportion of (a bounded set of countable things): at least two.

sommigen

A certain number, at least two.

soms

On occasion: at relatively infrequent intervals, from time to time, sometimes. [from 15th c.]

somtijds

On some occasions, over some periods, or in certain circumstances, but not always. [from 16th c.]

somwijlen

On some occasions, over some periods, or in certain circumstances, but not always. [from 16th c.]

sonate

(music) A musical composition for one or a few instruments, one of which is frequently a piano, in three or four movements that vary in key and tempo.

sond

(geography) A long narrow inlet, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean.

sonderen

To ascertain, or to try to ascertain, the thoughts, motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try; to test; to probe.

songster

An adult chorister in the Salvation Army.

songtekst

The words to a song (or other vocal music).

songwriter

(music) A musician who composes songs; especially writing the song's lyrics and/or creating a melody or a tune for the song.

sonisch

Of or relating to sound.

sonnet

A fixed verse form of Italian origin consisting of fourteen lines that are typically five-foot iambics and rhyme according to one of a few prescribed schemes.

Sont

A strait in Northern Europe, which separates Denmark and Sweden.

soort

An individual or species that is endemic to a region.

soort truweel

A sort of trowel used for finishing concrete surfaces or smoothing plaster.

soortgelijk

Having traits or characteristics in common; alike, allied, comparable.

soortgenoten

(often, plural only) People of the same ethnic descent, not including speaker; brethren.

soortmoord

The systematic and deliberate destruction of a group of people, typically by killing substantial numbers of them, on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, or nationality.

soortnaam

A noun that denotes any member, or all members, of a class; an ordinary noun such as dog or city; contrasted with a proper noun, which refers to a single named entity, such as Socrates or Tokyo.

sop

(countable, uncountable) The foam made by rapidly stirring soap and water.

sopbroodje

A piece of solid food to be soaked in liquid food.

soporatief

(pharmaceutical effect) Tending to induce sleep.

soppen

(transitive) To cover with lather.

soraral

A rail (Porzana carolina) bird of North, Central, and northern South America.

sorbet

A dessert of frozen fruit juice with a dairy product such as milk added; a sorbet with dairy ingredients.

Sorbonne

A building in Paris that houses several universities and schools.

sorghum

A cereal, Sorghum genus and species, the grains of which are cultivated to make flour and feed cattle. Almost all cultivated ones as well as some wild ones belong to the species Sorghum bicolor (syn. Sorghum vulgare).

sorgo

A cereal, Sorghum genus and species, the grains of which are cultivated to make flour and feed cattle. Almost all cultivated ones as well as some wild ones belong to the species Sorghum bicolor (syn. Sorghum vulgare).

sorry

Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.

sorry?

Often used when someone does not understand what another person says.

sorteren

An act of sorting.

sos

(uncountable, organic compound, pharmaceutical drug) An addictive drug derived from coca (Erythroxylum) or prepared synthetically, used sometimes medicinally as a local anesthetic and, often illegally, as a stimulant.

soufflé

A baked dish made from beaten egg whites and various other ingredients, usually prepared and served in a small earthenware bowl (ramekin).

souffleren

(transitive, theater, and, television) To show or tell (an actor/person) the words they should be saying, or actions they should be doing.

souffleur

(theater) The person who does the prompting.

souffleuse

(theater) The person who does the prompting.

soul

(music) Soul music.

soulmate

Someone, especially a romantic partner, with whom one is exceptionally or uniquely compatible or has a special, almost spiritual connection.

source

(electronics) The name of one terminal of a field effect transistor (FET).

souvenir

An item of sentimental value, that is given or kept to remember an event or location.

sovjet

(historical) A workers' council, an institution first formed during the 1905 Russian Revolution and then instituted as the main form of communist government at all levels in the Soviet Union; by extension, a similar organization in early Chinese communism and elsewhere.

spaak

A stick inserted into the wheel of a vehicle to keep the wheel from turning.

spaakbeen

(zoology) The lighter bone (or fused portion of bone) in the forelimb of an animal.

spaan

(uncountable) The waste chips or shavings from an abrasive activity, such as metalworking, a saw cutting wood, or the use of a grindstone or whetstone. [from mid 16th c.]

Spaans

(chess) A common chess opening, an Open Game characterized by the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, in which White moves king's bishop to the fifth rank.

Spaans-Amerikaans.e muntstukje

(especially, Louisiana, historical) A small coin of the value of six-and-a-quarter cents; a Spanish coin with a value of half a real; a fippenny bit.

Spaanse

A person from Spain or of Spanish descent.

Spaanse erwt

A seed of this plant, often used as a food.

Spaanse tarwe

Corn; a type of grain of the species Zea mays.

Spaanstalig

Spanish-speaking

Spaanstalige

A native speaker of the Spanish language

spaargeld

(countable, usually, in the plural) Something (usually money) that is saved, particularly money that has been set aside for the future.

spaarzaam

Careful with money so as not to spend too much; prudent; thrifty.

spaarzaamheid

The quality of being frugal; prudent economy.

spade

A garden tool with a handle and a flat blade for digging. Not to be confused with a shovel which is used for moving earth or other materials.

spagaat

(dance, cheerleading, gymnastics) A maneuver in which the legs are extended straight out and perpendicular to the body, either to the sides or in front and behind.

spaghetti

(countable, uncountable) A type of pasta made in the shape of long thin strings.

spalk

A supportive and immobilising device used to help mend broken bones.

spalken

(transitive) To apply a splint to; to fasten with splints.

spam

(uncountable, rarely, countable, computing, Internet) Unsolicited bulk electronic messages.

spamboodschap

(uncountable, rarely, countable, computing, Internet) Unsolicited bulk electronic messages.

span

(US, Canada) A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.

spaniël

Any of various small to medium-sized breeds of gun dog having a broad muzzle, long, wavy fur and long ears that hang at the side of the head, bred for flushing and retrieving game.

Spanjaard

A person from Spain or of Spanish descent.

Spanje

A country in Southern Europe, including most of the Iberian peninsula. Official name: Kingdom of Spain. Capital and largest city: Madrid.

spannen

(transitive) To make tense.

spannend

Creating or producing excitement.

spanning

(specifically) Electricity or a supply of electricity.

spanwijdte

The distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip (of a bird, airplane etc.).

spar

(chiefly, countable) A conifer of the genus Abies.

sparen

(transitive) To store for future use.

sparren

To fight, especially as practice for martial arts or hand-to-hand combat.

sparrenhout

(uncountable) The wood of a spruce.

Sparta

An ancient city-state in southern Greece, noted for its strict military training.

Spartaan

A citizen of Sparta; a native or inhabitant of Sparta.

Spartaans

Of or relating to Sparta or its citizens.

Spartacus

A Thracian name, notably borne by a gladiator who was one of the slave leaders in a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic.

spartelen

(intransitive) To flop around as a fish out of water.

spatbord

(US) panel of a car which encloses the wheel area, especially the front wheels.

spatel

(dated) A palette knife.

spatie

The space character; the character resulting from pressing the space bar on a keyboard.

spawater

(countable, often, in the plural) Spa water; hot springs.

specerij

(countable, uncountable) Aromatic or pungent plant matter (usually dried) used to season or flavor food.

specht

Any bird of species-rich family Picidae, with a strong pointed beak suitable for pecking holes in wood.

speciaal

(manner) In a special manner; specially.

speciaal teken

(rare) A mark or another symbol used to represent something.

specialist

(chiefly, US) An expert in a given field; also, a person who is interested in and knowledgeable about a particular activity or thing; an aficionado.

specialiste

Someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research.

specialiteit

(uncountable, slang) A criminal’s special branch of practice.

specie

(uncountable) A mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used for bonding building blocks.

species

(biology, taxonomy) A category in the classification of organisms, ranking below genus; a taxon at that rank.

specificatie

An explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, or service.

specificeren

(transitive) To state explicitly, or in detail, or as a condition.

specifiek

Explicit or definite.

specimen

An individual instance that represents a class; an example.

spectaculair

Amazing or worthy of special notice.

spectraal

Of, or pertaining to, spectra; classified according to frequency or wavelength (of light etc.).

spectrometer

(analytical chemistry) An optical instrument for measuring the absorption of light by chemical substances; typically it will plot a graph of absorption versus wavelength or frequency, and the patterns produced are used to identify the substances present, and their internal structure.

spectrum

Specifically, a range of colours representing light (electromagnetic radiation) of contiguous frequencies; hence electromagnetic spectrum, visible spectrum, ultraviolet spectrum, etc. [from later 17th c.]

speculant

(business, finance) One who speculates; as in investing, one who is willing to take volatile risks upon invested principal for the potential of substantial returns.

speculatie

The act or practice of buying land, goods, shares, etc., in expectation of selling at a higher price, or of selling with the expectation of repurchasing at a lower price; a trading on anticipated fluctuations in price, as distinguished from trading in which the profit expected is the difference between the retail and wholesale prices, or the difference of price in different markets.

speculatief

Characterized by speculation; based on guessing, unfounded opinions, or extrapolation.

speculeren

(intransitive, business, finance) To make a risky trade in the hope of making a profit; to venture or gamble.

speech

(countable) A formal session of speaking, especially a long oral message given publicly by one person.

speed

(slang, uncountable) Amphetamine or any amphetamine-based drug (especially methamphetamine) used as a stimulant, especially illegally.

speeksel

(now, somewhat, rare) Saliva, drool.

speelgoed

Something to play with, especially as intended for use by a child. [from 16th c.]

speelhand

(card games) The set of cards held by a player.

speelhuis

A public building or room for gambling.

speelkaart

Any flat, normally rectangular piece of stiff paper, plastic, etc.

speelman

One who plays the fiddle.

speelplaats

(outdoors) A large open space for children to play in, usually having dedicated play equipment (such as swings and slides). [1780]

speelplein

(outdoors) A large open space for children to play in, usually having dedicated play equipment (such as swings and slides). [1780]

speelruimte

A varying degree or amount of freedom or flexibility.

speels

Given to whimsy.

speelsheid

The quality of being playful.

speelster

(music) One who plays on a musical instrument.

speelstuk

A piece or token used in board games such as backgammon.

speelterrein

(outdoors) A large open space for children to play in, usually having dedicated play equipment (such as swings and slides). [1780]

speeltuin

(outdoors) A large open space for children to play in, usually having dedicated play equipment (such as swings and slides). [1780]

speelveld

A place where competitive matches are carried out with figures, or playing area in a board game or a computer game.

speelvogel

One who is playful; one without serious aims; an idler; a trifler.

speelzaal

(gambling) A gaming room for which the capacity and limits change daily, often rented out to private vendors who run tour groups through them and give a portion of the proceeds to the main casino.

speen

An artificial nipple (definition 1) used for bottle-feeding infants. [from 17th c.]

speer

A long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion.

speerpunt

The pointed head, or end, of a spear.

spek

Cured meat from the sides, belly, or back of a pig.

spekbuik

A large, protruding, or swollen abdomen; a paunch. [from 18th c.]

spektakel

A show or spectacle.

spel

A trick or deception; a falsehood.

spel kaarten

(cards) A pack or set of playing cards.

spelbederver

Like a spoilsport.

spelbeweging

(uncountable) An individual's performance in a sport or game.

spelbreker

Like a spoilsport.

speld

A needle without an eye (usually) made of drawn-out steel wire with one end sharpened and the other flattened or rounded into a head, used for fastening.

speldje

A piece of ornamental jewellery having a pin allowing it to be fixed to garments worn on the upper body.

spelen

(intransitive, mathematics, construed with on or upon, of an algebraic structure) To possess an action onto (some other structure). Examples include the group action of a group on a set, the action of a ring on a module by scalar multiplication, and the action of a group or algebra on a vector space via a representation.

speler

(computing) A software application that plays audio or video media, such as a media player.

speling

(engineering) A planned deviation between an exact dimension and a nominal or theoretical dimension.

spelleider

The person who collects bets and pays out winnings at a gambling table, such as in a casino.

spelleidster

The person who collects bets and pays out winnings at a gambling table, such as in a casino.

spelleke

A playful activity that may be unstructured; an amusement or pastime.

spelling

(uncountable) Correct spelling according to established usage; also (obsolete) pronunciation according to the spelling of a word.

spelt

A grain, considered either a subspecies of wheat, Triticum aestivum subsp. spelta, or a separate species Triticum spelta or Triticum dicoccon.

spenderen

(ambitransitive) To pay out (money).

spenen

The weaning of a child from the breast, or of young animals from their dam. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]

sperma

(uncountable) Semen.