English

American  

[ing-glish, -lish] / ˈɪŋ glɪʃ, -lɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of England or its inhabitants, institutions, etc.

2. belonging or relating to, or spoken or written in, the English language.

   a high school English class;

   an English translation of a Spanish novel.

3. of or relating to a person or thing that is not Amish, generally used by Amish people in Anglophone North America.

   The Amish rarely celebrate English holidays like Labor Day.

   He fixed a rabbit hutch for his English neighbor.

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noun

1. (used with a plural verb) the people of England collectively, especially as distinguished from the Scots, Welsh, and Irish.

2. the Germanic language of England, widespread and standard also in the United States, Canada, and other countries colonized or settled by England, historically termed Old English (c450–c1150), Middle English (c1150–c1475), and Modern English (after c1475). E

3. English language, composition, and literature as offered as a course of study in school.

4. a specific variety of the English language, as that of a particular time, place, or person.

   Shakespearean English;

   American English.

5. simple, straightforward language.

   What does all that jargon mean in English?

6. Sports.

   1. a spinning motion imparted to a ball, especially in billiards.

   2. body English.

7. Printing. a 14-point type of a size between pica and Columbian.

8. a grade of calendered paper having a smooth matte finish.

9. (used with a plural verb) people who are not Amish, generally used by Amish people in Anglophone North America.

   More Amish than English live in this county.

verb (used with object)

1. to translate into English.

   to English Euripides.

2. to adopt (a foreign word) into English; Anglicize.

3. (sometimes lowercase) to impart spin to (a ball).

English British  

/ ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ /

noun

1. the official language of Britain, the US, most parts of the Commonwealth, and certain other countries. It is the native language of over 280 million people and is acquired as a second language by many more. It is an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch See also Middle English Old English Modern English

2. (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of England collectively

3. (formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 14 point

4. an old style of black-letter typeface

5. (often not capital) the usual US and Canadian term for side

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adjective

1. denoting, using, or relating to the English language

2. relating to or characteristic of England or the English

verb

1. archaic to translate or adapt into English

English Idioms  

1. see body English; in plain English.

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Other Word Forms

• Englishness noun
• anti-English adjective
• half-English adjective
• non-English adjective
• pre-English adjective
• pro-English adjective
• pseudo-English adjective
• quasi-English adjective

Etymology

Origin of English

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English Englisc, equivalent to Engle (plural) “the English” (compare Latin Anglī “the Angles,” a branch of the Suevians + -isc; Angle, Anglic, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

Hood accepted the award from Will Smith and spoke briefly in Zulu before shifting to English: “God bless Africa.”

From Los Angeles Times

Five of the six English entrants ended in the top eight - Arsenal came first with eight wins from eight games, while Liverpool were third, Tottenham fourth, Chelsea sixth and Manchester City eighth.

From BBC

Only Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain have broken the English and Spanish clubs' hold on the trophy in the past 15 years.

From BBC

After he aced the exam and skated on Olympic ice, he said in a mix of broken German and sprinkled English that he had prepared hard for both tests.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The English have Shakespeare; the French, Moliere. In Argentina, they have Borges, but the Western is ours. I like that."

From Barron's