german

¹

[jur-muhn]

adjective

1. having the same father and mother, as a full brother or sister (usually used in combination).

   a brother-german.

2. born of the brother or sister of one's father or mother, as a first cousin (usually used in combination).

   a cousin-german.

3. Archaic.,  germane.

German

²

[jur-muhn]

adjective

1. of or relating to Germany, its inhabitants, or their language.

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Germany.

2. a descendant of a native of Germany.

3. Also called High German. an Indo-European language that is based on a High German dialect, is official in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and is also widely used as an international language for scholarship and science. G, G.

4. Linguistics.,  any variety of West Germanic speech native to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.

5. (usually lowercase),  an elaborate social dance resembling a cotillion.

6. (lowercase),  a dancing party featuring the german.

German

¹

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

noun

1. the official language of Germany and Austria and one of the official languages of Switzerland; the native language of approximately 100 million people. It is an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch, closely related to English and Dutch. There is considerable diversity of dialects; modern standard German is a development of Old High German, influenced by Martin Luther's translation of the Bible See also High German Low German

2. a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Germany

3. a person whose native language is German

   Swiss Germans

   Volga Germans

adjective

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

2. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of any German state or its people

german

²

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

adjective

1. 1. having the same parents as oneself

      a brother-german

   2. having a parent that is a brother or sister of either of one's own parents

      cousin-german

2. a less common word for germane

german

³

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

noun

1. a dance consisting of complicated figures and changes of partners

Other Word Forms

• anti-German noun
• half-German adjective
• non-German adjective
• pre-German adjective
• pro-German adjective
• pseudo-German adjective
• quasi-German adjective
• un-German adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of german¹

1250–1300; Middle English germain < Old French < Latin germānus, derivative of germen; germ

Origin of german²

1520–30; < Latin Germānus German; cognate with Greek Germanoí (plural)

Word History and Origins

Origin of german¹

C14: via Old French germain, from Latin germānus of the same race, from germen sprout, offshoot

Origin of german²

C19: shortened from German cotillion

Example Sentences

Pictures of Victoria and other wives-and-girlfriends supporting their footballer partners in the German town of Baden-Baden in 2006 were plastered all over the tabloids.

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There is value, he says, in sitting at the Council of Europe and raising issues with French and German counterparts at international conferences.

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England, under German boss Tuchel, are widely expected to qualify for next summer's World Cup.

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The German has worked with his players across three camps and has just two more before they head off for the World Cup.

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Major German supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl, fast food joint Burger King and sausage producer Rügenwalder Mühle have pushed back against the proposal in a joint open letter.

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