English

[ing-glish, -lish]

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.

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

/ 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

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of English¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

see body English; in plain English.

Example Sentences

In Romanian and English, with subtitles Not rated Running time: 2 hours, 50 minutes Playing: Opens Wednesday, Oct.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The "expansion of European club competitions" has led to there being just one game on 26 December in the English top flight, says the Premier League.

Read more on BBC

The battleship and the maxim gun, not the English countryside, empowered the Victorian imperialists.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Playing all their WSL home games at the 60,000-seater Emirates for the first time this season, they have the largest permanent home capacity of any English women's side.

Read more on BBC

A faculty committee insisted other departments, like English and linguistics, be included too out of solidarity.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal