german

¹ American  

[jur-muhn] / ˈdʒɜr mən /

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.

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German ² American  

[jur-muhn] / ˈdʒɜr mən /

adjective

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

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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 British  

/ 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

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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 British  

/ 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

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german ³ British  

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

noun

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

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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

Etymology

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)

Example Sentences

“Before it looked like they were invincible in terms of the economy, with growing revenues and GDP. This is not the case any more,” said Janis Kluge, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Built by scientists from the German Aerospace Centre Mapheus, the rocket I saw blast off, flew for 14 minutes, leaving the atmosphere and reaching an altitude of almost 260km.

From BBC

Meanwhile, Esrange is hosting ground tests for Themis, Europe's first reusable rocket, as well as engine testing for German start-up Isar Aerospace.

From BBC

Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, a former German auto-industry executive, said that the country’s large car manufacturers could handle the new 15% tariff for the 150-day period.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I assume that since Friday evening, all investments by the German automotive industry in the U.S. have been frozen.”

From The Wall Street Journal