german

[ 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.

  1. Archaic. germane.

Origin of german

1
1250–1300; Middle English germain<Old French <Latin germānus, derivative of germen;see germ

Words Nearby german

Other definitions for German (2 of 2)

German
[ 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.

  1. 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. Abbreviation: G, G.

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

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

  4. (lowercase)New England and South Atlantic States. a dancing party featuring the german.

Origin of German

2
1520–30; <Latin GermānusGerman; cognate with Greek Germanoí (plural)

Other words from German

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use german in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for german (1 of 3)

german1

/ (ˈdʒɜːmən) /


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

Origin of german

1
C19: shortened from German cotillion

British Dictionary definitions for german (2 of 3)

german2

/ (ˈdʒɜːmən) /


adjective
  1. (used in combination)

    • having the same parents as oneself: a brother-german

    • 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

Origin of german

2
C14: via Old French germain, from Latin germānus of the same race, from germen sprout, offshoot

British Dictionary definitions for German (3 of 3)

German

/ (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

  1. 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

Other words from German

  • Related prefixes: Germano-, Teuto-

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