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german

[ jur-muhn ]
/ ˈdʒɜr mən /
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adjective
having the same father and mother, as a full brother or sister (usually used in combination): a brother-german.
born of the brother or sister of one's father or mother, as a first cousin (usually used in combination): a cousin-german.
Archaic. germane.
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Origin of german

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

Other definitions for german (2 of 2)

German
[ jur-muhn ]
/ ˈdʒɜr mən /

adjective
of or relating to Germany, its inhabitants, or their language.
noun

Origin of German

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

OTHER WORDS FROM German

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use german in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for german (1 of 3)

german1
/ (ˈdʒɜːmən) /

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

Word Origin for german

C19: shortened from German cotillion

British Dictionary definitions for german (2 of 3)

german2
/ (ˈdʒɜːmən) /

adjective
(used in combination)
  1. having the same parents as oneselfa brother-german
  2. having a parent that is a brother or sister of either of one's own parentscousin-german
a less common word for germane

Word Origin for german

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
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 BibleSee also High German, Low German
a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Germany
a person whose native language is GermanSwiss Germans; Volga Germans
adjective
denoting, relating to, or using the German language
relating to, denoting, or characteristic of any German state or its people

Other words from German

Related prefixes: Germano-, Teuto-
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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