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.
a native or inhabitant of Germany.
a descendant of a native of Germany.
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.
Linguistics. any variety of West Germanic speech native to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
(usually lowercase) an elaborate social dance resembling a cotillion.
(lowercase) a dancing party featuring the german.
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
a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Germany
a person whose native language is German
Swiss Germans
Volga Germans
denoting, relating to, or using the German language
relating to, denoting, or characteristic of any German state or its people
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
a less common word for germane
1250–1300; Middle English germain < Old French < Latin germānus, derivative of germen; see germ
1520–30; < Latin Germānus German; cognate with Greek Germanoí (plural)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Bidens had already said that Champ and Major, their two german shepherds, will be moving into the White House.
From Slate ● Nov. 29, 2020
But there were many on Monday who dissented out of loyalty to the german shepherd or the cocker spaniel, and the measure barely passed.
From Time ● Feb. 24, 2015
Just imagine the same movie, but not with a US soldier in Iraq, but a german soldier in WW2.
From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2015
Russian policeman Vladislav and Lora, a german shepherd sniffer dog, stand guard in front Sochi's airport in Adler.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2014
What would the ladder of education have led to, except a platform on which a posturing professor proved that a cousin german was the same as a German cousin?
From A Short History of England by Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)
While the German government has signaled it wants to reform reimbursements of new products, that hasn’t taken place yet, AstraZeneca’s CEO says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Citizen Vigilante, a film from German director Uwe Boll and starring actor Armie Hammer, is violent – and very schlocky – stuff.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
It was through that circle that she met a ceramicist of German American descent by the name of Richard Saar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The German creator of the controversial "Body Worlds" exhibitions of dissected human and animal bodies, Gunther von Hagens, has died at age 81, his family said Monday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Production was up again last week,” the male officer said in German to a tall slender man with a shaved head and a striped uniform.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
President Woodrow Wilson was re-elected the year that pipe was laid, and the Germans attacked the French in the World War I Battle of Verdun, with the death toll topping 700,000.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
It was a safe haven from the Germans, who feared being ambushed by the Resistance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The South Americans should have added to their advantage before the green-jerseyed West Germans mounted a comeback.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
And the recruitment difficulties are expected to worsen in Europe's largest economy as the population ages: over the next 10 years, around 13 million Germans will reach retirement age.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The Germans now pushed forward toward the surviving French fort of Souville, just two and a half miles from Verdun.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
