ENGLISH

English

(adjective) of or relating to or characteristic of England or its culture or people; “English history”; “the English landed aristocracy”; “English literature”

English

(adjective) of or relating to the English language

English

(noun) the discipline that studies the English language and literature

English, English language

(noun) an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

English, side

(noun) (sports) the spin given to a ball by striking it on one side or releasing it with a sharp twist

English, English people

(noun) the people of England

Source: WordNet® 3.1

---

Etymology

Adjective

English (comparative more English, superlative most English)

Of or pertaining to England.

English-language; of or pertaining to the language, descended from Anglo-Saxon, which developed in England.

Of or pertaining to the people of England (to Englishmen and Englishwomen).

Of or pertaining to the avoirdupois system of measure.

(Amish) Non-Amish, so named for speaking English rather than a variety of German.

Hyponyms

• Anglish

Noun

English (countable and uncountable, plural English or Englishes)

(plural) The people of England; Englishmen and Englishwomen.

(Amish, plural) The non-Amish; non-Amish people.

(uncountable) Ability to employ the English language correctly or idiomatically.

The English-language term or expression for something.

(uncountable) Specific language or wording in English; English text or statements in speech, whether in translation or otherwise.

(printing, dated) A size of type between pica (12 point) and great primer (18 point), standardized as 14-point.

(uncountable) Plain or readily understandable English language.

(uncountable, North American) Spin or sidespin given to a ball, especially in pool or billiards.

Usage notes

• The people as a collective noun require the definite article "the" or a demonstrative adjective. Hence: "The English are coming!" or "Oh, those English, always drinking their tea..."

Synonyms

• (type size): (German contexts) Mittel, (French contexts) Augustin

Coordinate terms

• (sidespin): draw, follow

Proper noun

English (countable and uncountable, plural Englishes)

The language originating in England but now spoken in all parts of the British Isles, the Commonwealth of Nations, North America, and other parts of the world.

A variety, dialect, or idiolect of spoken and or written English.

English language, literature, composition as a subject of study

An English surname originally denoting a non-Celtic or non-Danish person in Britain.

A male or female given name

A town, the county seat of Crawford County, Indiana; named for Indiana statesman William Hayden English.

Hypernyms

• (language spoken in British Isles, North America, etc): Anglo-Saxon; language

Usage notes

• As with the names of almost all languages, English, when it means "the English language", does not usually require an article. Hence: "Say it in plain English!"

Verb

English (third-person singular simple present Englishes, present participle Englishing, simple past and past participle Englished)

(transitive, archaic) To translate, adapt or render into English.

Anagrams

• Hingles, shingle

Etymology

Noun

english (uncountable)

(US) Spinning or rotary motion given to a ball around the vertical axis, as in billiards or bowling.

(figurative) An unusual or unexpected interpretation of a text or idea, a spin, a nuance.

Synonyms

• (spinning motion): side, spin, sidespin

Anagrams

• Hingles, shingle

Source: Wiktionary

---

Eng"lish, a. Etym: [AS. Englisc, fr. Engle, Angle, Engles, Angles, a tribe of Germans from the southeast of Sleswick, in Denmark, who settled in Britain and gave it the name of England. Cf. Anglican.]

Definition: Of or pertaining to England, or to its inhabitants, or to the present so-called Anglo-Saxon race. English bond (Arch.)

Definition: See 1st Bond, n.,

8.

– English breakfast tea. See Congou.

– English horn. (Mus.) See Corno Inglese.

– English walnut. (Bot.) See under Walnut.

Eng"lish, n.

1. Collectively, the people of England; English people or persons.

2. The language of England or of the English nation, and of their descendants in America, India, and other countries.

Note: The English language has been variously divided into periods by different writers. In the division most commonly recognized, the first period dates from about 450 to 1150. This is the period of full inflection, and is called Anglo-Saxon, or, by many recent writers, Old English. The second period dates from about 1150 to 1550 (or, if four periods be recognized, from about 1150 to 1350), and is called Early English, Middle English, or more commonly (as in the usage of this book), Old English. During this period most of the inflections were dropped, and there was a great addition of French words to the language. The third period extends from about 1350 to 1550, and is Middle English. During this period orthography became comparatively fixed. The last period, from about 1550, is called Modern English.

3. A kind of printing type, in size between Pica and Great Primer. See Type.

Note: The type called English.

4. (Billiards)

Definition: A twist or spinning motion given to a ball in striking it that influences the direction it will take after touching a cushion or another ball. The King's, or Queen's, English. See under King.

Eng"lish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Englished; p. pr. & vb. n. Englishing.]

1. To translate into the English language; to Anglicize; hence, to interpret; to explain. Those gracious acts . . . may be Englished more properly, acts of fear and dissimulation. Milton. Caxton does not care to alter the French forms and words in the book which he was Englishing. T. L. K. Oliphant.

2. (Billiards)

Definition: To strike (the cue ball) in such a manner as to give it in addition to its forward motion a spinning motion, that influences its direction after impact on another ball or the cushion. [U.S.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

---