Concise Definitions of 30 Common English Words

Common English Words and Their Definitions

A

Androgynous

- Partly male and partly female in appearance; of indeterminate sex.

B

Boost

- Help or encourage (something) to increase or improve.

C

Castaway

- A person who has been shipwrecked and stranded in an isolated place.

D

Drift

- (Especially of snow or leaves) be blown into heaps by the wind.

E

Elbow

- The joint between the forearm and the upper arm.

Encouragement

- The action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.

Entourage

- A group of people attending or surrounding an important person.

Eyebrow

- The strip of hair growing on the ridge above a person's eye socket.

Eyelash

- Each of the short curved hairs growing on the edges of the eyelids, serving to protect the eyes from dust particles.

I

Interviewee

- A person who is interviewed.

Investment

- The action or process of investing money for profit or material result.

K

Kingdom

- A country, state, or territory ruled by a king or queen.

M

Misconception

- A view or opinion that is incorrect because based on faulty thinking or understanding.

Monarchy

- A form of government with a monarch at the head.

O

Oar

- A pole with a flat blade, pivoting in an oar lock, used to row or steer a boat through the water.

Outrageous

- Shockingly bad or excessive.

P

Parliament

- The highest legislature, consisting of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons.

Politician

- A person who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of or a candidate for an elected office.

R

Raft

- A flat buoyant structure of timber or other materials fastened together, used as a boat or floating platform.

Refugee

- A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

Riot

- A violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd.

S

Seasick

- Suffering from sickness or nausea caused by the motion of a ship at sea.

Shipwreck

- The destruction of a ship at sea by sinking or breaking up, e.g., in a storm or after running aground.

Speck

- A tiny spot.

Stuffy

- (Of a person's nose) blocked up and making breathing difficult, typically as a result of illness.

Surveillance

- Close observation, especially of a suspected spy or criminal.

Swarm

- A large or dense group of insects, especially flying ones.

T

Temple

- The flat part of either side of the head between the forehead and the ear.

U

Upsurge

- An upward surge in the strength or quantity of something; an increase.

W

Weapon

- A thing designed or used for inflicting bodily harm or physical damage.