English

[ing-glish or, often, -lish] /ˈɪŋ glɪʃ or, often, -lɪʃ/
adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of England or its inhabitants, institutions, etc.
2.
belonging or pertaining to, or spoken or written in, the English language.
noun
3.
the people of England collectively, especially as distinguished from the Scots, Welsh, and Irish.
4.
the Germanic language of the British Isles, widespread and standard also in the U.S. and most of the British Commonwealth, historically termed Old English (c450–c1150), Middle English (c1150–c1475), and Modern English (after c1475).
Abbreviation: E.
5.
English language, composition, and literature as offered as a course of study in school.
6.
a specific variety of this language, as that of a particular time, place, or person:
American English; Shakespearean English.
7.
simple, straightforward language:
What does all that jargon mean in English?
8.
Sports. (sometimes lowercase)
  1. a spinning motion imparted to a ball, especially in billiards.
  2. body English.
9.
Printing. a 14-point type of a size between pica and Columbian.
10.
a grade of calendered paper having a smooth matte finish.
verb (used with object)
11.
to translate into English:
to English Euripides.
12.
to adopt (a foreign word) into English; Anglicize.
13.
(sometimes lowercase) Sports. to impart English to (a ball).
Origin
before 900; Middle English; Old English Englisc, equivalent to Engle (plural) the English (compare Latin Anglī; see Angle) + -isc -ish1
Related forms
Englishness, noun
anti-English, adjective
half-English, adjective
non-English, adjective, noun
pre-English, adjective
pro-English, adjective
pseudo-English, adjective
quasi-English, adjective

world Englishes

[ing-gli-shiz ing-li-shiz] /ˈɪŋ glɪ ʃɪz ˈɪŋ lɪ ʃɪz/
plural noun
1.
the many and varied dialects of English spoken in different parts of the world, including not only American and British English, but such varieties as Indian, Pakistani, Australian, and New Zealand English, as well as the English spoken in various African and Asian countries. In some parts of the world, English is spoken as a natural outgrowth of a colonial period during which certain countries, now independent, were part of the British Empire. In other places, people have been encouraged to learn English because of its widespread use as a language of global communication.
Also called varieties of English.
Compare English dictionary.
Word story
In the singular form, the term world English refers to a movement to promote the use of English globally as an official lingua franca, a means of worldwide communication. There is, however, some concern about whether or not there should be a single standard form of this global language.
Examples from the web for English
  • Contemporary mainstream movies also make great use of English.
  • However, there is a grey area between foreign words and words accepted as English.
  • Its pattern of usage is similar to using dear when addressing someone in English.
  • The anglonorman and anglosaxon languages eventually merged to form middle English.
  • The contentious usages are especially common in spoken English.
  • Many of the volunteers of pals are former esl students who have mastered English.
  • The construction of the phrases follows in many ways standard English.
  • Many of these collective nouns are fanciful, and not in common use in English.
  • Note this selection based on editions currently available in English.
  • This right is denied to felons and people illiterate in English.
British Dictionary definitions for English

English

/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
noun
1.
the official language of Britain, the US, most parts of the Commonwealth, and certain other countries. It is the native language of over 280 million people and is acquired as a second language by many more. It is an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch See also Middle English, Old English, Modern English
2.
(functioning as pl) the English, the natives or inhabitants of England collectively
3.
(formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 14 point
4.
an old style of black-letter typeface
5.
(often not capital) the usual US and Canadian term for side (sense 16)
adjective
6.
denoting, using, or relating to the English language
7.
relating to or characteristic of England or the English
verb (transitive)
8.
(archaic) to translate or adapt into English related prefix Anglo-
Derived Forms
Englishness, noun
Word Origin and History for English
n.

"people of England; the speech of England," Old English Englisc (contrasted to Denisc, Frencisce, etc.), from Engle (plural) "the Angles," the name of one of the Germanic groups that overran the island 5c., supposedly so-called because Angul, the land they inhabited on the Jutland coast, was shaped like a fish hook (see angle (n.)).

The term was used from earliest times without distinction for all the Germanic invaders -- Angles, Saxon, Jutes (Bede's gens Anglorum) -- and applied to their group of related languages by Alfred the Great. After 1066, of the population of England (as distinguished from Normans and French), a distinction which lasted only about a generation.

In pronunciation, "En-" has become "In-," but the older spelling has remained. Meaning "English language or literature as a subject at school" is from 1889. As an adjective, "of or belonging to England," from late 13c. Old English is from early 13c.

"spin imparted to a ball" (as in billiards), 1860, from French anglé "angled" (see angle (n.)), which is similar to Anglais "English."

Slang definitions & phrases for English

English 1

noun

An English muffin (1950s+ Lunch counter)


English 2

noun

A spin imparted to a billiard ball, tennis ball, etc, to make it curve

[1860s+; fr French angle, ''angled'' similar to Anglais,''English'']


English in Technology

1. (Obsolete) The source code for a program, which may be in any language, as opposed to the linkable or executable binary produced from it by a compiler. The idea behind the term is that to a real hacker, a program written in his favourite programming language is at least as readable as English. Usage: mostly by old-time hackers, though recognisable in context.
2. The official name of the database language used by the Pick operating system, actually a sort of crufty, brain-damaged SQL with delusions of grandeur. The name permits marketroids to say "Yes, and you can program our computers in English!" to ignorant suits without quite running afoul of the truth-in-advertising laws.
["Exploring the Pick Operating System", J.E. Sisk et al, Hayden 1986].
[Jargon File]
Idioms and Phrases with English

English

see: