et ['ēt] -vb, n
(variant of eat)
- to take in through the mouth as food : ingest, chew, and swallow in turn
- to destroy, consume, or waste by or as if by eating
- expenses ate up the profits
- gadgets that eat up too much space
- to bear the expense of : take a loss on
- the team was forced to eat the rest of his contract
- to consume gradually : corrode
- to consume with vexation : bother
- to enjoy eagerly or avidly : lap used with up
- it was an amazing performance and the crowd ate it up
- to perform fellatio or cunnilingus on often used with out
- to take food or a meal
- to affect something by gradual destruction or consumption usu. used with into, away, or at
- the loss was really eat ing at her
- the controversy ate into his support
- something to eat : food usu. used in pl.
Et -abbr
- ethyl
ET ['ē-'tē] -n
- extraterrestrial
- eastern time
eta ['ā-tə, chiefly Brit 'ē-tə] -n
- the 7th letter of the Greek alphabet
ETA -abbr
- estimated time of arrival
eta·gere [,ā-,tä-'zher, -tə-] -n
- a piece of furniture consisting of a set of open shelves for displaying small objects and sometimes having an enclosed cabinet as a base
etail ['ē-,tāl] -n
- retail business conducted online via the World Wide Web
et al -abbr
- and others
et alia [(,)et-'ä-l(ē-)yə, -'ā-, -'a-]
- and others
eta·mine ['ā-tə-,mēn] -n
- a light cotton or worsted fabric with an open mesh
etat·ism [ā-'tä-,ti-zəm] -n, adj
- statism
etc -abbr
- et cetera usu. punctuated
et·cet·era [et-'se-tə-rə, -'se-trə also it-, ÷ek-, ÷ik-] -n
- a number of unspecified additional persons or things
- unspecified additional items : odds and ends
et cet·era [et-'se-tə-rə, -'se-trə also it-, ÷ek-, ÷ik-]
- and others esp. of the same kind : and so forth
etch ['ech] -vb, n
- to produce (as a pattern or design) on a hard material by eating into the material's surface (as by acid or laser beam)
- to subject to such etching
- to delineate or impress clearly
- scenes etch ed in our minds
- pain was etch ed on his features
- to practice etching
- the action or effect of etching a surface
- a chemical agent used in etching
etch·ant ['e-chənt] -n
- etch
etch·ing ['e-chiŋ] -n
- the action or process of etching
- the art of producing pictures or designs by printing from an etched metal plate
- an etched design
- an impression from an etched plate
ETD -abbr
- estimated time of departure
eter·nal [i-'tər-nᵊl] -adj, vt, adv, n
- having infinite duration : everlasting
- of or relating to eternity
- characterized by abiding fellowship with God
- good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? -- Mk 10:17(RSV)
- continued without intermission : perpetual
- seemingly endless
- infernal
- some eternal villain...devised this slander -- Shak.
- valid or existing at all times : timeless
eternal -n
- god used with the
- something eternal
eterne [i-'tərn] -adj
- eternal
eter·ni·ty [i-'tər-nə-tē] -n
- the quality or state of being eternal
- infinite time
- lasting throughout eternity
- age
- the state after death : immortality
- a seemingly endless or immeasurable time
eter·nize [i-'tər-,nīz] -vt, n
- to make eternal
- to prolong indefinitely
- immortalize
Ete·sian [i-'tē-zhən] -adj, n
- recurring annually used of summer winds that blow over the Mediterranean
eth ['eth] -n
(variant of edh)
- the letter used in Old English to represent either of the fricatives th or and in Icelandic and some phonetic alphabets to represent the fricative
eth- -comb form
- ethyl
eth·a·cryn·ic acid [,e-thə-,kri-nik-] -n
- a potent synthetic diuretic C 13H 12Cl 2O 4used esp. in the treatment of edema
eth·am·bu·tol [e-'tham-byu̇-,tȯl, -,tōl] -n
- a synthetic drug C 10H 24N 2O 2used in the form of its hydrochloride esp. in the treatment of tuberculosis
eth·ane ['e-,thān, Brit usu 'ē-] -n
- a colorless odorless gaseous alkane C 2H 6found in natural gas and used as a fuel
eth·a·nol ['e-thə-,nȯl, -,nōl, Brit also 'ē-] -n
- a colorless volatile flammable liquid C 2H 5OH that is the intoxicating agent in liquors and is also used as a solvent and in fuel called also ethyl alcohol grain alcohol
eth·a·nol·amine [,e-thə-'nä-lə-,mēn, -'nō-, Brit also ,ē-] -n
- a colorless liquid amino alcohol C 2H 7NO used esp. as a solvent in the synthesis of detergents and in gas purification
eth·ene ['e-,thēn] -n
- ethylene
eth·e·phon ['e-thə-,fän] -n
- a synthetic plant growth regulator C 2H 6ClO 3P that induces flowering and abscission by promoting the release of ethylene and has been used to cause early ripening (as of apples on the tree)
ether ['ē-thər] -n, adj
- the rarefied element formerly believed to fill the upper regions of space
- the upper regions of space : heavens
- a medium that in the wave theory of light permeates all space and transmits transverse waves
- airwaves
- a light volatile flammable liquid C 4H 10O used chiefly as a solvent and esp. formerly as an anesthetic
- any of a class of organic compounds characterized by an oxygen atom attached to two carbon atoms
ethe·re·al [i-'thir-ē-əl] -adj, n, vt, adv
- of or relating to the regions beyond the earth
- celestial, heavenly
- unworldly, spiritual
- lacking material substance : immaterial, intangible
- marked by unusual delicacy or refinement
- this smallest, most ethereal, and daintiest of birds -- William Beebe
- suggesting the heavens or heaven
- relating to, containing, or resembling a chemical ether
ether extract -n
- the part of a complex organic material that is soluble in ether and consists chiefly of fats and fatty acids
ether·ize ['ē-thə-,rīz] -vt, n
- to treat or anesthetize with ether
- to make numb as if by anesthetizing
Ether·net ['ē-thər-,net] -n
- a computer network architecture consisting of various specified local-area network protocols, devices, and connection methods
eth·ic ['e-thik] -n
- the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation
- a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral values
- the present-day materialistic ethic
- an old-fashioned work ethic
often used in pl. but sing. or pl. in constr. - the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group
- a guiding philosophy
- a consciousness of moral importance
- forge a conservation ethic
- a set of moral issues or aspects (as rightness)
- debated the ethic s of human cloning
eth·i·cal ['e-thi-kəl] -adj, n, adv
- of or relating to ethics
- involving or expressing moral approval or disapproval
- conforming to accepted standards of conduct
- restricted to sale only on a doctor's prescription
ethi·cian [e-'thi-shən] -n
- ethicist
eth·i·cist ['e-thə-sist] -n
- a specialist in ethics
ethid·ium bromide [e-'thi-dē-əm-] -n
- a fluorescent mutagenic biological dye C 21H 20BrN 3that is used esp. to stain nucleic acids
ethi·nyl [e-'thī-nᵊl, 'e-thə-,nil] -n
- a monovalent unsaturated radical HCC derived from acetylene by removal of one hydrogen atom
ethinyl estradiol -n
- a very potent synthetic estrogen C 20H 24O 2used esp. as an oral contraceptive
eth·i·on ['e-thē-,än] -n
- a toxic organophosphate C 9H 22O 4P 2S 4used as an insecticide and acaricide
eth·i·on·amide [,e-thē-'ä-nə-,mīd] -n
- a compound C 8H 10N 2S used against mycobacteria (as in tuberculosis and leprosy)
ethi·o·nine [e-'thī-ə-,nēn] -n
- an amino acid C 6H 13NO 2S that is the ethyl homologue of methionine and is biologically antagonistic to methionine
Ethi·op ['ē-thē-,äp] -n
- ethiopian
Ethi·o·pi·an [,ē-thē-'ō-pē-ən] -n
- a member of any of the mythical or actual peoples usu. described by the ancient Greeks as dark-skinned and living far to the south
- a black person
- a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia
Ethiopian -adj
- of, relating to, or characteristic of the inhabitants or the country of Ethiopia
- of, relating to, or being the biogeographic region that includes Africa south of the Sahara, southern Arabia, and sometimes Madagascar and the adjacent islands
Ethi·o·pic [-'ä-pik, -'ō-pik] -adj
- ethiopian
- of, relating to, or constituting Ethiopic
- of, relating to, or constituting a group of related Semitic languages spoken in Ethiopia
Ethiopic -n
- a Semitic language formerly spoken in Ethiopia and still used as the liturgical language of the Christian church in Ethiopia
- the Ethiopic group of Semitic languages
eth·moid ['eth-,mȯid] -n, adj
- a light spongy cubical bone forming much of the walls of the nasal cavity and part of those of the orbits
eth·nic ['eth-nik] -adj
- heathen
- of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background
- being a member of a specified ethnic group
- of, relating to, or characteristic of ethnics
ethnic -n
- a member of an ethnic group
- a member of a minority group who retains the customs, language, or social views of the group
eth·ni·cal ['eth-ni-kəl] -adj, adv
- ethnic
- of or relating to ethnology : ethnologic
ethnic cleansing -n
- the expulsion, imprisonment, or killing of an ethnic minority by a dominant majority in order to achieve ethnic homogeneity
eth·nic·i·ty [eth-'ni-sə-tē] -n
- ethnic quality or affiliation
- a particular ethnic affiliation or group
- students of diverse ethnicities
ethno- -comb form
- race : people : cultural group
eth·no·bi·ol·o·gy [,eth-nō-bī-'ä-lə-jē] -n, adj
- the interdisciplinary study of how human cultures interact with and use their native plants and animals
eth·no·bot·a·ny [,eth-nō-'bä-tə-nē, -'bät-nē] -n, adj
- the plant lore of indigenous cultures
- the systematic study of such lore
eth·no·cen·tric [,eth-nō-'sen-trik] -adj, n
- characterized by or based on the attitude that one's own group is superior
eth·nog·ra·phy [eth-'nä-grə-fē] -n, adj, adv
- the study and systematic recording of human cultures
- a descriptive work produced from such research
eth·no·his·to·ry [,eth-nō-'his-t(ə-)rē] -n, adj
- a study of the development of cultures
eth·nol·o·gy [eth-'nä-lə-jē] -n, adj
- a science that deals with the division of human beings into races and their origin, distribution, relations, and characteristics
- anthropology dealing chiefly with the comparative and analytical study of cultures : cultural anthropology
eth·no·med·i·cine [,eth-nō-'me-də-sən, Brit usu -'med-sən] -n, adj
- the comparative study of how different cultures view disease and how they treat or prevent it
- the medical beliefs and practices of indigenous cultures
eth·no·meth·od·ol·o·gy [,eth-nō-,me-thə-'dä-lə-jē] -n
- a branch of sociology dealing with nonspecialists' commonsense understanding of the structure and organization of society
eth·no·mu·si·col·o·gy [,eth-nō-,myü-zi-'kä-lə-jē] -n, adj
- the study of music that is outside the European art tradition
- the study of music in a sociocultural context
eth·no·sci·ence ['eth-nō-,sī-ən(t)s] -n
- the study of a culture's system of classifying knowledge (as its taxonomy of plants and animals)
- such a system in a particular culture
ethol·o·gy [ē-'thä-lə-jē] -n, adj
- a branch of knowledge dealing with human character and with its formation and evolution
- the scientific and objective study of animal behavior esp. under natural conditions
ethos ['ē-,thäs] -n
- the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution
- ethic
eth·oxy [e-'thäk-sē] -adj
- relating to or containing the monovalent radical CH 3CH 2O composed of ethyl united with oxygen
eth·yl ['e-thəl] -n, adj
- an alkyl radical CH 3CH 2 derived from ethane
ethyl acetate -n
- a colorless fragrant volatile flammable liquid ester C 4H 8O 2used esp. as a solvent
ethyl alcohol -n
- ethanol
eth·yl·ben·zene [,e-thil-'ben-,zēn] -n
- a liquid aromatic hydrocarbon C 8H 10used chiefly in the manufacture of styrene
ethyl cellulose -n
- any of various thermoplastic substances used esp. in plastics and lacquers
ethyl chloride -n
- a colorless pungent flammable gaseous or volatile liquid C 2H 5Cl used esp. as a topical anesthetic
eth·yl·ene ['e-thə-,lēn] -n, adj
- a colorless flammable gaseous unsaturated hydrocarbon C 2H 4that is found in coal gas, can be produced by pyrolysis of petroleum hydrocarbons, and occurs in plants functioning esp. as a natural growth regulator that promotes the ripening of fruit
- a divalent hydrocarbon group C 2H 4derived from ethane
eth·yl·ene·di·amine·tet·ra·ac·e·tate [,e-thə-,lēn-,dī-ə-,mēn-,te-trə-'a-sə-,tāt, -dī-,a-mən-] -n
- a salt of EDTA
eth·yl·ene·di·amine·tet·ra·ace·tic acid [-(ə-)'sē-tik-] -n
- edta
ethylene di·bro·mide [-(,)dī-'brō-,mīd] -n
- a colorless toxic liquid compound C 2H 4Br 2that is used chiefly as a fuel additive in leaded gasolines, that has been found to be strongly carcinogenic in laboratory animals, and that was used formerly in the U.S. as an agricultural pesticide abbr. EDB
ethylene glycol -n
- a thick liquid diol C 2H 6O 2used esp. as an antifreeze and in making polyester fibers
ethylene oxide -n
- a colorless flammable toxic compound C 2H 4O used esp. in synthesis (as of ethylene glycol) and in sterilization and fumigation
ethyl ether -n
- ether
eth·yne ['e-,thīn, e-'] -n
- acetylene
ethynyl [e-'thī-nᵊl, 'e-thə-,nil] -n
(variant of ethinyl)
- a monovalent unsaturated radical HCC derived from acetylene by removal of one hydrogen atom
et·ic ['e-tik] -adj
- of, relating to, or involving analysis of cultural phenomena from the perspective of one who does not participate in the culture being studied
et·i·dro·nate [,ē-tə-'drō-,nāt, ,e-] -n
- a white sodium salt C 2H 6Na 2O 7P 2that inhibits the formation, growth, and dissolution of hydroxyapatite crystals and is administered orally in the treatment of some bone diseases (as Paget's disease of bone) called also etidronate disodium
eti·o·late ['ē-tē-ə-,lāt] -vt, n
- to bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight
- to make pale
- to deprive of natural vigor : make feeble
eti·o·log·ic [,ē-tē-ə-'lä-jik] -adj, adv
- assigning or seeking to assign a cause
- of or relating to etiology
eti·ol·o·gy [,ē-tē-'ä-lə-jē] -n
- cause, origin
- the cause of a disease or abnormal condition
- a branch of knowledge concerned with causes
- a branch of medical science concerned with the causes and origins of diseases
et·i·quette ['e-ti-kət, -,ket] -n
- the conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life
ETO -abbr
- European theater of operations
Eton collar [,ē-tᵊn-] -n
- a large stiff turnover collar
Eto·ni·an [ē-'tō-nē-ən] -n, adj
- a student or former student of Eton College
Eton jacket -n
- a short black jacket with long sleeves, wide lapels, and an open front
etouf·fee [,ā-tü-'fā] -n
- a Cajun stew of shellfish or chicken served over rice
Etru·ri·an [i-'tru̇r-ē-ən] -n, adj
- etruscan
Etrus·can [i-'trəs-kən] -adj
- of, relating to, or characteristic of Etruria, the Etruscans, or the Etruscan language
Etruscan -n
- the language of the Etruscans which is of uncertain affiliation
- a native or inhabitant of ancient Etruria
et seq -abbr
- and the following one;
- and the following ones
etude ['ā-,tüd, -,tyüd] -n
- a piece of music for the practice of a point of technique
- a composition built on a technical motive but played for its artistic value
etui [ā-'twē, 'ā-,] -n
- a small ornamental case
et ux -abbr
- and wife
ETV -abbr
- educational television
et·y·mol·o·gise [-,jīz] -vb
(variant of etymologize)
- to discover, formulate, or state an etymology for
- to study or formulate etymologies
et·y·mol·o·gist [,e-tə-'mä-lə-jist] -n
- a specialist in etymology
et·y·mol·o·gize [-,jīz] -vb
- to discover, formulate, or state an etymology for
- to study or formulate etymologies
et·y·mol·o·gy [-jē] -n, adj, adv
- the history of a linguistic form (as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language
- a branch of linguistics concerned with etymologies
et·y·mon ['e-tə-,män] -n
- an earlier form of a word in the same language or an ancestral language
- a word in a foreign language that is the source of a particular loanword
- a word or morpheme from which words are formed by composition or derivation