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Webster 1913 Edition

German

Ger′man

,
Adj.
[OE.
german
,
germain
, F.
germain
, fr. L.
germanus
full, own (said of brothers and sisters who have the same parents); akin to
germen
germ. Cf.
Germ
,
Germane
.]
Nearly related; closely akin.
Wert thou a leopard, thou wert
german
to the lion.
Shakespeare
Brother german
.
See
Brother german
.
–
Cousins german
.
See the Note under
Cousin
.

Ger′man

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Germans
(#)
[L.
Germanus
, prob. of Celtis origin.]
1.
A native or one of the people of Germany.
2.
The German language.
3.
(a)
A round dance, often with a waltz movement, abounding in capriciosly involved figures.
(b)
A social party at which the german is danced.
High German
,
the Teutonic dialect of Upper or Southern Germany, – comprising Old High German, used from the 8th to the 11th century; Middle H. G., from the 12th to the 15th century; and Modern or New H. G., the language of Luther’s Bible version and of modern German literature. The dialects of Central Germany, the basis of the modern literary language, are often called Middle German, and the Southern German dialects Upper German; but High German is also used to cover both groups.
–
Low German
,
the language of Northern Germany and the Netherlands, – including
Friesic
;
Anglo-Saxon
or
Saxon
;
Old Saxon
;
Dutch
or
Low Dutch
, with its dialect,
Flemish
; and
Plattdeutsch
(called also
Low German
), spoken in many dialects.

Ger′man

,
Adj.
[L.
Germanus
. See
German
,
Noun.
]
Of or pertaining to Germany.
German Baptists
.
See
Dunker
.
–
German bit
,
a wood-boring tool, having a long elliptical pod and a scew point.
–
German carp
(Zool.)
,
the crucian carp.
–
German millet
(Bot.)
,
a kind of millet (
Setaria Italica
, var.), whose seed is sometimes used for food.
–
German paste
,
a prepared food for caged birds.
–
German process
(Metal.)
,
the process of reducing copper ore in a blast furnace, after roasting, if necessary.
Raymond.
–
German sarsaparilla
,
a substitute for sarsaparilla extract.
–
German sausage
,
a polony, or gut stuffed with meat partly cooked.
–
German silver
(Chem.)
,
a silver-white alloy, hard and tough, but malleable and ductile, and quite permanent in the air. It contains nickel, copper, and zinc in varying proportions, and was originally made from old copper slag at Henneberg. A small amount of iron is sometimes added to make it whiter and harder. It is essentially identical with the Chinese alloy
packfong
. It was formerly much used for tableware, knife handles, frames, cases, bearings of machinery, etc., but is now largely superseded by other white alloys.
–
German steel
(Metal.)
,
a metal made from bog iron ore in a forge, with charcoal for fuel.
–
German text
(Typog.)
,
a character resembling modern German type, used in English printing for ornamental headings, etc., as in the words,
–
German tinder
.
See
Amadou
.

Webster 1828 Edition

German

GER'MAN

,
Adj.
[L. germanus, a brother.]
1.
Cousins german, are the sons or daughters of brothers or sisters; first cousins.
2.
Related.

GER'MAN

,
Adj.
Belonging to Germany.

GER'MAN

,
Noun.
A native of Germany; and by ellipsis, the German language.

Definition 2024

German

German

See also: german and Germán

English

Alternative forms

Noun

German ‎(plural Germans)

  1. A native or inhabitant of Germany; a person of German citizenship or nationality.
  2. A member of the Germanic ethnic group which is the most populous ethnic group in Germany; a person of German descent.
  3. A member of a Germanic tribe.
    Rome was sacked by Germans and the Western Roman Empire collapsed.‎
  4. (uncountable, US printing, rare, dated) A size of type between American and Saxon, 1½-point type.

Synonyms

Hypernyms

Translations

Proper noun

German

  1. An Indo-European (Indo-Germanic) language, primarily spoken in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, South Tyrol, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and a small part of Belgium.
    German has three genders: masculine, feminine and neuter.‎

Synonyms

Translations

See also

  • Wiktionary's coverage of German terms
  • Appendix:German Swadesh list for a Swadesh list of basic vocabulary words in German
  • Appendix:"German" in various languages

Adjective

German ‎(comparative more German, superlative most German or Germanest)

  1. Of or relating to the nation of Germany.
    • 2001, Donald L. Niewyk, The Jews in Weimar Germany, ISBN 0765806924, page 31:
      In Prussia, always the most progressive of the German states during the Weimar years and a stronghold of the two parties, Jews could be found in virtually all administrative departments […] .
  2. Of or relating to the natives or inhabitants of Germany; to people of German descent.
    Her German husband has blond hair.‎
  3. Of, in or relating to the German language.
    We take German classes twice a week.‎
    Because the instructions were German, Yves couldn't read them.‎

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: waiting · political · reading · #775: German · seven · notice · week

Anagrams

German

Noun

German n ‎(genitive Germans, plural Germane)

  1. (organic chemistry) germane

Declension

Norman

Proper noun

German m

  1. A male given name

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɡěrmaːn/
  • Hyphenation: Ger‧man

Proper noun

Gèrmān m ‎(Cyrillic spelling Гѐрма̄н)

  1. German (member of a Germanic tribe)

Declension

german

german

See also: German and Germán

English

Adjective

german ‎(comparative more german, superlative most german)

  1. (obsolete except in set terms) Having the same mother and father; a full (brother or sister).
    brother-german
  2. (obsolete except in set terms) Being born to one’s blood aunt or uncle, a first (cousin).
    cousin-german
  3. (obsolete) Closely related, akin.
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter xj, in Le Morte Darthur, book II:
      After this Merlyn told vnto kynge Arthur of the prophecye / that there shold be a grete batail besyde Salysbury and Mordred his owne sone sholde be ageynste hym / Also he tolde hym that Basdemegus was his cosyn and germayn vnto kynge Vryence
    • 1602, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, V.2:
      The phrase would bee more Germaine.
    • Shakespeare
      Wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion.
Translations

Noun

german ‎(plural germans)

  1. (obsolete) A near relative.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.viii:
      Which when his german saw, the stony feare / Ran to his hart, and all his sence dismayd […]
Translations

Etymology 2

From German ‎(“of Germany”).

Noun

german ‎(plural germans)

  1. An elaborate round dance, often with a waltz movement.
    • 1985, Betty Casey, Dance Across Texas (page 49)
      Through the years, though, the german was replaced by new and more popular dances, but in many instances the name stayed on.
  2. A social party at which the german is danced.

Anagrams

Icelandic

Noun

german n ‎(genitive singular germans, no plural)

  1. germanium (chemical element)


This Icelandic entry was created from the translations listed at germanium. It may be less reliable than other entries, and may be missing parts of speech or additional senses. Please also see german in the Icelandic Wiktionary. This notice will be removed when the entry is checked. (more information) November 2009

Polish

Pronunciation

Noun

Chemical element
Ge Previous: gal (Ga)
Next: arsen (As)

german m inan

  1. germanium, a chemical element

Declension

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin Germānus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /d͡ʒerˈman/

Adjective

german m, n ‎(feminine singular germană, masculine plural germani, feminine and neuter plural germane)

  1. German

Declension

Synonyms

Noun

german m ‎(plural germani, feminine equivalent germană)

  1. a German person

Synonyms

Related terms

Etymology

From Latin Germanus, Germani ‎(“the peoples of Germania”), as distinct from Gauls (in the writings of Caesar and Tacitus), and of uncertain ultimate origin (possibly Celtic/Gaulish).

Not related to the Latin adjective germānus (whence the English words german and germane, through Old French). Attested since at least 1520. Replaced the older terms Almain and Dutch in English.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɜːmən/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɝmən/
  • Hyphenation: Ger‧man
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)mən

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