"chowchow" meaning in English

See chowchow in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Forms: chow-chow [alternative], chow chow [alternative]
Etymology: Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”). Compare Macanese chau-cháu. Etymology templates: {{bor+|en|cpi|chow-chow|t=food}} Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”), {{cog|mzs|chau-cháu}} Macanese chau-cháu Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} chowchow (not comparable)
  1. (obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese) Consisting of several kinds mingled together; mixed. Tags: not-comparable, obsolete, slang Derived forms: chowchow chop
    Sense id: en-chowchow-en-adj-O3y~kwhO

Noun

Forms: chowchows [plural], chow-chow [alternative], chow chow [alternative]
Etymology: Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”). Compare Macanese chau-cháu. Etymology templates: {{bor+|en|cpi|chow-chow|t=food}} Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”), {{cog|mzs|chau-cháu}} Macanese chau-cháu Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} chowchow (countable and uncountable, plural chowchows)
  1. A Chinese preserve. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-chowchow-en-noun-T7CeTmhY
  2. An American relish, containing pickled green tomatoes, cabbage, and often other vegetables. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-chowchow-en-noun-x7-1EPMu
  3. A fruit ketchup Tags: countable, uncountable Translations (ketchup): chow chow [masculine] (French)
    Sense id: en-chowchow-en-noun-AnTuAspo Disambiguation of 'ketchup': 4 6 81 0 9
  4. (obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese) Gossip. Tags: countable, obsolete, slang, uncountable
    Sense id: en-chowchow-en-noun-r9jzrD~-
  5. Alternative form of Chow Chow (“type of dog”) Tags: alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable Alternative form of: Chow Chow (extra: type of dog)
    Sense id: en-chowchow-en-noun-lkwXn6QM Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with French translations, Condiments, Foods Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 21 1 9 4 14 51 0 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 12 2 5 3 7 71 0 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 20 3 8 3 16 50 0 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 21 1 8 2 16 52 0 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 14 4 6 4 7 65 0 Disambiguation of Condiments: 19 2 8 7 14 50 0 Disambiguation of Foods: 17 1 10 7 13 51 0
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: India relish, piccalilli, catsup, ketchup

Verb

Forms: chowchows [present, singular, third-person], chowchowing [participle, present], chowchowed [participle, past], chowchowed [past], chow-chow [alternative], chow chow [alternative]
Etymology: Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”). Compare Macanese chau-cháu. Etymology templates: {{bor+|en|cpi|chow-chow|t=food}} Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”), {{cog|mzs|chau-cháu}} Macanese chau-cháu Head templates: {{en-verb}} chowchow (third-person singular simple present chowchows, present participle chowchowing, simple past and past participle chowchowed)
  1. (obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese) To gossip. Tags: obsolete, slang
    Sense id: en-chowchow-en-verb-wkVBNEVG

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cpi",
        "3": "chow-chow",
        "t": "food"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”)",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mzs",
        "2": "chau-cháu"
      },
      "expansion": "Macanese chau-cháu",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”). Compare Macanese chau-cháu.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chowchows",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chow-chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
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    },
    {
      "form": "chow chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
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      "expansion": "chowchow (countable and uncountable, plural chowchows)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A Chinese preserve."
      ],
      "id": "en-chowchow-en-noun-T7CeTmhY",
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An American relish, containing pickled green tomatoes, cabbage, and often other vegetables."
      ],
      "id": "en-chowchow-en-noun-x7-1EPMu",
      "links": [
        [
          "relish",
          "relish#English"
        ],
        [
          "pickle",
          "pickle"
        ],
        [
          "cabbage",
          "cabbage"
        ],
        [
          "vegetable",
          "vegetable"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A fruit ketchup"
      ],
      "id": "en-chowchow-en-noun-AnTuAspo",
      "links": [
        [
          "fruit",
          "fruit#English"
        ],
        [
          "ketchup",
          "ketchup#English"
        ]
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        "uncountable"
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "4 6 81 0 9",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "ketchup",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "chow chow"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "Gossip."
      ],
      "id": "en-chowchow-en-noun-r9jzrD~-",
      "links": [
        [
          "Gossip",
          "gossip#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese) Gossip."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "obsolete",
        "slang",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "type of dog",
          "word": "Chow Chow"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "21 1 9 4 14 51 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 2 5 3 7 71 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 3 8 3 16 50 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 2 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 1 8 2 16 52 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 4 6 4 7 65 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 2 8 7 14 50 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Condiments",
          "orig": "en:Condiments",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 1 10 7 13 51 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Foods",
          "orig": "en:Foods",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of Chow Chow (“type of dog”)"
      ],
      "id": "en-chowchow-en-noun-lkwXn6QM",
      "links": [
        [
          "Chow Chow",
          "Chow Chow#English"
        ]
      ],
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        "alt-of",
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        "uncountable"
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    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "India relish"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "piccalilli"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "catsup"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "ketchup"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:chow-chow (food)"
  ],
  "word": "chowchow"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cpi",
        "3": "chow-chow",
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      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”)",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
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        "2": "chau-cháu"
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”). Compare Macanese chau-cháu.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chowchows",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chowchowing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chowchowed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chowchowed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chow-chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chow chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "chowchow (third-person singular simple present chowchows, present participle chowchowing, simple past and past participle chowchowed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              36,
              48
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1861, The London and China Telegraph, page 316:",
          "text": "[…] some ten or twelve fellows were chow chowing and drinking, playing at the Chinese game with their fingers, shouting and yelling like demons.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To gossip."
      ],
      "id": "en-chowchow-en-verb-wkVBNEVG",
      "links": [
        [
          "gossip",
          "gossip"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese) To gossip."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:chow-chow (food)"
  ],
  "word": "chowchow"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cpi",
        "3": "chow-chow",
        "t": "food"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”)",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
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        "2": "chau-cháu"
      },
      "expansion": "Macanese chau-cháu",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”). Compare Macanese chau-cháu.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chow-chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chow chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "chowchow (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "chowchow chop"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "chowchow sweetmeats (preserved fruits put together)"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Consisting of several kinds mingled together; mixed."
      ],
      "id": "en-chowchow-en-adj-O3y~kwhO",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese) Consisting of several kinds mingled together; mixed."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable",
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:chow-chow (food)"
  ],
  "word": "chowchow"
}
{
  "categories": [
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    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English",
    "English terms derived from Chinese Pidgin English",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "en:Condiments",
    "en:Foods"
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cpi",
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      "expansion": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”)",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
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        "2": "chau-cháu"
      },
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      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”). Compare Macanese chau-cháu.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chowchows",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chow-chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chow chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "chowchow (countable and uncountable, plural chowchows)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A Chinese preserve."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An American relish, containing pickled green tomatoes, cabbage, and often other vegetables."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "relish",
          "relish#English"
        ],
        [
          "pickle",
          "pickle"
        ],
        [
          "cabbage",
          "cabbage"
        ],
        [
          "vegetable",
          "vegetable"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A fruit ketchup"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fruit",
          "fruit#English"
        ],
        [
          "ketchup",
          "ketchup#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang",
        "English terms with obsolete senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Gossip."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Gossip",
          "gossip#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese) Gossip."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "obsolete",
        "slang",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "type of dog",
          "word": "Chow Chow"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of Chow Chow (“type of dog”)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Chow Chow",
          "Chow Chow#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "India relish"
    },
    {
      "word": "piccalilli"
    },
    {
      "word": "catsup"
    },
    {
      "word": "ketchup"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "ketchup",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "chow chow"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:chow-chow (food)"
  ],
  "word": "chowchow"
}

{
  "categories": [
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    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English",
    "English terms derived from Chinese Pidgin English",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "en:Condiments",
    "en:Foods"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cpi",
        "3": "chow-chow",
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      "expansion": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”)",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
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        "2": "chau-cháu"
      },
      "expansion": "Macanese chau-cháu",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”). Compare Macanese chau-cháu.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chowchows",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chowchowing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chowchowed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chowchowed",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chow-chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chow chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "chowchow (third-person singular simple present chowchows, present participle chowchowing, simple past and past participle chowchowed)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang",
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              36,
              48
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1861, The London and China Telegraph, page 316:",
          "text": "[…] some ten or twelve fellows were chow chowing and drinking, playing at the Chinese game with their fingers, shouting and yelling like demons.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To gossip."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "gossip",
          "gossip"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese) To gossip."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:chow-chow (food)"
  ],
  "word": "chowchow"
}

{
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    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English",
    "English terms derived from Chinese Pidgin English",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "en:Condiments",
    "en:Foods"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "chowchow chop"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cpi",
        "3": "chow-chow",
        "t": "food"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”)",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "mzs",
        "2": "chau-cháu"
      },
      "expansion": "Macanese chau-cháu",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English chow-chow (“food”). Compare Macanese chau-cháu.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chow-chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chow chow",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "chowchow (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang",
        "English terms with obsolete senses"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "chowchow sweetmeats (preserved fruits put together)"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Consisting of several kinds mingled together; mixed."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese) Consisting of several kinds mingled together; mixed."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable",
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "en:chow-chow (food)"
  ],
  "word": "chowchow"
}

Download raw JSONL data for chowchow meaning in English (6.0kB)

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese",
  "path": [
    "chowchow"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "chowchow",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese",
  "path": [
    "chowchow"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "noun",
  "title": "chowchow",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese",
  "path": [
    "chowchow"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "chowchow",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese",
  "path": [
    "chowchow"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "chowchow",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese",
  "path": [
    "chowchow"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "adjective",
  "title": "chowchow",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1831",
  "msg": "unrecognized sense qualifier: obsolete, slang, Anglo-Chinese",
  "path": [
    "chowchow"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "adjective",
  "title": "chowchow",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-05 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-06-01 using wiktextract (5ee713e and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.