german

¹

[ jur-muhn ]

adjective

1. having the same father and mother, as a full brother or sister (usually used in combination):

   a brother-german.

2. born of the brother or sister of one's father or mother, as a first cousin (usually used in combination):

   a cousin-german.

3. Archaic. germane.

German

²

[ jur-muhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Germany, its inhabitants, or their language.

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Germany.
2. a descendant of a native of Germany.
3. Also called High German. an Indo-European language that is based on a High German dialect, is official in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and is also widely used as an international language for scholarship and science. : G, G.
4. Linguistics. any variety of West Germanic speech native to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
5. (usually lowercase) an elaborate social dance resembling a cotillion.
6. (lowercase) New England and South Atlantic States. a dancing party featuring the german.

german

¹

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

noun

1. a dance consisting of complicated figures and changes of partners

german

²

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

adjective

1. used in combination
   1. having the same parents as oneself

      a brother-german

   2. having a parent that is a brother or sister of either of one's own parents

      cousin-german

2. a less common word for germane

German

³

/ ˈdʒɜːmən /

noun

1. the official language of Germany and Austria and one of the official languages of Switzerland; the native language of approximately 100 million people. It is an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch, closely related to English and Dutch. There is considerable diversity of dialects; modern standard German is a development of Old High German, influenced by Martin Luther's translation of the Bible See also High German Low German
2. a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Germany
3. a person whose native language is German

   Volga Germans

   Swiss Germans

adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or using the German language
2. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of any German state or its people

Other Words From

• an·ti-Ger·man noun adjective
• half-Ger·man adjective
• non-Ger·man adjective noun
• pre-Ger·man adjective noun
• pro-Ger·man adjective noun
• pseu·do-Ger·man adjective noun
• qua·si-Ger·man adjective
• un-Ger·man adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of german¹

1250–1300; Middle English germain < Old French < Latin germānus, derivative of germen; germ

Origin of german²

1520–30; < Latin Germānus German; cognate with Greek Germanoí (plural)

Word History and Origins

Origin of german¹

C19: shortened from German cotillion

Origin of german²

C14: via Old French germain, from Latin germānus of the same race, from germen sprout, offshoot

Example Sentences

He was drafted into the Army in 1953, at the tail end of the Korean War, and, because he spoke German, French and Russian, assigned to an intelligence unit in Germany.

From New York Times

The latest incident involves a C-Lion1 fibreoptic cable linking the Finnish capital, Helsinki and the German city of Rostock.

From BBC

A long-awaited inquest into the murder of a young German backpacker in Northern Ireland 36 years ago is expected to take place later.

From BBC

A German company, Beckhoff Automation makes automated control systems for a wide range of industries, including manufacturing and the energy sector.

From BBC

FA chief executive officer Mark Bullingham announced Carsley will also deliver "a very detailed handover" to the German before his arrival as England head coach on 1 January.

From BBC