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

The lawsuit alleges Rezentes set his K-9, a German shepherd named Marco, on Bates without issuing a warning or giving her a chance to surrender.

From Los Angeles Times

“At one point, the doors of the control room busted open and the German police came in, armed with machine guns, and told us to turn the camera off,” Mason, now 84 and the only surviving member of the core ABC team, recalled on a recent afternoon over Zoom from his home in Naples, Fla. “That was a seminal moment because we realized what we were doing was having real impact.”

From Los Angeles Times

Hours later, the situation reached a tragic climax when a failed rescue attempt at a nearby airfield led to the deaths of all the hostages, along with five of the attackers and a West German police officer.

From Los Angeles Times

Zelensky also had harsh words for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for speaking to Putin on the phone last week.

From BBC

Guardiola left Barcelona in 2012 and took a one-year sabbatical before joining Bayern, where he won three league titles and two German Cups in three seasons, achievements that served to increase his long-standing appeal to City.

From BBC