German
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈd͡ʒɜː.mən/
ipa: /ˈd͡ʒɝ.mən/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)mən
Forms: form: Germans
form: Germ.
Etymology: From Latin Germānus, Germānī (“the peoples of Germānia”), as distinct from Gauls (in the writings of Caesar and Tacitus), and of uncertain ultimate origin (possibly Celtic/Gaulish).
Not related to german (“closely related”) or germane (from the Latin adjective germānus, through Old French).
Attested since at least 1520. Replaced the older terms Almain and Dutch (from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz) in English. Besides cognates of German, Almain, and Dutch, two other categories of words for the Germans in other languages are cognates of Saxon and descendants of Proto-Slavic *němьcь; see those entries for more.
The surname is generally from the noun, though sometimes confused with Herman, Hermann under Russian influence. As a German surname, Americanized from Germann. Compare Germán, Germain, Jerman.
Senses: glosses: A native or inhabitant of Germany; a person of German citizenship or nationality.
glosses: A member of the Germanic ethnic group which is the most populous ethnic group in Germany; a person of German descent.
examples: text: Rome was sacked by Germans and the Western Roman Empire collapsed.
synonyms: Teuton
glosses: A member of a Germanic tribe.
examples: text: […] tie them tightly in a thickly floured cloth, and boil them for three hours and a half. We can recommend this as a remarkably light small rich pudding : it may be served with German, wine, or punch sauce.
ref: 1858, Eliza Acton, Modern Cookery in All Its Branches: Reduced to a System of Easy Practice, for the Use of Private Families : in a Series of Receipts, which Have Been Strictly Tested, and are Given with the Most Minute Exactness : to which are Added Directions for Carving, Garnishing, and Setting Out the Table, with a Table of Weights and Measures, page 279:
text: The wine list harbours some great bottles, mature clarets and Burgundies as well as a clutch of fine Germans (gold-dust these days in restaurants) […]
ref: 1996, Jim Ainsworth, Passport's Guide to Britain's Best Restaurants:
glosses: A German wine.
topics: media
printing
publishing
glosses: A size of type between American and Saxon, 1+¹⁄₂-point type.
examples: text: In my German, they calling me a baller (skrr)
Got me feeling like Özil
ref: 2021 May 21, “Plugged In Freestyle”, Big Tobz in Big Tobz & Blittz (lyrics), Fumez The Engineer (music), 0:13–0:16:
glosses: A Germany-produced car, a “German whip”.
examples: text: There are some 32 different terms for prison officers, from the humorously affectionate kanga(rhyming slang:kangaroo = screw) and the variants Scooby-Doo and Dr. Who via the mildly confrontational German (as if still the enemy over 50 years after World War II!) to the outright abuse of shit-parcel.
ref: 1996, Angela Devlin, Prison Patter, Waterside Press, →ISBN:
glosses: A prison warder.
Synonyms: sense: member of the German ethnic group
word: Deutscher
sense: member of the German ethnic group
word: Boche
sense: member of the German ethnic group
word: Fritz
sense: member of the German ethnic group
word: Hun
sense: member of the German ethnic group
word: Jerry
sense: member of the German ethnic group
word: Kraut
word: Teuton
Hypernyms: word: European
word: person
Hyponyms: word: Bavarian
word: Berliner
word: Hessian
word: Freisian
word: Hamburger
word: Prussian
word: Rhinelander
word: Saarlander
word: Saxon
word: Sorb
word: Swabian
word: Westphalian
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from German (common noun)
word: High German
sense: Terms derived from German (common noun)
word: Pennsylvania German
sense: Terms derived from German (common noun)
word: Swiss German
sense: Terms derived from German (common noun)
word: Swiss-German
sense: Terms derived from German (common noun)
word: Volga German
sense: Terms derived from German (common noun)
word: Zipser German