language

1. 1

   A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.countable

   • The English and German languages are both members of the West Germanic language family.
   • Deaf and mute people communicate using sign language.
2. 2

   The ability to communicate using words.uncountable

   • the gift of language
3. 3

   A sublanguage: the slang of a particular community or jargon of a particular specialist field.uncountable

   • legal language; the language of chemistry
4. 4

   The specific wording or style of a text, such as a law or a contract.uncountable

   • Technological advances are notorious for exposing the open-endedness of the language in our laws, even when we thought our definitions were airtight. Lawmakers can’t anticipate everything. Indeed, you could make the case that the whole area
   • A Superior Court judge Tuesday let stand an arbitrator’s ruling that the city was allowed to pass onto its firefighters increased pension and retirement benefit costs due to changes in the state pension system. The city firefighters' union
5. 5

   The expression of thought (the communication of meaning) in a specified way; that which communicates something, as language does.countablefigurativelyuncountable

   • body language; the language of the eyes
6. 6

   A body of sounds, signs or signals by which animals communicate, and by which plants are sometimes also thought to communicate.countableuncountable

   • Prairie dogs use their language to refer to real dangers in the real world, so it definitely has meaning.
7. 7

   A computer language; a machine language.countable

   • In fact pointers are called references in these languages to distinguish them from pointers in languages like C and C++.
8. 8

   A manner of expression.uncountable

   • Their language simple, as their manners meek, […]
9. 9

   The particular words used in a speech or a passage of text.uncountable

   • The language used in the law does not permit any other interpretation.
   • The language he used to talk to me was obscene.
10. 10

    Profanity.euphemisticuncountable

    • "Where the hell is Horace?" ¶ "There he is. He's coming. You shouldn't use language."

syn. computer language · programming language · machine language · language · leid · lingo · speech · tongue

1. 1

   To communicate by language; to express in language.nonstandardrare

   • Others were languaged in such doubtful expressions that they have a double sense.

1. 1

   An admonishment said in response to someone using vulgar language during a conversation.

   • Nancy: So... me and Barbara are gonna study at her house tonight. That's cool, right? / Karen: No, not cool. / Nancy: What? Why not? / Karen: Why do you think? Am I speaking Chinese in this house? Until we know Will is okay, no one leaves.

1. 1

   A languet, a flat plate in or below the flue pipe of an organ.

   • A flue-pipe is one in which the air passes through the throat, or flue, which is the narrow, longitudinal aperture between the lower lip and the tongue, or language. […] The language is adjusted by slightly elevating or depressing it, […]

syn. language · leid · lingo · speech · tongue