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German

noun (1)
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Ger·​man | \ ˈjər-mən How to pronounce German (audio) \

Definition of German

 (Entry 1 of 4)

1a : a native or inhabitant of Germany
b : a person of German descent
c : one whose native language is German and who is a native of a country other than Germany
2a : the Germanic language spoken mainly in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland
b : the literary and official language of Germany
3 : a member of any of the Germanic peoples inhabiting western Europe in Roman times
4 often not capitalized
a : a dance consisting of intricate figures that are improvised and intermingled with waltzes
b chiefly Midland : a dancing party specifically : one at which the german is danced

German

adjective (1)

Definition of German (Entry 2 of 4)

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Germany, the Germans, or German

german

adjective (2)
ger·​man | \ ˈjər-mən How to pronounce german (audio) \

Definition of german (Entry 3 of 4)

: having the same parents or the same grandparents on either the maternal or paternal side —usually used after the noun which it modifies and joined to it by a hyphenbrother-germancousin-german

german

noun (2)

Definition of german (Entry 4 of 4)

obsolete
: a near relative

First Known Use of German

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for German

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Medieval Latin Germanus, from Latin

Adjective (2)

Middle English germain, from Anglo-French, from Latin germanus having the same parents, from germen

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Time Traveler for German

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The first known use of German was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“German.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/German. Accessed 29 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for German

German

noun
How to pronounce german (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of German

: a person born, raised, or living in Germany : a person whose family is from Germany
: the language of Germany that is also spoken in Austria, parts of Switzerland, and other places

See the full definition for German in the English Language Learners Dictionary

German

noun
Ger·​man | \ ˈjər-mən How to pronounce German (audio) \

Kids Definition of German

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a person born or living in Germany
2 : the language spoken mainly in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland

German

adjective

Kids Definition of German (Entry 2 of 2)

: of or relating to Germany, the Germans, or the German language

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