What does the word british mean

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  • British

adjective

of or relating to Great Britain or its inhabitants.

used especially by natives or inhabitants of Great Britain: In this dictionary, “Brit.” is an abbreviation for “British usage.”

noun

the people native to or inhabiting Great Britain.

the Celtic language of the ancient Britons.

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Origin of British

before 900; Middle English Brittische,Old English Bryttisc, equivalent to Brytt(as) Britons + -isc--ish1; see Briton

OTHER WORDS FROM British

Brit·ish·ly, adverbBrit·ish·ness, nounanti-British, adjective, nounnon-British, adjective

pre-British, adjectivepro-British, adjective

Words nearby British

britches, Britcom, Brith, Brith Milah, Briticism, British, British America, British Antarctic Territory, British Association screw thread, British Broadcasting Corporation, British Cameroons

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT BRITISH

What does British mean?

British is used as an adjective to describe something as coming from or being related to the island of Great Britain or the people who live there, as in We drove through the British countryside.

British is also used as a noun to mean the people of Great Britain, usually as “the British.”

Great Britain, often referred to as just Britain, is a large island located off the northwest coast of continental Europe. It is made up of England, Wales, and Scotland, which are part of the United Kingdom (UK). There is no country called Great Britain. The name is used only to refer to the physical island.

However, the United Kingdom is often referred to as Great Britain or Britain, even though the UK also includes Northern Ireland. For this reason, the word British is often used to refer to things related to the island or the people who live there, as in The exciting tennis match was covered by the British media.

In a related sense, British is used as a noun to refer to the people who live or have lived on the island of Great Britain, as in The movie was more popular with the British than it was with Americans.

Example: The British people are proud of their island home. 

Where does British come from?

The first records of British come from before 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English Bryttisc, which was an equivalent of the word Bryttas, meaning Britons.

While it is correct to refer to people from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as British, people from the UK identify more closely with their regions. People from England are English, people from Wales are Welsh, people from Scotland are Scottish, and people from Northern Ireland are Northern Irish or just Irish.

The situation is more complex in Northern Ireland, which isn’t located on the island of Great Britain. Instead it is located across the Irish Sea, sharing the island of Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, people use three different terms to identify themselves: British, Northern Irish, or Irish. The terms Irish and British are used to legally refer to a person’s citizenship in Northern Ireland.

Did you know … ?

How is British used in real life?

British is a common word that most often describes something as being related to the island of Great Britain or the country of the United Kingdom.

Let’s get Brexit done and deliver on the priorities of the British people.

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 6, 2019

Real face of mummified warrior revealed at British Museum | British Museum | The Guardian https://t.co/L8BaZYeGdP

— Hernan Cortes (@CyberPunkCortes) February 2, 2021

Good old British weather. I’ve gone from shorts to a winter jacket today!

— Tony Shepherd (@tonysheps) April 22, 2018

Try using British!

Which of the following places would NOT be described as British?

A. Scotland
B. United Kingdom
C. Northern Ireland
D. United States

How to use British in a sentence

  • It came to be known as the Carrington Event, named after British astronomer Richard Carrington, who witnessed intensely bright patches of light in the sky and recorded what he saw.

  • Both clumsy plots inflamed British public opinion against the American cause.

  • He supposes it’s because Americans just perceive British people that way.

  • The vaccine developed by Novavax was nearly 90 percent effective in a British trial, but that protection fell to about 50 percent in South Africa.

  • The British filmmaker Adam Curtis may work for the BBC, a bastion of the British elite, but over a decades-long career, he has cemented himself as a cult favorite.

  • Andrew still plans to fly to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum on January 21, representing the British government.

  • It is the steady accretion of detail that may yet be the most damaging factor in the battle for British hearts and minds.

  • But I had won the British Award, Best Foreign Actor, so I went.

  • Jourdan Dunn is the first sole black woman to feature on a British ‘Vogue’ cover in 12 years.

  • When it was announced that Jourdan Dunn would be the first black model to cover British Vogue in twelve years it made me sad.

  • Sweden excluded British goods, conformably to the continental system established by Bonaparte.

  • Behold a dumpy, comfortable British paterfamilias in a light flannel suit and a faded sun hat.

  • Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.

  • The parliament house and library of the British provinces, at Montreal, burned by a mob.

  • Where the outside conditions are not very favourable, practically all the British species may be grown with ease under glass.

British Dictionary definitions for British


adjective

relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Britain or any of the natives, citizens, or inhabitants of the United Kingdom

relating to or denoting the ancient Britons

of or relating to the CommonwealthBritish subjects

noun

(functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Britain

the extinct Celtic language of the ancient BritonsSee also Brythonic

Derived forms of British

Britishness, noun

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Like if you are going to hunt coyotes in british colombia, use a 257 mag because a wolf, bear, cougar, or moose is going to laugh at you when you shoot it with a 22-250 and its explosive bullets. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Posted in british energy, display home electricity use, real-time energy monitors, smart meters. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Posted in british columbia, carbon tax, gas prices, gasoline taxes. ❋ Unknown (2008)

(Also, a lot of this debate occurs in british circles, and places where british and american feminist circles overlap.) ❋ Unknown (2007)

Posted in british, guest post, sweet | No Comments Yet ❋ Unknown (2007)

i instantly baulked at this story — personally, its a waste of breath talking about it (thank god i am typing) because the stength in british comedy (at least one vital key element) is the 30-minute format. take it outside that and it falls apart — yes, even ‘shaun of the dead’ feels like two or three 30-minute episodes strung together and even then a comparatively successful film is pretty duff … ❋ Unknown (2006)

Altough the fact that he’s british is an advantage. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The old freelance vs entrepreneurial venture debate below (something that has taken me a good decade to finally learn), incl earnings multiples (that wont be paid) in british motorbike magazine distributorships:) ❋ Ben Barren (2006)

This world is getting more and more ridiculous Happy FOURTH OF JULY AMERICANS P.S. , only in retrospect, The british were a peice of cake. ❋ Unknown (2006)

I think the only conclusion is that the police are scared to act for fear of a political backlash from Labour i think this is disgusting, how often do we hear the word racism with people of all religions in this country wanting to be called british and hear we are british muslims attacking british soldiers make your minds up are you british or not. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The clue is in the name: British and Irish lions. but the Irish aren’t british and they used to be called the british lions ❋ Unknown (2009)

Alan Wallace on September 06, 2008 can someone point out the minimum age for the workers in this so called british country it is unbelievable that that councils would stoop so low ❋ Unknown (2008)

In the last census the options were «british» «Scottish» «Irish» or «Other» — how does that make ANY sense to a Welshman or Englishman? ❋ O’Neill (2008)

February 25th, 2009 10: 40pm the key word is ‘british‘ in british medical journal. british is a term that needs redefining. ❋ Unknown (2009)

[BRITISH] ❋ (2016)

[British slang]:
What a [minger]
Chav!
[Scally]! ❋ Sarah14 (2006)

Fuck [the ignorant] assholes from America, UK, and all other countries who try and [soil] the wonderful ties between all [democratic] nations. I love all my European ancestors and hope they do the same. ❋ Cityindesert (2004)

[You wish] you were [British] ❋ Tiara11111 (2008)

I’m [pretty damn] sure they don’t say «[cheerio]» every other word. [-_-] ❋ Alb (2005)

[ww1] [ww2] iraq [afganistan] who else cared as much as british / United States? everyone was bothered few countries had the balls to do something about it. ❋ Philip Ash (2007)

apparently i have to use the word british in my examlpe…[yay]…
NOW….[bloody hell] get past your [closed minded] sterio-types ❋ Brit.amer.stpnk (2006)

2.5 million people [marched] through London against [Britains] involvement in Gulf war 2 and other marches the same day involved another 4 million people. There wishes were ignored. A price Blair is now paying at the [ballot] box. ❋ Black Flag (2004)

personally, I was interested into the amount of directed hate towards us by our american friends and thought why?
apart from our recent international relations with you with invasions against terror and other types, I thought, as a british citizen, that things were normal but instead a find abuse flying between minority groups of the urban [dic-tionary] from both our nations.
minority groups on your side seem to think that «we go around thinking we own the place», what [bollucks], our empire days are over and only hope that it caused as much good as it did bad.
also, you seem to think we live in a mary [poppins] world with [plummy] accents; yeah, our accents are weird but we’re proud of that :)
saying all this to a british guy and the remarks about bad teeth would just piss him off, becuase it stereotyping at it’s worst.
I have a lot of american friends who arn’t like certain groups in this dictionary, which is simpy, displaying the bad minorities of both our nations
[peace people] :) ❋ Susan (2004)

«Yes you did bail us out in [1945] but we gave you our splendid language»
«[British people] best in the world, [old chap]» ❋ Pikey Mullet (2005)


Asked by: Prof. Mitchell Donnelly III

Score: 4.7/5
(58 votes)

The British people, or Britons, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies. British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, which can be acquired, for instance, by descent from British nationals.

What does being British really mean?

«Being British means that you are born in either Scotland, England, Northern Ireland or Wales even if your Mum and Dad are from a different country.» Claire, Glasgow, Scotland.

Who are the true British?

WELSH ARE THE TRUE BRITONS

The Welsh are the true pure Britons, according to the research that has produced the first genetic map of the UK. Scientists were able to trace their DNA back to the first tribes that settled in the British Isles following the last ice age around 10,000 years ago.

Why do they call British?

The name Britain originates from the Common Brittonic term *Pritanī and is one of the oldest known names for Great Britain, an island off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The terms Briton and British, similarly derived, refer to its inhabitants and, to varying extents, the smaller islands in the vicinity.

Is British and English the same?

English refers only to people and things that are from England specifically. Thus, to be English is not to be Scottish, Welsh nor Northern Irish. British, on the other hand, refers to anything from Great Britain, meaning anyone who lives in Scotland, Wales or England are considered British.

38 related questions found

Are you English if you are born in England?

If you or your parents were born in the UK, you might automatically be a British citizen. Check if you’re a British citizen based on whether you were: born in the UK or a British colony before 1 January 1983. born in the UK between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000.

How do you know if your British?

Top 40 signs you’re British

  1. Talking about the weather.
  2. Queuing.
  3. Having a roast dinner on Sundays.
  4. Putting the kettle on in a crisis.
  5. Liking fish and chips.
  6. Using tea as a cure/fix for everything.
  7. Saying ‘sorry’ too frequently.
  8. Saying please and thank you.

What do you call a person from England?

People born in England are called English or British and can say that they live in England, Britain and/or the UK. … Most people in Scotland will say they are Scottish rather than British. Wales. People born in Wales are called Welsh or British and can say that they live in Wales, Britain and/or the UK.

What was Britain called before it was Britain?

Albion, the earliest-known name for the island of Britain. It was used by ancient Greek geographers from the 4th century bc and even earlier, who distinguished “Albion” from Ierne (Ireland) and from smaller members of the British Isles.

Is England a Celtic country?

One explanation is that England was not mainly Celtic-speaking before the Anglo-Saxons. Consider, for example, the near-total absence of Celtic inscriptions in England (outside Cornwall), although they are abundant in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Brittany.

Where did British come from?

The first people to be called ‘English’ were the Anglo-Saxons, a group of closely related Germanic tribes that began migrating to eastern and southern Great Britain, from southern Denmark and northern Germany, in the 5th century AD, after the Romans had withdrawn from Britain.

Who are the British descended from?

Modern Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic groups that settled in Great Britain in and before the 11th century: Prehistoric, Brittonic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Normans.

What should you never say to a British person?

10 things you should never say to a British person

  • “I love British accents!” …
  • “I can do the best British accent.” …
  • “Oh, you’re from London!” …
  • “Oh, you’re from Europe!” …
  • “Cheers, mate!” …
  • “My great-grandmother was British!” …
  • “Ohmaigaaad I could listen to you talk all day.” …
  • “Do you live in a castle?”

Why do British say bloody?

In British slang, bloody means something like “very.” That’s bloody brilliant! Things that are literally bloody have blood on them or are made of blood. … To bloody something is to cover it in blood: «I will bloody your nose if you say that again!» It comes from the Old English blodig, from blod, or «blood.»

Who ruled Britain before Romans?

Before Rome: the ‘Celts

The idea came from the discovery around 1700 that the non-English island tongues relate to that of the ancient continental Gauls, who really were called Celts.

What is the old name for England?

Toponymy. The name «England» is derived from the Old English name Englaland, which means «land of the Angles».

Is England a British?

The U.K., as it is called, is a sovereign state that consists of four individual countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

What do they call toilet paper in England?

The bundle is known as a toilet roll, or loo roll or bog roll in Britain. There are other uses for toilet paper, as it is a readily available household product. It can be used like facial tissue for blowing the nose or wiping the eyes.

What is slang for a British person?

Europe. In Finnish the abbreviation of iso-britannialainen (literally «Great/Large Briton») Britti is colloquially most commonly used for a British person, often also referring interchangeably to a person from England.

Are babies born in UK automatically citizens?

You’re usually automatically a British citizen if you were both: born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983. born when one of your parents was a British citizen or ‘settled’ in the UK.

How can I look more British?

«If you want to dress British your look should be smart and include some classic pieces,» says Little. The obvious thing to invest in is a tailored suit, but he also recommends pairing a trim blazer (in classic fabrics or prints such as tweed, houndstooth, and pinstripe) with a pair of slim-fitting jeans or trousers.

Does having a British passport mean you are a British citizen?

Having a British passport doesn’t mean you’re a citizen either. British citizens, overseas territories citizens, overseas citizens, subjects, nationals (overseas) and protected persons can all apply for a passport.

British may refer to:

Peoples, culture, and languageEdit

  • British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
  • British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture
  • British English, the English language as spoken and written in the United Kingdom or, more broadly, throughout the British Isles
  • Celtic Britons, an ancient ethno-linguistic group
  • Brittonic languages, a branch of the Insular Celtic language family (formerly called British)
    • Common Brittonic, an ancient language

Other usesEdit

  • Brit(ish), a 2018 memoir by Afua Hirsch
  • People or things associated with:
    • Great Britain, an island
    • United Kingdom, a sovereign state
    • Kingdom of Great Britain (1707–1800)
    • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922)

See alsoEdit

  • Terminology of the British Isles
  • Alternative names for the British
  • English (disambiguation)
  • Britannic (disambiguation)
  • British Isles
  • Brit (disambiguation)
  • Briton (disambiguation)
  • Britain (disambiguation)
  • Great Britain (disambiguation)
  • British Empire
  • United Kingdom (disambiguation)
  • All pages with titles beginning with British
  • All pages with titles beginning with Great British
  • All pages with titles containing British

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • Brittish (archaic)

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English Brittish, from Old English Brettisċ.[1]
The spelling with single -t- appears in the 13th century under the influence of Medieval Latin Britannicus, but spelling with -tt- persists alongside -t- during the 13th to 17th centuries.

In reference to the island of Great Britain from ca. 1400 (Latin natio Anglica sive Britannica, Brittisshe occean 1398, the Britishe nacion 1548).
As a noun, referring to the British people, British soldiers, etc. from ca. 1600.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈbɹɪtɪʃ/
  • (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈbɹɪtɪʃ/, [ˈbɹɪɾɪʃ]
  • (Cockney, Estuary English) IPA(key): [ˈbɹɪʔɪʃ]
  • Rhymes: -ɪtɪʃ
  • Hyphenation: Brit‧ish

Proper noun[edit]

British

  1. (with article, collective) The residents or inhabitants of Great Britain.
  2. (with article, collective) The citizens or inhabitants of the United Kingdom.
  3. (history) The ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain before the Anglo-Saxon invasion.
    Synonym: Britons
  4. The Celtic language of the ancient Britons; Common Brittonic.
  5. (obsolete) Synonym of Welsh: the Welsh people.
  6. (chiefly US) The British English language.

Translations[edit]

citizens or inhabitants of Britain

  • Arabic: بِرِيطَانِيّ (ar) m (biriṭāniyy), بِرِيطَانِيَّة‎ f (biriṭāniyya)
  • Burmese: ဗြိတိလျှ (bri.ti.hlya.)
  • Catalan: britànics (ca) m pl
  • Chinese:
    Cantonese: 英國人英国人 (jing1 gwok3 jan3)
    Mandarin: 英國人英国人 (zh) (yīngguórén)
  • Czech: Britové (cs) m pl
  • Danish: brite c
  • Dutch: Brit (nl) m, Britse (nl) f
  • Estonian: britt (et)
  • Faroese: breti m
  • Finnish: britit (fi)
  • French: Britannique (fr) m or f
  • Galician: británicos m pl
  • German: Briten (de) pl, Brite (de) m, Britin (de) f
  • Greek: Βρετανός (el) m (Vretanós), Βρετανή f (Vretaní)
  • Hindi: ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś), अंग्रेज़ी (hi) (aṅgrezī)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu), nagy-britanniai
  • Icelandic: Breti m
  • Indonesian: Bangsa Inggris
  • Italian: britannici (it) m pl
  • Japanese: イギリス人 (ja) (イギリスじん, igirisujin), 英国人 (ja) (えいこくじん, eikokujin)
  • Javanese: Bangsa Inggeris
  • Lithuanian: britas (lt) m, britė (lt) f
  • Macedonian: Британци pl (Britanci)
  • Marathi: ब्रिटिश (briṭiś)
  • Navajo: Óola Bichʼahní dineʼé
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: brite (no) m
    Nynorsk: brite m
  • Persian: بریتانیایی(beritâniyâyi)
  • Polish: Brytyjczycy pl
  • Portuguese: britânicos m pl
  • Romanian: britanic (ro) m, britanici m pl
  • Russian: брита́нец (ru) m (británec), брита́нка (ru) f (británka), брита́нцы (ru) m pl (británcy)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannaich m
  • Slovak: Brit m
  • Slovene: Británec m, Británka f
  • Spanish: británicos (es) m pl
  • Swedish: britt (sv) c, brittiska (sv) c
  • Turkish: İngiliz (tr)

the citizens or inhabitants of the UK

  • Burmese: ဗြိတိလျှ (bri.ti.hlya.)
  • Catalan: britànics (ca) m pl
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 英國人英国人 (zh) (yīngguórén)
  • Czech: Britové (cs) m pl
  • Danish: brite c
  • Dutch: Brit (nl) m, Britse (nl) f
  • Estonian: britt (et)
  • Faroese: breti m
  • Finnish: britit (fi)
  • French: Britannique (fr) m or f
  • German: Briten (de) pl, Brite (de) m, Britin (de) f
  • Greek: Βρετανός (el) m (Vretanós), Βρετανή f (Vretaní)
  • Hebrew: בריטי (he) m (briti)
  • Hindi: अंग्रेज़ m (aṅgrez), अंग्रेज़िन f (aṅgrezin), ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu), egyesült királysági, egyesült királyságbeli
  • Indonesian: Orang Inggris
  • Italian: britannici (it) m pl
  • Japanese: イギリス人 (ja) (イギリスじん, igirisujin), 英国人 (ja) (えいこくじん, eikokujin)
  • Javanese: Wong Inggeris
  • Lithuanian: britas (lt) m, britė (lt) f
  • Macedonian: Британци pl (Britanci)
  • Marathi: ब्रिटिश (briṭiś)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: brite (no) m
    Nynorsk: brite m
  • Polish: Brytyjczycy pl
  • Portuguese: britânicos m pl
  • Romanian: britanic (ro) m, britanic (ro) m pl
  • Russian: брита́нец (ru) m (británec), брита́нка (ru) f (británka), брита́нцы (ru) m pl (británcy)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannaich m
  • Slovak: Brit m
  • Spanish: británicos (es) m pl
  • Swedish: britt (sv) c, brittiska (sv) c
  • Turkish: İngiliz (tr)

history: ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain

  • Breton: Brezhon (br)
  • Cornish: Brython
  • Czech: Britonové m pl
  • Danish: brite c
  • Estonian: britt (et)
  • Finnish: britit (fi), brittiläiset (fi)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu)
  • Indonesian: Orang Inggris Kuno, Orang Pribumi Inggris
  • Old English: Bryttas, Bryttwealas, Bryttwalas
  • Portuguese: britões m pl (Portugal), bretões m pl (Brazil)
  • Romanian: britonic m, britonici m pl
  • Russian: бритт (ru) m (britt), бри́ттка f (bríttka), бри́тты (ru) m pl (brítty)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannaich m
  • Welsh: Brython

the British English language

  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 英國英語英国英语 (yīngguóyǔ)
  • Danish: britisk engelsk
  • Dutch: Brits-Engels (nl) n
  • Finnish: britannianenglanti
  • French: anglais britannique (fr) m
  • German: Britisches Englisch n
  • Greek: αγγλικά (el) n pl (angliká)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu), brit angol (hu)
  • Indonesian: Bahasa Inggris (id)
  • Japanese: イギリス英語 (Igirisu eigo), 英英語 (えいえいご, eieigo) or 英々語 (えいえいご, eieigo)
  • Javanese: Basa Inggeris
  • Macedonian: британски англиски m (britanski angliski)
  • Marathi: ब्रिटिश इंग्रजी (briṭiś iṅgrajī), ब्रिटिश इंग्लिश (briṭiś iṅgliś)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: britisk engelsk m
    Nynorsk: britisk engelsk m
  • Portuguese: inglês britânico (pt)
  • Romanian: engleză britanică f
  • Russian: бри́танский а́нглийский m (brítanskij ánglijskij)
  • Spanish: inglés británico
  • Swedish: brittisk engelska (sv) c
  • Turkish: İngiliz İngilizcesi (tr)
  • Welsh: Saesneg Prydain m

Adjective[edit]

British (comparative more British, superlative most British)

  1. Of Britain.
  2. Of the United Kingdom.
  3. Of the Commonwealth of Nations, or the British Empire.
  4. (historical) Of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain; Brythonic.
  5. (historical) Of the British Isles.
  6. Of British English.

Derived terms[edit]

  • British Antarctic Territory
  • British Columbia
  • British Isles
  • British Raj
  • Britisher
  • Britishification
  • Britishify
  • Britishish
  • Britishly
  • britshit
  • Britshit

Translations[edit]

of Britain

  • Albanian: britanik (sq)
  • Arabic: بِرِيطَانِيّ (ar) (biriṭāniyy), بَرِيطَانِيّ‎ (ar) (barīṭāniyy)
  • Armenian: բրիտանական (britanakan)
  • Assamese: ব্ৰিটিছ (britis), বিলাতী (bilati)
  • Azerbaijani: britaniyalı, britaniya
  • Belarusian: брыта́нскі (brytánski)
  • Bengali: ব্রিটিশ (bn) (briṭiś)
  • Bulgarian: брита́нски (británski)
  • Burmese: ဗြိတိသျှ (bri.ti.hsya.)
  • Catalan: britànic (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 英國的英国的 (zh) (Yīngguó de)
  • Czech: britský (cs)
  • Danish: britisk
  • Dutch: Brits (nl)
  • Estonian: briti
  • Faroese: bretskur
  • Finnish: brittiläinen (fi), britti-
  • French: britannique (fr) m or f
  • Georgian: ბრიტანული (briṭanuli)
  • German: britisch (de), großbritannisch (de)
  • Greek: βρετανικός (el) m (vretanikós)
  • Hebrew: בְּרִיטִי (he) (briti)
  • Hindi: अंग्रेज़ी (hi) (aṅgrezī), ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu)
  • Icelandic: breskur (is)
  • Indonesian: Inggris (id)
  • Irish: Briotanach
  • Italian: britannico (it)
  • Japanese: イギリスの (ja) (Igirisu no), 英国の (ja) (Eikoku no)
  • Kazakh: британдық (britandyq), британиялық (britaniälyq)
  • Khmer: ប៊្រីតថេន (priittheen)
  • Korean: 영국의 (ko) (yeonggugui)
  • Kyrgyz: британиялык (britaniyalık)
  • Latin: Britanniae
  • Latvian: britu, britisks
  • Lithuanian: britų, britiškas
  • Luxembourgish: brittesch
  • Macedonian: британски (britanski)
  • Maori: a Peretānia, o Peretānia
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: britisk
    Nynorsk: britisk
  • Occitan: britanic
  • Persian: بریتانیایی(beritâniyâyi)
  • Polish: brytyjski (pl)
  • Portuguese: britânico (pt)
  • Romanian: britanic (ro)
  • Russian: брита́нский (ru) (británskij)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannach
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: британски
    Roman: britanski (sh)
  • Slovak: britský (sk)
  • Slovene: británski (sl)
  • Spanish: británico (es)
  • Swedish: brittisk (sv)
  • Tajik: британӣ (britanī)
  • Thai: บริเตน (brì-dteen)
  • Turkish: İngiliz (tr)
  • Ukrainian: брита́нський (uk) (brytánsʹkyj)
  • Uzbek: britaniyalik, britaniya
  • Vietnamese: Anh (vi), đảo Anh (vi)
  • Welsh: Prydeinig (cy)
  • Yiddish: בריטיש(british)

colloquial: of the UK

  • Armenian: բրիտանական (britanakan)
  • Catalan: britànic (ca)
  • Czech: britský (cs)
  • Dutch: Brits (nl)
  • Faroese: bretskur
  • Finnish: brittiläinen (fi), britti-, englantilainen (fi), englantilais- (fi)
  • Georgian: ბრიტანული (briṭanuli)
  • German: britisch (de)
  • Hindi: ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś), अंग्रेज़ी (hi) (aṅgrezī)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu), egyesült királysági, egyesült királyságbeli
  • Japanese: イギリスの (ja) (Igirisu no), 英国の (ja) (Eikoku no)
  • Korean: 영국의 (ko) (yeonggug-ui)
  • Macedonian: британски (britanski)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: britisk
    Nynorsk: britisk
  • Persian: بریتانیایی(beritâniyâyi)
  • Polish: brytyjski (pl)
  • Portuguese: britânico (pt)
  • Romanian: britanic (ro)
  • Russian: брита́нский (ru) (británskij)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannach
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: британски
    Roman: britanski (sh)
  • Spanish: británico (es)
  • Swedish: brittisk (sv)
  • Tajik: британӣ (britanī)
  • Vietnamese: Anh (vi)
  • Welsh: Prydeinig (cy)

history: of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain

  • Breton: please add this translation if you can
  • Cornish: brythonik
  • Czech: britonský
  • Finnish: brittiläinen (fi), britti-
  • Hungarian: brit (hu)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: britisk
    Nynorsk: britisk
  • Old English: Bryttisc Brytwylisc
  • Portuguese: britônico m
  • Romanian: britonic
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannach
  • Welsh: Brythonig

References[edit]

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “British”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

1

a

: the Celtic language of the ancient Britons

2

plural in construction

: the people of Great Britain or the Commonwealth of Nations

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Bruttische of Britain, from Old English Brettisc, from Brettas Britons, of Celtic origin; akin to Welsh Brython Briton

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of British was
before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near British

Cite this Entry

“British.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/British. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

What is british?

Whats it like to be British? An understanding of subtle irony in comedy is very important as is a self depreciating sense of humour. Hating the French and most other Europeans would be an advantage but viewing the former colonys as «naughty children» when they start wars or international feuds etc. Manners and a sense of fair play are also very important. I personally do have bad teeth and see no real malice in americans making jokes about the british teeth (its just a joke!!)
Oh and on a final note we gave the French mad cow disease LOL!!!

«Yes you did bail us out in 1945 but we gave you our splendid language»
«British people best in the world, old chap»

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british — meme gif

british meme gif


british — video


British — what is it?

I’m proud of being british, i’m sure your proud of being patriotic too of your country.

I also thought the americans were our friends…obviously not, they seem to hate us for some reason judging by the amount of crap isults posted in this dictionary…

personally, I was interested into the amount of directed hate towards us by our american friends and thought why?

apart from our recent international relations with you with invasions against terror and other types, I thought, as a british citizen, that things were normal but instead a find abuse flying between minority groups of the urban dic-tionary from both our nations.

minority groups on your side seem to think that «we go around thinking we own the place», what bollucks, our empire days are over and only hope that it caused as much good as it did bad.

also, you seem to think we live in a mary poppins world with plummy accents; yeah, our accents are weird but we’re proud of that :)

saying all this to a british guy and the remarks about bad teeth would just piss him off, becuase it stereotyping at it’s worst.

I have a lot of american friends who arn’t like certain groups in this dictionary, which is simpy, displaying the bad minorities of both our nations

peace people :)

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What does «british» mean?

A union of four nations, England, Scotland, wales and Northern Ireland. Former world super power. But thanks to largely friendly links with it’s former colonies still can hold a lot of clout over international opinion.

With in these nations there is a very rich cultural, historical and enthic diversity that attracts over 35 million visitors a year.

Sadly it’s population are now mainly disillusioned with its internal political system and as a result we have a very pro Bush government ruling a very anti bush population. However the British people have their own way of dealing with their rogue leaders.

2.5 million people marched through London against Britains involvement in Gulf war 2 and other marches the same day involved another 4 million people. There wishes were ignored. A price Blair is now paying at the ballot box.

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British — what does it mean?

okay one British is the name of the person from Britian…
two iwas reading these definitions and there is so much bashing going on between the british and the americans, it’s rediculess. I was born in Britian that makes me British, but i live in both America and Germany(damn parents divorced)…
Niethor country is better than the other, both have their problems…but America does seem to have more at the moment…
Anyways with that being said…get over these damn sterio-types of us Brits having bad teeth, and thining we are all snoody, and look down our noses on everybody else. Just because Austin Powers was «british» and he had bad teeth doesnt mean eveyone does…Again Hollywood screws with your head.
Same with Americans. Not Everyone is lazy and thinks that they are hard and gangser, and eats at bloody Mc Donalds everyday!!…
There are Ugly people all over the world, trust me I have seen most of it…and if you have bad teeth, well thats why they made braces, now isn’t it?

apparently i have to use the word british in my examlpe…yay…
NOW….bloody hell get past your closed minded sterio-types

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British — meaning

The people who, with the help of our american cousins, keep the world as normal as we possibly can, we try to keep a ceiling to the fanatical ruthlesness that has been bestowed upon us through our own kindness. it is my opinion that by trying to help weaker countries to defend themselves we have made ourselves targets.
I am aware that even between the US and UK we have idiots who, for one uneducated reason or another happily slates the other. I have no desire to even read any of these pathetic wasters comments. I am a proud brit, I am a serving british soldier and have worked closely with the US on operations, i have not yet to date met a yank that i dont like. i spent six very long months in IRAQ and they were the longest months of my life. the poor yanks had to stay for almost a year, away from there wives, husbands etc. the way the US dealt with 9/11 for example how can you not respect the americans if nothing else. I am a brit, I am a proud blood-relation to every man and woman in the united states forget the criticism we may have for our governments, they make the decisions not the people.
no other countries care so passionatly about the world, most of our «allies» adopt the «passer by» syndrome wich makes this world so very very weak, eg;A person being beaten in the street, the passer by walks on, after all, he’s OK, all this attitude does is tell the terrorist that while so many decent people in the world do care, there are billions more who are happy to just walk on by because they themselves are OK. cousin america, we all make mistakes, but dont you ever change!

ww1 ww2 iraq afganistan who else cared as much as british / United States? everyone was bothered few countries had the balls to do something about it.

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British — definition

Awesome people, and most of the time the best friend of America. But I’m starting to lose faith on my fellow Yanks if we bash the British like that. They never did anything to us since Napoleon…but they did become one of our greatest allies.

I’m pretty damn sure they don’t say «cheerio» every other word. -_-

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British — slang

British does not mean English. Britain consists of four nations: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. NEVER call an Irishman «british» because he (or she) will hurt you.
We LOVE laughing at ourselves and everyone else.(We call this «taking the piss».) We have a pretty evil sense of humour, but that’s the best kind! We excel at black comedy, sarcasm, satire, understatement, and comedy in geneal. Alot of people don’t ‘get’ our humour, but i suppose that’s down to cultural differences. We’re proud of our sense of humour.
We don’t all speak posh, like the queen. There are SO many accents in the UK. I’ve lived in Britain all my life, and I’ve only met a handful of posh people. I hate that people think we’re all upperclass and aristocratic,. Not true ATALL!
We don’t sit around having tea parties, with china tea cups, and frilly tablecloths. We don’t use words like «cheerio», we DO NOT love the queen.

You wish you were British

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British

Good people that have my respect any day. Any of my fellow Americans who trash talk the UK can go to hell. Likewise for any brit who trash talks Americans. Only uneducated and uninformed people(s) trash other nations people. It’s okay to speak out against the government, but the government and people are too separate things. Usually these people who trash talk have never visited the other country, thus they judge their whole opinion on skewed media and television.

Fuck the ignorant assholes from America, UK, and all other countries who try and soil the wonderful ties between all democratic nations. I love all my European ancestors and hope they do the same.

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British

the only race in the world who make a sport out of making fun of ourselves and each other. Heres its called slagging and it means you dont get beat up for making a joke about someone. we also complain about everything :weather, schools, food, work, tescos etc. not alot of people like us but hey if we didnt exist neither would a lot of other nations e.g united states.
Also not everyones accent is posh. in fact only a handful of people do. But every accent here is unique and unless you’re from that place you probably wont understand a word that person is saying!

British slang:

What a minger

Chav!

Scally!

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British

WE HAVENT ALL MET THE QUEEN AND WE DONT ALL DRINK TEA

BRITISH

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Brit·ish

 (brĭt′ĭsh)

adj.

1.

a. Of or relating to Great Britain or its people, language, or culture.

b. Of or relating to the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth of Nations.

2. Of or relating to the ancient Britons.

n.

1. (used with a pl. verb) The people of Great Britain.

2. British English.

3. The Celtic language of the ancient Britons.


[Middle English Brittish, from Old English Bryttisc, relating to the ancient Britons, from Bryttas, Britons, of Celtic origin.]

Usage Note: Almost everyone in the British Isles speaks a dialect of English—a legacy of England’s historic dominance over the region. Perhaps that is why many Americans treat British and English as if they were synonyms. But such a usage belies the political and cultural diversity of the British Isles, which contain two main islands and a number of smaller ones. The islands are home to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to the Republic of Ireland, and to several smaller political entities such as the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey. How people refer to themselves in this complex situation often depends on their political outlook. The people of Wales and Scotland, for example, are not English; they may call themselves British in the context of their citizenship in the United Kingdom, or they may call themselves Welsh or Scottish in contexts that emphasize their distinct cultural identity. Similarly, residents of England can be called either British or English. Citizens of the Republic of Ireland are neither British nor English, and in fact many of them avoid using the term British Isles itself, regarding it as fundamentally colonialist. In Northern Ireland, the term Irish is preferred by those who favor independence from the United Kingdom, while British is often preferred by those who support continued union with the UK—but many residents consider themselves both Irish and British. In this dictionary, biographical entries use the terms English and Scottish to describe people who were born in England or Scotland before the year 1707, when the two kingdoms were formally united by acts of both countries’ parliaments. We use British to describe English and Scottish people born after 1707. (We use the same year as a cutoff for the term Welsh, though Wales was officially annexed by England in the 16th century.) With a few exceptions, we describe those born in Ireland as Irish, regardless of whether they were born under British rule.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

British

(ˈbrɪtɪʃ)

adj

1. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Britain or any of the natives, citizens, or inhabitants of the United Kingdom

2. (Languages) relating to or denoting the English language as spoken and written in Britain, esp the S dialect generally regarded as standard. See also Southern British English, Received Pronunciation

3. (Historical Terms) relating to or denoting the ancient Britons

4. (Historical Terms) of or relating to the Commonwealth: British subjects.

n

5. (Peoples) (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Britain

6. (Languages) the extinct Celtic language of the ancient Britons. See also Brythonic

ˈBritishness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Brit•ish

(ˈbrɪt ɪʃ)

adj.

1. of or pertaining to Great Britain or its inhabitants.

2. of or pertaining to the island of Britain and its inhabitants, esp. before the division of the island into the principalities of England, Wales, and Scotland in the Middle Ages.

n.

3. (used with a pl. v.)

a. the inhabitants of Great Britain, or natives of Great Britain living elsewhere; Britons.

b. the Celtic-speaking inhabitants of Britain before the Germanic invasions of the 5th century a.d.

[before 900; Middle English Brittische, Old English Bryttisc, derivative of Brytt(as) Britons]

Brit′ish•ness, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Britain

BritishBriton

1. ‘Britain’

Britain or Great Britain consists of England, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom consists of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The British Isles refers to Britain, Ireland, and all the smaller islands around the coast.

2. ‘British’

The nationality of someone from the United Kingdom is British, although some people prefer to call themselves English, Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish. It is incorrect and may cause offence to call all British people ‘English’.

You can refer to all the people who come from Britain as the British.

I don’t think the British are good at hospitality.

The British have always displayed a healthy scepticism towards ideas.

The British can also be used to refer to a group of British people, for example the British representatives at an international conference.

The British have made these negotiations more complicated.

The British had come up with a bold and dangerous solution.

3. ‘Briton’

In writing, an individual British person can be referred to as a Briton.

The youth, a 17-year-old Briton, was searched and arrested.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

Translations

britskýBritBritonovébritonskýBritové

britebritiskbritisk engelskengelsk

brittiläinenenglanninenglantibrititbritti

Britanacbritanski

brit

英国の英国人イギリスのイギリス人イギリス英語

영국 사람영국의

britaniškasbritų

britu

britský

britanski

brittbrittisk

เกี่ยวกับประเทศสหราชอาณาจักรอังกฤษชาวสหราชอาณาจักร

người Vương Quốc Anhthuộc Vương Quốc Anh

British

[ˈbrɪtɪʃ]

A. ADJ (gen) → británico; (loosely) → inglés
the best of British (luck)!¡y un cuerno!

C. CPD British Asian Nbritanico/a m/f de origen asiático
British Council N (in other countries) → Consejo m Británico
the British disease N (Ind) (hum) la falta de motivación laboral de los años 60-70 en el Reino Unido
British English Ninglés m británico
the British Isles NPLlas Islas Británicas
British Legion N organización de veteranos de las dos guerras mundiales LEGION British Museum NMuseo m Británico
British Summer Time N hora de verano en Gran Bretaña
British Thermal Unit Nunidad f térmica británica

BRITISH COUNCIL

El British Council se creó en 1935 para fomentar la cultura británica en el extranjero y actualmente tiene delegaciones en más de 100 países. Sus principales cometidos son la organización de actividades culturales, tales como exposiciones y conferencias, con el fin de dar a conocer el arte, la ciencia y la literatura del país, así como la enseñanza del inglés, además de ayudar a aquellos que desean estudiar en el Reino Unido.

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

British

[ˈbrɪtɪʃ]

npl
the British → les Britanniques mplBritish Asian

adj (= Anglo-Asian) britannique originaire du sous-continent indien

n (= Anglo-Asian) Britannique originaire du sous-continent indienBritish Broadcasting Corporation n
the British Broadcasting Corporation → la BBCBritish Columbia [kəˈlʌmbɪə] nColombie f britanniqueBritish Council nBritish Council m (organisme public chargé de promouvoir la langue et la culture britannique)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

British

n the British pldie Briten pl


British

:

British Honduras

nBritisch-Honduras nt

British Telecom

nBritish Telecom f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

British

[ˈbrɪtɪʃ]

2. npl the Britishgli inglesi

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

British

(ˈbritiʃ) adjective

of or from Great Britain or the Commonwealth. In this dictionary British refers to British English.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

British

بَريطانِيِّ Brit, britský brite, britisk Brite, britisch βρετανικός, Βρετανός británico, británicos britit, brittiläinen britannique Britanac, britanski britannico 英国の, 英国人 영국 사람, 영국의 Brit, Brits brite, britisk Brytyjczyk, brytyjski britânico, nativo da Grã-Bretanha британец, британский britt, brittisk เกี่ยวกับประเทศสหราชอาณาจักรอังกฤษ, ชาวสหราชอาณาจักร İngiliz người Vương Quốc Anh, thuộc Vương Quốc Anh 英国人, 英国的

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

  • 1
    British

    British [ˊbrɪtɪʃ]

    1.

    a

    (велико)брита́нский; англи́йский;

    Англо-русский словарь Мюллера > British

  • 2
    british

    Персональный Сократ > british

  • 3
    British

    British Airport Authority

    Управление Британских аэропортов

    English-Russian aviation dictionary > British

  • 4
    British

    [ˈbrɪtɪʃ]

    British (the British) pl собир. англичане, британцы British (велико)британский; английский; British thermal unit тех. британская тепловая единица; British warm короткая теплая шинель (для офицеров) British (велико)британский; английский; British thermal unit тех. британская тепловая единица; British warm короткая теплая шинель (для офицеров) British (велико)британский; английский; British thermal unit тех. британская тепловая единица; British warm короткая теплая шинель (для офицеров) warm: British разг. согревание; to have a warm греться, погреться; I must give the milk a warm надо подогреть молоко; British warm короткая зимняя шинель

    English-Russian short dictionary > British

  • 5
    British

    Большой англо-русский и русско-английский словарь > British

  • 6
    British

    1. n собир. англичане, британцы

    2. n британский вариант английского языка

    3. n язык древних бриттов

    4. a британский; английский

    English-Russian base dictionary > British

  • 7
    British

    [‘brɪtɪʃ]

    adj

    I think he is British. — Я думаю, что она англичанка.

    British government


    — British Isles
    — British
    — British thermal unit

    USAGE:

    Субстантивированные прилагателйные названия национальностей, оканчивающиеся на -ish, с определенным артиклем имеют обобщенное значение и обозначают названия всех представителей данной нацийнальности: the British, the Danish, the English, the Spanish

    English-Russian combinatory dictionary > British

  • 8
    british

    1. [ʹbrıtıʃ]

    1) (the British)

    англичане, британцы

    2) британский вариант английского языка

    3) язык древних бриттов

    2. [ʹbrıtıʃ]

    (велико)британский; английский

    British treasury note — жарг. одеяло

    НБАРС > british

  • 9
    British

    Politics english-russian dictionary > British

  • 10
    British

    [‘brɪtɪʃ]
    1.

    прил.

    (велико)британский; английский

    Gram:

    [ref dict=»LingvoGrammar (En-Ru)»]British[/ref]

    2.

    сущ.

    1) употр. с гл. во мн. британцы, англичане

    2) британский английский

    Англо-русский современный словарь > British

  • 11
    british

    English-Russian big medical dictionary > british

  • 12
    British

    (велико)британский; английский; British thermal unit

    tech.

    британская тепловая единица

    British warm короткая теплая шинель (для офицеров)

    (the British) (

    pl.

    ; collect.) англичане, британцы

    * * *

    (a) британский

    * * *

    1. британский; английский 2. англичане, британцы

    * * *

    [‘Brit·ish || ‘brɪtɪʃ]
    британский, английский

    * * *

    * * *

    1. прил.
    (велико)британский
    2. сущ.
    (the British) мн.; коллект. англичане

    Новый англо-русский словарь > British

  • 13
    british

    (велико)британский; английский; British thermal unit

    tech.

    британская тепловая единица

    British warm короткая теплая шинель (для офицеров)

    (the British) (

    pl.

    ; collect.) англичане, британцы

    * * *

    (a) британская; британский

    * * *

    1. британский; английский 2. англичане, британцы

    * * *

    [‘Brit·ish || ‘brɪtɪʃ]
    британский, английский

    * * *

    * * *

    1. прил.
    (велико)британский
    2. сущ.
    (the British) мн.; коллект. англичане

    Новый англо-русский словарь > british

  • 14
    British

    Британский
    имя прилагательное:

    имя существительное:

    Англо-русский синонимический словарь > British

  • 15
    British

    The Americanisms. English-Russian dictionary. > British

  • 16
    British

    B, British

    британский, английский

    ————————

    Brit, British

    британский, английский

    English-Russian dictionary of planing, cross-planing and slotting machines > British

  • 17
    British

    британский: the В. — британцы
    Прилагательные — названия национальностей, оканчивающиеся на — ish, с определенным артиклем образуют субстантивированные названия всех представителей данной национальности: the British, the Danish, the English, the Spanish и т. д.

    English-Russian word troubles > British

  • 18
    British

    Универсальный англо-русский словарь > British

  • 19
    British

    Англо-русский универсальный дополнительный практический переводческий словарь И. Мостицкого > British

  • 20
    British

    [`brɪtɪʃ]

    (велико)британский; английский

    англичане, британцы

    Англо-русский большой универсальный переводческий словарь > British

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См. также в других словарях:

  • British — may refer to:* British people, or Britons , inhabitants of Great Britain, the United Kingdom, or associated territories (to understand these distinctions, see Terminology of the British Isles) ** Britons (historic), sometimes Brythons , ancient… …   Wikipedia

  • British — Brit ish (br[i^]t [i^]sh), a. [AS. Brittisc, Bryttisc.] Of or pertaining to Great Britain or to its inhabitants; sometimes restricted to the original inhabitants. [1913 Webster] {British gum}, a brownish substance, very soluble in cold water,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • british — [bʀitiʃ] n. et adj. ÉTYM. XXe; mot angl., « britannique ». ❖ ♦ Fam. Anglais, anglaise. || Les British. ⇒ Angliche. Adj. || Un style très british. ♦ N. m. L anglais, tel qu il …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • British — [brit′ish] adj. [ME Brittish < OE Bryttisc < Bret, pl. Bryttas, name of the Celt inhabitants of Britain; of Celt orig.] 1. of or pertaining to the ancient Britons 2. of Great Britain or its people, language, or culture 3. of the… …   English World dictionary

  • British — O.E. Bryttisc of or relating to (ancient) Britons, from Bryttas natives of ancient Britain (see BRITON (Cf. Briton)). First modern record of British Isles is from 1620s …   Etymology dictionary

  • British — Brit ish, n. pl. People of Great Britain. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • british — /ˈbritiʃ, ingl. ˈbrɪtɪʃ/ agg. inv. britannico, inglese …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

  • British — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ relating to Great Britain or the United Kingdom. DERIVATIVES Britishness noun. ORIGIN Old English, from Latin Britto or Celtic …   English terms dictionary

  • British — Britishly, adv. Britishness, n. /brit ish/, adj. 1. of or pertaining to Great Britain or its inhabitants. 2. used esp. by natives or inhabitants of Great Britain: In this dictionary, Brit. is an abbreviation for British usage. n. 3. the people… …   Universalium

  • British — (as used in expressions) British Broadcasting Corp. British Petroleum Co. PLC, British Airways British American Tobacco PLC British American Tobacco Company Ltd. (1902–76) British Columbia, University of British Invasion British North America Act …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • British — adj. & n. adj. 1 of or relating to Great Britain or the United Kingdom, or to its people or language. 2 of the British Commonwealth or (formerly) the British Empire (British subject). n. 1 (prec. by the; treated as pl.) the British people. 2 US …   Useful english dictionary

Definitions of British

  1. adjective

    of or relating to or characteristic of Great Britain or its people or culture

  2. noun

    the people of Great Britain

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Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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