List of words having different meanings in British and American English
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An incomplete list of words and phrases having differing meanings in British and American English.
- Asterisked (*) meanings, though found chiefly in the specified region, have also some currency in the other dialect; other definitions may be recognised by the other as Britishisms or Americanisms respectively. Additional usage notes are provided when useful.
- Certain words are limited to regional or specific dialect use in either usage. They will, however, be recognised and understood by most native English speakers in the country concerned. These are marked with their usual area of use.
- Many American phrases and meanings are now used and/or understood in the UK, thanks to the ubiquity of US-made movies and television programmes.
See also
- Main article: American and British English differences
- List of British words not widely used in the United States
- List of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom
- American and British English spelling differences
- American and British English pronunciation differences
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A
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| accommodation | lodgings (as for travellers) (US: accommodations) [US retains older usage] | something supplied; a compromise; a loan see also accommodation (eye) | (esp. in the past) a local public conveyance, esp. a train (accommodations) see aside see also accommodation (law) |
| accumulator | rechargeable battery (archaic) (US: storage battery) a type of bet (US: parlay) | one that accumulates, as a type of computer processor register or a hydraulic accumulator | |
| ace | good, OK, excellent (slang) * | a one in a suit of playing cards someone who is very good at something fighter pilot who has shot down a certain number of enemy aircraft | (v.) to perform outstandingly; esp., to achieve an "A" on (a school exam) |
| advocate | Scottish lawyer who appears in higher courts (rest of UK: barrister) | to support or speak for a particular position someone who supports and/or speaks for a particular position generic term for a lawyer | |
| agree | to arrange, decide, settle on ("we agreed the terms") | to assent, to acquiesce; to fit or go together | |
| à la mode | according to the fashion | with ice-cream [origin unclear] | |
| alternate | (adj.) done or occurring by turns; every second, every other ("on alternate weeks") (n.) one that alternates with another | (adj.) constituting an alternative, offering a choice (UK usu. & US also alternative) ("use alternate routes") "alternative", unconventional ("alternate lifestyles") (n.) an alternative *; a substitute | |
| amber | traffic light of this colour (US: yellow light) | orange-yellow colour fossilised resin | (see AMBER Alert) |
| anaesthetist (UK), anesthetist (US) | physician trained to administer anaesthesia (US: anesthesiologist) | nurse or technician trained to administer anaesthesia | |
| anchor | device for mooring ships by providing a firm fix to the seabed | news anchor, news presenter | |
| anorak | a parka (slang) a socially awkward person obsessively interested in something (syn.: US & UK also geek, nerd; US: dweeb; etc.) | hooded, rainproof outerwear that lacks a full-length zipper in the front (UK: cagoule) | |
| anymore (adverb) | (usu. spelled any more) | any longer | nowadays ("People are crazy anymore") (also Hiberno-English) (often considered incorrect) |
| apartment | suite of rooms set aside for a particular person (rare) | self-contained housing unit, usu. rented * (implies luxury in UK; UK usu. flat) -- cf. s.v. condominium | |
| appropriate (verb), appropriation (noun) | to take (money) to oneself, to filch or misappropriate | to take and assign (money) (there is considerable overlap but difference of emphasis) | to dispense (money), to budget |
| Asian | originating from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka (South Asian) | originating from the continent of Asia | originating from East Asia or continental Southeast Asia (UK: oriental) |
| ass | donkey slow-witted or stupid person, often in combination (smart-ass) | (often vulgar) buttocks (UK: arse); also used to refer to an individual ("get your ass out there"; "work my ass off"); also (vulgar) anus (short for asshole) (vulgar) sex ("get some ass") | |
| athletics | running, throwing, and jumping competitions (US: track and field) | sport in general | |
| attorney | an agent or representative authorised to act on someone else's behalf ("attorney-in-fact", "power of attorney") (Attorney General) main legal advisor to the government | (or attorney-at-law) a lawyer (UK: barrister or solicitor, depending on the actual profession) (District attorney, prosecuting attorney) local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminals | |
| aubergine | the plant Solanum melongena (US: eggplant) | an eggplant-like colour (US also eggplant) | |
| awesome | inspiring awe | great, "cool" * (largely used in the 1980s, recently revived; can have various connotations depending on context -- compare UK brilliant) | |
| aye, ay | (adv.) yes * (esp. Scotland & North-East of England) | (n.) an affirmative vote ("all ayes") (interj., nautical) yes |
B
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| baggage | uncomplimentary slang description of a wife: "the baggage" | in fig. senses ("cultural baggage") a slovenly woman or a prostitute (used by Shak.) | bags, suitcases etc. ;had somewhat faded from use in UK, while in US originated many compounds for concepts typically expressed with luggage in UK, such as ~ check, ~ carousel, ~ room (UK: left-luggage office), ~ car (UK: luggage van), ~ claim, carry-on ~ (UK: hand luggage), etc. Currently, baggage and luggage are mostly interchangeable in either dialect, although baggage seems to prevail in US and luggage in UK
|
| band | loop of material, either decorative or as a fastening line of different colour or texture group of musicians range of radio frequencies, etc. | wedding ring (usu. as in wedding band) | |
| bangs | small explosions or retorts | locks of hair on forehead (UK: fringe) | |
| base | foundation, starting point; many meanings in sciences, architecture, politics, etc.; see base | in baseball, one of the three places a runner can stand in safety; hence in many fig. senses, off one's base (crazy), to get to first base (esp. in neg. constr., to get a first important result); more recently (slang), a metaphor for one of three different stages in making out (q.v.) -- see baseball euphemism; more s.v. home run | |
| bath | (n.) plumbing fixture for bathing * (US: bathtub) (usu. pl.) swimming pool (v.) to bathe, or give a bath to | (n.) the act of bathing a (financial) loss | (n.) a bathroom *; esp. a half bath has sink and toilet but no shower stall or bathtub; a 3/4 bath has sink, toilet, and shower stall, but no bathtub |
| bathroom | room containing a bath (US: bathtub) or shower, other washing facilities, and usu. (but not necessarily) a toilet | room, in a home or hotel room, containing a toilet, related washing facilities, and often, but not necessarily, a shower and/or bathtub (a room without shower or bathtub may also be known as a powder room, but this usage may be considered dated) | |
| beater | person who flushes game from concealment so it can be shot at by 'the guns' something or someone that beats | used car in very poor condition (UK: banger) (slang) wifebeater (q.v.) | |
| beaver [?] | beard; a bearded man (archaic slang) | aquatic rodent known for building dams woman's undepilated external genitalia (obscene slang) | clitoris (slang) |
| bespoke | (esp. of apparel) made to the customer's specification (US: custom-made) | pret. of bespeak | |
| bill | police (slang) | invoice; request for payment (also UK/US: cheque/check, tab) | a piece of paper money (UK: note) |
| billion | (traditionally) million million (1012) (US: trillion) | thousand million (109) (now most common in both UK and US) (traditional UK: milliard) (see also Long and short scales) | |
| bin | (or dustbin, rubbish bin, ashbin) waste container (US: trash can, ashcan, garbage can) (bread bin) container for storing bread (US: breadbox) | a usu. large receptacle or container for storage ("a grain bin"; "Scrooge McDuck's money bin") | |
| bird | one's girlfriend or any young female (slang; getting rarer and considered derogatory by some) prison sentence (slang) | avian creature | insulting hand gesture involving shaking one's fist towards someone with knuckles pointing towards the person being insulted and the middle finger extended (as in "flipping someone the bird") (slang) |
| biscuit | (also Aus, NZ) baked sweet or savoury cake-like item, usu. flat, which is hard when baked and softens over time (colloquially bikkies for sweet biscuits) (US: cookie (sweet biscuit), cracker savoury biscuit) (to take the biscuit) to be very surprising (US: take the cake) | type of quick bread served with savory foods (UK: similar to a savoury scone) | |
| blinder | excellent performance in a game or race (slang) | either of two flaps on a horse's bridle to keep it from seeing objects at its sides (UK: blinker, also used in US) | |
| blinkers | leather flaps on a bridle used to restrict a horse's lateral vision* (US usu.: blinders) | lights on a car that indicate the direction about to be taken * (UK: indicators) | |
| block | a building (block of flats, office block) | a solid piece of something to obstruct | in a city, the portion of a street between adjacent intersections or an informal unit of distance derived from the length of the same |
| bloody | expletive used to express anger ("bloody car") or shock ("bloody hell"), or for emphasis ("not bloody likely") (slang, today only mildly vulgar) * (similar US: goddamned) | having, covered with or accompanied by blood | considered a euphemism for more emphatic swear words |
| bog | toilet (slightly vulgar slang) (bog off) go away (slightly vulgar slang, often jocular) | wetland that accumulates appreciable peat deposits | |
| bogey | dried mucus usu. after extraction from the nose (US: booger) (informal) | the score of one over par in golf | |
| boiler | 1.*device (usu. oil or gas-fired) for heating water for central heating or hot water, "central heating boiler" (US furnace); 2.an old fowl best cooked by boiling; 3. (derogatory) an ugly woman (usually in the phrase "old boiler") | vessel in which steam is generated | |
| bombardier | corporal in the Royal Artillery - see Bombardier (rank) | crewman in a bomber aircraft who aims and drops the bombs - see Bombardier (air force) (UK: bomb aimer) | |
| bonk | act of sexual intercourse, or to have sexual intercourse (slightly vulgar slang) (US: boink) | blow to the head (n. and v.) to suffer glycogen depletion in an endurance sporting event; see bonk (condition) | |
| bonnet | hinged cover over the engine in a car (US: hood) various types of Scottish or Irish soft hat | hat tied under chin worn by a baby or (archaically) a woman | |
| boob | mistake (slang) | woman's breast (slightly vulgar slang) | stupid person |
| boob tube | woman's shoulderless, strapless top (US: tube top) | (the boob tube) television (slang) | |
| boot | storage compartment of a car (US: trunk) | footwear covering lower leg to kick something hard to start up a computer | (Denver boot, car boot) device used to render cars immobile (UK: wheel clamp) to expel (UK: give someone the boot) |
| bottle | courage ("he's got some bottle") (slang) (US: moxie) to cease to do something through fear ("he's bottled out", "he bottled it") (slang, probably from Cockney rhyming slang "bottle and glass" = "arse") to attack somebody with a broken bottle (slang) | container for liquids (the bottle) alcohol, heavy drinking (metaphorical slang) | |
| box | a gift in a box, hence Boxing Day genital protector used in cricket (US similar: cup) (the box) television set (slang) (US: idiot box, boob tube) a box stall in a barn any of various box-like structures, such as: signal box (US: switch/signal/interlocking tower) telephone box (US & UK also: telephone booth), more at call box witness box (US: witness stand) either one of the two marked areas adjacent to the goalmouth on a football (soccer) pitch (see [here]) see also box junction | rigid container | any of various areas on a baseball diamond (as for the batter, or the pitcher, the catcher, etc.) female genitalia (obscene slang) * (box canyon) a canyon with vertical walls (box car) a type of enclosed railroad freight car |
| braces | over-the-shoulder straps to support trousers * (US usu. suspenders) | devices for straightening teeth | support that steadies or strengthens something else leg supports (UK: callipers) tertiary enclosing punctuation: (UK: curly brackets) |
| brackets | enclosing punctuation: ( ) (US & UK also: parentheses); more at braces | supports for shelves, etc. attached to a wall | secondary enclosing punctuation: [] (UK: square brackets) |
| brilliant | excellent (sometimes ironic) | very bright very intelligent | |
| bud | undeveloped shoot which normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a plant stem | marijuana (slang) hand-rolled marijuana cigarette (slang), compare joint shortening of 'buddy', used to address strangers assuming a non-existent familiarity (UK: similar: mate) | |
| buffet | 1.refreshment counter or bar; 2.a meal set out on a table, etc. for diners to serve themselves | a type of sideboard | |
| bug | insect of the order Hemiptera pathogen, bacteria, germ covert listening device (orig. US) defect in software (orig. in a machine) (orig. US) an enthusiast of something (orig. US) (v.) to apply a covert listening device (orig. US) | any of various insects * (nontechnical usage) an important person ("a big bug"); also, someone crazy (as in "firebug", a pyromaniac) (v.) to annoy (colloquial) * to go away, depart, also from a responsibility (used with out) (bug off) to go away (often as a command) (from UK bugger, q.v.) | |
| bugger | to engage in or someone who engages in anal sex a form of address for either a person or item, either jocular ("he's a generous bugger") or less so ("he's a mean bugger") (slang) (buggered) 1. broken, not working (typically of mechanical devices, e.g. "the engine's buggered") (slang); 2. syn. for bothered (e.g. "I didn't do it. I couldn't be buggered.") (slang) (bugger up) to make a mess of something (slang) (bugger off) (imperative) go away, leave me alone (slang) | term of endearment, often used for children (slang) to engage in or someone who engages in zoophilia (in spoken English, the British "bugger" is sometimes misheard by Americans as "booger") | |
| buggy | 2-wheeled horse-drawn lightweight carriage baby transport vehicle also called (UK) pushchair (US: stroller) any of various light cart or cars ("a golf buggy") | (slang) an automobile (orig. US) see baby transport for details see also dune buggy, beach buggy | 4-wheeled horse-drawn lightweight carriage baby transport vehicle also called (US) baby carriage (UK: pram) regional (esp. South) for shopping cart (UK: trolley) (marsh/swamp buggy) a type of motor vehicle for marshland (slang) caboose (horse and buggy) something obsolete (as from before the invention of the automobile) |
| bum | buttocks (slang) (US: butt); hence bum bag (US: fanny pack) to engage in anal sex (vulgar slang) | to cadge ("can I bum a cigarette off you?") (slang) | hobo, homeless person poor quality (slang) to sadden (often used with "out") |
| bumps | a type of rowing raceA method of marking someone's birthday. The person being bumped is held horizontally, face upwards, by all four limbs and projected up and down the same number of times as they are years old. Unkind celebrants allow the victim to hit both the floor and the ceiling. | a set of small protuberences | |
| bureau | a type of writing table | a public office or government agency | a type of chest of drawers |
| burn (n.) | narrow river, stream (Scotland and Northern England) (US & Aus: creek) | wound caused by heat, or chemical agents, etc. | clearing (as in a forest) made by burning vegetation |
| bus (v.) | to travel by bus | to transport via bus to clear (as tables) in a restaurant; to work as a busboy | |
| butcher | (have a butcher's) to have a look (Cockney rhyming slang: butcher's hook = look) | to kill and cut up an animal for meat to kill messily, or someone who does so one who cuts and sells meat | to make a big mess of things; botch ("butcher it up"; "I butchered the spelling") |
| butchery | slaughterhouse, abattoir | a cruel massacre a butcher's trade | a botch |
| butt | (n.) the (larger) end of anything, a stub; also, a cigarette a sudden blow given by the head of an animal a large wooden cask a person mocked by a joke (v.) to strike bluntly (as with the head) (butt in) to interfere when uncalled for (orig. US) | (colloquial) buttocks (UK usu. bum); hence butthead * (n.) (butt-in) one who butts in (v.) to cut off the end (of a log) (butt out) to stop interfering | |
| buzzard | A hawk of the genus Buteo | vulture |
C
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| call box | telephone booth (UK also telephone box) | roadside emergency telephone | |
| call for | to require | to predict or anticipate ("The forecast calls for rain") [neologism] | |
| campsite | area or park for people to camp in (US: campground) | spot for a particular person or group to camp, often within a campground (UK: pitch) | |
| candy | (candy floss) heated sugar spun into thin threads and collected into a mass, usually on a stick; something pleasing but having little worth (US: cotton candy for both senses) | (v.) to sugarcoat, or boil with sugar (as fruit) to sweeten | edible, sweet-tasting confection containing sugar, or sometimes artificial sweeteners, and often flavored with fruit, chocolate, nuts or artificial flavours; a piece of candy * (cotton candy) (UK: sweets, confectionery) |
| canfield | a patience (solitaire) card game (US: Klondike) | a patience (solitaire) card game (UK: Demon) | |
| car | railway vehicle, only in combination (e.g. "restaurant car") (archaic) street tramway vehicle | motorcar (UK, q.v.) /automobile (US) | nonpowered unit in a railroad or railway train ("railroad car"; "a passenger/freight/parlor/dining/baggage etc. car") (see s.v. motor car, trolley; UK: cf. s.v. carriage, coach, wagon) elevator (q.v.) cage |
| caravan | towed recreational vehicle containing accommodation (US: travel trailer) to take such a vehicle on holiday | overland trading convoy | |
| caretaker | one who takes care of a building, usu. a state-owned building, i.e. school (US: janitor; cf. s.v. custodian) one put in charge of a farm after eviction of tenant | one who takes care of someone or something stopgap government or provisional government | one who takes care of real estate in exchange for rent-free living accommodations * |
| carnival | the days just preceding Lent comic good times marked by special events | a travelling circus or fair (UK: funfair) comprising amusement rides | |
| carriage (vehicle) | railway coach (q.v.) designed for the conveyance of passengers | 4-wheeled horse-drawn private passenger vehicle | (baby carriage) baby transport vehicle featuring the infant laying down facing the pusher (UK: perambulator, pram) -- more s.v. buggy (esp. Southern New England) shopping cart (UK: trolley) |
| carry-on, carryon | (colloquial) carrying-on, unruly behaviour | luggage that can be carried aboard an aircraft, bus, or train | |
| cart | a difficult or embarrassing state ("he was put in the cart") | usu. 2-wheeled one-horse vehicle (as that used in farming) | a lightweight wheeled vehicle, as for shopping, serving, carrying baggage, etc. (UK: trolley) |
| casket | a small box, as for jewels (perh. dated) | a type of coffin | |
| casualty (person) | often, someone who has been wounded; hence casualty department (US: emergency room) | generally, someone who has been injured or killed | often, someone who has been killed; see also casualty insurance |
| catch up (trans. v.) | to reach and overtake; to catch up with ("he jogged after her and caught her up") | to entrap or enthrall to fill in, to give information to | |
| chaps [?] | men and/or boys (but increasingly used for people of either sex; in the singular it still almost exclusively refers to a male) (US: guys) one's friends ("the chaps") (US: the guys) cheeks - as in Bath Chaps - stewed pigs' cheeks, a delicacy | leather leggings worn by cowboys and designed to protect the legs against thorns (sometimes pronounced shaps) | |
| check | examine for a particular purpose a pattern of coloured squares | leave items in the care of someone else (e.g. at a cloakroom; hence checkroom) (also check mark) mark used to denote 'correct' or indicate one's choice (UK: tick) document used to pay from a bank account (UK: cheque) request for payment, especially at a restaurant; bill | |
| checker | one that checks (e.g. an inspector) | a store or shop cashier (checkers) a popular board game (UK: draughts) | |
| cheers (interjection) | said to express gratitude in southern England (Midlands and North use ta, also used in South), or on parting (slang) | used as a toast or valediction | |
| chemist | pharmacist, pharmacy (US similar: druggist, drugstore) | student or researcher of chemistry | |
| chips | french fries, although usu. thicker cut than American fries | microchips (see integrated circuit, microprocessor) | thin slices of fried potato* (UK: crisps) French fries, only in phrase fish and chips |
| chippie, chippy | carpenter (slang); fish-and-chip shop (slang) (Scot, Ire: chipper) | loose woman (very rare slang); the N.American bird Chipping Sparrow | |
| chum | A popular brand of canned dog food (officially Pedigree Chum) | friend (sometimes ironic) | waste products from fish processing (heads, tails, blood etc.) often used for shark fishing |
| cider | fermented alcoholic drink made from apples (US: hard cider) | a kind of apple juice | |
| Cinderella (sports) | a team which underachieves, or is overshadowed by successful neighbouring rivals | fairy tale character | a lowly sports team or individual which enjoys an unexpectedly good run in a tournament |
| clerk (see also pronunciation differences) | administrative worker | (or salesclerk) store or shop worker (UK: shop assistant) hotel employee at the reservation desk (UK: receptionist) | |
| closet | any small room (esp. Northern England, Scotland, & Ireland); hence water closet, a room containing a flush toilet, later the toilet itself | a private chamber for retirement in secret; (come out of the closet) to reveal what was secret (especially in relation to homosexuality) | a cabinet or wardrobe, as for utensils or apparel; in the latter case oftenest built-in; hence e.g. walk-in closet, linen closet, and skeleton in the closet (UK also: in the cupboard) * |
| coach | bus-like vehicle, chartered or used for longer journeys * tutor, usu. private, who prepares pupils for examinations * railway carriage * | enclosed horse-drawn passenger carriage sports trainer | extra-curricular sports teacher at a school (UK: PE teacher) lowest class on a passenger aircraft |
| cob | (mainly Northern & Central Eng.) a type of bread roll ("Chip cob", "ham cob", "pack of six cobs please") (pl.) large globules of sweat ("I'm sweating cobs") | corncob a building material a type of horse a male swan | |
| cock | (n.) form of address to a man to gain attention or greet e.g. "Wotcha cock!" (n.) a popular personage e.g. Cock o' the North | (n.) a male bird; esp., an adult male chicken (US oftenest rooster) (n.) slang for a penis (v.) to set the hammer or firing pin of a loaded firearm ready for firing; likewise, to "cock the shutter" of an old, spring-activated camera | |
| collect | To win a bet (from the idea of picking up the winnings) | (v.) to gather together, to pick up; (orig. US) to pick up a person or thing(n.) short prayer read during the first part of a church service as practised by certain parts of the Christian faith; mainly Anglican and Roman Catholic. | (adj., adv.) charged to the receiver ("to call collect", to reverse the charges) ("a collect call") [from collect on delivery] |
| college | part of the name of some state secondary schools (US approx.: high school) and many independent schools (US approx.: prep school) educational institution between school and university (e.g. sixth form college, technical college, college of further education) vocational training institution professional association which usu. grants some form of professional qualifications, mostly in the medical field (e.g. Royal College of Surgeons) | constituent part of some larger universities, especially ancient universities | an independent institution of higher education (as a small university or a division of a university) granting bachelor's degrees generic term for higher education |
| comforter | a baby's dummy (q.v.) | one who comforts | quilted bedspread |
| commissioner | professional head of the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police (US: chief of police) | political head of a police department member of any commission | |
| compensation | the act of compensating damages awarded for a legal wrong (workers' compensation) payment to injured workers | remuneration received by employees (unemployment compensation) compensation paid to an unemployed person (as a laid-off worker), arising from government resources | |
| concession | reduction in price (discount) for a certain category of person | the action of conceding in politics, the action of a candidate yielding to another an area within one country that is administered by another | a lease or grant of premises or land for a particular use, or the so contracted-out service, as in concession stand, i.e. a counter, stand or area at public entertainment venues where snacks and/or drinks are sold, often at inflated prices a concession stand |
| condominium | a political territory (state or border area) in or over which two sovereign powers formally agree to share equally dominium (in the sense of sovereignty) and exercise their rights jointly | (also condo) a type of joint ownership of real property (as an apartment building) in which portions of the property are commonly owned and other portions are individually owned; an apartment in a condominium | |
| constable | technically, a police officer of any rank, but usu. understood to mean a police officer of the lowest rank (one who holds no other more specific rank) (US: officer or patrolman) | peace officer in a township without an organised police department official who serves summonses (UK: bailiff or sheriff's officer) | |
| construction | the act or process of building or constructing; a structure; the construction industry | road construction and maintenance work; roadwork ("a construction area/zone") (UK: roadworks) | |
| cooker | appliance for cooking food (US: cookstove, stove, range); see also AGA cooker | one that cooks ("a pressure cooker") | |
| cookie | a bun (Scotland) | a small packet of information stored on users' computers by websites | a small, flat baked cake * (UK usu. biscuit, q.v.) fellow, guy * ("a tough cookie"); also, an attractive girl * (that's the way the cookie crumbles) that's how things go (to toss one's cookies) to vomit (cookie-cutter) trite, banal |
| cop | to take ("cop a look at this", "cop one of these") (slang) to be blamed for, be caught ("he'll cop it!") (slang) | police officer (short for "copper") (slang) (cop a feel) to grope (slang) | (cop a plea) (law, orig. slang) to plead guilty to a lesser offence to not be tried for a graver charge; compare plea bargain (cop a squat) to take a seat (slang) |
| copper | low value coin, brown or 'copper' coloured (currently 1p and 2p coins) large copper vessel used for heating water and washing clothes (archaic) | the metallic element Cu police officer (slang, orig. UK) | |
| coriander | the leaves of the coriander plant, used as a herb (US: cilantro or Chinese parsley) | the plant Coriandrum sativum dried seeds of this plant | |
| corn | wheat in England, oats in Scotland and Ireland
any of various cereal plants or grains (US usu.: grain), also in combination (e.g. cornfield, a field of any cereal) (see also US) | in both dialects, the principal crop cultivated in a particular region Indian Corn, in corn on the cob, corn flakes, popcorn horny swelling on the foot | Indian corn (UK usu.: maize or sweetcorn); hence cornfield, cornstarch (UK: corn flour), corn bread, cornball, cornblade, etc. something corny *, hence cornball |
| cot | baby's cradle; hence cot death (US: crib) | camp bed | |
| coulee | a (solidified) stream of lava | (chiefly Western, orig. Canadian) a deep steep-sided ravine formed by erosion, or a small valley or stream | |
| cowboy | an unscrupulous or unqualified tradesman | a cowhand working with livestock, a legendary archetype found in wild west genre works (UK: drover) | |
| cracker | small parcel that makes an explosive report when pulled from both ends, traditionally pulled at Christmas attractive woman (slang) anything good ("the new product is a cracker") (slang) | thin, hard, unsweetened biscuit (formerly chiefly US, now common everywhere) | poor, uneducated, bigoted white person (also white cracker; derogatory slang, southeastern US); also, someone from Georgia or Florida |
| crèche | day care, day nursery | nativity scene, manger scene, crib (q.v.) * | |
| creek | tidal channel through a coastal marsh (orig. sense) | any inland stream of water smaller than a river (UK: rill, burn; Eng. & New Eng.: brook; US also run) | |
| crew | body of people manning a vehicle of any kind gang of manual workers (e.g. road crew) group of friends or colleagues ("I saw him and his crew at the bar") | rowing as a sport | |
| crib (n.) | nativity scene, crèche (q.v.) * | a manger or rack, or stall for cattle a plagiarism, as of a student ("crib sheet") cribbage | small enclosed bedstead for a child; hence crib death (UK: cot) (informal) one's house or apartment a bin for storing Indian corn a structure of logs to be anchored with stones; used for docks, dams, etc. (orig. Canada) a small raft of timber |
| cuffs | The ends of a garment's sleeves, furthest from the wearer. | An arrangement at the bottom of trouser-legs, in which the material is folded back upon itself to form a trough externally around the bottom of the leg. (UK: turn-ups) | |
| cunt | offensive (or sometimes indulgent) term often applied to men | vagina (usu. obscene) | offensive, obscene term usu. applied to women |
| custodian | a football (soccer) goalkeeper | a keeper or guardian of a person or thing | one who cleans and maintains a building; a building superintendent, a janitor |
D
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| daddy longlegs, daddy-long-legs | crane fly | daddy long-legs spider | harvestman |
| davenport | a type of writing table * | [both prob. from the names of their resp. manufacturers; both old-fashioned] | a type of couch, often convertible into a bed |
| dead beat, deadbeat | exhausted (slang) (US: dead tired) | an idler; someone who does not pay their debts, often in construction ("deadbeat dad") (slang) | |
| DC [?] | detective constable (police) | direct current [other expansions] | District of Columbia |
| deck | (n.) the floor or level of a ship or other types of vehicles the roadway of a bridge a recording device (v.) to decorate for a festivity ("deck the halls with boughs of holly", "decked out with flags") to hit a person hard enough such that they fall to the floor (orig. US) | a pack of cards a wooden, raised platform adjoining a house, usu. enclosed by a railing a packet of narcotics (slang) (v.) to pile up (logs) on a deck of logs or a skidway | |
| depot | a garage where buses or trams belonging to a particular company are stored and serviced when not in use | a storehouse or depository; a location for the storage of military or naval supplies | a railroad station or bus terminal or station; also, an air terminal |
| DI | Detective inspector (police) | Drill instructor (military) | |
| diary | personal calendar * (US: appointment book, appointment calendar, datebook) | personal journal | |
| dim (trans. v.), dimmer (switch) | to reduce the intensity of a domestic, industrial or other light; hence dimmer (switch) | to lower a vehicle headlight's beam, typically when approaching vehicles travelling in the opposite direction at night (UK: dip); hence dimmer switch (UK: dip switch) | |
| diner | one who dines ("a picky diner") | railroad dining car (UK: restaurant car) a type of restaurant, traditionally often resembling a dining car | |
| dip (trans. v.), dip switch | to lower a vehicle headlight's beam, typically when approaching vehicles travelling in the opposite direction at night (US: dim); hence dip switch (distinguished from DIP switch) (US: dimmer switch) (n.) a slang term for a pickpocket | to lower into a liquid; esp., a sheep or dog in chemical solution; to lower and then raise | |
| dirt | substance(s) rendering something unclean | earth, soil * incriminating evidence ("we've got the dirt on him now") | |
| diversion | circuitous route to avoid roadworks (US: detour) | deviation; recreation; tactic used to draw attention away from the action | |
| dock | water between or next to a pier or wharf (US: berth, also used in UK, or slip) section of a courtroom where the accused sits during a trial * | (v.) to reduce an employee's wages, usu. as discipline | constructed place to moor a boat or engage in water sports (largely interchangeable with pier or wharf, although often with a modifier, such as "ferry dock", "swimming dock", etc.) |
| docker | dockworker, stevedore * (US: longshoreman) | one that docks (as tails of animals) | |
| dollar | 5 shilling coin or equivalent amount (obsolete; used in slang until late 1960s/early 1970s, but some re-stamped Spanish dollar coins were used in the UK in the late 18th/early 19th century) | major unit of currency of the USA | |
| dormitory, dorm | (n.) large sleeping-room with many beds,* typically in a boarding school ("a sleeping dormitory"; usu. abbreviated to dorm) (n. or usu. adj.) (part of) a town where commuters live, usually dormitory town (US: bedroom or bedroom community) | building with many small private rooms, as for housing the students of a college (UK: hall(s) of residence, hostel) dormitory car — railway sleeping car | |
| drape | (v.) to hang limply | (n., usu. pl.) curtain | |
| draw (n.) | cannabis (slang) | an act of drawing, or something drawn a tie | a ditch that draws water off an area of land a shallow valley or gully |
| dresser (furniture) | a type of cupboard or sideboard esp. for kitchen utensils * | a chest of drawers, usu. with a looking glass (UK: dressing-table) | |
| drop (of liquid) | several (fluid) ounces ("just a drop of tea, please") (meiotic usage) | droplet (less than a milliliter) | |
| duff | of poor quality non-functional (up the duff) pregnant (slang, originally Australian) | a type of pudding coal dust | vegetable matter on the forest floor * (also in Scotland) buttocks (colloquial) |
| dungarees | sturdy protective bib trousers (cf. s.v. overall) | (slightly dated) jeans (blue denim jeans) | |
| dummy | rubber teat for babies (US: pacifier) | mannequin, especially for automobile crash tests fake, usu. legal idiot (slang) | |
| duplex | composed of two parts two direction (electronical signalling) | (or duplex house) an often vertically divided two-family dwelling * (or duplex apartment) an apartment on two levels * (duplex locomotive) a large steam locomotive with two sets of driving wheels |
E
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| earth | safety connection of an electrical circuit, or to connect (an electrical device) to this (US: ground) | the planet Earth soil the burrow of some animals | |
| efficiency | the quality of being efficient | (or efficiency apartment) a minimal often furnished apartment, similar to a studio apartment (UK: compare bedsit) | |
| el | (L) letter identifying a learner driver; see L-plate | the letter L | an elevated railway (as that of Chicago or the now-defunct Third Avenue El in New York City) |
| elevator | flap on the back of an aeroplane used to control pitch moving belt to transport grain, hay bales, etc. | platform or cage moved vertically in a shaft to transport people and goods to various floors in a building (UK: lift) building for grain storage (in full grain elevator) | |
| engineer | one employed to design, build or repair equipment practitioner of engineering | one who operates an engine, esp. a locomotive (UK: engine driver) | |
| entrée | starter (q.v.) of a meal (traditionally, the course served between the fish and the joint, but now used for any starter) right of entry | main course of a meal | |
| estate | any defined area of real property, as in council estate (US: housing project) or trading estate (US: industrial park) car with van-shaped body (US: station wagon) | grounds of a large piece of real property which features a mansion and beautiful landscaping property left by a deceased person |
F
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| faculty | division of a university, dealing with a specific group of disciplines (e.g. faculty of arts) | academic staff of a college or university | |
| fag | cigarette (slang) * (in England; obs.) young public schoolboy who acted as a servant for older pupils drudgery, chore ("it is such a fag -- I come back tired to death" -- J. Austen) | (v.) to tire, exhaust ("the fagged whale abated his speed" -- H. Melville) | male homosexual (short for faggot) (insulting slang) * |
| faggot | kind of meatball (see faggot (food)) | bundle of sticks, usu. for use as firewood (old-fashioned; often spelled fagot). Male homosexual (insulting slang) (see faggot (slang)). | |
| fall | descend or tumble | autumn | |
| fanny | Vagina (slang), vulva (vulgar slang) (fanny about or fanny around, very mildly vulgar slang) to mess about or prevaricate ("Stop fannying about and hit it with the hammer") | buttocks (colloquial); hence fanny pack (UK: bum bag) | |
| filth | (the filth) the police (derogatory slang) | dirt, disgusting substance obscene material | |
| first degree | the least serious category of burn (see article) | the most serious category of murder (also informal murder one; see article) | |
| first floor (of a building) | the floor above ground level (US: second floor) | the floor at ground level (often, but not always, the same floor as a building's lobby) (UK: ground floor) | |
| fit (adj.) | (of a person) attractive, sexy (slang) | (of a person) in good physical condition suitable for some purpose (usu. followed by for or to) | |
| fix (v.) | to set or arrange (as a date) ("A time has been fixed") | to make firm, fasten, or attach to repair (orig. US) to sterilise (an animal) | to adjust or prepare, esp. food or beverage * ("I'll fix you a sandwich") (esp. South) to get ready ("I'm fixing to retire") to get even with (someone) ("I'll fix you, you bastard") (fix up) to provide |
| flapjack | flat oat cake (US: granola bar) | pancake | |
| flannel | a cloth for washing the face or body (US: washcloth) | particular type of fabric/material used for the manufacture of trousers or suits, but more commonly recognised in America as a fabric used in warm winter night clothes and sheets | |
| flat | (n.) self-contained housing unit (US: apartment) (adj., of a battery) discharged, exhausted, dead | (n.) a flat tyre an apartment that occupies the entire floor of a small building (upstate New York); used also in phrases such as railroad flat | |
| flip-flop | a type of footwear (see article for synonyms) a type of electronic circuit | an about-face or U-turn (UK also: about-turn), as in politics | |
| fluid ounce (fl. oz.) | liquid measure equal to 28.41 millilitres | liquid measure equal to 29.57 milliliters | |
| flyover | elevated road section (i.e. long road bridge, US: overpass) | ceremonial aircraft flight (UK: fly-by or flypast) higher-level road bridge that goes above both a lower bridge and a road below the lower bridge | |
| football | association football (US: soccer) | American football | |
fourth
| next after third (e.g. the fourth person, fourth floor) A musical interval | one of four equal parts into which something is divided (UK & US sometimes also quarter, q.v.) | |
| fringe | arrangement of locks of hair on the forehead (US: bangs) | the outer area of something a decorative border e.g. on clothing | |
| frock | (or smock-frock) outer garment formerly common in rural Europe, see also overall (also short frock) indoor garment for children and young girls * a woman's dress or gown (dated) | habit of monks and friars (also frock coat) a style of gentleman's jacket or coat, cut at knee length, usually worn as an outer garment. | |
| full stop | punctuation mark used at the end of a sentence, sometimes used in speech for emphasis ("Whom does he support? Arsenal, full stop!") (US: period, q.v.) | complete stop (as of traffic) ("Expect full stops in construction areas") | |
| furnace | large hearth or container for heating or melting metal, usually for an industrial process | principal domestic heat source in central heating based on water or steam (UK: boiler) |
G
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| gagging | (especially as in gagging for it) desperate, especially for sex | choking fighting the urge to vomit ("that was so disgusting, I was gagging") | |
| gallon | 4.54609 litres (about 6/5 of US gallon) | 3.78541 litres (about 5/6 of UK gallon) | |
| garage (see also pronunciation differences) | fuel filling station, e.g. "a Texaco garage" (also petrol station, US: gas station) a genre of music | vehicle repair shop building attached to or in the grounds of a residence for storing a car | (parking garage) building serving as a public parking facility (UK: multistorey car park or just multistorey) |
| gas | state of matter (see gas) natural gas | gasoline, hence gas station (UK: petrol) gas pedal (UK: accelerator) air trapped in the stomach (UK: wind) | |
| geezer | gangster, man (esp. Cockney) | old person (derogatory; UK: old geezer [not derog.]) | |
| give way | to give the right of way (to vehicles, pedestrians, etc.); hence give way sign (US: yield [the right of way]) | to retreat; to break down | |
| glaze | general term for thin shiny coatings applied to food, painted surfaces, clayware, etc.; a glossy surface | a slippery coating of ice (also known as sleet, q.v.); a stretch of ice | |
| gob | (n.) mouth; (v., slang) to spit | a large amount ("gobs of") (slang) a sailor | |
| go down (fig.) | to leave a university (as Oxford) to come down (with an illness) | to be accepted or remembered | to go on, happen |
| goods | items to be transported (as by railway) ("a goods train") (US & UK also: freight) | useful objects or services; products; merchandising; personal property incriminating evidence ("we have the goods on him") | |
| gooseberry | supernumerary third person preventing a couple from courting (US: third wheel) | a green hairy summer fruit (Ribes hirtellum in the USA), (Ribes grossularia in Europe) | |
| government | the cabinet or executive branch (US: the administration) the political party supporting the cabinet in parliament | the act or office of governing | the collective agency through which government is exercised (UK: the state) all such individual agencies (UK: the public sector) |
| grade (education) | a level of music examination ("Guitar grade 4") | (n. & v.) teacher's assessment of a student's work (UK also mark) | level or year of a student in elementary, middle, or high school ("in 10th grade") (UK equiv.: year); hence grader, a student in a specified grade ("a 10th grader") (grade school, the grades) elementary school see also Grade Point Average |
| grade (other) | (n.) a rating, degree, or level; (v.) to lay out in grades [US meaning generated grade separation and the idiom make the grade] | (n.) slope, gradient, or elevation; also ground level ("at grade", "over grade"); hence grade crossing (UK: level crossing) (v.) to level (as a roadbed), hence grader, construction machine for doing this * | |
| graduate (v.) | to finish university with a degree | to finish studying at any educational institution by passing relevant examinations | |
| grass | an informant (often to the police) (to grass on) to tell on somebody (US: to squeal) | green ground cover marijuana | grazing; to feed (livestock) with grass (UK: at grass, to put out to grass) |
| grill | cook directly under a dry heat source (US: broil) | cook over a gas or coal fire (UK: barbecue) | |
| ground floor (of a building) | the floor at ground level (US usu.: first floor) | lower of two floors that are each at a different ground level due to sloping terrain (UK: lower ground floor) | |
| guard | the official in charge of a railway train (US: conductor, which is also used in the UK) | to watch over for security one who guards a protective device | military division used to help the country after a disaster |
| gyro | (see also giro) | gyroscope | a sandwich, the Greek gyro, more familiar to Americans than the similar Turkish Döner kebab, which is more common in Britain |
H
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| haberdasher | a dealer in small items and accessories, as for sewing; hence haberdashery (US: notions) | a dealer in men's apparel and accessories; hence haberdashery | |
| half | half pint of beer, cider or lager | fifty per cent | |
| halfway house | a place where victims of child abuse, orphans or teenage runaways can stay, a shelter | drug rehabilitation or sex offender centre | |
| highway | (chiefly in official use) public road; see Highway Code | (highway robbery) something too expensive; see also highwayman | main road (as between cities) (divided or dual highway) a road with two roadways and at least four lanes (UK: dual carriageway) (highway post office) in the past, a bus transporting mail that was sorted en route |
| hike | a usu. recreational walk | an increase in amount (as in wages) * (to take a hike) to go away (also used as a command) | |
| hire | to rent * (as a car); rental (hire purchase) a purchase carried out over time by making regular payments (US: installment plan) | to employ, recruit *; a person who is recruited | |
| hob | the flat top surface of a cooking stove (US: cooktop) a part of a fireplace an elf | trouble ("raising hob") | |
| hock | a German wine ("down their four-and-twenty throats went four-and-twenty imperial pints of such rare old hock"--Charles Dickens) (US: Rhine wine) Hock tide, an ancient holiday
| hock (zoology) | pawn (n. & v.) ("I can borrow a dime from the barber, an' I got enough junk to hock for a blowout"--Jack London); prison (both from Dutch) * the end of a smoked ham * |
| hockey | hockey played with a ball on grass (field hockey) * | hockey played on a hard surface (e.g. concrete) or indoors | hockey played on ice with a puck (ice hockey) * |
| hog | to take more than one's fair share of something (road hog) motorist who holds up other traffic by driving slowly or out of lane; any bad driver | adult pig motorcycle, especially a large one such as a Harley-Davidson | |
| hole-in-the-wall | automatic teller machine, cash machine (informal) | a small, out-of-the-way place (as a restaurant) | |
| holiday | see Bank Holiday (often pl.) time taken off from work, school, etc., including the period between school terms (US: break, vacation) recreational trip away from home (US: vacation) | day when people are generally exempt from work, school, etc. | see Federal holiday (the Holidays) the days comprising Christmas and New Year's Day (and Hanukkah), and often also Thanksgiving (used esp. in the phrase "happy Holidays") |
| homely | (Of a house) comfortable, cozy, rustic (US: homey) (Of a person) home-loving, domesticated, house-proud | (Only used of a person) plain, ugly | |
| home run | final part of a distance, final effort needed to finish (US: homestretch) | a success (from baseball) | (also homer) a four-base hit in baseball (slang) sexual intercourse; more s.v. base |
| hood | the folding fabric top on a convertible car (US: convertible top) component of academic regalia | head covering forming part of a garment | hinged cover over the engine in a car (UK: bonnet) a contraction of neighborhood short for hoodlum, a tough, destructive young man, or generically any criminal |
| hooker | in rugby union, the player position in the centre front of the scrum | prostitute (informal) * | |
| hooter | steam whistle or siren in a factory or other large workplace sounded as a signal for beginning or ceasing work car horn nose | (hooters) breasts (vulgar slang) | |
| horny (slang) | sexually attractive | sexually excited | craving sexual satisfaction |
| hump | a state of depression (dated) ("to be in a hump") a state of annoyance ("to get the hump") a traffic calming tool ("a speed hump") * (US & UK: ''speed bump) | a rounded mass sticking out from its surroundings (v., vulgar slang) engage in sexual intercourse see also rail terminology | (n. & v.) (to make) a vigorous effort ("hump yourself", "to get a hump on") (n.) a mountain barrier to be crossed (as by air) > |
I
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| icebox | cabinet containing ice for food refrigeration | refrigerator | |
| ice pick | ice axe, a tool with a pointed end used by rock- and mountain-climbers for splitting ice | small awl-like tool for breaking ice into small pieces for drinks | |
| immediately | (conj., informal) as soon as ("I await your call immediately you get this message") | (adv.) directly; in no time | |
| indicator | direction-indicator light on a vehicle (US: turn signal) | one that indicates | |
| inspector (police) | lowest supervisory rank above sergeant (rough US equivalent: lieutenant) | senior rank in some police departments (rough UK equivalent: superintendent) | |
| intern | (v.) to confine (as during a war, or to a hospital) (adj., archaic) internal | (n.) one (as a graduate or college student) temporarily employed for practical training, e.g. in the science, engineering, or technology fields; esp., in the medical field, a physician (rough UK equivalent: houseman) in their first year of postgraduate training (v.) to work as an intern | |
| interval | break between two performances or sessions, as in theatre (US: intermission) | a gap in space or time; see interval (music), interval (mathematics), interval (time) | (esp. New England, also spelled intervale) low-lying land, as near a river (US also bottomland) |
| inventory | itemisation of goods or objects (of an estate, in a building, etc.) | the stock of an item on hand in a store or shop the process of producing an inventory in a store or shop (UK: stocktaking) | |
| IRA | Irish Republican Army [listed here to reflect common usage] | Individual Retirement Account |
J
| Word | British English meanings | Meanings common to British and American English | American English meanings |
|---|---|---|---|
| jam | a preserve made from fruits boiled in sugar and set with pectin (US: jelly), especially including the seeds of the fruit | traffic hold-up | certain kinds of fruit preserve, especially the kinds with pieces of fruit left in: strawberry jam, but grape jelly |
| jelly | a fruit flavoured dessert set with gelatin (US: Jell-O (trademark), gelatin dessert (generic)); strained jam without seeds ('redcurrant jelly') | a preserve made from the liquid of fruits boiled in sugar and set with pectin, without pieces of fruit | |
| jock | slang term for a Scotsman or a Highland Terrier (Scottie) | slang term for an athlete slang term for the undergarment called an athletic supporter or jock strap | |
| joint | piece of meat for carving * (slang) hand-rolled cigarette containing cannabis and tobacco | connection between two objects or bones an establishment, especially a disreputable one ("a gin joint"; "let's case the joint") (slang, orig. US) | (slang) hand-rolled cigarette containing only cannabis (slang) prison ("in the joint") |
| jolly | very (informal) (as in jolly good) | happy; jovial | |
| jug | any container with a handle and a mouth or spout for liquid (US: pitcher) | (jugs) breasts (slang) | large container with a narrow mouth and handle for liquids (UK: pitcher) |
| jumper | sweater | jump shot in basketball | pinafore dress jump suit |
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