Ebb - English meaning

determiner

Used when referring to someone or something for the first time in a text or conversation.

Usage examples:

A man came out of the room

abbreviation

(in travel timetables) arrives.

Usage examples:

Penzance a 0915

symbol

(in units of measurement) atto- (10−18).

verb

(of something unpleasant or severe) become less intense or widespread.

Usage examples:

The storm suddenly abated

verb

(of something unpleasant or severe) become less intense or widespread.

Usage examples:

The storm suddenly abated

verb

Present participle of abate

Usage examples:

The storm/wind/rain has started to abate., the fighting in the area shows no sign of abating.

verb

(of organic matter) rot or decompose through the action of bacteria and fungi.

Usage examples:

The body had begun to decay

noun

The state or process of rotting or decomposition.

Usage examples:

Hardwood is more resistant to decay than softwood

noun

Damage, or a state that becomes gradually worse

Usage examples:

The dentist says i have a lot of tooth decay., there’s still too much crime, poverty, and decay in …

verb

(typically of something regarded as good) become smaller, fewer, or less; decrease.

Usage examples:

The birth rate continued to decline

noun

A gradual and continuous loss of strength, numbers, quality, or value.

Usage examples:

A serious decline in bird numbers

verb

To go down in amount or quality; lessen or weaken

Usage examples:

His interest in the project declined after his wife died., her health declined quickly., [ t ] she …

verb

Make or become smaller or fewer in size, amount, intensity, or degree.

Usage examples:

The population of the area has decreased radically

noun

An instance or example of becoming smaller or fewer.

Usage examples:

A decrease in births

verb

To become smaller or make something less

Usage examples:

[ i ] car sales decreased sharply this year., i haven’t noticed any decrease in ticket sales.

adjective

Having lost the physical, mental, or moral qualities considered normal and desirable; showing evidence of decline.

Usage examples:

A degenerate form of a higher civilization

noun

An immoral or corrupt person.

Usage examples:

Get out of my house, you degenerate!

verb

Decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally.

Usage examples:

The quality of life had degenerated

verb

Become progressively worse.

Usage examples:

Relations between the countries had deteriorated sharply

verb

To become worse

Usage examples:

She went into the hospital when her condition began to deteriorate., a deterioration in relations b…

verb

To become worse

Usage examples:

If the economy continues to deteriorate, it will affect the firm's future performance., sales will …

phrasal verb

Become less in amount or intensity

phrasal verb

If something, especially a sound, dies away, it gradually becomes reduced until it stops existing or disappears

Usage examples:

The sound of his footsteps gradually died away.

verb

Make or become less.

Usage examples:

The new law is expected to diminish the government's chances

verb

To reduce or be reduced in size or importance

Usage examples:

[ i ] the threat of inflation is diminishing., [ t ] a single-payer system would diminish the burea…

verb

To reduce or be reduced in size, importance, or value

Usage examples:

If consumers start losing confidence, it will diminish demand for household goods., investors can d…

verb

Cease to be visible.

Usage examples:

He disappeared into the trees

verb

(of a person or thing) to go to a place or into a condition where the person or thing cannot be seen

Usage examples:

She disappeared into the house., he disappeared for a few hours (= went somewhere unknown)., they w…

verb

(with reference to a solid) become or cause to become incorporated into a liquid so as to form a solution.

Usage examples:

Glucose dissolves easily in water

noun

An act or instance of moving gradually from one image or scene in a film to another.

Usage examples:

The alternatives to a cut are fades or dissolves

verb

To be absorbed or to cause a solid to be absorbed by a liquid, or of a liquid to absorb a solid

Usage examples:

[ t ] dissolve two teaspoons of yeast in warm water., [ t ] they decided to dissolve the partnership.

verb

Diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength.

Usage examples:

Traffic has dwindled to a trickle

verb

To become less in number or smaller

Usage examples:

The community had dwindled to a tenth of its former size.

verb

To gradually become less, smaller, or lower in level

Usage examples:

Dwindle from sth to sth the municipality's population has dwindled from 40,000 to 24,000., dwindlin…

noun

A piece of cloth or similar material, typically oblong or square, attachable by one edge to a pole or rope and used as the symbol or emblem of a country or institution or as a decoration during public festivities.

Usage examples:

The american flag

verb

Mark (an item) for attention or treatment in a specified way.

Usage examples:

The spellcheck program flags any words that are not in its dictionary

noun

A flat stone slab, typically rectangular or square, used for paving.

Usage examples:

Stone flags are £32 per square yard and slates go for £2 each.

verb

Make or become less; diminish.

Usage examples:

The years have lessened the gap in age between us

verb

To become or make something smaller in amount or degree

Usage examples:

[ t ] keeping your weight down can lessen the risk of heart disease.

verb

To make something smaller, less noticeable, etc., or to become smaller, less noticeable, etc.

Usage examples:

Corporate executives are keen to embrace "green technology" in order to lessen their dependence on …

idiom

Become less in amount or intensity

phrasal verb

(of something undesirable) become less intense.

Usage examples:

The rain's letting up—it'll be clear soon

phrasal verb

(esp. of something unpleasant) to become less strong or stop

Usage examples:

When the rain lets up we’ll go for a walk.

verb

Go or move back or further away from a previous position.

Usage examples:

The floodwaters had receded

verb

Go or move back or further away from a previous position.

Usage examples:

The floodwaters had receded

adjective

Moving back or further away from a previous position.

Usage examples:

Receding waters exposed the extent of devastation

adjective

(of a man's hair) ceasing to grow at the temples and above the forehead.

Usage examples:

He inherited his father's receding hairline

verb

Cancel or refrain from exacting or inflicting (a debt or punishment).

Usage examples:

The excess of the sentence over 12 months was remitted

noun

The task or area of activity officially assigned to an individual or organization.

Usage examples:

The committee was becoming caught up in issues that did not fall within its remit

verb

To send money to someone

Usage examples:

Please remit payment by the 15th of the month.

verb

(of an army) withdraw from enemy forces as a result of their superior power or after a defeat.

Usage examples:

The french retreated in disarray

noun

An act of moving back or withdrawing.

Usage examples:

A speedy retreat

verb

The act of withdrawing or going backward

verb

(of an army) withdraw from enemy forces as a result of their superior power or after a defeat.

Usage examples:

The french retreated in disarray

adjective

Moving back or away; withdrawing.

Usage examples:

The sound of retreating footsteps

verb

Cede (territory) back again.

Usage examples:

Spain retroceded the colony to france

noun

The action of ceding territory back to a country or government.

Usage examples:

The retrocession of louisiana from spain to france in 1800

verb

Become less intense, violent, or severe.

Usage examples:

I'll wait a few minutes until the storm subsides

verb

(of a condition) to become less strong, or (of an activity or disagreement) to become less violent

Usage examples:

When her pain didn’t subside, matt drove her to the hospital., friction between the groups subsided…

verb

Become less intense, violent, or severe.

Usage examples:

I'll wait a few minutes until the storm subsides

verb

Present participle of subside

Usage examples:

The police are hoping that the violence will soon subside., as the pain in my foot subsided, i was …

verb

(of the moon) have a progressively smaller part of its visible surface illuminated, so that it appears to decrease in size.

Usage examples:

Tory tried to see her reflection, but the moon was waning, the stars obscured by clouds.

noun

The amount by which a plank or log is bevelled or falls short of a squared shape.

Usage examples:

I cut the log into slabs without removing the outside wane

verb

Make or become weaker in power, resolve, or physical strength.

Usage examples:

Fault lines had weakened and shattered the rocks

verb

To make or become weak or weaker

Usage examples:

[ i ] the country’s economy continues to weaken., [ t ] long exposure to vibration can weaken aircr…

verb

To become or make something or someone become less powerful, successful, effective, etc.

Usage examples:

A series of scandals weakened investor confidence., the plan has divided the country and weakened t…