|
|
Reverse Search
Reverse Search allows you to search within the full text of dictionary entries for words, word parts, and phrases.
Search for entries that contain:
Exact matches of any of the individual words entered in the search box.
Example: Searching for "apple orange" identifies all entries that contain the word "apple" or the word "orange."
Any form of any of the individual words entered in the search box.
Example: Searching for "apple orange" identifies all entries that contain the word "apple" or "apples" or "orange" or "oranges."
Exact matches of all of the individual words entered in the search box.
Example: Searching for "apple orange" identifies all entries that contain the word "apple" and the word "orange."
The exact sequence of words and/or characters entered in the search box (for example, a fragment of a word, a single word, multiple words, or even a phrase containing punctuation)
Example: Searching for "a variety of apple" identifies all entries that contain that phrase. Searching for "app" identifies all entries that contain the letters "app," such as occurrences of "apple," "application," and "apply."
Search within these fields:
Optional:
Limit by part of speech:
| amylase |
any of a class of enzymes, found in saliva and many tissues of plants and animals, that break down starch to sugars. |
| biodegrade |
to break down through the action of living organisms. |
| bioreactor |
a device in which living organisms or biological reactions are used to create a product or break down waste. |
| change |
of money, to break down into smaller denominations, or convert into foreign currency. [1/18 definitions] |
| crack up |
to break down emotionally. [1/2 definitions] |
| decompose |
to break down (a substance) into simpler compounds or component elements. [1/3 definitions] |
| degrade |
to break down the chemical complexity of (a substance); cause decomposition. [2/8 definitions] |
| deteriorate |
to wear away; break down little by little. [2/4 definitions] |
| digest |
to break down or promote the breaking down of (food) into substances that can be absorbed by body tissues. [2/8 definitions] |
| disintegrate |
to come apart; break down into component parts or fragments. [2/3 definitions] |
| iconoclast |
one who attacks and seeks to break down traditional beliefs and institutions or popular ideas and values. [1/2 definitions] |
| idiom |
a verbal expression that cannot be understood merely by knowing the individual meanings of its elements, as with the phrase "break down," meaning "to lose one's mental stability." [1/4 definitions] |
| PFAS |
acronym for perflouroalkyl and polyflouroalkyl substances. Such chemical substances are used in a vast number of products and applications such as non-stick coatings for cookware, cleaning products, wire insulation, clothing, and food packaging. Some are known to be toxic, and, as a group, they are considered at least potentially harmful to human and animal health. They are also considered an environmental pollutant, as they can take thousands of years to break down, earning the the appellation "forever chemicals." |
| resolve |
to break down into constituent parts; separate. [1/8 definitions] |
| ribonuclease |
any of numerous enzymes that break down ribonucleic acids. |
| saponify |
to break down (an ester) into an alcohol and an acid or salt. [1/4 definitions] |
| wear away |
to gradually break down or disappear due to friction or use. [1/2 definitions] |
| wear down |
to cause to gradually break down or erode due to friction, exposure, or use, [2 definitions] |
|
|