language
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,070 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 17,063 times across 175,173 chapters — 0.008% of every word in the library.
What it means
noun
- a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols also: linguistic communication he taught foreign languagesthe language introduced is standard throughout the text
- (language) communication by word of mouth also: speech, speech communication, spoken communication, spoken language, voice communication, oral communication his speech was garbledhe uttered harsh language
- the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number also: lyric, words his compositions always started with the lyricshe wrote both words and music
- the cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication also: linguistic process he didn't have the language to express his feelings
- the mental faculty or power of vocal communication also: speech language sets homo sapiens apart from all other animals
- a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline also: terminology, nomenclature legal terminologybiological nomenclature
language in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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He moderated, when she looked at him, the brutality of his language.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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And then I thought what an inadequate language the English is for compact expression.
In the Wilderness · Charles Dudley Warner · Chapter 1
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He made his location, as it is termed in the language of the country, near the northern boundary of the latter.
The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish · James Fenimore Cooper · Chapter 1
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And the good Nokomis answered: “That is but the owl and owlet, Talking in their native language, Talking, scolding at each other.”
Poems Every Child Should Know · Mary E. (Mary Elizabeth) [Editor] Burt · Chapter 1