English Words Starting With E

• ecru

  adjectivenounC1
  /ˈeɪ.kruː/The colour of unbleached linen or raw silk; a pale beige or greyish-yellow.
• ecstasy

  nounC1
  /ˈɛk.stə.si/An overwhelming feeling of intense joy, delight, or rapture.
• ecstatic

  adjectivenounB2
  /ɪkˈstætɪk/Experiencing or expressing overwhelming happiness, delight, or intense joy; a feeling of being overjoyed, beyond simple happiness.
• ecstatics

  plural-nounC2 / Very Low Frequency
  /ɪkˈstæt.ɪks/The branch of philosophy or theology that deals with states of ecstasy, spiritual trance, or mystical union; the study of rapturous experiences.
• ectasia

  nounVery Low (Technical/Specialist)
  /ɛkˈteɪzɪə/A pathological dilation, expansion, or distention of a tubular structure or hollow organ in the body.
• ecthlipsis

  nounVery Low
  /ɛkˈθlɪpsɪs/The omission or suppression of a sound or syllable in pronunciation, especially in poetry or elided speech.
• ecthyma

  nounVery Low
  /ekˈθaɪmə/A specific type of ulcerative skin infection, deeper than impetigo, characterised by lesions with a thick, adherent crust, most commonly caused by Staphylococcus or Streptococcus bacteria.
• ectoblast

  nounC2
  /ˈɛktə(ʊ)blɑːst/The outer layer of cells in an early embryo.
• ectocommensal

  adjectivenounC2
  /ˌɛktəʊkəˈmɛns(ə)l/An organism that lives on the surface of another organism, benefiting from food and shelter without harming the host.
• ectocornea

  nounExtremely Rare / Technical
  /ˌɛktəʊˈkɔːnɪə/The outermost layer of the cornea.
• ectocrine

  nounVery Low (Specialist)
  /ˈɛktə(ʊ)kraɪn/A substance secreted by an organism into the external environment that influences the growth or behaviour of other organisms.
• ectoderm

  nounC2
  /ˈɛktə(ʊ)dɜːm/The outermost of the three primary germ layers in an early embryo, which gives rise to the skin, nervous system, and related structures.
• ectoenzyme

  nounRare
  /ˌɛktəʊˈɛnzaɪm/An enzyme that is located on the outer surface of a cell membrane.
• ectogenesis

  nounVery Low
  /ˌɛktəʊˈdʒɛnɪsɪs/The development of an organism in an artificial environment outside the body in which it would naturally develop, especially a fetus outside the uterus.
• ectomere

  nounVery low
  /ˈɛktə(ʊ)mɪə/A segment or structural unit formed during embryonic cleavage in some animals.
• ectomorph

  nounLow
  /ˈɛktə(ʊ)mɔːf/A person with a lean, linear body type, characterized by a light bone structure, fast metabolism, and difficulty gaining weight or muscle.
• ectomycorrhiza

  nounLow/Technical
  /ˌɛktə(ʊ)ˌmaɪkə(ʊ)ˈraɪzə/A mutually beneficial symbiotic association between the hyphae of certain fungi and the roots of plants where the fungal mycelium forms a sheath around the root tip and penetrates the intercellular spaces of the root cortex, but does not enter the root cells.
• ectoparasite

  nounLow
  /ˌɛktəʊˈpærəsaɪt/A parasite that lives on the external surface of its host.
• ectophyte

  nounVery Low
  /ˈɛktə(ʊ)fʌɪt/A plant that grows on the external surface of another living organism (the host), deriving support but not typically nutrients from it.
• ectopia

  nounRare
  /ɛkˈtəʊpɪə/The congenital displacement or malposition of an organ or body part.

Showing 561–580 of 4896 words.