def
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.a slang word for something that is very good or cool.
adj.an adjective used to denote excellence or high quality; primarily associated with early hip-hop culture.
Simple“That new song has a def beat.”
In context“The DJ played a def set that kept the crowd dancing until the early hours of the morning.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is largely dated and associated with 1980s hip-hop; modern learners will rarely hear it used by younger speakers.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a short way to write the word 'definition'.
n.a standard abbreviation for 'definition', frequently used in dictionaries, glossaries, and programming.
Simple“Check the def of that word in the back of the book.”
In context“The technical manual provides a clear def for every acronym used in the text.”
UsageUsually written rather than spoken; often followed by a period in formal documents.
Synonyms
Clipping of definitive or definitely; alternatively an eye spelling of death referring to an absolute.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.