language (n.)

  1. a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols; he taught foreign languages; the language introduced is standard throughout the text; the speed with which a program can be executed depends on the language in which it is written

    [ Syn: linguistic communication ]

  2. (language) communication by word of mouth; his speech was garbled; he uttered harsh language; he recorded the spoken language of the streets

    [ Syn: speech , speech communication , spoken communication , spoken language , voice communication , oral communication ]

  3. the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number; his compositions always started with the lyrics; he wrote both words and music; the song uses colloquial language

    [ Syn: lyric , words ]

  4. the cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding linguistic communication; he didnt have the language to express his feelings

    [ Syn: linguistic process ]

  5. the mental faculty or power of vocal communication; language sets homo sapiens apart from all other animals

    [ Syn: speech ]

  6. a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline; legal terminology; biological nomenclature; the language of sociology

    [ Syn: terminology , nomenclature ]

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.