Many of the definitions are recognized by the other as Britishisms or Americanisms respectively.
Certain words are limited to regional or specific dialect use in either usage. They will, however, be recognised and understood by most native English speakers in the country concerned. These are marked with their usual area of use.
Many American phrases and meanings are now used and/or understood in the UK, thanks to the ubiquity of US-made movies and television programmes.
When adding words or meanings to this list, please follow the notations used in existing entries as much as possible, e.g. those of equivalent UK/US terms and common UK/US meanings.
a one in a suit of playing cards something who is very good at something fighter pilot who has shot down a certain number of enemy aircraft (UK meaning not unheard of, although perhaps a bit dated as US slang)
advocate
Scottish equivalent of a barrister (a lawyer who appears in higher courts) (+ US meaning)
Someone who supports and/or speaks for a particular position
alternately
one after the other, taking turns
as an alternative (UK: alternatively)
amber
yellow traffic light (US: yellow light)
(none special)
anchor
device for mooring ships by providing a firm fix to the seabed
room containing a bath (US: bathtub), other washing facilities, and usually (but not necessarily) a toilet
room, in a home or hotel room, containing a toilet, related washing facilities, and often, but not necessarily, a shower and/or bathtub (a room without shower or bathtub may also be known as a powder room, but this usage may be considered dated)
thousand million (10^9) (although the traditional value of million million (10^12) can also be meant)
thousand million (10^9) (traditional UK: billion, or milliard, the latter now rare)
bird
one's girlfriend or any young female (slang; getting rarer and considered derogatory by some) prison sentence (slang)
insulting hand gesture involving shaking one's fist towards someone with knuckles pointing towards the person being insulted and the middle finger extended (as in "flipping someone the bird") (slang) (UK: nearest equivalent is the two-finger salute, which is similar but with both middle and index fingers extended)
baked sweet or savoury cake-like item, usually flat and fairly hard (US: cracker or cookie)
type of quick bread served with savory foods (UK: similar to a savoury scone)
blinder
excellent performance in a game or race (slang)
either of two flaps on a horse's bridle to keep it from seeing objects at its sides (UK: blinker, also used in US)
blinkers
leather flaps on a bridle used to restrict a horse's lateral vision (US: blinders) (+ US meaning, although rarely heard)
lights on a car that indicate the direction about to be taken (UK: indicators) (+ UK meaning)
block
(none special)
in a city, the portion of a street between adjacent intersections or an informal unit of distance derived from the length of the same
bloody
adverb used to express anger (e.g. "bloody car") or shock (e.g. "bloody hell"), or for emphasis (e.g. "not bloody likely") (slang, today only mildly vulgar) (similar US: goddamned; New England: wicked)
crewman in a bomber aircraft who aims and drops the bombs (UK: bomb aimer)
bonk
act of sexual intercourse, or to have sexual intercourse (slightly vulgar slang) (US: boink) (+ US meaning, although rather dated)
blow to the head
bonnet
hinged cover over the engine in a car (US: hood) hat tied under the chin worn by a baby or (archaically) a woman various types of Scottish or Irish soft hat
hinged cover over the engine of a car, but only in the rare case where the engine is at the rear of the vehicle hat tied under chin worn by a baby or (archaically) a woman
boob
woman's breast (slightly vulgar slang) mistake (slang)
woman's breast (slightly vulgar slang) stupid person
boob tube
woman's shoulderless, strapless top (US: tube top)
courage (e.g. "he's got some bottle") (slang) (US: moxie) to cease to do something through fear (e.g. "he's bottled out", "he bottled it") (slang, probably from Cockney rhyming slang "bottle and glass" = "arse") to attack somebody with a broken bottle (slang) (+ US meaning)
liquor (metaphorical slang) (e.g. "hitting the bottle", "been to the bottom of the bottle", meaning drinking heavily)
box
television set ("the box") (slang) female genitalia (obscene slang)
female genitalia (obscene slang)
braces
over-the-shoulder straps to support trousers (US: suspenders) devices for straightening teeth
devices for straightening teeth enclosing punctuation: {} (UK: curly brackets) (+ UK meaning)
brackets
enclosing punctuation: () (US: parentheses, also used in UK), [] (square brackets), {} (curly brackets) (US: braces)
to engage in or someone who engages in buggery (i.e. sodomy) a form of address for either a person or item, either jocular (e.g. "he's a generous bugger") or less so (e.g. "he's a mean bugger") (slang) "buggered" = broken, not working (typically of mechanical devices, e.g. "the engine's buggered") (slang) "to bugger up" = to make a mess of something (slang)
term of endearment, often used for children (slang) to engage in or someone who engages in buggery (rare; usually understood to mean zoophilia as opposed to sodomy) (in spoken English, the British "bugger" is sometimes misheard by Americans as "booger")
bum
buttocks (slang, not really vulgar) (US: ass or butt) to borrow (e.g. "can I bum a fag off you") (slang)
hobo, homeless person poor quality (slang) to sadden (often used with "out") (+ UK noun sense as a Britishism)
burn
narrow river, stream (Scotland and Northern England) (US: creek) (+ US meaning)
wound caused by heat
butcher
"to have a butcher's" = to have a look (Cockney rhyming slang: butcher's hook = look)
"to butcher it up" = to make a big mess of things; botch
to call
"to call on someone" = to visit someone to make a telephone call
to make a telephone call "to call on someone" = to visit someone (but this is becoming rare)
campsite
area or park for people to camp in (US: campground)
spot for a particular person or group to camp, often within a campground (UK: pitch)
men and/or boys (but increasingly used for people of either sex; in the singular it still almost exclusively refers to a male) (US: guys) one's friends ("the chaps") (US: the guys)
leather leggings worn by cowboys and designed to protect the legs against thorns (pronounced shaps)
cheers
said to express gratitude in southern England (Midlands and North use ta, also used in South), or on parting (slang) (+ US meaning)
used as a toast or valediction
chemist
pharmacist, pharmacy (+ US meaning)
person studying for or with a chemistry degree or who conducts research in chemistry
chips
french fries, although usually thicker cut than American fries (+ US meaning in some areas of the UK)
thin slices of fried potato (UK: crisps) (UK meaning is used when referring to "fish and chips")
chippy
carpenter (slang) fish and chip shop (slang) having a grievance (a chip on one's shoulder)
loose woman (rare slang)
chum
friend (usually ironic) popular brand of canned dog food (officially Pedigree Chum)
friend waste products from fish processing (heads, tails, blood etc.) often used for shark fishing
part of the name of some state secondary schools (US: high school) and many public schools (US: prep school) school that educates older pupils to A-level standard (short for "sixth form college") institution of further education that does not grant degrees or does not grant its own degrees (e.g. "technical college" or "college of further education") vocational educational or training institution one of the constituent parts of Oxford and Cambridge Universities and certain other universities professional association which usually grants some form of professional qualifications, mostly in the medical field (e.g. Royal College of Surgeons) generic term for any institute of further or higher education (usually used only by people who haven't been to one)
a single location for higher education in a group of such schools (the university)
university, usually quite small and often not granting higher degrees generic term for higher education
technically, a police officer of any rank, but usually understood to mean a police officer of the lowest rank (one who holds no other more specific rank) (US: officer or patrolman)
peace officer in a township without an organised police department official who serves summonses (UK: bailiff or sheriff's officer)
cop
police officer (short for "copper") (slang) to take (e.g. "cop a look at this", "cop one of these") (slang) to be blamed for, be caught (e.g. "he'll cop it!") (slang) "to cop a feel" = to grope (slang)
police officer (short for "copper") (slang) "to cop a feel" = to grope (slang) "to cop a squat" = to take a seat (slang)
copper
low value coin, brown or 'copper' coloured (currently 1p and 2p coins) large copper vessel used for heating water and washing clothes (archaic) (+ US meanings)
any of various cereal plants or grains, especially the principal crop cultivated in a particular region, as wheat in England, oats in Scotland and Ireland
Indian corn, maize
cot
baby's cradle (US:crib)
camp bed
cracker
small parcel that makes an explosive report when pulled from both ends, traditionally pulled at Christmas attractive woman (slang) anything good (e.g. "the new product is a cracker") (slang) (+ US meaning, but only in "cream cracker")
thin, hard, savoury biscuit poor white person (derogatory slang, S.E. US)
creek
tidal channel through a coastal marsh
any inland stream of water smaller than a river (UK: stream, rill, burn)
crew
body of people manning a vehicle of any kind gang of manual workers (e.g. road crew) group of friends or co-workers (e.g. "I saw him and his crew at the bar")
rowing as a sport (+ UK meanings)
dead beat, deadbeat
exhausted (slang) (US: dead tired)
someone who does not pay their debts, often in construction (e.g. "deadbeat dad") (slang)
DC
Detective Constable (police)
District of Columbia
DI
Detective Inspector (police)
Drill Instructor (military)
diary
personal calendar (+ US meaning)
personal journal
dirt
substance(s) that require removal from clothes, childrens faces, rooms etc to make them clean
earth, soil (+ UK meaning)
dollar
5 shilling coin or equivalent amount (obsolete; used in slang until late 1960s/early 1970s, but was an actual British minted coin in late 18th/early 19th century) (+ US meaning)
major unit of currency of the USA
drape
to hang limply
curtain (+ UK meaning)
drop (of liquid)
several (fluid) ounces (e.g. "just a drop of tea, please") (meiotic usage) (+ US meaning)
grounds of a large piece of real property which features a mansion and beautiful landscaping
faculty
division of a university, dealing with a specific group of disciplines (e.g. faculty of arts)
academic staff of a college or university (+ UK meaning)
fag
cigarette (slang) young public schoolboy who acted as a servant for older pupils (obsolete) (+ US meaning as an Americanism)
malehomosexual (short for faggot) (insulting slang) cigarette (occasional use) (slang)
faggot
bundle of sticks, usually for use as firewood kind of meatball (see faggot (food)) malehomosexual (see faggot (slang)) (insulting slang; native to the north of England, but an Americanism elsewhere)
thin membrane membranous material on which motion pictures and photographs are made to make a motion picture
filth
the police (derogatory slang; never used without the definite article)
(none special)
first floor (of a building)
the floor above ground level
the floor at ground level (often, but not always, the same floor as a building's lobby)
fit
(of a person) attractive, sexy (slang) (+ US meanings)
(of a person) in good physical condition suitable for its purpose (usually followed by for or to)
flapjack
flat oat cake (US: granola bar)
pancake
flannel
washcloth (+ US meaning)
particular type of fabric/material used for the manufacture of trousers or suits, but more commonly recognised in America as a fabric used in warm winter night clothes and sheets
about 5/6 of British (imperial) gallon or 3.78541 litres
garage
fuel filling station, e.g. "a Texaco garage" In British English, rhymes with "marriage" or is pronounced as "GA-rahzh", the first syllable carrying the stress in both cases.
(parking garage) building serving as a public parking facility (UK: multistorey car park or just multistorey) In American English, the initial "a" is a schwa, the stress is on the second syllable, the second "a" is broad ("ah"), and the final "g" is pronounced as "zh", adhering to the word's French etymology: guh-RAHZH.
garter
band worn around the leg to keep up a stocking or sock
abbreviation for gyroscope. Or giro, a particular form of bank payment similar to a cheque, especially a government benefit payment for unemployment or disability. "I'll pay you back when my giro comes."
a sandwich, the American gyro is similar to a UK doner kebab
hockey played with a ball on grass (US: field hockey) hockey played on a hard surface (e.g. concrete) or indoors
hockey played on ice with a puck (UK: ice hockey) (+ UK meaning)
hog
to take more than one's fair share of something "road hog" = motorist who holds up other traffic by driving slowly or out of lane; any bad driver
mature pig motorcycle, especially a large one (typically a Harley-Davidson (+ UK meanings)
holiday
any time off from work or school, including the period between school terms (US: break, vacation) recreational trip away from home (US: vacation)
(none special)
homely
(Of a house) comfortable, cozy, rustic (US: homey) (Of a person) home-loving, domesticated, house-proud
(Only used of a person) plain, ugly
hood
head covering attached to, and forming part of, a garment the folding fabric top on a convertible car (US: convertible top)
hinged cover over the engine in a car (UK: bonnet) a contraction of neighborhood short for hoodlum, a tough, destructive young man, or generically any criminal (+ head covering meaning)
hooker
name of a player's position in a Rugby Union or Rugby League team - position is in the centre of the front row of the scrum (+ US meaning as an Americanism)
prostitute
hooter
steam whistle or siren in a factory or other large workplace sounded as a signal for beginning or ceasing work car horn nose
(in plural) vulgar term for breasts
horny
sexually attractive (slang) (+ US meaning as Americanism)
sexually frustrated (slang) (UK: randy)
hunting
pursuing animals on horseback
pursuing animals on foot (UK: shooting or stalking)
ice pick
ice axe, a tool with a pointed end used by rock- and mountain-climbers for splitting ice
small awl-like tool for breaking ice into small pieces for drinks
indicator
turn signal in a car
(none special)
inspector (police)
lowest supervisory rank above sergeant (rough US equivalent: lieutenant)
senior rank in some police departments (rough UK equivalent: superintendent)
jam
a preserve made from fruits boiled in sugar and set with pectin (US: jelly)
certain kinds of fruit preserve, especially the kinds with pieces of fruit left in: strawberry jam, but grape jelly
jelly
a fruit flavoured dessert set with gelatin (US: Jell-O)
a preserve made from the liquid of fruits boiled in sugar and set with pectin, without pieces of fruit
jock
slang term for a Scotsman or a Highland Terrier (scottie)
slang term for an athlete slang term for the undergarment called an athletic supporter or jock strap
john
(none special)
prostitute's client (slang) toilet (slang)
joint
hand-rolled cigarette containing cannabis (US: bud) all or some of the limb of a meat animal, before or after cooking (+US "establishment" meaning)
an establishment, especially a disruptable one (a gin joint; let's case the joint) prison (in the joint) (+UK meanings)
jug
any container with a handle and mouth or spout for liquid (US: pitcher) (in plural) vulgar slang for breasts
large container with a narrow mouth and handle for liquids (UK: pitcher)
commonly a doner kebab, strips of meat (usually lamb or chicken) cooked by being heated on a revolving device and served stuffed in a pita bread (US: souvlaki or gyro) (+ US meaning)
meat served on a skewer together with onions, tomatoes, etc. (e.g., shish kebab)
knickers
panties
knickerbockers
to knock up
to manufacture hastily to practice before tennis to wake up by knocking (+ US meaning)
to make pregnant
lamp
a device that burns liquid to produce light (US: lantern)
a free-standing device that emits a continuous light (UK: lantern)
lantern
a free-standing device that emits a continuous light (US: lamp)
a device that burns liquid to produce light (UK: lamp)
lecturer
the lowest academic rank at a university (the next lowest: senior or principal lecturer) (+ US meaning)
clear, carbonated, lemon-flavoured drink similar to Sprite and 7Up (lemon and lime flavoured)
non-carbonated drink made by mixing lemon juice, sugar, and water (UK: traditional lemonade, rarely seen)
let
rent (an apartment, business premises etc) (+ US meanings)
allow, give permission. leave (as in let him be or let it be) ease (as in let up on the accelerator) indicate (as in don't let on) a first bad serve which is allowed to be retaken, as in tennis, table tennis, and volleyball rent (rarely; exists primarily in "sublet")
leverage
mechanical advantage of a lever (+ US finance meaning as Americanism)
take advantage of a capability (business) the use of debt finance (UK: gearing) (+ UK meaning)
lift (noun)
platform or cage moved vertically in a shaft to transport people and goods to various floors in a building (US: elevator) (+ US meaning)
ride as a passenger in a vehicle (as in, to give someone a lift) item placed in shoe to increase the height of the wearer, normally plural (lifts, elevator shoes)
line
(none special)
a queue a lie, short for a line of bull a phrase used for hitting on women, short for pickup line to hit a line drive (a hard straight shot) in baseball
The broth resulting from the prolonged cooking of meat or vegetables. Green liquor is traditionally served with pie and mash in the East End of London. (+ US meaning as an Americanism)
area of southwest Asia and northern Africa, stretching from the Mediterranean to Pakistan, in particular Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria
countries of SW Asia and northern Africa, usually considered as including the countries extending from Libya on the west to Afghanistan on the east
decorative structure suspended so as to turn freely in the air (sometimes pronounced with a long i as in eel) (UK meaning becoming common)
momentarily
for a moment
in a moment; very soon (+ UK meaning)
moot
debatable (a moot point)
irrelevant (+ UK meaning)
muffler
scarf
device to silence an automobile (UK: silencer) or gramophone
Words N-P
Word
more common British meaning
more common American meaning
napkin
piece of material used to protect garments from spilled food or to remove food residues from around the mouth
sanitary towel (+ UK meaning)
nappy
folded cloth or other absorbent material drawn up between the legs and fastened around the waist, usually worn by infants to counter incontinence (US: diaper)
twisted or kinked, considered insulting when applied to hair (also called napped)
newsreader
one who reads the news on radio or television (US: news anchor) (+ US meaning)
the part of the road nearest the vehicles going in the opposite direction, used especially by faster vehicles
the part of the road nearest the edge, used especially by slower-moving vehicles (note that in both cases the term applies to the rightmost lane in the direction concerned)
pacifier
(none special)
rubber teat for babies (UK: dummy)
pants
underpants (usually briefs) of poor quality (slang) (of a situation) bad, unfortunate (slang)
punctuation mark (UK: full stop) used for emphasis to state that a decision is final and/or a subject is closed for discussion (You are not going to that concert, period!) (UK: full stop) (+ UK meanings)
intoxicated, drunk (often pissed as a newt); urinated
angry, irritated (short for pissed off, which is also used in UK, but only in its full form); urinated
pitch
outdoor site for a stall or some other business site for a tent (US: campsite) playing field for a particular sport (football pitch, rugby pitch, cricket pitch etc) a sticky black substance obtained from tar an attempt to persuade somebody to do something, usually to accept a business proposal
in baseball, the delivery of a baseball by a pitcher to a batter an attempt to persuade somebody to do something, usually to accept a business proposal
pitcher
large container with a handle and lip or spout for liquids, usually water (US: jug)
any container with a handle and lip or spout for liquids(UK: jug) baseball player who pitches (throws) baseball towards the batter
carbonated soft drink (colloquial) (US: soda) short for popular music father (colloquial and quite rare)
short for popular music, a style of music. It is usually influenced by, but milder than, urban music. short for soda pop, U.S. Midwest and Western New York term for carbonated soft drink father (colloquial)
shortening of 'promenade concert', one of a series of concerts held as part of a classical music festival that takes place in the late summer based around the Royal Albert Hall in London
dance/party held for pupils to celebrate the end of a school year/graduation
long-established and prestigious fee-paying private school (note that not all private schools are classed as public schools) (US: prep school)
tax-supported school controlled by a local governmental authority (UK: state school)
pud
short for pudding, especially in "Christmas pud" (rhymes with 'good')
slang term for penis (rhymes with 'mud')
pudding
dessert course of a meal a heavy dessert or main course (e.g. steak and kidney pudding ), often suet-based used in the name of some other savoury dishes (e.g. black pudding, pease pudding)
a creamy dessert
to pull
to persuade someone to be one's date or sex partner on the pull = seeking a date or sex partner
colloquial term for pound sterling (plural is quid also) (+ US meaning)
a measure (mouthful) of chewing tobacco
quite good
mediocre , acceptable good, well done (ironic, according to subtle voice intonation)
excellent
railroad
tramway (obsolete)
railway
reader
the second highest academic rank at a university, after professor
(none special)
regular
the opposite of irregular (e.g. "the pentagon had regular sides", meaning they are all the same length) full-time professional (as opposed to part-time, volunteer or conscript) member of a military, police or firefighting organisation
usual or ordinary lowest grade of gasoline (historically: leaded gasoline) non-decaffeinated coffee unmodified, especially non-dietary/sugar-free/fat-free medium-sized
restroom
a room for staff to take their breaks in; a staffroom
understood by Americans as a Britishism except when it is used to impugn a statement; American English speakers can deride an idea as "rubbish" and be understood, but they do so at the risk of sounding "stuck up" or pompous
saloon
closed automobile having two or (usually) four doors, a front and rear seat and a separate boot/trunk (US: sedan) (saloon bar) posh bar within a pub or hotel officers' dining room on a merchant ship passengers' lounge on a liner or luxury train
(vulgar) to copulate, or copulate with a type of bird, similar to a cormorant a type of shredded coarse tobacco (+ US meanings)
a kind of a dance a kind of fabric with a thick, long strands; often used in carpets long, matted hair (cf. Shaggy from the Scooby Doocartoon) (+ UK sexual meaning, as a Britishism; popularized by Austin Powers movies)
chief royal peace officer of a county, now (as high sheriff) largely only a ceremonial role (England and Wales) local judge, in full sheriff-depute or sheriff-substitute (Scotland)
elected chief legal officer of a county, usually also in charge of the county's law enforcement service
shingle
pebbles forming a beach
(none special)
shingles
a painful disease of the skin, caused by the chickenpox virus
a form of roof covering (+ UK meaning)
shop
consumer retail establishment of any size (US: store) (+ US meaning, but only in combination, e.g. machine shop)
workshop practical class at school taught in a workshop
shorts
short trousers strong alcoholic drinks served in multiples of 25 ml, sometimes with mixers (US: shots)
short trousers underpants, boxers
shot
sound made by firing a cartridge from a firearm
strong alcoholic drink served in multiples of 1.5 American floz. (29.57 ml) (UK: short) (+ UK meaning)
shower
a short period of rain
a celebratory party where gifts are given to an individual e.g. a baby shower to celebrate an imminent birth (+ UK meaning)
sic
Latin for "Thus", "just so" — states that the preceding quoted material appears exactly that way in the source, usually despite errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or fact.
pronunciation spelling of "seek" used as a dog command, and by extension as a verb meaning to set (as a dog, etc.) to attack someone, e.g. "I'll sic my attorney on you". (+ UK meaning)
[to be] sick
[to] vomit "off sick" = not at work because of illness "to pull a sickie" = to fake an illness in order to get time off work
[to be] unwell
siding
dead-end railway tracks that lead off another railway line
external wall covering, cladding, weatherboarding (+ UK meaning)
silencer
device to silence a car/automobile (US: muffler) (+ US meaning)
unpleasant person, originally short for sodomite ("He's a sod, isn't he?) unfortunate person when prefixed by 'poor' ("The poor sod's had his wallet nicked.") + US meaning
forwards bend of the spine bringing the shoulders in front of the hips dive of a predatory bird towards its prey
raised porch or entrance veranda (+ UK meanings)
store
place for storage of items not needed for immediate use large consumer retail establishment (as department store or superstore only)
consumer retail establishment of any size (UK: shop) (+ UK meaning)
[to] sub
[to] subsidise (pay for something in place of someone else) [to] substitute (usually in sport) [to] edit copy for length and/ or house style (newspapers, sub-edit in full) subscription submarine sub-lieutenant (Royal Navy rank) subaltern (British Armysecond lieutenant or lieutenant)
submarine substitute teacher (UK: supply teacher) to teach in place of the normal teacher [to] substitute (usually in sport)
to raise for consideration ("to bring to|put on the table")
to suspend from consideration (to shelve) ("to put it back on the table after having picked it up")
tailgater
a motorist who follows another vehicle too closely
someone who picnics from the rear of a vehicle (+ UK meaning)
tap
valve through which liquid is drawn and dispensed (common US: faucet) as in "phone tap", a device for listening to other people's telephone calls tap up: to covertly enter negotiations (e.g. "the manager acccused the other team of tapping up his player")
selected/chosen/requested/asked, especially to be publically selected for a special honor from one's peers as in the (possibly apocryphal) American Indian ceremony (e.g. "She was tapped for the position of CEO") (+ UK meanings)
an insult applied to someone who is being stupid (considered vulgar by many) to hit someone or something hard, e.g. "say that again and I'll twat you!" (+ US meaning)
vulgar term for vagina
tyke
an informal, sometimes disparaging, term for someone from Yorkshire (+ US meaning)
term of endearment for a child, like "little rascal"
underground
subterranean railway system (US: subway) (+ US meaning)
subterranean space or channel
vacation
the period between university terms (also vac)
time off from work or school (UK: holiday) a recreational trip away from home (UK: holiday) (+ UK meaning)
