/jerr"meuhn/ , adj.
1. of or pertaining to Germany, its inhabitants, or their language.
n.
2. a native or inhabitant of Germany.
3. a descendant of a native of Germany.
4. Also called High German . an Indo-European language that is based on a High German dialect, is official in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and is also widely used as an international language for scholarship and science. Abbr.: G, G.
5. Ling. any variety of West Germanic speech native to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
6. ( usually l.c. ) an elaborate social dance resembling a cotillion.
7. ( l.c. ) New England and South Atlantic States. a dancing party featuring the german.
[ 1520-30; Germanus German; c. Gk Germanoí (pl.) ]