# dict

Words: a
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : the 1st letter of the English alphabet b : a graphic representation of this letter c : a speech counterpart of orthographic a\n2 : the 6th tone of a C-major scale\n3 : a graphic device for reproducing the letter a\n4 : one designated a especially as the 1st in order or class\n5 a : a grade rating a student’s work as superior in quality b : one graded or rated with an A\n6 : something shaped like the letter\n\n<2> indefinite article\n1 used as a function word before singular nouns when the referent is unspecified <a man overboard> and before number collectives and some numbers <a dozen>\n2 : the same <birds of a feather> <swords all of a length>\n3 a used as a function word before a singular noun followed by a restrictive modifier <a man who was here yesterday> b : ANY <a man who is sick can’t work> c used as a function word before a mass noun to denote a particular type or instance <a bronze made in ancient times> <glucose is a simple sugar> d used as a function word before a proper noun representing an example or type <the attractions of a Boston or a Cleveland>\n4 used as a function word with nouns to form adverbial phrases of quantity, amount, or degree <felt a little tired>\n\n<3> preposition\n1 chiefly dialect : ON, IN, AT\n2 : in, to, or for each <twice a week> <five dollars a dozen>\n\n<4> verb\narchaic : HAVE <I might a had husbands afore now John Bunyan>\n\n<5> preposition\n: OF often attached to the preceding word <kinda> <lotta>\n\n<6> abbreviation\nabsent, acceleration, acre, adult, alto, anode, answer, ante, anterior, are, area, atto-, author


Words: aardvark
Meaning:
noun\n: a large burrowing nocturnal ungulate mammal (Orycteropus afer) of sub-Saharan Africa that has a long snout, extensile tongue, powerful claws, large ears, and heavy tail and feeds especially on termites and ants


Words: aback
Meaning:
adverb\n1 archaic : BACKWARD, BACK\n2 : in a position to catch the wind upon the forward surface of a square sail\n3 : by surprise : UNAWARES <was taken aback by her sharp retort>


Words: abacus
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an instrument for performing calculations by sliding counters along rods or in grooves\n2 : a slab that forms the uppermost member or division of the capital of a column


Words: abalone
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a genus (Haliotis) of edible rock-clinging gastropod mollusks that have a flattened shell slightly spiral in form, lined with mother-of-pearl, and with a row of apertures along its outer edge


Words: abandon
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 a : to give up to the control or influence of another person or agent b : to give up with the intent of never again claiming a right or interest in\n2 : to withdraw from often in the face of danger or encroachment <abandon ship>\n3 : to withdraw protection, support, or help from\n4 : to give (oneself) over unrestrainedly\n5 a : to cease from maintaining, practicing, or using <abandoned their native language> b : to cease intending or attempting to perform <abandoned the escape>\n\n<2> noun\n: a thorough yielding to natural impulses; especially : ENTHUSIASM, EXUBERANCE <with reckless abandon>


Words: abate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to put an end to <abate a nuisance> b : NULLIFY <abate a writ>\n2 a : to reduce in degree or intensity : MODERATE b : to reduce in value or amount : make less especially by way of relief <abate a tax>\n3 : DEDUCT, OMIT <abate part of the price>\n4 a : to beat down or cut away so as to leave a figure in relief b obsolete : BLUNT\n5 : DEPRIVE\nintransitive senses\n1 : to decrease in force or intensity\n2 a : to become defeated or become null or void b : to decrease in amount or value


Words: abatement
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act or process of abating : the state of being abated\n2 : an amount abated; especially : a deduction from the full amount of a tax


Words: abbreviate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n: to make briefer; especially : to reduce to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole


Words: abbreviation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act or result of abbreviating : ABRIDGMENT\n2 : a shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of the whole <amt is an abbreviation for amount>


Words: abdicate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to cast off : DISCARD\n2 : to relinquish (as sovereign power) formally\nintransitive senses : to renounce a throne, high office, dignity, or function


Words: abdomen
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis; also : the cavity of this part of the trunk containing the chief viscera\n2 : the posterior section of the body behind the thorax in an arthropod see INSECT illustration


Words: abduct
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to carry off (as a person) by force\n2 : to draw or spread away (as a limb or the fingers) from a position near or parallel to the median axis of the body or from the axis of a limb


Words: abeam
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n: off to the side of a ship or plane especially at a right angle to the middle of the ship or plane’s length


Words: abecedarian
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: one learning the rudiments of something (as the alphabet)\n\n<2> adjective\n1 a : of or relating to the alphabet b : alphabetically arranged\n2 : RUDIMENTARY


Words: aberration
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the fact or an instance of being aberrant especially from a moral standard or normal state\n2 : failure of a mirror, refracting surface, or lens to produce exact point-to-point correspondence between an object and its image\n3 : unsoundness or disorder of the mind\n4 : a small periodic change of apparent position in celestial bodies due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer\n5 : an aberrant individual


Words: abet
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to actively second and encourage (as an activity or plan) : FORWARD\n2 : to assist or support in the achievement of a purpose <abetted the thief in his getaway>


Words: abeyance
Meaning:
noun\n1 : temporary inactivity : SUSPENSION\n2 : a lapse in succession during which there is no person in whom a title is vested


Words: abhorrent
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a archaic : strongly opposed b : feeling or showing abhorrence\n2 : not agreeable : CONTRARY <a notion abhorrent to their philosophy>\n3 : being so repugnant as to stir up positive antagonism <acts abhorrent to every right-minded person>


Words: abide
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to wait for : AWAIT\n2 a : to endure without yielding : WITHSTAND b : to bear patiently : TOLERATE <cannot abide such bigots>\n3 : to accept without objection <will abide your decision>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to remain stable or fixed in a state\n2 : to continue in a place : SOJOURN


Words: ability
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the quality or state of being able <ability of the soil to hold water>; especially : physical, mental, or legal power to perform b : competence in doing : SKILL\n2 : natural aptitude or acquired proficiency <children whose abilities warrant higher education>


Words: abject
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : sunk to or existing in a low state or condition <to lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fallen John Milton>\n2 a : cast down in spirit : SERVILE, SPIRITLESS <a man made abject by suffering> b : showing utter hopelessness or resignation <abject surrender>\n3 : expressing or offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit <abject flattery> <an abject apology>


Words: abjure
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 a : to renounce upon oath b : to reject solemnly\n2 : to abstain from : AVOID <abjure extravagance>


Words: ablate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to remove especially by cutting, abrading, or evaporating\nintransitive senses : to become ablated; especially : VAPORIZE 1


Words: ablative
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: of, relating to, or constituting a grammatical case expressing typically the relations of separation and source and also frequently such relations as cause or instrument\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : of or relating to ablation\n2 : tending to ablate <ablative material on a nose cone>


Words: ablaze
Meaning:
adjective or adverb\n1 : being on fire\n2 : radiant with light or emotion <his face all ablaze with excitement Bram Stoker>


Words: able
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : having sufficient power, skill, or resources to accomplish an object b : susceptible to action or treatment\n2 : marked by intelligence, knowledge, skill, or competence


Words: ablution
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the washing of one’s body or part of it (as in a religious rite) b plural : the act or action of bathing\n2 plural , British : a building housing bathing and toilet facilities on a military base


Words: abnegate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : DENY, RENOUNCE <abnegated their God>\n2 : SURRENDER, RELINQUISH <abnegated her powers>


Words: abnormal
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: deviating from the normal or average : UNUSUAL, EXCEPTIONAL <abnormal behavior>\n\n<2> noun\n: an abnormal person


Words: aboard
Meaning:
<1> adverb or adjective\n1 : ALONGSIDE\n2 a : on, onto, or within a vehicle (as a car or ship) b : in or into a group, association, or organization <her second promotion since coming aboard>\n3 baseball : on base\n\n<2> preposition\n: ON, ONTO, WITHIN <go aboard ship> <aboard a plane>


Words: abode
Meaning:
noun\n1 obsolete : WAIT, DELAY\n2 : a temporary stay : SOJOURN\n3 : the place where one abides : HOME


Words: abominable
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : worthy of or causing disgust or hatred : DETESTABLE <the abominable treatment of the poor>\n2 : quite disagreeable or unpleasant <abominable weather>


Words: aboriginal
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : being the first or earliest known of its kind present in a region <aboriginal forests> <aboriginal rocks>\n2 a : of or relating to aborigines b often capitalized : of or relating to the indigenous peoples of Australia\n\n<2> noun\n1 : ABORIGINE 1\n2 often capitalized : ABORIGINE 2


Words: aborigine
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an aboriginal inhabitant especially as contrasted with an invading or colonizing people\n2 often capitalized : a member of any of the indigenous peoples of Australia


Words: aborning
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: while being born or produced <a resolution that died aborning>\n\n<2> adjective\n: being born or produced <the aborning fiasco>


Words: abortion
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus: as a : spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus during the first 12 weeks of gestation compare MISCARRIAGE b : induced expulsion of a human fetus c : expulsion of a fetus by a domestic animal often due to infection at any time before completion of pregnancy compare CONTAGIOUS ABORTION\n2 : MONSTROSITY\n3 : arrest of development (as of a part or process) resulting in imperfection; also : a result of such arrest


Words: abound
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n1 : to be present in large numbers or in great quantity : be prevalent\n2 : to be copiously supplied <life abounded in mysteries Norman Mailer> <institutions abound with evidence of his success Johns Hopkins Magazine>


Words: about
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 a : reasonably close to <about a year ago> b : ALMOST <about starved> c : on the verge of usually used with be and a following infinitive <is about to join the army> used with a negative to express intention or determination <not about to quit>\n2 : on all sides : AROUND\n3 a : in rotation b : around the outside\n4 : HERE AND THERE\n5 : in the vicinity : NEAR\n6 : in succession : ALTERNATELY <turn about is fair play>\n7 : in the opposite direction <face about> <the other way about>\n\n<2> preposition\n1 : in a circle around : on every side of : AROUND\n2 a : in the immediate neighborhood of : NEAR b : on or near the person of c : in the makeup of <a mature wisdom about him> d : at the command of <has his wits about him>\n3 : engaged in <act as if they know what they’re about T. S. Matthews>\n4 a : with regard to : CONCERNING b : concerned with c : fundamentally concerned with or directed toward <poker is about money David Mamet>\n5 : over or in different parts of\n\n<3> adjective\n1 : moving from place to place; specifically : being out of bed\n2 : AROUND 2


Words: above
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 a : in the sky : OVERHEAD b : in or to heaven\n2 a : in or to a higher place b : higher on the same page or on a preceding page c : UPSTAIRS d : above zero <10 degrees above>\n3 : in or to a higher rank or number <30 and above>\n4 archaic : in addition : BESIDES\n5 : UPSTAGE\n\n<2> preposition\n1 : in or to a higher place than : OVER\n2 a : superior to (as in rank, quality, or degree) b : out of reach of c : in preference to d : too proud or honorable to stoop to\n3 : exceeding in number, quantity, or size : more than\n4 : as distinct from and in addition to <heard the whistle above the roar of the crowd>\n\n<3> noun\n1 a : something that is above b : a person whose name is written above\n2 a : a higher authority b : HEAVEN\n\n<4> adjective\n: written or discussed higher on the same page or on a preceding page


Words: aboveboard
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: in a straightforward manner : OPENLY\n\n<2> adjective\n: free from all traces of deceit or duplicity


Words: abrade
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to rub or wear away especially by friction : ERODE b : to irritate or roughen by rubbing\n2 : to wear down in spirit : IRRITATE, WEARY\nintransitive senses : to undergo abrasion


Words: abrasive
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a substance (as emery or pumice) used for abrading, smoothing, or polishing\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : tending to abrade\n2 : causing irritation <abrasive manners>


Words: abreast
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : beside one another with bodies in line <columns of men five abreast>\n2 : up to a particular standard or level especially of knowledge of recent developments <keeps abreast of the latest trends>


Words: abridge
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 a archaic : DEPRIVE b : to reduce in scope : DIMINISH <attempts to abridge the right of free speech>\n2 : to shorten in duration or extent <modern transportation that abridges distance>\n3 : to shorten by omission of words without sacrifice of sense : CONDENSE


Words: abroad
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : over a wide area : WIDELY\n2 : away from one’s home\n3 : beyond the boundaries of one’s country\n4 : in wide circulation : ABOUT\n5 : wide of the mark : ASTRAY


Words: abrogate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to abolish by authoritative action : ANNUL\n2 : to treat as nonexistent <abrogating their responsibilities>


Words: abrupt
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : characterized by or involving action or change without preparation or warning : UNEXPECTED <came to an abrupt stop> <an abrupt turn to the left> <an abrupt decision to retire> b : unceremoniously curt <an abrupt manner> c : lacking smoothness or continuity <an abrupt transition>\n2 : giving the impression of being cut or broken off; especially : involving a sudden steep rise or drop <abrupt hills> <a high abrupt bank bounded the stream>


Words: absence
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the state of being absent\n2 : the period of time that one is absent\n3 : WANT, LACK <an absence of detail>\n4 : inattention to present surroundings or occurrences <absence of mind>


Words: absent
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : not present or attending : MISSING\n2 : not existing : LACKING <danger in a situation where power is absent M. H. Trytten>\n3 : INATTENTIVE, PREOCCUPIED\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to keep (oneself) away\n\n<3> preposition\n: in the absence of : WITHOUT


Words: absentee
Meaning:
noun\n: one that is absent: as a : a proprietor that lives away from his or her estate or business b : one missing from work or school


Words: absenteeism
Meaning:
noun\n1 : prolonged absence of an owner from his or her property\n2 : chronic absence (as from work or school); also : the rate of such absence


Words: absentminded
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : lost in thought and unaware of one’s surroundings or actions : PREOCCUPIED; also : given to absence of mind\n2 : indicative of or resulting from preoccupation or absence of mind


Words: absinthe
Meaning:
noun\n1 : WORMWOOD 1; especially : a common European wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)\n2 : a green liqueur flavored with wormwood or a substitute, anise, and other aromatics


Words: absolute
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : free from imperfection : PERFECT b : free or relatively free from mixture : PURE <absolute alcohol> c : OUTRIGHT, UNMITIGATED <an absolute lie>\n2 : being, governed by, or characteristic of a ruler or authority completely free from constitutional or other restraint\n3 a : standing apart from a normal or usual syntactical relation with other words or sentence elements <the absolute construction this being the case in the sentence \n4 : having no restriction, exception, or qualification <an absolute requirement> <absolute freedom>\n5 : POSITIVE, UNQUESTIONABLE <absolute proof>\n6 a : independent of arbitrary standards of measurement b : relating to or derived in the simplest manner from the fundamental units of length, mass, and time <absolute electric units> c : relating to, measured on, or being a temperature scale based on absolute zero <absolute temperature>; specifically : KELVIN <10> absolute*\n7 : FUNDAMENTAL, ULTIMATE <absolute knowledge>\n8 : perfectly embodying the nature of a thing <absolute justice>\n9 : being self-sufficient and free of external references or relationships <an absolute term in logic> <absolute music>\n10 : being the true distance from an aircraft to the earth’s surface <absolute altitude>


Words: absolution
Meaning:
noun\n: the act of absolving; specifically : a remission of sins pronounced by a priest (as in the sacrament of reconciliation)


Words: absolutism
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a political theory that absolute power should be vested in one or more rulers b : government by an absolute ruler or authority : DESPOTISM\n2 : advocacy of a rule by absolute standards or principles\n3 : an absolute standard or principle


Words: absolve
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to set free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt\n2 : to remit (a sin) by absolution


Words: absorb
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to take in and make part of an existent whole <the capacity of China to absorb invaders>\n2 a : to suck up or take up <a sponge absorbs water> <charcoal absorbs gas> <plant roots absorb water> b : to take in : ACQUIRE, LEARN <convictions absorbed in youth M. R. Cohen> c : USE UP, CONSUME <the fever absorbed her strength>\n3 : to engage or engross wholly <absorbed in thought>\n4 a (1) : to receive without recoil or echo <provided with a sound-absorbing surface> (2) : ENDURE, SUSTAIN <absorbing hardships> (3) : ASSUME, BEAR <the expenses were absorbed by the company> b : to transform (radiant energy) into a different form usually with a resulting rise in temperature <the earth absorbs the sun’s rays>


Words: absorption
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the process of absorbing or of being absorbed compare ADSORPTION b : interception of radiant energy or sound waves\n2 : entire occupation of the mind <absorption in his work>


Words: abstain
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n: to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice


Words: abstemious
Meaning:
adjective\n: marked by restraint especially in the consumption of food or alcohol; also : reflecting such restraint <an abstemious diet>


Words: abstinence
Meaning:
noun\n1 : voluntary forbearance especially from indulgence of an appetite or craving or from eating some foods : ABSTENTION\n2 : habitual abstaining from intoxicating beverages


Words: abstract
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : disassociated from any specific instance <abstract entity> b : difficult to understand : ABSTRUSE <abstract problems> c : insufficiently factual : FORMAL <possessed only an abstract right>\n2 : expressing a quality apart from an object <the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract>\n3 a : dealing with a subject in its abstract aspects : THEORETICAL <abstract science> b : IMPERSONAL, DETACHED <the abstract compassion of a surgeon Time>\n4 : having only intrinsic form with little or no attempt at pictorial representation or narrative content <abstract painting>\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a summary of points (as of a writing) usually presented in skeletal form; also : something that summarizes or concentrates the essentials of a larger thing or several things\n2 : an abstract thing or state\n3 : ABSTRACTION 4a\n\n<3> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : REMOVE, SEPARATE\n2 : to consider apart from application to or association with a particular instance\n3 : to make an abstract of : SUMMARIZE\n4 : to draw away the attention of\n5 : STEAL, PURLOIN\nintransitive senses : to make an abstraction


Words: abstraction
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the act or process of abstracting : the state of being abstracted b : an abstract idea or term\n2 : absence of mind or preoccupation\n3 : abstract quality or character\n4 a : an abstract composition or creation in art b : ABSTRACTIONISM


Words: absurd
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous\n2 : having no rational or orderly relationship to human life : MEANINGLESS; also : lacking order or value\n3 : dealing with the absurd or with absurdism\n\n<2> noun\n: the state or condition in which human beings exist in an irrational and meaningless universe and in which human life has no ultimate meaning usually used with the


Words: abundant
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : marked by great plenty (as of resources) <a fair and abundant land> b : amply supplied : ABOUNDING <an area abundant with bird life>\n2 : occurring in abundance : AMPLE <abundant rainfall>


Words: abuse
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a corrupt practice or custom\n2 : improper or excessive use or treatment : MISUSE <drug abuse>\n3 obsolete : a deceitful act : DECEPTION\n4 : language that condemns or vilifies usually unjustly, intemperately, and angrily\n5 : physical maltreatment\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : to put to a wrong or improper use <abuse a privilege>\n2 obsolete : DECEIVE\n3 : to use so as to injure or damage : MALTREAT\n4 : to attack in words : REVILE


Words: abut
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to touch along a border or with a projecting part <land abuts on the road>\n2 a : to terminate at a point of contact b : to lean for support\ntransitive senses\n1 : to border on\n2 : to cause to abut


Words: abutment
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the place at which abutting occurs\n2 : the part of a structure (as an arch or a bridge) that directly receives thrust or pressure


Words: abysmal
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : having immense or fathomless extension downward, backward, or inward <an abysmal cliff> b : immeasurably great : PROFOUND <abysmal ignorance> c : immeasurably low or wretched <abysmal living conditions of the poor>\n2 : ABYSSAL


Words: abyss
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the bottomless gulf, pit, or chaos of the old cosmogonies\n2 a : an immeasurably deep gulf or great space b : intellectual or moral depths


Words: acacia
Meaning:
noun\n1 : GUM ARABIC\n2 : any of a large genus (Acacia) of leguminous shrubs and trees of warm regions with leaves pinnate or reduced to phyllodes and white or yellow flower clusters


Words: academe
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a place of instruction : SCHOOL b : the academic life, community, or world <in the halls of academe>\n2 : ACADEMIC; especially : PEDANT


Words: academic
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a member of an institution of learning\n2 : one who is academic in background, outlook, or methods\n3 plural : academic subjects\n\n<2> adjective\n1 a : of, relating to, or associated with an academy or school especially of higher learning b : of or relating to performance in academic courses <academic excellence> c : very learned but inexperienced in practical matters <academic thinkers> d : based on formal study especially at an institution of higher learning\n2 : of or relating to literary or artistic rather than technical or professional studies\n3 a : THEORETICAL, SPECULATIVE <an academic question> b : having no practical or useful significance\n4 : conforming to the traditions or rules of a school (as of literature or art) or an official academy : CONVENTIONAL


Words: academician
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a member of an academy for promoting science, art, or literature b : a follower of an artistic or philosophical tradition or a promoter of its ideas\n2 : ACADEMIC


Words: academicism
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the doctrines of Plato’s Academy; specifically : the skeptical doctrines of the later Academy holding that nothing can be known compare PYRRHONISM\n2 : a formal academic quality (as in art or music)\n3 : purely speculative thoughts and attitudes


Words: academy
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a school usually above the elementary level; especially : a private high school b : a high school or college in which special subjects or skills are taught c : higher education used with the <the functions of the academy in modern society>\n2 capitalized a : the school for advanced education founded by Plato b : the philosophical doctrines associated with Plato’s Academy\n3 : a society of learned persons organized to advance art, science, or literature\n4 : a body of established opinion widely accepted as authoritative in a particular field


Words: acanthus
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of a genus (Acanthus of the family Acanthaceae, the acanthus family) of prickly herbs of the Mediterranean region\n2 : an ornamentation (as in a Corinthian capital) representing or suggesting the leaves of the acanthus


Words: accede
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n1 a : to become a party (as to an agreement) b : to express approval or give consent : give in to a request or demand\n2 archaic : APPROACH\n3 : to enter upon an office or position


Words: accelerando
Meaning:
<1> adverb or adjective\n: gradually faster used as a direction in music\n\n<2> noun\n: a gradual increase in tempo


Words: accelerate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to bring about at an earlier time\n2 : to cause to move faster; also : to cause to undergo acceleration\n3 a : to hasten the progress or development of b : INCREASE <accelerate food production>\n4 a : to enable (a student) to complete a course in less than usual time b : to speed up (as a course of study)\nintransitive senses\n1 a : to move faster : gain speed b : GROW, INCREASE <inflation was accelerating>\n2 : to follow an accelerated educational program


Words: accent
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 a : to pronounce with accent : STRESS b : to mark with a written or printed accent\n2 : to give prominence to : make more prominent\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a distinctive manner of expression: as a : an individual’s distinctive or characteristic inflection, tone, or choice of words usually used in plural b : a way of speaking typical of a particular group of people and especially of the natives or residents of a region\n2 : an articulative effort giving prominence to one syllable over adjacent syllables; also : the prominence thus given a syllable\n3 : rhythmically significant stress on the syllables of a verse usually at regular intervals\n4 archaic : UTTERANCE\n5 a : a mark (as <, \n6 a : greater stress given to one musical tone than to its neighbors b : ACCENT MARK 2\n7 a : emphasis laid on a part of an artistic design or composition b : an emphasized detail or area; especially : a small detail in sharp contrast with its surroundings c : a substance or object used for emphasis\n8 : a mark placed to the right of a letter or number and usually slightly above it: as a : a double prime b : PRIME\n9 : special concern or attention : EMPHASIS <an accent on youth>


Words: accept
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to receive willingly <accept a gift> b : to be able or designed to take or hold (something applied or added) <a surface that will not accept ink>\n2 : to give admittance or approval to <accept her as one of the group>\n3 a : to endure without protest or reaction <accept poor living conditions> b : to regard as proper, normal, or inevitable <the idea is widely accepted> c : to recognize as true : BELIEVE <refused to accept the explanation>\n4 a : to make a favorable response to <accept an offer> b : to agree to undertake (a responsibility) <accept a job>\n5 : to assume an obligation to pay; also : to take in payment <we don’t accept personal checks>\n6 : to receive (a legislative report) officially\nintransitive senses : to receive favorably something offered usually used with of


Words: acceptance
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an agreeing either expressly or by conduct to the act or offer of another so that a contract is concluded and the parties become legally bound\n2 : the quality or state of being accepted or acceptable\n3 : the act of accepting : the fact of being accepted : APPROVAL\n4 a : the act of accepting a time draft or bill of exchange for payment when due according to the specified terms b : an accepted draft or bill of exchange\n5 : ACCEPTATION 2


Words: acceptation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : ACCEPTANCE; especially : favorable reception or approval\n2 : a generally accepted meaning of a word or understanding of a concept


Words: access
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : ONSET 2 b : a fit of intense feeling : OUTBURST\n2 a : permission, liberty, or ability to enter, approach, communicate with, or pass to and from b : freedom or ability to obtain or make use of c : a way or means of access d : the act or an instance of accessing\n3 : an increase by addition <a sudden access of wealth>\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to get at : gain access to <accessed the computer by phone>


Words: accessible
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : providing access\n2 a : capable of being reached <accessible by rail>; also : being within reach <fashions at accessible prices> b : easy to speak or deal with <accessible people>\n3 : capable of being influenced : OPEN\n4 : capable of being used or seen : AVAILABLE\n5 : capable of being understood or appreciated <the author’s most accessible stories> <an accessible film>


Words: accession
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : increase by something added b : acquisition of additional property (as by growth or increase of existing property)\n2 : something added : ACQUISITION\n3 : the act of assenting or agreeing\n4 a : the act of becoming joined : ADHERENCE b : the act by which one nation becomes party to an agreement already in force between other powers\n5 a : an act of coming near or to : APPROACH, ADMITTANCE b : the act of coming to high office or a position of honor or power\n6 : a sudden fit or outburst : ACCESS\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to record in order of acquisition


Words: accessory
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a person not actually or constructively present but contributing as an assistant or instigator to the commission of an offense called also accessory before the fact b : a person who knowing that a crime has been committed aids or shelters the offender with intent to defeat justice called also accessory after the fact\n2 a : a thing of secondary or subordinate importance : ADJUNCT b : an object or device not essential in itself but adding to the beauty, convenience, or effectiveness of something else <auto accessories> <clothing accessories>\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : assisting as a subordinate; especially : contributing to a crime but not as the chief agent\n2 : aiding or contributing in a secondary way : SUPPLEMENTARY\n3 : present in a minor amount and not essential as a constituent <an accessory mineral in a rock>


Words: accident
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance b : lack of intention or necessity : CHANCE <met by accident rather than by design>\n2 a : an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance b : an unexpected and medically important bodily event especially when injurious <a cerebrovascular accident> c : an unexpected happening causing loss or injury which is not due to any fault or misconduct on the part of the person injured but for which legal relief may be sought\n3 : a nonessential property or quality of an entity or circumstance <the accident of nationality>


Words: accidental
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : arising from extrinsic causes : INCIDENTAL, NONESSENTIAL\n2 a : occurring unexpectedly or by chance b : happening without intent or through carelessness and often with unfortunate results\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a nonessential property\n2 a : a note foreign to a key indicated by a signature b : a prefixed sign indicating an accidental


Words: acclaim
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : APPLAUD, PRAISE\n2 : to declare by acclamation\nintransitive senses : to shout praise or applause\n\n<2> noun\n1 : the act of acclaiming\n2 : PRAISE, APPLAUSE


Words: acclamation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a loud eager expression of approval, praise, or assent\n2 : an overwhelming affirmative vote by cheers, shouts, or applause rather than by ballot


Words: acclimatize
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to adapt to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or situation\nintransitive senses : to become acclimatized


Words: accolade
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a ceremonial embrace b : a ceremony or salute conferring knighthood\n2 a : a mark of acknowledgment : AWARD b : an expression of praise\n3 : a brace or a line used in music to join two or more staffs carrying simultaneous parts


Words: accommodate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to make fit, suitable, or congruous\n2 : to bring into agreement or concord : RECONCILE\n3 : to provide with something desired, needed, or suited (as a helpful service, a loan, or lodgings)\n4 a : to make room for b : to hold without crowding or inconvenience\n5 : to give consideration to : allow for <accommodate the special interests of various groups>\nintransitive senses : to adapt oneself; also : to undergo visual accommodation


Words: accommodation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : something supplied for convenience or to satisfy a need: as a : lodging, food, and services or traveling space and related services usually used in plural <tourist accommodations on the boat> <overnight accommodations> b : a public conveyance (as a train) that stops at all or nearly all points c : LOAN\n2 : the act of accommodating : the state of being accommodated: as a : the providing of what is needed or desired for convenience b : ADAPTATION, ADJUSTMENT c : a reconciliation of differences : SETTLEMENT d : the automatic adjustment of the eye for seeing at different distances effected chiefly by changes in the convexity of the crystalline lens; also : the range over which such adjustment is possible


Words: accompaniment
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an instrumental or vocal part designed to support or complement a melody\n2 a : an addition (as an ornament) intended to give completeness or symmetry : COMPLEMENT b : an accompanying situation or occurrence : CONCOMITANT


Words: accompany
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to go with as an associate or companion\n2 : to perform an accompaniment to or for\n3 a : to cause to be in association <accompanied their advice with a warning> b : to be in association with <the pictures that accompany the text>\nintransitive senses : to perform an accompaniment


Words: accomplish
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to bring about (a result) by effort <have much to accomplish today> <regretted that he had never accomplished a marriage for her Francis Hackett>\n2 : to bring to completion : FULFILL <we can accomplish the job in an hour>\n3 : to succeed in reaching (a stage in a progression) <would starve before accomplishing half the distance W. H. Hudson \n4 archaic a : to equip thoroughly b : PERFECT


Words: accomplished
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : proficient as the result of practice or training <an accomplished dancer> b : having many social accomplishments\n2 : established beyond doubt or dispute <an accomplished fact>


Words: accomplishment
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act of accomplishing : COMPLETION\n2 : something that has been accomplished : ACHIEVEMENT\n3 a : a quality or ability equipping one for society b : a special skill or ability acquired by training or practice


Words: accord
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to bring into agreement : RECONCILE\n2 : to grant or give especially as appropriate, due, or earned\nintransitive senses\n1 archaic : to arrive at an agreement\n2 obsolete : to give consent\n3 : to be consistent or in harmony : AGREE\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : AGREEMENT, CONFORMITY <acted in accord with the company’s policy> b : a formal reaching of agreement : COMPACT, TREATY\n2 : balanced interrelationship : HARMONY\n3 obsolete : ASSENT\n4 : voluntary or spontaneous impulse to act <gave generously of their own accord>


Words: accordion
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a portable keyboard wind instrument in which the wind is forced past free reeds by means of a hand-operated bellows\n\n<2> adjective\n: folding or creased or hinged to fold like an accordion <an accordion pleat> <an accordion door>


Words: account
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 archaic : RECKONING, COMPUTATION\n2 a : a record of debit and credit entries to cover transactions involving a particular item or a particular person or concern b : a statement of transactions during a fiscal period and the resulting balance\n3 a : a statement explaining one’s conduct b : a statement or exposition of reasons, causes, or motives <no satisfactory account of these phenomena> c : a reason for an action : BASIS <on that account must refuse>\n4 a : a formal business arrangement providing for regular dealings or services (as banking, advertising, or store credit) and involving the establishment and maintenance of an account; also : CLIENT, CUSTOMER b : money deposited in a bank account and subject to withdrawal by the depositor\n5 a : VALUE, IMPORTANCE <it’s of no account to me> b : ESTEEM <stood high in their account>\n6 : ADVANTAGE <turned her wit to good account>\n7 a : careful thought : CONSIDERATION <have to take many things into account> b : a usually mental record : TRACK <keep account of all you do>\n8 : a description of facts, conditions, or events : REPORT, NARRATIVE <the newspaper account of the fire> <by all accounts they’re well-off>; also : PERFORMANCE <a straightforward account of the sonata>\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to think of as : CONSIDER <accounts himself lucky>\n2 : to probe into : ANALYZE\nintransitive senses\n1 : to furnish a justifying analysis or explanation used with for <couldn’t account for the loss>\n2 a : to be the sole or primary factor used with for <the pitcher accounted for all three putouts> b : to bring about the capture, death, or destruction of something <accounted for two rabbits>


Words: accountable
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : subject to giving an account : ANSWERABLE\n2 : capable of being accounted for : EXPLAINABLE


Words: accountant
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : one that gives an account or is accountable\n2 : one who is skilled in the practice of accounting or who is in charge of public or private accounts\n\n<2> adjective\nobsolete : ACCOUNTABLE, ANSWERABLE <I stand accountant for as great a sin Shakespeare>


Words: accounting
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions and analyzing, verifying, and reporting the results; also : the principles and procedures of accounting\n2 a : work done in accounting or by accountants b : an instance of applied accounting or of the settling or presenting of accounts


Words: accredit
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to give official authorization to or approval of: a : to provide with credentials; especially : to send (an envoy) with letters of authorization b : to recognize or vouch for as conforming with a standard c : to recognize (an educational institution) as maintaining standards that qualify the graduates for admission to higher or more specialized institutions or for professional practice\n2 : to consider or recognize as outstanding\n3 : ATTRIBUTE, CREDIT


Words: accretion
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup: as a : increase by external addition or accumulation (as by adhesion of external parts or particles) b : the increase of land by the action of natural forces\n2 : a product of accretion; especially : an extraneous addition <accretions of grime>


Words: accrue
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to come into existence as a legally enforceable claim\n2 a : to come about as a natural growth, increase, or advantage <the wisdom that accrues with age> b : to come as a direct result of some state or action <rewards due to the feminine will accrue to me Germaine Greer>\n3 : to accumulate or be added periodically <interest accrues on a daily basis>\ntransitive senses : to accumulate or have due after a period of time <accrue vacation time>


Words: acculturation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture; also : a merging of cultures as a result of prolonged contact\n2 : the process by which a human being acquires the culture of a particular society from infancy


Words: accumulate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to gather or pile up especially little by little : AMASS <accumulate a fortune>\nintransitive senses : to increase gradually in quantity or number


Words: accuracy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : freedom from mistake or error : CORRECTNESS\n2 a : conformity to truth or to a standard or model : EXACTNESS b : degree of conformity of a measure to a standard or a true value compare PRECISION 2a


Words: accurate
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : free from error especially as the result of care <an accurate diagnosis>\n2 : conforming exactly to truth or to a standard : EXACT <providing accurate color>\n3 : able to give an accurate result <an accurate gauge>


Words: accusative
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or being the grammatical case that marks the direct object of a verb or the object of any of several prepositions\n2 : ACCUSATORY\n\n<2> noun\n: the accusative case of a language : a form in the accusative case


Words: accuse
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to charge with a fault or offense : BLAME\n2 : to charge with an offense judicially or by a public process\nintransitive senses : to bring an accusation


Words: accustomed
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : often used or practiced : CUSTOMARY <her accustomed cheerfulness>\n2 : adapted to existing conditions <eyes accustomed to the dark>\n3 : being in the habit or custom <accustomed to making decisions>


Words: ace
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a die face marked with one spot b : a playing card marked in its center with one pip c : a domino end marked with one spot\n2 : a very small amount or degree : PARTICLE\n3 : a point scored especially on a service (as in tennis or handball) that an opponent fails to touch\n4 : a golf score of one stroke on a hole; also : a hole made in one stroke\n5 : a combat pilot who has brought down at least five enemy airplanes\n6 : one that excels at something\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : to score an ace against (an opponent)\n2 : to make (a hole in golf) in one stroke\n3 : to gain a decisive advantage over : DEFEAT usually used with out\n4 : to earn a high grade on (as an examination); especially : to get an on\n\n<3> adjective\n: of first or high rank or quality


Words: acetanilide
Meaning:
noun\n: a white crystalline compound C8H9NO that is derived from aniline and acetic acid and is used especially to relieve pain or fever


Words: acetate
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a salt or ester of acetic acid\n2 : CELLULOSE ACETATE; also : something (as a textile fiber) made from cellulose acetate\n3 : a phonograph recording disk made of an acetate or coated with cellulose acetate


Words: acetone
Meaning:
noun\n: a volatile fragrant flammable liquid ketone C3H6O used chiefly as a solvent and in organic synthesis and found in abnormal quantities in diabetic urine


Words: acetylene
Meaning:
noun\n: a colorless gaseous hydrocarbon HCCH used chiefly in organic synthesis and as a fuel (as in welding and soldering)


Words: ache
Meaning:
<1> intransitive verb\n1 a : to suffer a usually dull persistent pain b : to become distressed or disturbed (as with anxiety or regret) c : to feel compassion\n2 : to experience a painful eagerness or yearning\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a usually dull persistent pain\n2 : a condition marked by aching


Words: achieve
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to carry out successfully : ACCOMPLISH <achieve a gradual increase in production>\n2 : to get or attain as the result of exertion : REACH <achieved a high degree of skill> <achieved greatness>\nintransitive senses : to attain a desired end or aim : become successful


Words: achromatic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : refracting light without dispersing it into its constituent colors : giving images practically free from extraneous colors <an achromatic telescope>\n2 : not readily colored by the usual staining agents\n3 : possessing no hue : being or involving black, gray, or white : NEUTRAL <achromatic visual sensations>\n4 : being without accidentals or modulation : DIATONIC


Words: acid
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : sour, sharp, or biting to the taste b : sharp, biting, or sour in manner, disposition, or nature <an acid individual> c : sharply clear, discerning, or pointed <an acid wit> d : piercingly intense and often jarring <acid yellow>\n2 a : of, relating to, or being an acid; also : having the reactions or characteristics of an acid <acid soil> <an acid solution> b of salts and esters : derived by partial exchange of replaceable hydrogen <acid sodium carbonate NaHCO3> c : containing or involving the use of an acid (as in manufacture) d : marked by or resulting from an abnormally high concentration of acid <acid indigestion>\n3 : relating to or made by a process (as in making steel) in which the furnace is lined with acidic material and an acidic slag is used\n4 : rich in silica <acid rocks>\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a sour substance; specifically : any of various typically water-soluble and sour compounds that in solution are capable of reacting with a base to form a salt, redden litmus, and have a p less than 7, that are hydrogen-containing molecules or ions able to give up a proton to a base, or that are substances able to accept an unshared pair of electrons from a base\n2 : something incisive, biting, or sarcastic <a social satire dripping with acid>\n3 : LSD


Words: acidosis
Meaning:
noun\n: an abnormal condition characterized by reduced alkalinity of the blood and of the body tissues


Words: acknowledge
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to recognize the rights, authority, or status of\n2 : to disclose knowledge of or agreement with\n3 a : to express gratitude or obligation for b : to take notice of c : to make known the receipt of\n4 : to recognize as genuine or valid <acknowledge a debt>


Words: acne
Meaning:
noun\n: a disorder of the skin caused by inflammation of the skin glands and hair follicles; specifically : a form found chiefly in adolescents and marked by pimples especially on the face


Words: acolyte
Meaning:
noun\n1 : one who assists the clergyman in a liturgical service by performing minor duties\n2 : one who attends or assists : FOLLOWER


Words: aconite
Meaning:
noun\n1 : MONKSHOOD\n2 : the dried tuberous root of a common monkshood (Aconitum napellus) formerly used as a sedative and anodyne


Words: acorn
Meaning:
noun\n: the nut of the oak usually seated in or surrounded by a hard woody cupule of indurated bracts


Words: acoustic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of or relating to the sense or organs of hearing, to sound, or to the science of sounds <acoustic apparatus of the ear> <acoustic energy>: as a : deadening or absorbing sound <acoustic tile> b : operated by or utilizing sound waves\n2 : of, relating to, or being a musical instrument whose sound is not electronically modified


Words: acoustics
Meaning:
noun plural\n1 singular in construction : a science that deals with the production, control, transmission, reception, and effects of sound\n2 also acoustic : the qualities that determine the ability of an enclosure (as an auditorium) to reflect sound waves in such a way as to produce distinct hearing


Words: acquaint
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to cause to know personally <was acquainted with the mayor>\n2 : to make familiar : cause to know firsthand


Words: acquaintance
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the state of being acquainted b : personal knowledge : FAMILIARITY\n2 a : the persons with whom one is acquainted <should auld acquaintance be forgot Robert Burns> b : a person whom one knows but who is not a particularly close friend


Words: acquiesce
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n: to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively often used with in and sometimes with to


Words: acquire
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to get as one’s own: a : to come into possession or control of often by unspecified means b : to come to have as a new or added characteristic, trait, or ability (as by sustained effort or natural selection) <acquire fluency in French> <bacteria that acquire tolerance to antibiotics>\n2 : to locate and hold (a desired object) in a detector <acquire a target by radar>


Words: acquirement
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a skill of mind or body usually resulting from continued endeavor\n2 : the act of acquiring


Words: acquit
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 a archaic : to pay off (as a claim or debt) b obsolete : REPAY, REQUITE\n2 : to discharge completely (as from an obligation or accusation) <the court acquitted the prisoner>\n3 : to conduct (oneself) usually satisfactorily especially under stress <the recruits acquitted themselves like veterans>


Words: acre
Meaning:
noun\n1 a archaic : a field especially of arable land or pastureland b plural : LANDS, ESTATE\n2 : any of various units of area; specifically : a unit in the U.S. and England equal to 43,560 square feet (4047 square meters) see WEIGHT table\n3 : a broad expanse or great quantity <acres of free publicity>


Words: acrid
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : sharp and harsh or unpleasantly pungent in taste or odor : IRRITATING\n2 : deeply or violently bitter : ACRIMONIOUS <an acrid denunciation>


Words: acrobat
Meaning:
noun\n1 : one that performs gymnastic feats requiring skillful control of the body\n2 a : one skillful at exercises of intellectual or artistic dexterity b : one adept at swiftly changing or adapting a position or viewpoint <a political acrobat>


Words: acrobatics
Meaning:
noun plural but singular or plural in construction\n1 : the art, performance, or activity of an acrobat\n2 : a spectacular, showy, or startling performance or demonstration involving great agility or complexity


Words: acronym
Meaning:
noun\n: a word (as NATO, radar, or snafu) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term


Words: acropolis
Meaning:
noun\n: the upper fortified part of an ancient Greek city (as Athens); also : a usually fortified height of a city or district elsewhere (as in Central America)


Words: across
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : in a position reaching from one side to the other : CROSSWISE\n2 : to or on the opposite side\n3 : so as to be understandable, acceptable, or successful <get an argument across>\n\n<2> preposition\n1 a : from one side to the opposite side of : OVER, THROUGH <swam across the river> b : on the opposite side of <lives across the street from us>\n2 : so as to intersect or pass through at an angle <sawed across the grain of the wood>\n3 : so as to find or meet <came across your football in the hall closet>\n4 a : THROUGHOUT <obvious interest across the nation Robert Goralski> b : so as to include or take into consideration all classes or categories <across differences, they insist, there can be no rational dialogue Huston Smith>\n\n<3> adjective\n: being in a crossed position


Words: acrostic
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a composition usually in verse in which sets of letters (as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet\n2 : ACRONYM


Words: act
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : the doing of a thing : DEED b : something done voluntarily\n2 : a state of real existence rather than possibility\n3 : the formal product of a legislative body : STATUTE; also : a decision or determination of a sovereign, a legislative council, or a court of justice\n4 : the process of doing : ACTION <caught in the act>\n5 often capitalized : a formal record of something done or transacted\n6 : one of the principal divisions of a theatrical work (as a play or opera)\n7 a : one of successive parts or performances (as in a variety show or circus) b : the performer or performers in such an act c : a performance or presentation identified with a particular individual or group d : the sum of a person’s actions or effects that serve to create an impression or set an example <a hard act to follow>\n8 : a display of affected behavior : PRETENSE\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to represent or perform by action especially on the stage b : FEIGN, SIMULATE c : IMPERSONATE\n2 obsolete : ACTUATE, ANIMATE\n3 : to play the part of as if in a play <act the man of the world>\n4 : to behave in a manner suitable to <act your age>\nintransitive senses\n1 a : to perform on the stage b : to behave as if performing on the stage : PRETEND\n2 : to take action : MOVE <think before acting> <acted favorably on the recommendation>\n3 : to conduct oneself : BEHAVE <act like a fool>\n4 : to perform a specified function : SERVE <trees acting as a windbreak>\n5 : to produce an effect : WORK <wait for a medicine to act>\n6 of a play : to be capable of being performed <the play acts well>\n7 : to give a decision or award <adjourned without acting on the bill>\n\n<3> abbreviation\nactive, actor, actual


Words: acting
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: the art or practice of representing a character on a stage or before cameras\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : holding a temporary rank or position : performing services temporarily <acting president>\n2 a : suitable for stage performance <an acting play> b : prepared with directions for actors <an acting text of a play>


Words: actinium
Meaning:
noun\n: a radioactive trivalent metallic element that resembles lanthanum in chemical properties and that is found especially in pitchblende see ELEMENT table


Words: action
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the initiating of a proceeding in a court of justice by which one demands or enforces one’s right; also : the proceeding itself\n2 : the bringing about of an alteration by force or through a natural agency\n3 : the manner or method of performing: a : the deportment of an actor or speaker or his expression by means of attitude, voice, and gesture b : the style of movement of the feet and legs (as of a horse) c : a function of the body or one of its parts\n4 : an act of will\n5 a : a thing done : DEED b : the accomplishment of a thing usually over a period of time, in stages, or with the possibility of repetition c plural : BEHAVIOR, CONDUCT <unscrupulous actions> d : INITIATIVE, ENTERPRISE <a man of action>\n6 a (1) : an engagement between troops or ships (2) : combat in war <gallantry in action> b (1) : an event or series of events forming a literary composition (2) : the unfolding of the events of a drama or work of fiction : PLOT (3) : the movement of incidents in a plot c : the combination of circumstances that constitute the subject matter of a painting or sculpture\n7 a : an operating mechanism b : the manner in which a mechanism or instrument operates\n8 a : the price movement and trading volume of a commodity, security, or market b : the process of betting including the offering and acceptance of a bet and determination of a winner c : an opportunity for financial gain <a piece of the action>\n9 : the most vigorous, productive, or exciting activity in a particular field, area, or group <they itch to go where the action is D. J. Henahan>


Words: activate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to make active or more active: as a (1) : to make (as molecules) reactive or more reactive (2) : to convert (as a provitamin) into a biologically active derivative b : to make (a substance) radioactive c : to treat (as carbon or alumina) so as to improve adsorptive properties d (1) : to set up or formally institute (as a military unit) with the necessary personnel and equipment (2) : to put (an individual or unit) on active duty\nintransitive senses : to become active


Words: active
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : characterized by action rather than by contemplation or speculation\n2 : producing or involving action or movement\n3 a of a verb form or voice : asserting that the person or thing represented by the grammatical subject performs the action represented by the verb <hits in \n4 : quick in physical movement : LIVELY\n5 : marked by vigorous activity : BUSY <the stock market was active>\n6 : requiring vigorous action or exertion <active sports>\n7 : having practical operation or results : EFFECTIVE <an active law>\n8 a : disposed to action : ENERGETIC <took an active interest> b : engaged in an action or activity <an active club member> c of a volcano : currently erupting or likely to erupt compare DORMANT 2a, EXTINCT 1b d : characterized by emission of large amounts of electromagnetic energy <an active galactic nucleus>\n9 : engaged in full-time service especially in the armed forces <active duty>\n10 : marked by present operation, transaction, movement, or use <active account>\n11 a : capable of acting or reacting : reacting readily <active nitrogen> b : tending to progress or to cause degeneration <active tuberculosis> c of an electronic circuit element : capable of controlling voltages or currents d (1) : requiring the expenditure of energy <active calcium ion uptake> (2) : functioning by the emission of radiant energy <radar is an active sensor>\n12 : still eligible to win the pot in poker\n13 : moving down the line : visiting in the set used of couples in contredanses or square dances


Words: activity
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the quality or state of being active\n2 : vigorous or energetic action : LIVELINESS\n3 : natural or normal function: as a : a process (as digestion) that an organism carries on or participates in by virtue of being alive b : a similar process actually or potentially involving mental function; specifically : an educational procedure designed to stimulate learning by firsthand experience\n4 : an active force\n5 a : a pursuit in which a person is active b : a form of organized, supervised, often extracurricular recreation\n6 : an organizational unit for performing a specific function; also : its function or duties


Words: actor
Meaning:
noun\n1 : one that acts : DOER\n2 a : one who represents a character in a dramatic production b : a theatrical performer c : one that behaves as if acting a part\n3 : one that takes part in any affair


Words: actual
Meaning:
adjective\n1 obsolete : ACTIVE\n2 a : existing in act and not merely potentially b : existing in fact or reality <actual and imagined conditions> c : not false or apparent <actual costs>\n3 : existing or occurring at the time : CURRENT <caught in the actual commission of a crime>


Words: actuary
Meaning:
noun\n1 obsolete : CLERK, REGISTRAR\n2 : one who calculates insurance and annuity premiums, reserves, and dividends


Words: acumen
Meaning:
noun\n: keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination especially in practical matters


Words: acute
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a (1) : characterized by sharpness or severity <acute pain> (2) : having a sudden onset, sharp rise, and short course <acute disease> b : lasting a short time <acute experiments>\n2 : ending in a sharp point: as a : being or forming an angle measuring less than 90 degrees <acute angle> b : composed of acute angles <acute triangle>\n3 a of an accent mark : having the form < b : marked with an acute accent c : of the variety indicated by an acute accent\n4 a : marked by keen discernment or intellectual perception especially of subtle distinctions : PENETRATING <an acute thinker> b : responsive to slight impressions or stimuli <acute hearing>\n5 : felt, perceived, or experienced intensely <acute distress>\n6 : seriously demanding urgent attention


Words: adagio
Meaning:
<1> adverb or adjective\n: at a slow tempo used chiefly as a direction in music\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a musical composition or movement in adagio tempo\n2 : a ballet duet by a man and woman or a mixed trio displaying difficult feats of balance, lifting, or spinning


Words: adamant
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a stone (as a diamond) formerly believed to be of impenetrable hardness\n2 : an unbreakable or extremely hard substance\n\n<2> adjective\n: unshakable or immovable especially in opposition : UNYIELDING


Words: adapt
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to make fit (as for a specific or new use or situation) often by modification\nintransitive senses : to become adapted


Words: add
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to join or unite so as to bring about an increase or improvement <adds 60 acres to his land> <wine adds a creative touch to cooking>\n2 : to say further : APPEND\n3 : to combine (numbers) into an equivalent simple quantity or number\n4 : to include as a member of a group <don’t forget to add me in>\nintransitive senses\n1 a : to perform addition b : to come together or unite by addition\n2 a : to serve as an addition <the movie will add to his fame> b : to make an addition <added to her savings>


Words: addendum
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a thing added : ADDITION\n2 : a supplement to a book often used in plural but sing. in constr.


Words: adder
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : the common venomous viper (Vipera berus) of Europe; broadly : a terrestrial viper (family Viperidae)\n2 : any of several No. American snakes (as the hognose snakes) that are harmless but are popularly believed to be venomous\n\n<2> noun\n: one that adds; especially : a device (as in a computer) that performs addition


Words: addict
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively <addicted to gambling>\n2 : to cause addiction to a substance in\n\n<2> noun\n1 : one who is addicted to a substance\n2 : DEVOTEE <a detective novel addict>


Words: addiction
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the quality or state of being addicted <addiction to reading>\n2 : compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly : persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful


Words: addition
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a part added (as to a building or residential section)\n2 : the result of adding : INCREASE\n3 : the act or process of adding; especially : the operation of combining numbers so as to obtain an equivalent simple quantity\n4 : direct chemical combination of substances into a single product


Words: addle
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 of an egg : ROTTEN\n2 : CONFUSED\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses : to throw into confusion : CONFOUND\nintransitive senses\n1 : to become rotten : SPOIL\n2 : to become confused


Words: address
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 archaic a : DIRECT, AIM b : to direct to go : SEND\n2 a : to direct the efforts or attention of (oneself) <will address himself to the problem> b : to deal with : TREAT <intrigued by the chance to address important issues I. L. Horowitz>\n3 archaic : to make ready; especially : DRESS\n4 a : to communicate directly <addresses his thanks to his host> b : to speak or write directly to; especially : to deliver a formal speech to\n5 a : to mark directions for delivery on <address a letter> b : to consign to the care of another (as an agent or factor)\n6 : to greet by a prescribed form\n7 : to adjust the club preparatory to hitting (a golf ball)\n8 : to identify (as a peripheral or memory location) by an address or a name for information transfer\nintransitive senses , obsolete : to direct one’s speech or attentions\n\n<2> noun\n1 : dutiful and courteous attention especially in courtship usually used in plural\n2 a : readiness and capability for dealing (as with a person or problem) skillfully and smoothly : ADROITNESS b obsolete : a making ready; also : a state of preparedness\n3 a : manner of bearing oneself <a man of rude address> b : manner of speaking or singing : DELIVERY\n4 : a formal communication; especially : a prepared speech delivered to a special audience or on a special occasion\n5 a : a place where a person or organization may be communicated with b : directions for delivery on the outside of an object (as a letter or package) c : the designation of place of delivery placed between the heading and salutation on a business letter\n6 : a preparatory position of the player and club in golf\n7 : a location (as in the memory of a computer) where particular information is stored; also : the digits that identify such a location


Words: adenoid
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: an enlarged mass of lymphoid tissue at the back of the pharynx characteristically obstructing breathing usually used in plural\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : of or relating to the adenoids\n2 : relating to, affected with, or associated with abnormally enlarged adenoids <a severe adenoid condition> <adenoid facies>


Words: adept
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a highly skilled or well-trained individual : EXPERT <an adept at chess>\n\n<2> adjective\n: thoroughly proficient : EXPERT


Words: adequate
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : sufficient for a specific requirement <adequate taxation of goods>; also : barely sufficient or satisfactory <her first performance was merely adequate>\n2 : lawfully and reasonably sufficient


Words: adhere
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to give support or maintain loyalty\n2 obsolete : ACCORD 3\n3 : to hold fast or stick by or as if by gluing, suction, grasping, or fusing\n4 : to bind oneself to observance\ntransitive senses : to cause to stick fast


Words: adhesion
Meaning:
noun\n1 : steady or firm attachment : ADHERENCE\n2 : the action or state of adhering\n3 : the abnormal union of separate tissue surfaces by new fibrous tissue resulting from an inflammatory process; also : the newly formed uniting tissue\n4 : agreement to join <adhesion of all nations to a copyright convention>\n5 : the molecular attraction exerted between the surfaces of bodies in contact


Words: adhesive
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : tending to remain in association or memory\n2 : tending to adhere or cause adherence\n3 : prepared for adhering\n\n<2> noun\n1 : an adhesive substance (as glue or cement)\n2 : a postage stamp with a gummed back


Words: adjacent
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : not distant : NEARBY <the city and adjacent suburbs> b : having a common endpoint or border <adjacent lots> <adjacent sides of a triangle> c : immediately preceding or following\n2 of two angles : having the vertex and one side in common


Words: adjective
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or functioning as an adjective <an adjective clause>\n2 : not standing by itself : DEPENDENT\n3 : requiring or employing a mordant <adjective dyes>\n4 : PROCEDURAL <adjective law>\n\n<2> noun\n: a word belonging to one of the major form classes in any of numerous languages and typically serving as a modifier of a noun to denote a quality of the thing named, to indicate its quantity or extent, or to specify a thing as distinct from something else


Words: adjoin
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to add or attach by joining\n2 : to lie next to or in contact with\nintransitive senses : to be close to or in contact with one another


Words: adjourn
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to suspend indefinitely or until a later stated time\nintransitive senses\n1 : to suspend a session indefinitely or to another time or place\n2 : to move to another place


Words: adjudge
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 a : to decide or rule upon as a judge : ADJUDICATE b : to pronounce judicially : RULE\n2 archaic : SENTENCE, CONDEMN\n3 : to hold or pronounce to be : DEEM <adjudge the book a success>\n4 : to award or grant judicially in a case of controversy


Words: adjunct
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : something joined or added to another thing but not essentially a part of it\n2 a : a word or word group that qualifies or completes the meaning of another word or other words and is not itself a main structural element in its sentence b : an adverb or adverbial (as heartily in <Most children eat heartily> or at noon in <We will leave at noon>) attached to the verb of a clause especially to express a relation of time, place, frequency, degree, or manner compare DISJUNCT 2\n3 : an associate or assistant of another\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : added or joined as an accompanying object or circumstance\n2 : attached in a subordinate or temporary capacity to a staff <an adjunct psychiatrist>


Words: adjure
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to command solemnly under or as if under oath or penalty of a curse\n2 : to urge or advise earnestly


Words: adjust
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to bring to a more satisfactory state: (1) : SETTLE, RESOLVE (2) : RECTIFY b : to make correspondent or conformable : ADAPT c : to bring the parts of to a true or more effective relative position <adjust a carburetor>\n2 : to reduce to a system : REGULATE\n3 : to determine the amount to be paid under an insurance policy in settlement of (a loss)\nintransitive senses\n1 : to adapt or conform oneself (as to new conditions)\n2 : to achieve mental and behavioral balance between one’s own needs and the demands of others


Words: adjutant
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a staff officer in the army, air force, or marine corps who assists the commanding officer and is responsible especially for correspondence\n2 : one who helps : ASSISTANT


Words: adjuvant
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : serving to aid or contribute : AUXILIARY\n2 : assisting in the prevention, amelioration, or cure of disease <adjuvant chemotherapy following surgery>\n\n<2> noun\n: one that helps or facilitates: as a : an ingredient (as in a prescription or a solution) that modifies the action of the principal ingredient b : something (as a drug or method) that enhances the effectiveness of medical treatment c : a substance enhancing the immune response to an antigen


Words: administer
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to manage or supervise the execution, use, or conduct of <administer a trust fund>\n2 a : to mete out : DISPENSE <administer punishment> b : to give ritually <administer the last rites> c : to give remedially <administer a dose of medicine>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to perform the office of administrator\n2 : to furnish a benefit : MINISTER <administer to an ailing friend>\n3 : to manage affairs


Words: administration
Meaning:
noun\n1 : performance of executive duties : MANAGEMENT\n2 : the act or process of administering\n3 : the execution of public affairs as distinguished from policy-making\n4 a : a body of persons who administer b often capitalized : a group constituting the political executive in a presidential government c : a governmental agency or board\n5 : the term of office of an administrative officer or body


Words: administrator
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a person legally vested with the right of administration of an estate\n2 a : one that administers especially business, school, or governmental affairs b : a priest appointed to administer a diocese or parish temporarily


Words: admiral
Meaning:
noun\n1 archaic : the commander in chief of a navy\n2 a : FLAG OFFICER b : a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard who ranks above a vice admiral and whose insignia is four stars compare GENERAL\n3 archaic : FLAGSHIP\n4 : any of several brightly colored butterflies (family Nymphalidae)


Words: admiralty
Meaning:
noun\n1 capitalized : the executive department or officers formerly having general authority over British naval affairs\n2 : the court having jurisdiction over questions of maritime law; also : the system of law administered by admiralty courts


Words: admire
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 archaic : to marvel at\n2 : to regard with admiration\nintransitive senses , dialect : to like very much <I would admire to know why not A. H. Lewis>


Words: admissible
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : capable of being allowed or conceded : PERMISSIBLE <evidence legally admissible in court>\n2 : capable or worthy of being admitted <admissible to the university>


Words: admission
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the act or process of admitting b : the state or privilege of being admitted c : a fee paid at or for admission\n2 a : the granting of an argument or position not fully proved b : acknowledgment that a fact or statement is true


Words: admit
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to allow scope for : PERMIT <admits no possibility of misunderstanding> b : to concede as true or valid <admitted making a mistake>\n2 : to allow entry (as to a place, fellowship, or privilege) <an open window had admitted rain> <admitted to the club>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to give entrance or access\n2 a : ALLOW, PERMIT <admits of two interpretations> b : to make acknowledgment used with to


Words: admittance
Meaning:
noun\n1 : permission to enter (as a place or office) : ENTRANCE\n2 : the reciprocal of the impedance of a circuit


Words: admixture
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the action of mixing b : the fact of being mixed\n2 a : something added by mixing b : a product of mixing : MIXTURE


Words: admonish
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 a : to indicate duties or obligations to b : to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner\n2 : to give friendly earnest advice or encouragement to


Words: ado
Meaning:
noun\n1 : fussy bustling excitement : TO-DO\n2 : time-wasting bother over trivial details <wrote the paper without further ado>\n3 : TROUBLE, DIFFICULTY


Words: adobe
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a brick or building material of sun-dried earth and straw\n2 : a structure made of adobe bricks\n3 : a heavy clay used in making adobe bricks; broadly : alluvial or playa clay in desert or arid regions


Words: adolescence
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the state or process of growing up\n2 : the period of life from puberty to maturity terminating legally at the age of majority\n3 : a stage of development (as of a language or culture) prior to maturity


Words: adopt
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to take by choice into a relationship; especially : to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) as one’s own child\n2 : to take up and practice or use <adopted a moderate tone>\n3 : to accept formally and put into effect <adopt a constitutional amendment>\n4 : to choose (a textbook) for required study in a course


Words: adoptive
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : made or acquired by adoption <the adoptive father>\n2 : tending to adopt\n3 : of or relating to adoption


Words: adore
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to worship or honor as a deity or as divine\n2 : to regard with loving admiration and devotion <adored his daughter>\n3 : to be extremely fond of <adores pecan pie>


Words: adorn
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to enhance the appearance of especially with beautiful objects\n2 : to enliven or decorate as if with ornaments <people of fashion who adorned the Court>


Words: adrenal
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: of, relating to, or derived from the adrenal glands or their secretions <adrenal steroids>\n\n<2> noun\n: ADRENAL GLAND


Words: adrift
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : without motive power and without anchor or mooring\n2 : without ties, guidance, or security\n3 : free from restraint or support


Words: adroit
Meaning:
adjective\n: having or showing skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations <an adroit leader>


Words: adsorb
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to take up and hold by adsorption\nintransitive senses : to become adsorbed


Words: adult
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : fully developed and mature : GROWN-UP\n2 : of, relating to, intended for, or befitting adults <an adult approach to a problem>\n3 : dealing in or with explicitly sexual material <adult bookstores> <adult movies>\n\n<2> noun\n: one that is adult; especially : a human being after an age (as 21) specified by law


Words: adulterate
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n: to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or inferior substance or element; especially : to prepare for sale by replacing more valuable with less valuable or inert ingredients\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : tainted with adultery : ADULTEROUS\n2 : being adulterated : SPURIOUS


Words: adultery
Meaning:
noun\n: voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and someone other than his wife or between a married woman and someone other than her husband; also : an act of adultery


Words: adumbrate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to foreshadow vaguely : INTIMATE\n2 a : to give a sketchy representation or outline of b : to suggest or disclose partially\n3 : OVERSHADOW, OBSCURE


Words: advance
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to accelerate the growth or progress of\n2 : to bring or move forward\n3 : to raise to a higher rank\n4 archaic : to lift up : RAISE\n5 a : to bring forward in time; especially : to make earlier <advance the date of the meeting> b : to place later in time\n6 : to bring forward for notice, consideration, or acceptance : PROPOSE\n7 : to supply or furnish in expectation of repayment\n8 : to raise in rate : INCREASE <advance the rent>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to move forward : PROCEED\n2 : to make progress : INCREASE <advance in age>\n3 : to rise in rank, position, or importance\n4 : to rise in rate or price\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a moving forward\n2 a : progress in development <mistaking material advance for spiritual enrichment H. J. Laski> b : a progressive step : IMPROVEMENT <an advance in medical technique>\n3 : a rise in price, value, or amount\n4 : a first step or approach made <her attitude discouraged all advances>\n5 : a provision of something (as money or goods) before a return is received; also : the money or goods supplied\n\n<3> adjective\n1 : made, sent, or furnished ahead of time <advance sales>\n2 : going or situated before <an advance party of soldiers>


Words: advantage
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : superiority of position or condition <higher ground gave the enemy the advantage>\n2 : a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor <lacked the advantages of an education>\n3 a : BENEFIT, GAIN; especially : benefit resulting from some course of action <a mistake which turned out to our advantage> b obsolete : INTEREST 2a\n4 : the first point won in tennis after deuce\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to give an advantage to : BENEFIT


Words: adventitious
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : coming from another source and not inherent or innate\n2 : arising or occurring sporadically or in other than the usual location <adventitious roots>


Words: adventure
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks b : the encountering of risks <the spirit of adventure>\n2 : an exciting or remarkable experience <an adventure in exotic dining>\n3 : an enterprise involving financial risk\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to expose to danger or loss : VENTURE\n2 : to venture upon : TRY\nintransitive senses\n1 : to proceed despite risk\n2 : to take the risk


Words: adventurer
Meaning:
noun\n1 : one that adventures: as a : SOLDIER OF FORTUNE b : one that engages in risky commercial enterprises for profit\n2 : one who seeks unmerited wealth or position especially by playing on the credulity or prejudice of others


Words: adverb
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a word belonging to one of the major form classes in any of numerous languages, typically serving as a modifier of a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a preposition, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence, expressing some relation of manner or quality, place, time, degree, number, cause, opposition, affirmation, or denial, and in English also serving to connect and to express comment on clause content compare ADJUNCT, CONJUNCT, DISJUNCT\n\n<2> adjective\n: ADVERBIAL


Words: adversary
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: one that contends with, opposes, or resists : ENEMY\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or involving an adversary\n2 : having or involving antagonistic parties or opposing interests <divorce can be an adversary proceeding>


Words: adversative
Meaning:
adjective\n: expressing antithesis, opposition, or adverse circumstance <the adversative conjunction but>


Words: adverse
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : acting against or in a contrary direction : HOSTILE <hindered by adverse winds>\n2 a : opposed to one’s interests <an adverse verdict> <heard testimony adverse to their position>; especially : UNFAVORABLE <adverse criticism> b : causing harm : HARMFUL <adverse drug effects>\n3 archaic : opposite in position


Words: advert
Meaning:
<1> intransitive verb\n1 : to turn the mind or attention used with to <adverted to the speaker>\n2 : to call attention in the course of speaking or writing : make reference used with to <adverted to foreign-language sources>\n\n<2> noun\nchiefly British : ADVERTISEMENT


Words: advertise
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to make something known to : NOTIFY\n2 a : to make publicly and generally known <advertising their readiness to make concessions> b : to announce publicly especially by a printed notice or a broadcast c : to call public attention to especially by emphasizing desirable qualities so as to arouse a desire to buy or patronize : PROMOTE\nintransitive senses : to issue or sponsor advertising


Words: advertisement
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act or process of advertising\n2 : a public notice; especially : one published in the press or broadcast over the air


Words: advertising
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the action of calling something to the attention of the public especially by paid announcements\n2 : ADVERTISEMENTS <the magazine contains much advertising>\n3 : the business of preparing advertisements for publication or broadcast


Words: advice
Meaning:
noun\n1 : recommendation regarding a decision or course of conduct : COUNSEL <he shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties U.S. Constitution>\n2 : information or notice given usually used in plural\n3 : an official notice concerning a business transaction


Words: advise
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to give advice to : COUNSEL <advise her to try a drier climate> b : CAUTION, WARN <advise them of the consequences> c : RECOMMEND <advise prudence>\n2 : to give information or notice to : INFORM <advise them of their rights>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to give advice <advise on legal matters>\n2 : to take counsel : CONSULT


Words: advisement
Meaning:
noun\n1 : careful consideration : DELIBERATION\n2 : the act or process of advising (as a college student)


Words: advisory
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : having or exercising power to advise\n2 : containing or giving advice\n\n<2> noun\n: a report giving information (as on the weather) and often recommending action to be taken


Words: advocate
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : one that pleads the cause of another; specifically : one that pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court\n2 : one that defends or maintains a cause or proposal\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to plead in favor of


Words: aegis
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty that was associated with Zeus and Athena\n2 a : PROTECTION <under the aegis of the constitution> b : controlling or conditioning influence <many American mothers, under the aegis of benevolent permissiveness actually neglect their children Time>\n3 a : AUSPICES, SPONSORSHIP <under the aegis of the museum> b : control or guidance especially by an individual, group, or system <acted under the court’s aegis>


Words: aeolian
Meaning:
adjective\n1 often capitalized : of or relating to Aeolus\n2 : giving forth or marked by a moaning or sighing sound or musical tone produced by or as if by the wind


Words: aeon
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an immeasurably or indefinitely long period of time : AGE\n2 a usually eon : a very large division of geologic time usually longer than an era b : a unit of geologic time equal to one billion years


Words: aerate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to supply (the blood) with oxygen by respiration\n2 : to supply or impregnate (as the soil or a liquid) with air\n3 a British : CARBONATE 2 b : to make light or sparkling


Words: aerial
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : of, relating to, or occurring in the air or atmosphere b : existing or growing in the air rather than in the ground or in water c : high in the air <aerial spires> d : operating or operated overhead on elevated cables or rails <an aerial tram>\n2 : suggestive of air: as a : lacking substance b : FANCIFUL, ETHEREAL <visions of aerial joy P. B. Shelley>\n3 a : of or relating to aircraft <aerial navigation> b : designed for use in, taken from, or operating from or against aircraft c : effected by means of aircraft <aerial transportation>\n4 : of, relating to, or gained by the forward pass in football\n\n<2> noun\n1 : ANTENNA 2\n2 : FORWARD PASS


Words: aerie
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the nest of a bird on a cliff or a mountaintop\n2 obsolete : a brood of birds of prey\n3 : an elevated often secluded dwelling, structure, or position


Words: aero
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: of or relating to aircraft or aeronautics <an aero engine>\n\n<2> abbreviation\naeronautical, aeronautics


Words: aerobic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen <aerobic respiration>\n2 : of, relating to, or induced by aerobes\n3 : involving, utilizing, or used in aerobics <an aerobic workout> <aerobic fitness>


Words: aeronautics
Meaning:
noun plural but singular in construction\n1 : a science dealing with the operation of aircraft\n2 : the art or science of flight


Words: aerosol
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in gas <smoke, fog, and mist are aerosols>\n2 : a substance (as an insecticide or cosmetic) dispensed from a pressurized container especially as an aerosol; also : the container for this


Words: aerospace
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : space comprising the earth’s atmosphere and the space beyond\n2 : a physical science that deals with aerospace\n3 : the aerospace industry\n\n<2> adjective\n: of or relating to aerospace, to vehicles used in aerospace or the manufacture of such vehicles, or to travel in aerospace <aerospace research> <aerospace profits> <aerospace medicine>


Words: aesthetic
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : of, relating to, or dealing with aesthetics or the beautiful <aesthetic theories> b : ARTISTIC <a work of aesthetic value> c : pleasing in appearance : ATTRACTIVE <easy-to-use keyboards, clear graphics, and other ergonomic and aesthetic features Mark Mehler>\n2 : appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful; also : responsive to or appreciative of what is pleasurable to the senses\n\n<2> noun\n1 plural but singular or plural in construction : a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste and with the creation and appreciation of beauty\n2 : a particular theory or conception of beauty or art : a particular taste for or approach to what is pleasing to the senses and especially sight <modernist aesthetics> <staging new ballets which reflected the aesthetic of the new nation Mary Clarke Clement Crisp>\n3 plural : a pleasing appearance or effect : BEAUTY <appreciated the aesthetics of the gemstones>


Words: afar
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: from, to, or at a great distance <roamed afar>\n\n<2> noun\n: a great distance <saw him from afar>


Words: affable
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : being pleasant and at ease in talking to others\n2 : characterized by ease and friendliness


Words: affair
Meaning:
noun\n1 a plural : commercial, professional, public, or personal business b : MATTER, CONCERN\n2 : a procedure, action, or occasion only vaguely specified; also : an object or collection of objects only vaguely specified <their house was a 2-story affair>\n3 also affaire a : a romantic or passionate attachment typically of limited duration : LIAISON 2b b : a matter occasioning public anxiety, controversy, or scandal : CASE


Words: affect
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 obsolete : FEELING, AFFECTION\n2 : the conscious subjective aspect of an emotion considered apart from bodily changes\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 archaic : to aim at\n2 a archaic : to have affection for b : to be given to : FANCY <affect flashy clothes>\n3 : to make a display of liking or using : CULTIVATE <affect a worldly manner>\n4 : to put on a pretense of : FEIGN <affect indifference, though deeply hurt>\n5 : to tend toward <drops of water affect roundness>\n6 : FREQUENT\nintransitive senses , obsolete : INCLINE 2\n\n<3> transitive verb\n: to produce an effect upon: as a : to produce a material influence upon or alteration in <paralysis affected his limbs> b : to act upon (as a person or a person’s mind or feelings) so as to effect a response : INFLUENCE


Words: affectation
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the act of taking on or displaying an attitude or mode of behavior not natural to oneself or not genuinely felt b : speech or conduct not natural to oneself : ARTIFICIALITY\n2 obsolete : a striving after


Words: affected
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : INCLINED, DISPOSED <was well affected toward her>\n2 a : given to affectation b : assumed artificially or falsely : PRETENDED <an affected interest in art>


Words: affection
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a moderate feeling or emotion\n2 : tender attachment : FONDNESS <she had a deep affection for her parents>\n3 a (1) : a bodily condition (2) : DISEASE, MALADY b : ATTRIBUTE <shape and weight are affections of bodies>\n4 obsolete : PARTIALITY, PREJUDICE\n5 : the feeling aspect (as in pleasure) of consciousness\n6 a : PROPENSITY, DISPOSITION b archaic : AFFECTATION 1\n7 : the action of affecting : the state of being affected


Words: afferent
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: bearing or conducting inward; specifically : conveying impulses toward a nerve center (as the brain or spinal cord) compare EFFERENT\n\n<2> noun\n: an afferent anatomical part (as a nerve)


Words: affiance
Meaning:
<1> noun\narchaic : TRUST, CONFIDENCE\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to solemnly promise (oneself or another) in marriage : BETROTH


Words: affidavit
Meaning:
noun\n: a sworn statement in writing made especially under oath or on affirmation before an authorized magistrate or officer


Words: affiliate
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to bring or receive into close connection as a member or branch b : to associate as a member <affiliates herself with the local club>\n2 : to trace the origin of\nintransitive senses : to connect or associate oneself : COMBINE\n\n<2> noun\n: an affiliated person or organization


Words: affinity
Meaning:
noun\n1 : relationship by marriage\n2 a : sympathy marked by community of interest : KINSHIP b (1) : an attraction to or liking for something <people with an affinity to darkness Mark Twain> <pork and fennel have a natural affinity for each other Abby Mandel> (2) : an attractive force between substances or particles that causes them to enter into and remain in chemical combination c : a person especially of the opposite sex having a particular attraction for one\n3 a : likeness based on relationship or causal connection <found an affinity between the teller of a tale and the craftsman Mary McCarthy> <this investigation, with affinities to a case history, a psychoanalysis, a detective story Oliver Sacks> b : a relation between biological groups involving resemblance in structural plan and indicating a common origin


Words: affirm
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : VALIDATE, CONFIRM b : to state positively\n2 : to assert (as a judgment or decree) as valid or confirmed\n3 : to express dedication to\nintransitive senses\n1 : to testify or declare by affirmation as distinguished from swearing an oath\n2 : to uphold a judgment or decree of a lower court


Words: affirmative
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : asserting a predicate of a subject\n2 : asserting that the fact is so\n3 : POSITIVE <affirmative approach>\n4 : favoring or supporting a proposition or motion\n\n<2> noun\n1 : an expression (as the word yes) of affirmation or assent\n2 : an affirmative proposition\n3 : the side that upholds the proposition stated in a debate


Words: affix
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to attach physically <affix a stamp to a letter>\n2 : to attach in any way : ADD, APPEND <affix a signature to a document>\n3 : IMPRESS <affixed my seal>\n\n<2> noun\n1 : one or more sounds or letters occurring as a bound form attached to the beginning or end of a word, base, or phrase or inserted within a word or base and serving to produce a derivative word or an inflectional form\n2 : APPENDAGE


Words: afflict
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 obsolete a : HUMBLE b : OVERTHROW\n2 a : to distress so severely as to cause persistent suffering or anguish b : TROUBLE, INJURE


Words: affluence
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an abundant flow or supply : PROFUSION b : abundance of property : WEALTH\n2 : a flowing to or toward a point : INFLUX


Words: afford
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 a : to manage to bear without serious detriment <you can’t afford to neglect your health> b : to be able to bear the cost of <can’t afford to be out of work long> <able to afford a new car>\n2 : to make available, give forth, or provide naturally or inevitably <the sun affords warmth to the earth> <the roof afforded a fine view>


Words: affront
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 a : to insult especially to the face by behavior or language b : to cause offense to <a system of law about both family and marriage that affronted lay society J. H. Mundy>\n2 a : to face in defiance : CONFRONT <affront death> b obsolete : to encounter face-to-face\n3 : to appear directly before\n\n<2> noun\n1 obsolete : a hostile encounter\n2 : a deliberate offense : INSULT <an affront to his dignity>


Words: aficionado
Meaning:
noun\n: a person who likes, knows about, and appreciates a usually fervently pursued interest or activity : DEVOTEE <aficionados of the bullfight> <movie aficionados>


Words: afield
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : to, in, or on the field <was weak at bat but strong afield>\n2 : away from home : ABROAD\n3 : out of the way : ASTRAY <irrelevant remarks that carried us far afield>


Words: afloat
Meaning:
adjective or adverb\n1 a : borne on or as if on the water b : being at sea\n2 : free of difficulties : SELF-SUFFICIENT <the inheritance kept them afloat for years>\n3 a : circulating about <nasty stories were afloat> b : ADRIFT


Words: aflutter
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : being in a flutter : FLUTTERING\n2 : nervously excited\n3 : filled with or marked by the presence of fluttering things <roofs aflutter with flags>


Words: afoot
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : on foot\n2 : in the process of development : UNDER WAY <something out of the ordinary was afoot Hamilton Basso>


Words: afraid
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : filled with fear or apprehension <afraid of machines> <afraid for his job>\n2 : filled with concern or regret over an unwanted situation <I’m afraid won’t be able to go>\n3 : having a dislike for something <afraid of hard work>


Words: African
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a native or inhabitant of Africa\n2 : a person and especially a black person of African ancestry\n\n<2> adjective\n: of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent of Africa or its people


Words: Afrikaans
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a language developed from 17th century Dutch that is one of the official languages of the Republic of So. Africa\n\n<2> adjective\n: of or relating to Afrikaners or Afrikaans


Words: aft
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: near, toward, or in the stern of a ship or the tail of an aircraft : ABAFT <called all hands aft>\n\n<2> adjective\n: REARWARD, AFTER 2 <the aft decks>


Words: after
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: following in time or place : AFTERWARD, BEHIND, LATER <we arrived shortly after> <returned 20 years after>\n\n<2> preposition\n1 a : behind in place b (1) : subsequent to in time or order (2) : subsequent to and in view of <after all our advice>\n2 used as a function word to indicate the object of a stated or implied action <go after gold> <was asking after you>\n3 : so as to resemble: as a : in accordance with b : with the name of or a name derived from that of c : in the characteristic manner of d : in imitation of\n\n<3> conjunction\n: subsequently to the time when\n\n<4> adjective\n1 : later in time <in after years>\n2 : located toward the rear and especially toward the stern of a ship or tail of an aircraft\n\n<5> verbal auxiliary\nchiefly Irish used with a present participle to indicate action completed and especially just completed <the poor old man is after dying on me J. M. Synge>\n\n<6> noun\n: AFTERNOON


Words: aftercare
Meaning:
noun\n: the care, treatment, help, or supervision given to persons discharged from an institution (as a hospital)


Words: afterglow
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a reflection of past splendor, success, or emotion\n2 : a glow remaining where a light has disappeared


Words: aftermath
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a second-growth crop called also rowen\n2 : CONSEQUENCE, RESULT <stricken with guilt as an aftermath of the accident>\n3 : the period immediately following a usually ruinous event <in the aftermath of the war>


Words: afternoon
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the part of day between noon and sunset\n2 : a relatively late period (as of time or life) <in the afternoon of the 19th century>


Words: aftertaste
Meaning:
noun\n: persistence of a sensation (as of flavor or an emotion) after the stimulating agent or experience has gone


Words: again
Meaning:
adverb\n1 : in return : BACK <swore he would pay him again when he was able Shakespeare>\n2 : another time : once more : ANEW <I shall not look upon his like again Shakespeare>\n3 : on the other hand <he might go, and again he might not>\n4 : in addition : BESIDES <again, there is another matter to consider>


Words: against
Meaning:
<1> preposition\n1 a : in opposition or hostility to b : contrary to <against the law> c : in competition with d : as a basis for disapproval of <had nothing against him>\n2 a : directly opposite : FACING b obsolete : exposed to\n3 : compared or contrasted with\n4 a : in preparation or provision for b : as a defense or protection from\n5 a : in the direction of and into contact with b : in contact with\n6 : in a direction opposite to the motion or course of : counter to\n7 a : as a counterbalance to b : in exchange for c : as a charge on\n8 : before the background of\n\n<2> conjunction\narchaic : in preparation for the time when <throw on another log of wood against father comes home Charles Dickens>


Words: agape
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : LOVE FEAST\n2 : LOVE 4a\n\n<2> adjective or adverb\n1 : wide open : GAPING\n2 : being in a state of wonder


Words: agate
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a fine-grained variegated chalcedony having its colors arranged in stripes, blended in clouds, or showing mosslike forms\n2 : something made of or fitted with agate: as a : a drawplate used by gold-wire drawers b : a playing marble of agate\n3 : a size of type approximately 5 12 point


Words: agave
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a genus (Agave of the family Agavaceae, the agave family) of plants having spiny-margined leaves and flowers in tall spreading panicles and including some cultivated for their fiber or sap or for ornament


Words: age
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : the time of life at which some particular qualification, power, or capacity arises or rests <the voting age is 18>; specifically : MAJORITY b : one of the stages of life c : the length of an existence extending from the beginning to any given time <a boy 10 years of age> d : LIFETIME e : an advanced stage of life\n2 : a period of time dominated by a central figure or prominent feature <the age of Pericles>: as a : a period in history or human progress <the age of reptiles> <the age of exploration> b : a cultural period marked by the prominence of a particular item <entering the atomic age> c : a division of geologic time that is usually shorter than an epoch\n3 a : the period contemporary with a person’s lifetime or with his or her active life b : a long time usually used in plural <haven’t seen him in ages> c : GENERATION\n4 : an individual’s development measured in terms of the years requisite for like development of an average individual\n\n<2> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to become old : show the effects or the characteristics of increasing age\n2 : to acquire a desirable quality (as mellowness or ripeness) by standing undisturbed for some time <letting cheese age>\ntransitive senses\n1 : to cause to become old\n2 : to bring to a state fit for use or to maturity


Words: aged
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : grown old: as a : of an advanced age b : having attained a specified age <a man aged 40 years>\n2 : typical of old age


Words: ageless
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : not growing old or showing the effects of age\n2 : TIMELESS, ETERNAL <ageless truths>


Words: agency
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the office or function of an agent b : the relationship between a principal and his agent\n2 : the capacity, condition, or state of acting or of exerting power : OPERATION\n3 : a person or thing through which power is exerted or an end is achieved : INSTRUMENTALITY <communicated through the agency of the ambassador>\n4 : an establishment engaged in doing business for another <an advertising agency>\n5 : an administrative division (as of a government) <the agency for consumer protection>


Words: agenda
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a list or outline of things to be considered or done <agendas of faculty meetings>\n2 : an underlying often ideological plan or program <a political agenda>


Words: agent
Meaning:
noun\n1 : one that acts or exerts power\n2 a : something that produces or is capable of producing an effect : an active or efficient cause b : a chemically, physically, or biologically active principle\n3 : a means or instrument by which a guiding intelligence achieves a result\n4 : one who is authorized to act for or in the place of another: as a : a representative, emissary, or official of a government <crown agent> <federal agent> b : one engaged in undercover activities (as espionage) : SPY <secret agent> c : a business representative (as of an athlete or entertainer) <a theatrical agent>


Words: agglomerate
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n: to gather into a ball, mass, or cluster\n\n<2> adjective\n: gathered into a ball, mass, or cluster; specifically : clustered or growing together but not coherent <an agglomerate flower head>\n\n<3> noun\n1 : a rock composed of volcanic fragments of various sizes and degrees of angularity\n2 : a jumbled mass or collection : AGGLOMERATION


Words: agglutinate
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to cause to adhere : FASTEN\n2 : to combine into a compound : attach to a base as an affix\n3 : to cause to undergo agglutination\nintransitive senses\n1 : to unite or combine into a group or mass\n2 : to form words by agglutination\n\n<2> noun\n: a clump of agglutinated material (as blood cells or mineral particles in soil)


Words: aggrandize
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to make great or greater : INCREASE, ENLARGE\n2 : to make appear great or greater : praise highly\n3 : to enhance the power, wealth, position, or reputation of <exploited the situation to aggrandize himself>


Words: aggravate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 obsolete a : to make heavy : BURDEN b : INCREASE\n2 : to make worse, more serious, or more severe : intensify unpleasantly <problems have been aggravated by neglect>\n3 a : to rouse to displeasure or anger by usually persistent and often petty goading b : to produce inflammation in


Words: aggregate
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: formed by the collection of units or particles into a body, mass, or amount : COLLECTIVE: as a (1) : clustered in a dense mass or head <an aggregate flower> (2) : formed from several separate ovaries of a single flower <aggregate fruit> b : composed of mineral crystals of one or more kinds or of mineral rock fragments c : taking all units as a whole <aggregate sales>\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : to collect or gather into a mass or whole\n2 : to amount in the aggregate to : TOTAL\n\n<3> noun\n1 : a mass or body of units or parts somewhat loosely associated with one another\n2 : the whole sum or amount : SUM TOTAL\n3 a : an aggregate rock b : any of several hard inert materials (as sand, gravel, or slag) used for mixing with a cementing material to form concrete, mortar, or plaster c : a clustered mass of individual soil particles varied in shape, ranging in size from a microscopic granule to a small crumb, and considered the basic structural unit of soil\n4 : SET 21\n5 : MONETARY AGGREGATE


Words: aggregation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a group, body, or mass composed of many distinct parts or individuals\n2 a : the collecting of units or parts into a mass or whole b : the condition of being so collected


Words: aggression
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a forceful action or procedure (as an unprovoked attack) especially when intended to dominate or master\n2 : the practice of making attacks or encroachments; especially : unprovoked violation by one country of the territorial integrity of another\n3 : hostile, injurious, or destructive behavior or outlook especially when caused by frustration


Words: agile
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : marked by ready ability to move with quick easy grace\n2 : having a quick resourceful and adaptable character <an agile mind>


Words: agitate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a obsolete : to give motion to b : to move with an irregular, rapid, or violent action <the storm agitated the sea>\n2 : to excite and often trouble the mind or feelings of : DISTURB\n3 a : to discuss excitedly and earnestly b : to stir up public discussion of\nintransitive senses : to attempt to arouse public feeling <agitated for better schools>


Words: agnostic
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and prob. unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or being an agnostic or the beliefs of agnostics\n2 : NONCOMMITTAL, UNDOGMATIC


Words: agonize
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to cause to suffer agony : TORTURE\nintransitive senses\n1 : to suffer agony, torture, or anguish <agonizes over every decision>\n2 : STRUGGLE


Words: agony
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : intense pain of mind or body : ANGUISH, TORTURE b : the struggle that precedes death\n2 : a violent struggle or contest\n3 : a strong sudden display (as of joy or delight) : OUTBURST


Words: agoraphobia
Meaning:
noun\n: abnormal fear of being helpless in an embarrassing or unescapable situation that is characterized especially by the avoidance of open or public places


Words: agrarian
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of or relating to fields or lands or their tenure\n2 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of farmers or their way of life b : organized or designed to promote agricultural interests <an agrarian political party> <agrarian reforms>\n\n<2> noun\n: a member of an agrarian party or movement


Words: agree
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to concur in (as an opinion) : ADMIT, CONCEDE <agrees that he is right> b : to consent to as a course of action <agreed to sell him the house>\n2 chiefly British : to settle on by common consent : ARRANGE <I agreed rental terms with him Eric Bennett>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to accept or concede something (as the views or wishes of another) <agree to a plan>\n2 a : to achieve or be in harmony (as of opinion, feeling, or purpose) <we agree in our taste in music> b : to get along together c : to come to terms\n3 a : to be similar : CORRESPOND <both copies agree> b : to be consistent <the story agrees with the facts>\n4 : to be fitting, pleasing, or healthful : SUIT <this climate agrees with him>\n5 : to have an inflectional form denoting identity or other regular correspondence in a grammatical category (as gender, number, case, or person)


Words: agreeable
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : pleasing to the mind or senses especially as according well with one’s tastes or needs <an agreeable companion> <an agreeable change>\n2 : ready or willing to agree or consent\n3 : being in harmony : CONSONANT


Words: agreement
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the act or fact of agreeing b : harmony of opinion, action, or character : CONCORD\n2 a : an arrangement as to a course of action b : COMPACT, TREATY\n3 a : a contract duly executed and legally binding b : the language or instrument embodying such a contract


Words: agriculture
Meaning:
noun\n: the science, art, or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products : FARMING


Words: aground
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : on the ground <planes aloft and aground>\n2 : on or onto the shore or the bottom of a body of water <a ship run aground>


Words: ague
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a fever (as malaria) marked by paroxysms of chills, fever, and sweating that recur at regular intervals\n2 : a fit of shivering : CHILL


Words: ahead
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 a : in a forward direction or position : FORWARD b : in front\n2 : in, into, or for the future <plan ahead>\n3 : in or toward a more advantageous position <helped others to get ahead>\n4 : at or to an earlier time : in advance <make payments ahead>


Words: aid
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses : to provide with what is useful or necessary in achieving an end\nintransitive senses : to give assistance\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a subsidy granted to the king by the English parliament until the 18th century for an extraordinary purpose\n2 a : the act of helping b : help given : ASSISTANCE; specifically : tangible means of assistance (as money or supplies)\n3 a : an assisting person or group compare AIDE b : something by which assistance is given : an assisting device <an aid to understanding> <a visual aid>; especially : HEARING AID\n4 : a tribute paid by a vassal to his lord


Words: aide
Meaning:
noun\n: a person who acts as an assistant; specifically : a military officer acting as assistant to a superior


Words: aigrette
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a spray of feathers (as of the egret) for the head\n2 : a spray of gems worn on a hat or in the hair


Words: ail
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses : to give physical or emotional pain, discomfort, or trouble to\nintransitive senses : to have something the matter; especially : to suffer ill health\n\n<2> noun\n: AILMENT


Words: aileron
Meaning:
noun\n: a movable airfoil at the trailing edge of an airplane wing that is used for imparting a rolling motion especially in banking for turns see AIRPLANE illustration


Words: aim
Meaning:
<1> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to direct a course; specifically : to point a weapon at an object\n2 : ASPIRE, INTEND <aims to reform the government>\ntransitive senses\n1 obsolete : GUESS, CONJECTURE\n2 a : POINT b : to direct to or toward a specified object or goal <a program aimed at reducing pollution>\n\n<2> noun\n1 obsolete : MARK, TARGET\n2 a : the pointing of a weapon at a mark b : the ability to hit a target c : a weapon’s accuracy or effectiveness\n3 obsolete a : CONJECTURE, GUESS b : the directing of effort toward a goal\n4 : a clearly directed intent or purpose


Words: air
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a archaic : BREATH b : the mixture of invisible odorless tasteless gases (as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds the earth c : a light breeze\n2 a : empty space b : NOTHINGNESS <vanished into thin air> c : a sudden severance of relations <she gave me the air>\n3 probably translation of Italian aria a : TUNE, MELODY b Elizabethan Jacobean music : an accompanied song or melody in usually strophic form c : the chief voice part or melody in choral music\n4 a : outward appearance of a thing <an air of luxury> b : a surrounding or pervading influence : ATMOSPHERE <an air of mystery> c : the look, appearance, or bearing of a person especially as expressive of some personal quality or emotion : DEMEANOR <an air of dignity> d : an artificial or affected manner <put on airs>\n5 : public utterance <he gave air to his opinion>\n6 : COMPRESSED AIR\n7 a (1) : AIRCRAFT <go by air> (2) : AVIATION <air safety> <air rights> (3) : AIR FORCE <air headquarters> b : the medium of transmission of radio waves; also : RADIO, TELEVISION <went on the air>\n8 : a football offense utilizing primarily the forward pass <trailing by 20 points, the team took to the air>\n9 : an air-conditioning system\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to expose to the air for drying, purifying, or refreshing : VENTILATE often used with out\n2 : to expose to public view or bring to public notice\n3 : to transmit by radio or television <air a program>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to become exposed to the open air\n2 : to become broadcast <the program airs daily>


Words: airborne
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : done or being in the air : being off the ground: as a : carried through the air (as by an aircraft) b : supported especially by aerodynamic forces or propelled through the air by force\n2 : trained for deployment by air and especially by parachute


Words: airbrush
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: an atomizer for applying by compressed air a fine spray (as of paint or liquid color)\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to paint, treat, or alter with an airbrush


Words: airfoil
Meaning:
noun\n: a body (as an airplane wing or propeller blade) designed to provide a desired reaction force when in motion relative to the surrounding air


Words: airlift
Meaning:
noun\n: a system of transporting cargo or passengers by aircraft usually to or from an otherwise inaccessible area


Words: airman
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a civilian or military pilot, aviator, or aviation technician\n2 : an enlisted man in the air force: as a : an enlisted man of one of the three ranks below sergeant b : an enlisted man ranking above an airman basic and below an airman first class


Words: airplane
Meaning:
noun\n: a powered heavier-than-air aircraft that has fixed wings from which it derives most of its lift


Words: airport
Meaning:
noun\n: a place from which aircraft operate that usually has paved runways and maintenance facilities and often serves as a terminal


Words: airtight
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : impermeable to air or nearly so\n2 a : having no noticeable weakness, flaw, or loophole <an airtight argument> b : permitting no opportunity for an opponent to score <an airtight defense>


Words: airway
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a passage for a current of air (as in a mine or to the lungs)\n2 : a designated route along which airplanes fly from airport to airport; especially : such a route equipped with navigational aids\n3 : AIRLINE\n4 : a channel of a designated radio frequency for broadcasting or other radio communication


Words: airy
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : of or relating to air : ATMOSPHERIC b : high in the air : LOFTY <airy perches> c : performed in air : AERIAL <airy leaps>\n2 : UNREAL, ILLUSORY <airy romances>\n3 a : being light and graceful in movement or manner : SPRIGHTLY, VIVACIOUS b : ETHEREAL\n4 a : open to the free circulation of air b : having openings or spaces <airy lacework>\n5 : AFFECTED, PROUD <airy condescension>


Words: aisle
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the side of a church nave separated by piers from the nave proper\n2 a : a passage (as in a theater or railroad passenger car) separating sections of seats b : a passage (as in a store or warehouse) for inside traffic


Words: akimbo
Meaning:
adjective or adverb\n1 : having the hand on the hip and the elbow turned outward\n2 : set in a bent position <a tailor sitting with legs akimbo>


Words: akin
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : related by blood : descended from a common ancestor or prototype\n2 : essentially similar, related, or compatible


Words: alabaster
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a compact fine-textured usually white and translucent gypsum often carved into vases and ornaments\n2 : a hard compact calcite or aragonite that is translucent and sometimes banded


Words: alarm
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 usually alarum , archaic : a call to arms <the angry trumpet sounds alarum Shakespeare>\n2 : a signal (as a loud noise or flashing light) that warns or alerts; also : a device that signals <set the alarm to wake me at seven>\n3 : sudden sharp apprehension and fear resulting from the perception of imminent danger\n4 : a warning notice\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : DISTURB, EXCITE\n2 : to give warning to\n3 : to strike with fear


Words: albacore
Meaning:
noun\n: a large pelagic tuna (Thunnus alalunga) with long pectoral fins that is a source of canned tuna; broadly : any of various tunas (as a bonito)


Words: Albanian
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a native or inhabitant of Albania\n2 : the Indo-European language of the Albanian people see INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGES table


Words: albatross
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of a family (Diomedeidae) of large web-footed seabirds that have long slender wings, are excellent gliders, and include the largest seabirds\n2 a : something that causes persistent deep concern or anxiety b : something that greatly hinders accomplishment : ENCUMBRANCE


Words: albino
Meaning:
noun\n: an organism exhibiting deficient pigmentation; especially : a human being or nonhuman mammal that is congenitally deficient in pigment and usually has a milky or translucent skin, white or colorless hair, and eyes with pink or blue iris and deep-red pupil


Words: album
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a book with blank pages used for making a collection (as of autographs, stamps, or photographs) b : a paperboard container for a phonograph record : JACKET c : one or more recordings (as on tape or disc) produced as a single unit <a 2-record album>\n2 : a collection usually in book form of literary selections, musical compositions, or pictures : ANTHOLOGY


Words: albumin
Meaning:
noun\n: any of numerous simple heat-coagulable water-soluble proteins that occur in blood plasma or serum, muscle, the whites of eggs, milk, and other animal substances and in many plant tissues and fluids


Words: alchemy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold, the discovery of a universal cure for disease, and the discovery of a means of indefinitely prolonging life\n2 : a power or process of transforming something common into something special\n3 : an inexplicable or mysterious transmuting


Words: alcohol
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : ethanol especially when considered as the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors b : drink (as whiskey or beer) containing ethanol c : a mixture of ethanol and water that is usually 95 percent ethanol\n2 : any of various compounds that are analogous to ethanol in constitution and that are hydroxyl derivatives of hydrocarbons


Words: alcoholic
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : of, relating to, or caused by alcohol b : containing alcohol\n2 : affected with alcoholism\n\n<2> noun\n: a person affected with alcoholism


Words: alcoholism
Meaning:
noun\n1 : continued excessive or compulsive use of alcoholic drinks\n2 : poisoning by alcohol; especially : a complex chronic psychological and nutritional disorder associated with excessive and usually compulsive drinking


Words: alcove
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a small recessed section of a room : NOOK b : an arched opening (as in a wall) : NICHE\n2 : SUMMERHOUSE 2


Words: alder
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a genus (Alnus) of toothed-leaved trees or shrubs of the birch family that have catkins which become woody, that grow in moist ground, and that have wood used in turnery


Words: alderman
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a person governing a kingdom, district, or shire as viceroy for an Anglo-Saxon king\n2 a : a magistrate formerly ranking next below the mayor in an English or Irish city or borough b : a high-ranking member of a borough or county council in Ireland or formerly in England chosen by elected members\n3 : a member of a city legislative body


Words: ale
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an alcoholic beverage brewed especially by rapid fermentation from an infusion of malt with the addition of hops\n2 : an English country festival at which ale is the principal beverage


Words: alembic
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an apparatus used in distillation\n2 : something that refines or transmutes as if by distillation <philosophy filtered through the alembic of Plato’s mind B. T. Shropshire>


Words: alert
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency b : quick to perceive and act\n2 : ACTIVE, BRISK\n\n<2> noun\n1 : the state of readiness of those warned by an alert\n2 : an alarm or other signal of danger\n3 : the period during which an alert is in effect\n\n<3> transitive verb\n1 : to call to a state of readiness : WARN\n2 : to make aware of <alerted the public to the dangers of pesticides>


Words: alexandrine
Meaning:
noun\n: a line of verse of 12 syllables consisting regularly of 6 iambs with a caesura after the 3d iamb


Words: alfresco
Meaning:
adjective or adverb\n: taking place or located in the open air : OUTDOOR, OUTDOORS <an alfresco lunch> <an alfresco restaurant>


Words: alga
Meaning:
noun\n: a plant or plantlike organism of any of several phyla, divisions, or classes of chiefly aquatic usually chlorophyll-containing nonvascular organisms of polyphyletic origin that usually include the green, yellow-green, brown, and red algae in the eukaryotes and the blue-green algae in the prokaryotes


Words: algebra
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a generalization of arithmetic in which letters representing numbers are combined according to the rules of arithmetic\n2 : any of various systems or branches of mathematics or logic concerned with the properties and relationships of abstract entities (as complex numbers, matrices, sets, vectors, groups, rings, or fields) manipulated in symbolic form under operations often analogous to those of arithmetic compare BOOLEAN ALGEBRA


Words: alibi
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : the plea of having been at the time of the commission of an act elsewhere than at the place of commission; also : the fact or state of having been elsewhere at the time\n2 : an excuse usually intended to avert blame or punishment (as for failure or negligence)\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses : to exonerate by an alibi : furnish an excuse for\nintransitive senses : to offer an excuse


Words: alien
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : belonging or relating to another person, place, or thing : STRANGE b : relating, belonging, or owing allegiance to another country or government : FOREIGN\n2 : differing in nature or character typically to the point of incompatibility\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a person of another family, race, or nation\n2 : a foreign-born resident who has not been naturalized and is still a subject or citizen of a foreign country; broadly : a foreign-born citizen\n3 : EXTRATERRESTRIAL\n\n<3> transitive verb\n1 : ALIENATE, ESTRANGE\n2 : to make over (as property)


Words: alienate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to make unfriendly, hostile, or indifferent where attachment formerly existed\n2 : to convey or transfer (as property or a right) usually by a specific act rather than the due course of law\n3 : to cause to be withdrawn or diverted


Words: alight
Meaning:
<1> intransitive verb\n1 : to come down from something (as a vehicle): as a : DISMOUNT b : DEPLANE\n2 : to descend from or as if from the air and come to rest : LAND, SETTLE\n3 archaic : to come by chance\n\n<2> adjective\n1 chiefly British : being on fire\n2 : lighted up


Words: align
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to bring into line or alignment\n2 : to array on the side of or against a party or cause\nintransitive senses\n1 : to get or fall into line\n2 : to be in or come into precise adjustment or correct relative position


Words: alike
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: in the same manner, form, or degree : EQUALLY <was denounced by teachers and students alike>\n\n<2> adjective\n: exhibiting close resemblance without being identical <alike in their beliefs>


Words: aliment
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: FOOD, NUTRIMENT; also : SUSTENANCE <there was nothing there of conversational aliment Kingsley Amis>\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to give aliment to : NOURISH, SUSTAIN


Words: alimony
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an allowance made to one spouse by the other for support pending or after legal separation or divorce\n2 : the means of living : MAINTENANCE


Words: alive
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : having life : not dead or inanimate\n2 : still in existence, force, or operation : ACTIVE <kept hope alive>\n3 : knowing or realizing the existence of : SENSITIVE <alive to the danger>\n4 : marked by alertness, energy, or briskness\n5 : marked by much life, animation, or activity : SWARMING <streets alive with traffic>\n6 used as an intensive following the noun <the proudest boy alive>


Words: alkali
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a soluble salt obtained from the ashes of plants and consisting largely of potassium or sodium carbonate; broadly : a substance (as a hydroxide or carbonate of an alkali metal) having marked basic properties compare BASE 7a\n2 : ALKALI METAL\n3 : a soluble salt or a mixture of soluble salts present in some soils of arid regions in quantity detrimental to agriculture


Words: alkaloid
Meaning:
noun\n: any of numerous usually colorless, complex, and bitter organic bases (as morphine or codeine) containing nitrogen and usually oxygen that occur especially in seed plants


Words: alkyd
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of numerous synthetic resins that are used especially for protective coatings and in paint\n2 : a paint in which the vehicle is an alkyd resin


Words: all
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : the whole amount or quantity of <needed all the courage they had> <sat up all night> b : as much as possible <spoke in all seriousness>\n2 : every member or individual component of <all men will go> <all five children were present>\n3 : the whole number or sum of <all the angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles>\n4 : EVERY <all manner of hardship>\n5 : any whatever <beyond all doubt>\n6 : nothing but : ONLY: a : completely taken up with, given to, or absorbed by <became all attention> b : having or seeming to have (some physical feature) in conspicuous excess or prominence <all legs> c : paying full attention with <all ears>\n7 dialect : used up : entirely consumed used especially of food and drink\n8 : being more than one person or thing <who all is coming>\n\n<2> adverb\n1 a : WHOLLY, QUITE <sat all alone> often used as an intensive <all out of proportion> <all over the yard> b : selected as the best (as at a sport) within an area or organization used in combination <all-league halfback>\n2 obsolete : ONLY, EXCLUSIVELY\n3 archaic : JUST\n4 : so much <all the better for it>\n5 : for each side : APIECE <the score is two all>\n\n<3> pronoun\n1 : the whole number, quantity, or amount : TOTALITY <all that have> <all of us> <all of the books>\n2 : EVERYBODY, EVERYTHING <gave equal attention to all> <that is all>\n\n<4> noun\n: the whole of one’s possessions, resources, or energy <gave his all for the cause>


Words: allay
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to subdue or reduce in intensity or severity : ALLEVIATE <expect a breeze to allay the heat>\n2 : to make quiet : CALM\nintransitive senses , obsolete : to diminish in strength : SUBSIDE


Words: allege
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 archaic : to adduce or bring forward as a source or authority\n2 : to assert without proof or before proving <the newspaper alleges the mayor’s guilt>\n3 : to bring forward as a reason or excuse


Words: allegiance
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the obligation of a feudal vassal to his liege lord b (1) : the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government (2) : the obligation of an alien to the government under which the alien resides\n2 : devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause


Words: allegory
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence; also : an instance (as in a story or painting) of such expression\n2 : a symbolic representation : EMBLEM 2


Words: allegro
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a musical composition or movement in allegro tempo\n\n<2> adverb or adjective\n: at a brisk lively tempo used as a direction in music


Words: allergy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : altered bodily reactivity (as hypersensitivity) to an antigen in response to a first exposure <a bee venom allergy so severe that a second sting may be fatal>\n2 : exaggerated or pathological reaction (as by sneezing, respiratory embarrassment, itching, or skin rashes) to substances, situations, or physical states that are without comparable effect on the average individual\n3 : medical practice concerned with allergies\n4 : a feeling of antipathy or repugnance


Words: alleviate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n: RELIEVE, LESSEN: as a : to make (as suffering) more bearable <her sympathy alleviated his distress> b : to partially remove or correct


Words: alley
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a garden or park walk bordered by trees or bushes\n2 a (1) : a grassed enclosure for bowling or skittles (2) : a hardwood lane for bowling; also : a room or building housing a group of such lanes b : the space on each side of a tennis doubles court between the sideline and the service sideline c : an area in a baseball outfield between two outfielders when they are in normal positions\n3 : a narrow street; especially : a thoroughfare through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings\n\n<2> noun\n: a playing marble; especially : one of superior quality


Words: alliance
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the state of being allied : the action of allying b : a bond or connection between families, states, parties, or individuals <a closer alliance between government and industry>\n2 : an association to further the common interests of the members; specifically : a confederation of nations by treaty\n3 : union by relationship in qualities : AFFINITY\n4 : a treaty of alliance


Words: allied
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : having or being in close association : CONNECTED <a strong personal pride allied with the utmost probity> <two families allied by marriage>\n2 : joined in alliance by compact or treaty; specifically capitalized : of or relating to the nations united against Germany and its allies in World War or those united against the Axis powers in World War II\n3 a : related especially by common properties or qualities <heraldry and allied subjects> b : related genetically


Words: alligator
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : either of two crocodilians (genus Alligator) having broad heads not tapering to the snout and a special pocket in the upper jaw for reception of the enlarged lower fourth tooth b : CROCODILIAN\n2 : leather made from alligator hide


Words: alliterate
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to form an alliteration\n2 : to write or speak alliteratively\ntransitive senses : to arrange or place so as to make alliteration <alliterate syllables in a sentence>


Words: alliteration
Meaning:
noun\n: the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables (as wild and woolly, threatening throngs) called also head rhyme, initial rhyme


Words: allocate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to apportion for a specific purpose or to particular persons or things : DISTRIBUTE <allocate tasks among human and automated components>\n2 : to set apart or earmark : DESIGNATE <allocate a section of the building for special research purposes>


Words: allot
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to assign as a share or portion <allot 10 minutes for the speech>\n2 : to distribute by or as if by lot <allot seats to the press>


Words: allow
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to assign as a share or suitable amount (as of time or money) <allow an hour for lunch> b : to reckon as a deduction or an addition <allow a gallon for leakage>\n2 a chiefly Southern Midland : to be of the opinion : THINK b dialect : SAY, STATE c : to express an opinion usually used with as how or that\n3 chiefly Southern Midland : INTEND, PLAN\n4 : ADMIT, CONCEDE <must allow that money causes problems in marriage>\n5 a : PERMIT <doesn’t allow people to smoke in his home> b : to forbear or neglect to restrain or prevent <allow the dog to roam>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to make a possibility : ADMIT used with of <evidence that allows of only one conclusion>\n2 : to give consideration to circumstances or contingencies used with for <allow for expansion>


Words: allowance
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a share or portion allotted or granted b : a sum granted as a reimbursement or bounty or for expenses <salary includes cost-of-living allowance>; especially : a sum regularly provided for personal or household expenses <each child has an allowance> c : a fixed or available amount <provide an allowance of time for recreation> d : a reduction from a list price or stated price <a trade-in allowance>\n2 : an imposed handicap (as in a horse race)\n3 : an allowed dimensional difference between mating parts of a machine\n4 : the act of allowing : PERMISSION\n5 : a taking into account of mitigating circumstances or contingencies\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 archaic : to put on a fixed allowance (as of food and drink)\n2 archaic : to supply in a fixed or regular quantity


Words: alloy
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : the degree of mixture with base metals : FINENESS\n2 : a substance composed of two or more metals or of a metal and a nonmetal intimately united usually by being fused together and dissolving in each other when molten; also : the state of union of the components\n3 a : an admixture that lessens value b : an impairing alien element\n4 : a compound, mixture, or union of different things <an ethnic alloy of many peoples>\n5 archaic : a metal mixed with a more valuable metal to give durability or some other desired quality\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : TEMPER, MODERATE b : to impair or debase by admixture\n2 : to reduce the purity of by mixing with a less valuable metal\n3 : to mix so as to form an alloy\nintransitive senses : to lend itself to being alloyed <iron alloys well>


Words: allspice
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the berry of a West Indian tree (Pimenta dioica) of the myrtle family; also : the allspice tree\n2 : a mildly pungent and aromatic spice prepared from allspice berries


Words: allure
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n: to entice by charm or attraction\n\n<2> noun\n: power of attraction or fascination : CHARM


Words: ally
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to unite or form a connection between : ASSOCIATE <allied himself with a wealthy family by marriage>\n2 : to connect or form a relation between (as by likeness or compatibility) : RELATE\nintransitive senses : to form or enter into an alliance\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a sovereign or state associated with another by treaty or league\n2 : a plant or animal linked to another by genetic or taxonomic proximity\n3 : one that is associated with another as a helper : AUXILIARY


Words: almanac
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a publication containing astronomical and meteorological data for a given year and often including a miscellany of other information\n2 : a usually annual publication containing statistical, tabular, and general information


Words: almighty
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 often capitalized : having absolute power over all <Almighty God>\n2 : relatively unlimited in power\n3 : great in magnitude or seriousness\n\n<2> adverb\n: to a great degree : EXTREMELY <although he did not precisely starve, he was almighty hungry W. A. Swanberg>


Words: almond
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the drupaceous fruit of a small tree (Prunus dulcis syn. P. amygdalus) of the rose family with flowers and young fruit resembling those of the peach; especially : its ellipsoidal edible kernel used as a nut b : any of several similar fruits\n2 : a tree that produces almonds


Words: almost
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: very nearly but not exactly or entirely\n\n<2> adjective\n: very near but not quite <an almost failure>


Words: aloe
Meaning:
noun\n1 plural : the fragrant wood of an East Indian tree (Aquilaria agallocha) of the mezereon family\n2 a : any of a large genus (Aloe) of succulent chiefly southern African plants of the lily family with basal leaves and spicate flowers b : the dried juice of the leaves of various aloes used especially formerly as a purgative usually used in plural but sing. in constr.


Words: aloft
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : at or to a great height\n2 : in the air; especially : in flight (as in an airplane) <meals served aloft>\n3 : at, on, or to the masthead or the higher rigging\n\n<2> preposition\n: on top of : ABOVE <bright signs aloft hotels>


Words: alone
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : separated from others : ISOLATED\n2 : exclusive of anyone or anything else : ONLY\n3 a : considered without reference to any other <the children alone would eat that much> b : INCOMPARABLE, UNIQUE <alone among their contemporaries in this respect>\n\n<2> adverb\n1 : SOLELY, EXCLUSIVELY\n2 : without aid or support


Words: along
Meaning:
<1> preposition\n1 : in a line parallel with the length or direction of\n2 : in the course of\n3 : in accordance with : IN\n\n<2> adverb\n1 : FORWARD, ON <move along>\n2 : from one to another <word was passed along>\n3 a : in company : as a companion <brought his wife along> often used with with <walked to school along with her friends> b : in association used with with <work along with colleagues>\n4 a : sometime within a specified or implied extent of time usually used with about <along about July 17> b : at or to an advanced point <plans are far along>\n5 : in addition : ALSO often used with with <a bill came along with the package>\n6 : at hand : as a necessary or useful item <brought an extra one along> <had his gun along>\n7 : on hand : THERE <tell him I’ll be along to see him>


Words: alongside
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : along the side : in parallel position\n2 : at the side : close by <a guard with a prisoner alongside>\n\n<2> preposition\n1 a : along the side of b : BESIDE 1\n2 a : in company with <men she has been working alongside Richard Halloran> b : in addition to <a special category alongside the awards it annually presents Horizon>


Words: aloof
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: at a distance\n\n<2> adjective\n: removed or distant either physically or emotionally <the aloof composer neither worried nor cared about public opinion Mary Jane Matz> <he stood aloof from worldly success John Buchan>


Words: alpaca
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a domesticated mammal (Lama pacos) especially of Peru that is prob. descended from the guanaco\n2 a : wool of the alpaca b (1) : a thin cloth made of or containing this wool (2) : a rayon or cotton imitation of this cloth


Words: alpenhorn
Meaning:
noun\n: a straight wooden horn 5 to 14 feet (about 1.5 to 4.3 meters) in length used chiefly by Swiss herdsmen


Words: alpha
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet see ALPHABET table\n2 : something that is first : BEGINNING\n3 : ALPHA WAVE\n4 : ALPHA PARTICLE\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : closest in the structure of an organic molecule to a particular group or atom symbol < \n2 : socially dominant especially in a group of animals\n3 : ALPHABETIC


Words: alphabet
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a set of letters or other characters with which one or more languages are written especially if arranged in a customary order b : a system of signs or signals that serve as equivalents for letters\n2 : RUDIMENTS, ELEMENTS


Words: alphabetic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : arranged in the order of the letters of the alphabet\n2 : of, relating to, or employing an alphabet


Words: Alpine
Meaning:
adjective\n1 often not capitalized : of, relating to, or resembling the Alps or any mountains\n2 often not capitalized : of, relating to, or growing in the biogeographic zone including the elevated slopes above timberline\n3 : of or relating to a physical type characterized by a broad head, stockiness, medium height, and brown hair or eyes often regarded as constituting a branch of the Caucasian race\n4 : of or relating to competitive ski events consisting of slalom and downhill racing compare NORDIC


Words: already
Meaning:
adverb\n1 : prior to a specified or implied past, present, or future time : by this time : PREVIOUSLY <he had already left when called>\n2 used as an intensive <all right already> <enough already>


Words: altar
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a usually raised structure or place on which sacrifices are offered or incense is burned in worship\n2 : a table on which the eucharistic elements are consecrated or which serves as a center of worship or ritual


Words: alter
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to make different without changing into something else\n2 : CASTRATE, SPAY\nintransitive senses : to become different


Words: alternate
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : occurring or succeeding by turns <a day of alternate sunshine and rain>\n2 a : arranged first on one side and then on the other at different levels or points along an axial line <alternate leaves> compare OPPOSITE b : arranged one above or alongside the other\n3 : every other : every second <he works on alternate days>\n4 : constituting an alternative <took the alternate route home>\n5 : ALTERNATIVE 3\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to perform by turns or in succession\n2 : to cause to alternate\nintransitive senses : to change from one to another repeatedly <rain alternated with sun>\n\n<3> noun\n1 : ALTERNATIVE\n2 : one that substitutes for or alternates with another


Words: alternative
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : ALTERNATE 1\n2 : offering or expressing a choice <several alternative plans>\n3 : different from the usual or conventional: as a : existing or functioning outside the established cultural, social, or economic system <alternative newspaper> <alternative lifestyles> b : of, or relating to, or being rock music that is regarded as an alternative to conventional rock and is typically influenced by punk rock, hard rock, hip-hop, or folk music\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : a proposition or situation offering a choice between two or more things only one of which may be chosen b : an opportunity for deciding between two or more courses or propositions\n2 a : one of two or more things, courses, or propositions to be chosen b : something which can be chosen instead <the only alternative to intervention>


Words: altimeter
Meaning:
noun\n: an instrument for measuring altitude; especially : an aneroid barometer designed to register changes in atmospheric pressure accompanying changes in altitude


Words: altitude
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the angular elevation of a celestial object above the horizon b : the vertical elevation of an object above a surface (as sea level or land) of a planet or natural satellite c (1) : a perpendicular line segment from a vertex of a geometric figure (as a triangle or a pyramid) to the opposite side or the opposite side extended or from a side or face to a parallel side or face or the side or face extended (2) : the length of an altitude\n2 : a high level (as of quality or feeling) <the altitudes of his anger>\n3 a : vertical distance or extent b : position at a height c : an elevated region : EMINENCE usually used in plural


Words: alto
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : COUNTERTENOR b : CONTRALTO\n2 : the second highest voice part in a 4-part chorus\n3 : a member of a family of instruments having a range lower than that of the treble or soprano; especially : an alto saxophone\n\n<2> adjective\n: relating to or having the range or part of an alto


Words: altogether
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : WHOLLY, COMPLETELY <an altogether different problem>\n2 : in all : ALL TOLD <spent a hundred dollars altogether>\n3 : on the whole\n\n<2> noun\n: NUDE used with the <posed in the altogether>


Words: alum
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a potassium aluminum sulfate KAl(SO4)2y12H2O or an ammonium aluminum sulfate NH4Al(SO4)2y12H2O used especially as an emetic and as an astringent and styptic\n2 : any of various double salts isomorphous with potassium aluminum sulfate\n3 : ALUMINUM SULFATE\n\n<2> noun\n: ALUMNUS, ALUMNA\n\n<3> abbreviation\naluminum


Words: alumina
Meaning:
noun\n: the oxide of aluminum Al2O3 occurring native as corundum and in hydrated forms (as in bauxite)


Words: aluminum
Meaning:
noun\n: a bluish silver-white malleable ductile light trivalent metallic element that has good electrical and thermal conductivity, high reflectivity, and resistance to oxidation and is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust where it always occurs in combination see ELEMENT table


Words: alumna
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a girl or woman who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university\n2 : a girl or woman who is a former member, employee, contributor, or inmate


Words: alumnus
Meaning:
noun\n1 : one who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university\n2 : one who is a former member, employee, contributor, or inmate


Words: always
Meaning:
adverb\n1 : at all times : INVARIABLY\n2 : FOREVER, PERPETUALLY\n3 : at any rate : in any event <as a last resort one can always work>


Words: amain
Meaning:
adverb\n1 : with all one’s might <attacking a huge rack of beef with a cleaver, she flailed away amain Jay Jacobs>\n2 archaic a : at full speed b : in great haste\n3 archaic : to a high degree : EXCEEDINGLY <they whom favour thrive in wealth amain John Milton>


Words: amalgam
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an alloy of mercury with another metal that is solid or liquid at room temperature according to the proportion of mercury present and is used especially in making tooth cements\n2 : a mixture of different elements


Words: amaranth
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of a large genus (Amaranthus of the family Amaranthaceae, the amaranth family) of coarse herbs including forms cultivated as food crops and various pigweeds\n2 : a flower that never fades\n3 : a red azo dye


Words: amaryllis
Meaning:
noun\n: an autumn-flowering So. African bulbous herb (Amaryllis belladonna of the family Amaryllidaceae, the amaryllis family) widely grown for its deep red to whitish umbellate flowers; also : a plant of any of several related genera (as Hippeastrum or Sprekelia)


Words: amass
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to collect for oneself : ACCUMULATE <amass a great fortune>\n2 : to collect into a mass : GATHER <must select rather than simply amass details>\nintransitive senses : to come together : ASSEMBLE


Words: amateur
Meaning:
noun\n1 : DEVOTEE, ADMIRER\n2 : one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than as a profession\n3 : one lacking in experience and competence in an art or science


Words: amaze
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 obsolete : BEWILDER, PERPLEX\n2 : to fill with wonder : ASTOUND\nintransitive senses : to show or cause astonishment\n\n<2> noun\n: AMAZEMENT


Words: amazon
Meaning:
noun\n1 capitalized : a member of a race of female warriors of Greek mythology\n2 : a tall strong often masculine woman


Words: ambassador
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an official envoy; especially : a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment\n2 a : an authorized representative or messenger b : an unofficial representative <traveling abroad as ambassadors of goodwill>


Words: amber
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a hard yellowish to brownish translucent fossil resin that takes a fine polish and is used chiefly in making ornamental objects (as beads)\n2 : a variable color averaging a dark orange yellow\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : consisting of amber\n2 : resembling amber; especially : having the color amber


Words: ambergris
Meaning:
noun\n: a waxy substance found floating in or on the shores of tropical waters, believed to originate in the intestines of the sperm whale, and used in perfumery as a fixative


Words: ambidextrous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : using both hands with equal ease\n2 : unusually skillful : VERSATILE\n3 : characterized by duplicity : DOUBLE-DEALING


Words: ambient
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: existing or present on all sides : ENCOMPASSING\n\n<2> noun\n: an encompassing atmosphere : ENVIRONMENT


Words: ambiguous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : doubtful or uncertain especially from obscurity or indistinctness <eyes of an ambiguous color> b : INEXPLICABLE\n2 : capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways


Words: ambition
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : an ardent desire for rank, fame, or power b : desire to achieve a particular end\n2 : the object of ambition\n3 : a desire for activity or exertion <felt sick and had no ambition>\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to have as one’s ambition : DESIRE


Words: ambitious
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : having or controlled by ambition b : having a desire to achieve a particular goal : ASPIRING\n2 : resulting from, characterized by, or showing ambition


Words: ambivalence
Meaning:
noun\n1 : simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action\n2 a : continual fluctuation (as between one thing and its opposite) b : uncertainty as to which approach to follow


Words: amble
Meaning:
<1> intransitive verb\n: to go at or as if at an amble : SAUNTER\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : an easy gait of a horse in which the legs on the same side of the body move together b : 7RACK b\n2 : an easy gait\n3 : a leisurely walk


Words: ambrosia
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the food of the Greek and Roman gods b : the ointment or perfume of the gods\n2 : something extremely pleasing to taste or smell\n3 : a dessert made of oranges and shredded coconut


Words: ambulatory
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or adapted to walking; also : occurring during a walk\n2 : moving from place to place : ITINERANT\n3 : capable of being altered <a will is ambulatory until the testator’s death>\n4 a : able to walk about and not bedridden b : performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient <ambulatory medical care> <an ambulatory electrocardiogram>\n\n<2> noun\n: a sheltered place (as in a cloister or church) for walking


Words: ambush
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to station in ambush\n2 : to attack from an ambush : WAYLAY\nintransitive senses : to lie in wait : LURK\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a trap in which concealed persons lie in wait to attack by surprise\n2 : the persons stationed in ambush; also : their concealed position\n3 : an attack especially from an ambush


Words: amenable
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : liable to be brought to account : ANSWERABLE <citizens amenable to the law>\n2 a : capable of submission (as to judgment or test) : SUITED <the data is amenable to analysis> b : readily brought to yield, submit, or cooperate c : WILLING 1 <was amenable to spending more time at home>


Words: amend
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to put right; especially : to make emendations in (as a text)\n2 a : to change or modify for the better : IMPROVE <amend the situation> b : to alter especially in phraseology; especially : to alter formally by modification, deletion, or addition <amend the constitution>\nintransitive senses : to reform oneself


Words: amendment
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act of amending : CORRECTION\n2 : a material (as compost or sand) that aids plant growth indirectly by improving the condition of the soil\n3 a : the process of amending by parliamentary or constitutional procedure b : an alteration proposed or effected by this process <the 18th amendment>


Words: amends
Meaning:
noun plural but singular or plural in construction\n: compensation for a loss or injury : RECOMPENSE <make amends>


Words: amenity
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the quality of being pleasant or agreeable b (1) : the attractiveness and value of real estate or of a residential structure (2) : a feature conducive to such attractiveness and value\n2 : something (as a conventional social gesture) that conduces to smoothness or pleasantness of social relationships\n3 : something that conduces to comfort, convenience, or enjoyment


Words: American
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : an American Indian of No. America or So. America\n2 : a native or inhabitant of No. America or So. America\n3 : a citizen of the U.S.\n4 : AMERICAN ENGLISH\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : of or relating to America\n2 : of or relating to the U.S. or its possessions or original territory


Words: americium
Meaning:
noun\n: a radioactive metallic element produced by bombardment of plutonium with high-energy neutrons see ELEMENT table


Words: amethyst
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a clear purple or bluish violet variety of crystallized quartz that is much used as a jeweler’s stone b : a deep purple variety of corundum\n2 : a moderate purple


Words: amiable
Meaning:
adjective\n1 archaic : PLEASING, ADMIRABLE\n2 a : generally agreeable <an amiable comedy> b : being friendly, sociable, and congenial


Words: amid
Meaning:
preposition\n1 : in or into the middle of : surrounded by : AMONG\n2 a : DURING b : with the accompaniment of <resigned amid rumors of misconduct>


Words: amidships
Meaning:
adverb\n1 : in or toward the part of a ship midway between bow and stern\n2 : in or toward the middle


Words: amiss
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 a : in a mistaken way : WRONGLY <if you think he is guilty, you judge amiss> b : ASTRAY <something had gone amiss>\n2 : in a faulty way : IMPERFECTLY\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : not being in accordance with right order\n2 : FAULTY, IMPERFECT\n3 : out of place in given circumstances usually used with a negative <a few remarks may not be amiss here>


Words: ammonia
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a pungent colorless gaseous alkaline compound of nitrogen and hydrogen NH3 that is very soluble in water and can easily be condensed to a liquid by cold and pressure\n2 : AMMONIA WATER


Words: ammonite
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a subclass (Ammonoidea) of extinct cephalopods with flat spiral shells that were especially abundant in the Mesozoic age


Words: ammunition
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the projectiles with their fuses, propelling charges, or primers fired from guns b : CARTRIDGES c : explosive military items (as grenades or bombs)\n2 : material for use in attacking or defending a position <ammunition for the defense lawyers>


Words: amnesia
Meaning:
noun\n1 : loss of memory due usually to brain injury, shock, fatigue, repression, or illness\n2 : a gap in one’s memory\n3 : the selective overlooking or ignoring of those events or acts that are not favorable or useful to one’s purpose or position


Words: amnesty
Meaning:
noun\n: the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals


Words: amoeba
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a large genus (Amoeba) of naked rhizopod protozoans with lobed and never anastomosing pseudopodia, without permanent organelles or supporting structures, and of wide distribution in fresh and salt water and moist terrestrial environments; broadly : a naked rhizopod or other amoeboid protozoan


Words: amok
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a murderous frenzy that occurs chiefly among Malays\n\n<2> adverb\n1 : in a murderously frenzied state\n2 a : in a violently raging manner <a virus that had run amok> b : in an undisciplined, uncontrolled, or faulty manner <films about computers run amok People>\n\n<3> adjective\n: possessed with or motivated by a murderous or violently uncontrollable frenzy


Words: among
Meaning:
preposition\n1 : in or through the midst of : surrounded by\n2 : in company or association with <living among artists>\n3 : by or through the aggregate of <discontent among the poor>\n4 : in the number or class of <wittiest among poets> <among other things she was president of her college class>\n5 : in shares to each of <divided among the heirs>\n6 a : through the reciprocal acts of <quarrel among themselves> b : through the joint action of <made a fortune among themselves>


Words: amoral
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : being neither moral nor immoral; specifically : lying outside the sphere to which moral judgments apply <science as such is completely amoral W. S. Thompson> b : lacking moral sensibility <infants are amoral>\n2 : being outside or beyond the moral order or a particular code of morals <amoral customs>


Words: amorous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : strongly moved by love and especially sexual love <amorous women>\n2 : being in love : ENAMORED usually used with of <amorous of the girl>\n3 a : indicative of love <received amorous glances from her partner> b : of or relating to love <an amorous novel>


Words: amorphous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : having no definite form : SHAPELESS <an amorphous cloud mass> b : being without definite character or nature : UNCLASSIFIABLE <an amorphous segment of society> c : lacking organization or unity <an amorphous style>\n2 : having no real or apparent crystalline form : UNCRYSTALLIZED <an amorphous mineral>


Words: amortize
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to provide for the gradual extinguishment of (as a mortgage) usually by contribution to a sinking fund at the time of each periodic interest payment\n2 : to amortize an expenditure for <amortize intangibles> <amortize the new factory>


Words: amount
Meaning:
<1> intransitive verb\n1 a : to be equivalent <acts that amount to treason> b : to reach in kind or quality <wants her son to amount to something> <doesn’t amount to much>\n2 : to reach a total : add up <the bill amounts to 10>\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : the total number or quantity : AGGREGATE b : the quantity at hand or under consideration <has an enormous amount of energy>\n2 : the whole effect, significance, or import\n3 : a principal sum and the interest on it


Words: ampere
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the practical meter-kilogram-second unit of electric current that is equivalent to a flow of one coulomb per second or to the steady current produced by one volt applied across a resistance of one ohm\n2 : the base unit of electric current in the International System of Units that is equal to a constant current which when maintained in two straight parallel conductors of infinite length and negligible circular sections one meter apart in a vacuum produces between the conductors a force equal to 2 < 10-7 newton per meter of length


Words: amphibian
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an amphibious organism; especially : any of a class (Amphibia) of cold-blooded vertebrates (as frogs, toads, or salamanders) intermediate in many characters between fishes and reptiles and having gilled aquatic larvae and air-breathing adults\n2 : an airplane designed to take off from and land on either land or water


Words: amphibious
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : combining two characteristics\n2 a : relating to or adapted for both land and water <amphibious vehicles> b : executed by coordinated action of land, sea, and air forces organized for invasion; also : trained or organized for such action <amphibious forces>\n3 : able to live both on land and in water <amphibious plants>


Words: amphitheater
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an oval or circular building with rising tiers of seats ranged about an open space and used in ancient Rome especially for contests and spectacles\n2 a : a very large auditorium b : a room with a gallery from which doctors and students may observe surgical operations c : a rising gallery in a modern theater d : a flat or gently sloping area surrounded by abrupt slopes\n3 : a place of public games or contests


Words: amphora
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an ancient Greek jar or vase with a large oval body, narrow cylindrical neck, and two handles that rise almost to the level of the mouth\n2 : a 2-handled vessel shaped like an amphora


Words: ample
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : generous or more than adequate in size, scope, or capacity <there was room for an ample garden>\n2 : generously sufficient to satisfy a requirement or need <they had ample money for the trip>\n3 : BUXOM, PORTLY <an ample figure>


Words: amplify
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to expand (as a statement) by the use of detail or illustration or by closer analysis\n2 a : to make larger or greater (as in amount, importance, or intensity) : INCREASE b : to increase the strength or amount of; especially : to make louder c : to cause (a gene or DNA sequence) to undergo amplification\nintransitive senses : to expand one’s remarks or ideas


Words: amplitude
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the quality or state of being ample : FULLNESS\n2 : the extent or range of a quality, property, process, or phenomenon: as a : the extent of a vibratory movement (as of a pendulum) measured from the mean position to an extreme b : the maximum departure of the value of an alternating current or wave from the average value\n3 : ARGUMENT 6b


Words: amulet
Meaning:
noun\n: a charm (as an ornament) often inscribed with a magic incantation or symbol to protect the wearer against evil (as disease or witchcraft) or to aid him


Words: amuse
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a archaic : to divert the attention of so as to deceive b obsolete : to occupy the attention of : ABSORB c obsolete : DISTRACT, BEWILDER\n2 a : to entertain or occupy in a light, playful, or pleasant manner <amuse the child with a story> b : to appeal to the sense of humor of <the joke doesn’t amuse me>\nintransitive senses , obsolete : MUSE


Words: an
Meaning:
<1> indefinite article\n: 2A\n\n<2> preposition\n: 3A 2\n\n<3> conjunction\n1 : AND\n2 archaic : IF\n\n<4> abbreviation\nannum


Words: anachronism
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an error in chronology; especially : a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other\n2 : a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place; especially : one from a former age that is incongruous in the present


Words: anaconda
Meaning:
noun\n: a large semiaquatic constricting snake (Eunectes murinus) of the boa family of tropical So. America that may reach a length of 30 feet (9.1 meters); broadly : any of the large constricting snakes


Words: anaerobic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen <anaerobic respiration> b : of, relating to, or being activity in which the body incurs an oxygen debt <anaerobic exercise>\n2 : relating to or induced by anaerobes


Words: anagram
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a word or phrase made by transposing the letters of another word or phrase\n2 plural but singular in construction : a game in which words are formed by rearranging the letters of other words or by arranging letters taken (as from a stock of cards or blocks) at random\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : ANAGRAMMATIZE\n2 : to rearrange (the letters of a text) in order to discover a hidden message


Words: anal
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or situated near the anus <anal fin>\n2 a : of, relating to, characterized by, or being the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory during which the child is concerned especially with its feces b : of, relating to, characterized by, or being personality traits (as parsimony, meticulousness, and ill humor) considered typical of fixation at the anal stage of development <anal disposition> <anal neatness>\n\n<2> abbreviation\nanalogy, analysis, analytic


Words: analogous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : showing an analogy or a likeness that permits one to draw an analogy\n2 : being or related to as an analogue


Words: analogue
Meaning:
noun\n1 : something that is analogous or similar to something else\n2 : an organ similar in function to an organ of another animal or plant but different in structure and origin\n3 usually analog : a chemical compound that is structurally similar to another but differs slightly in composition (as in the replacement of one atom by an atom of a different element or in the presence of a particular functional group)\n4 : a food product made by combining a less expensive food (as soybeans or whitefish) with additives to give the appearance and taste of a more expensive food (as beef or crab)


Words: analogy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : inference that if two or more things agree with one another in some respects they will prob. agree in others\n2 a : resemblance in some particulars between things otherwise unlike : SIMILARITY b : comparison based on such resemblance\n3 : correspondence between the members of pairs or sets of linguistic forms that serves as a basis for the creation of another form\n4 : correspondence in function between anatomical parts of different structure and origin compare HOMOLOGY


Words: analysis
Meaning:
noun\n1 : separation of a whole into its component parts\n2 a : the identification or separation of ingredients of a substance b : a statement of the constituents of a mixture\n3 a : proof of a mathematical proposition by assuming the result and deducing a valid statement by a series of reversible steps b (1) : a branch of mathematics concerned mainly with functions and limits (2) : CALCULUS 1b\n4 a : an examination of a complex, its elements, and their relations b : a statement of such an analysis\n5 a : a method in philosophy of resolving complex expressions into simpler or more basic ones b : clarification of an expression by an elucidation of its use in discourse\n6 : the use of function words instead of inflectional forms as a characteristic device of a language\n7 : PSYCHOANALYSIS


Words: analyze
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to study or determine the nature and relationship of the parts of by analysis <analyze a traffic pattern>\n2 : to subject to scientific or grammatical analysis\n3 : PSYCHOANALYZE


Words: anapest
Meaning:
noun\n: a metrical foot consisting of two short syllables followed by one long syllable or of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable (as unabridged)


Words: anarchism
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a political theory holding all forms of governmental authority to be unnecessary and undesirable and advocating a society based on voluntary cooperation and free association of individuals and groups\n2 : the advocacy or practice of anarchistic principles


Words: anarchy
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : absence of government b : a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority c : a utopian society of individuals who enjoy complete freedom without government\n2 a : absence or denial of any authority or established order b : absence of order : DISORDER <not manicured plots but a wild anarchy of nature Israel Shenker>\n3 : ANARCHISM


Words: anathema
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority b : someone or something intensely disliked or loathed usually used as a predicate nominative <this notion was anathema to most of his countrymen S. J. Gould>\n2 a : a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication b : the denunciation of something as accursed c : a vigorous denunciation : CURSE


Words: anatomize
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to cut in pieces in order to display or examine the structure and use of the parts : DISSECT\n2 : ANALYZE


Words: anatomy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a branch of morphology that deals with the structure of organisms\n2 : a treatise on anatomic science or art\n3 : the art of separating the parts of an organism in order to ascertain their position, relations, structure, and function : DISSECTION\n4 obsolete : a body dissected or to be dissected\n5 : structural makeup especially of an organism or any of its parts\n6 : a separating or dividing into parts for detailed examination : ANALYSIS\n7 a (1) : SKELETON (2) : MUMMY b : the human body


Words: ancestor
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : one from whom a person is descended and who is usually more remote in the line of descent than a grandparent b : FOREFATHER 2\n2 : FORERUNNER, PROTOTYPE\n3 : a progenitor of a more recent or existing species or group


Words: ancestry
Meaning:
noun\n1 : line of descent : LINEAGE; especially : honorable, noble, or aristocratic descent\n2 : persons initiating or comprising a line of descent : ANCESTORS


Words: anchor
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a device usually of metal attached to a ship or boat by a cable and cast overboard to hold it in a particular place by means of a fluke that digs into the bottom\n2 : a reliable or principal support : MAINSTAY\n3 : something that serves to hold an object firmly\n4 : an object shaped like a ship’s anchor\n5 : an anchorman or anchorwoman\n6 : the member of a team (as a relay team) that competes last\n7 : a large business (as a department store) that attracts customers and other businesses to a shopping center or mall\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to hold in place in the water by an anchor\n2 : to secure firmly : FIX\n3 : to act or serve as an anchor for <it is she who is anchoring the rebuilding campaign G. D. Boone> <anchoring the evening news>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to cast anchor\n2 : to become fixed


Words: anchorage
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a place where vessels anchor : a place suitable for anchoring b : the act of anchoring : the condition of being anchored\n2 : a means of securing : a source of reassurance <this anchorage of Christian hope T. O. Wedel>\n3 : something that provides a secure hold


Words: anchovy
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a family (Engraulidae) of small fishes resembling herrings; especially : a common Mediterranean fish (Engraulis encrasicholus) used especially in appetizers, as a garnish, and for making sauces and relishes


Words: ancient
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : having had an existence of many years\n2 : of or relating to a remote period, to a time early in history, or to those living in such a period or time; especially : of or relating to the historical period beginning with the earliest known civilizations and extending to the fall of the western Roman Empire in A.D. 476\n3 : having the qualities of age or long existence: a : VENERABLE b : OLD-FASHIONED, ANTIQUE\n\n<2> noun\n1 : an aged living being <a penniless ancient>\n2 : one who lived in ancient times: a plural : the civilized people of antiquity; especially : those of the classical nations b : one of the classical authors <Plutarch and other ancients>\n3 : an ancient coin\n\n<3> noun\n1 archaic : ENSIGN, STANDARD, FLAG\n2 obsolete : the bearer of an ensign


Words: ancillary
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : SUBORDINATE, SUBSIDIARY <the main factory and its ancillary plants>\n2 : AUXILIARY, SUPPLEMENTARY <the need for ancillary evidence>


Words: and
Meaning:
conjunction\n1 used as a function word to indicate connection or addition especially of items within the same class or type; used to join sentence elements of the same grammatical rank or function\n2 a used as a function word to express logical modification, consequence, antithesis, or supplementary explanation b used as a function word to join one finite verb (as go, come, try) to another so that together they are logically equivalent to an infinitive of purpose <come and see me>\n3 obsolete : IF\n4 used in logic to form a conjunction


Words: andante
Meaning:
<1> adverb or adjective\n: moderately slow usually used as a direction in music\n\n<2> noun\n: a musical composition or movement in andante tempo


Words: andiron
Meaning:
noun\n: either of a pair of metal supports for firewood used on a hearth and made of a horizontal bar mounted on short legs with usually a vertical shaft surmounting the front end


Words: anemia
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a condition in which the blood is deficient in red blood cells, in hemoglobin, or in total volume b : ISCHEMIA\n2 : lack of vitality


Words: anemone
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of a large genus (Anemone) of the buttercup family having lobed or divided leaves and showy flowers without petals but with conspicuous often colored sepals called also windflower\n2 : SEA ANEMONE


Words: anesthetic
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or capable of producing anesthesia\n2 : lacking awareness or sensitivity <unmoved and quite anesthetic to his presence S. J. Perelman>\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a substance that produces anesthesia\n2 : something that brings relief : PALLIATIVE


Words: angel
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a spiritual being superior to man in power and intelligence; especially : one in the lowest rank in the celestial hierarchy b plural : an order of angels see CELESTIAL HIERARCHY\n2 : an attendant spirit or guardian\n3 : a white-robed winged figure of human form in fine art\n4 : MESSENGER, HARBINGER <angel of death>\n5 : a person like an angel (as in looks or behavior)\n6 Christian Science : inspiration from God\n7 : one (as a backer of a theatrical venture) who aids or supports with money or influence\n8 : ANGELFISH


Words: anger
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses : to make angry\nintransitive senses : to become angry\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism\n2 : RAGE 2


Words: angina
Meaning:
noun\n: a disease marked by spasmodic attacks of intense suffocative pain: as a : a severe inflammatory or ulcerated condition of the mouth or throat b : ANGINA PECTORIS


Words: angle
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a corner whether constituting a projecting part or a partially enclosed space <they sheltered in an angle of the building>\n2 a : the figure formed by two lines extending from the same point; also : DIHEDRAL ANGLE b : a measure of an angle or of the amount of turning necessary to bring one line or plane into coincidence with or parallel to another\n3 a : the precise viewpoint from which something is observed or considered; also : the aspect seen from such an angle b (1) : a special approach, point of attack, or technique for accomplishing an objective (2) : an often improper or illicit method of obtaining advantage <he always had an angle to beat the other fellow>\n4 : a sharply divergent course <the road went off at an angle>\n5 : a position to the side of an opponent in football from which a player may block his opponent more effectively or without penalty usually used in the phrases get an angle or have an angle\n\n<2> verb\nintransitive senses : to turn or proceed at an angle\ntransitive senses\n1 : to turn, move, or direct at an angle\n2 : to present (as a news story) from a particular or prejudiced point of view : SLANT\n\n<3> intransitive verb\n1 : to fish with a hook\n2 : to use artful means to attain an objective <angled for an invitation>


Words: Anglican
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of or relating to the established episcopal Church of England and churches of similar faith and order in communion with it\n2 : of or relating to England or the English nation


Words: anglicize
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to make English in quality or characteristics\n2 : to adapt (a foreign word or phrase) to English usage; especially : to borrow into English without alteration of form or spelling and with or without change in pronunciation


Words: angora
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the hair of the Angora rabbit or Angora goat called also angora wool\n2 : a yarn of Angora rabbit hair used especially for knitting\n3 capitalized a : ANGORA CAT b : ANGORA GOAT c : ANGORA RABBIT


Words: angry
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : feeling or showing anger : WRATHFUL\n2 a : indicative of or proceeding from anger <angry words> b : seeming to show anger or to threaten in an angry manner <an angry sky>\n3 : painfully inflamed <an angry rash>


Words: anguish
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: extreme pain, distress, or anxiety\n\n<2> verb\nintransitive senses : to suffer anguish\ntransitive senses : to cause to suffer anguish


Words: anguished
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : suffering anguish : TORMENTED <the anguished martyrs>\n2 : expressing anguish : AGONIZED <anguished cries>


Words: angular
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : forming an angle : sharp-cornered b : having one or more angles\n2 : measured by an angle <angular distance>\n3 a : stiff in character or manner : lacking smoothness or grace b : lean and having prominent bone structure


Words: aniline
Meaning:
noun\n: an oily liquid poisonous amine C6H5NH2 obtained especially by the reduction of nitrobenzene and used chiefly in organic synthesis (as of dyes)


Words: animal
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : any of a kingdom (Animalia) of living things including many-celled organisms and often many of the single-celled ones (as protozoans) that typically differ from plants in having cells without cellulose walls, in lacking chlorophyll and the capacity for photosynthesis, in requiring more complex food materials (as proteins), in being organized to a greater degree of complexity, and in having the capacity for spontaneous movement and rapid motor responses to stimulation\n2 a : one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings b : MAMMAL; broadly : VERTEBRATE\n3 : a human being considered chiefly as physical or nonrational; also : this nature\n4 : an individual with a particular interest or aptitude <a political animal>\n5 : MATTER, THING <the theater is an entirely different animal Arthur Miller>; also : CREATURE 1c\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, resembling, or derived from animals\n2 a : of or relating to the physical or sentient as contrasted with the intellectual or rational b : SENSUAL, FLESHLY\n3 : of or relating to the animal pole of an egg or to the part from which ectoderm normally develops


Words: animate
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : possessing or characterized by life : ALIVE\n2 : full of life : ANIMATED\n3 : of or relating to animal life as opposed to plant life\n4 : referring to a living thing <an animate noun>\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : to give spirit and support to : ENCOURAGE\n2 a : to give life to b : to give vigor and zest to\n3 : to move to action\n4 a : to make or design in such a way as to create apparently spontaneous lifelike movement b : to produce in the form of an animated cartoon


Words: animation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act of animating : the state of being animate or animated\n2 a : a motion picture made by photographing successive positions of inanimate objects (as puppets or mechanical parts) b : ANIMATED CARTOON 1\n3 : the preparation of animated cartoons


Words: animism
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a doctrine that the vital principle of organic development is immaterial spirit\n2 : attribution of conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature or to inanimate objects\n3 : belief in the existence of spirits separable from bodies


Words: animus
Meaning:
noun\n1 : basic attitude or governing spirit : DISPOSITION, INTENTION\n2 : a usually prejudiced and often spiteful or malevolent ill will\n3 : an inner masculine part of the female personality in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung compare ANIMA


Words: anise
Meaning:
noun\n: an herb (Pimpinella anisum) of the carrot family having carminative and aromatic seeds; also : ANISEED


Words: ankh
Meaning:
noun\n: a cross having a loop for its upper vertical arm and serving especially in ancient Egypt as an emblem of life


Words: ankle
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the joint between the foot and the leg; also : the region of this joint\n2 : the joint between the cannon bone and pastern (as in the horse)


Words: anklet
Meaning:
noun\n1 : something (as an ornament) worn around the ankle\n2 : a short sock reaching slightly above the ankle


Words: annals
Meaning:
noun plural\n1 : a record of events arranged in yearly sequence\n2 : historical records : CHRONICLES\n3 : records of the activities of an organization


Words: anneal
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to heat and then cool (as steel or glass) usually for softening and making less brittle; also : to cool slowly usually in a furnace b : to heat and then cool (nucleic acid) in order to separate strands and induce combination at lower temperature especially with complementary strands of a different species\n2 : STRENGTHEN, TOUGHEN\nintransitive senses : to be capable of combining with complementary nucleic acid by a process of heating and cooling


Words: annex
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to attach as a quality, consequence, or condition\n2 archaic : to join together materially : UNITE\n3 : to add to something earlier, larger, or more important\n4 : to incorporate (a country or other territory) within the domain of a state\n5 : to obtain or take for oneself\n\n<2> noun\n: something annexed as an expansion or supplement: as a : an added stipulation or statement : APPENDIX b : a subsidiary or supplementary structure : WING


Words: annihilate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to cause to be of no effect : NULLIFY b : to destroy the substance or force of\n2 : to regard as of no consequence\n3 : to cause to cease to exist; especially : KILL\n4 a : to destroy a considerable part of <bombs annihilated the city> b : to vanquish completely : ROUT <annihilated the visitors 56*0>\nintransitive senses , of a particle and its antiparticle : to vanish or cease to exist by coming together and changing into other forms of energy (as radiation or particles)


Words: anniversary
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the annual recurrence of a date marking a notable event\n2 : the celebration of an anniversary


Words: annotate
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses : to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment\ntransitive senses : to make or furnish annotations for (as a literary work or subject)


Words: announce
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to make known publicly : PROCLAIM <announced the appointment>\n2 a : to give notice of the arrival, presence, or readiness of <announce dinner> b : to indicate beforehand : FORETELL\n3 : to serve as an announcer of\nintransitive senses\n1 : to serve as an announcer\n2 a : to declare one’s candidacy b : to declare oneself politically used with for or against


Words: announcer
Meaning:
noun\n: one that announces: as a : a person who introduces television or radio programs, makes commercial announcements, or gives station identification b : a person who describes and comments on the action in a broadcast sports event


Words: annoy
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to disturb or irritate especially by repeated acts\n2 : to harass especially by quick brief attacks\nintransitive senses : to cause annoyance


Words: annoyance
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act of annoying or of being annoyed\n2 : the state or feeling of being annoyed : VEXATION\n3 : a source of vexation or irritation : NUISANCE


Words: annual
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : covering the period of a year <annual rainfall>\n2 : occurring or happening every year or once a year : YEARLY <an annual reunion>\n3 : completing the life cycle in one growing season\n\n<2> noun\n1 : an event that occurs yearly\n2 : a publication appearing yearly\n3 : something that lasts one year or season; specifically : an annual plant


Words: annuity
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a sum of money payable yearly or at other regular intervals\n2 : the right to receive an annuity\n3 : a contract or agreement providing for the payment of an annuity


Words: annul
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to reduce to nothing : OBLITERATE\n2 : to make ineffective or inoperative : NEUTRALIZE <annul the drug’s effect>\n3 : to declare or make legally invalid or void <wants the marriage annulled>


Words: annunciation
Meaning:
noun\n1 capitalized : March 25 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the announcement of the Incarnation to the Virgin Mary\n2 : the act of announcing or of being announced : ANNOUNCEMENT


Words: anode
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the electrode of an electrochemical cell at which oxidation occurs: as a : the positive terminal of an electrolytic cell b : the negative terminal of a galvanic cell\n2 : the electron-collecting electrode of an electron tube compare CATHODE


Words: anodyne
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : serving to assuage pain\n2 : not likely to offend or arouse tensions : INNOCUOUS\n\n<2> noun\n1 : something that soothes, calms, or comforts <the anodyne of bridge, a comfortable book, or sport Harrison Smith>\n2 : a drug that allays pain


Words: anoint
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance\n2 a : to apply oil to as a sacred rite especially for consecration b : to choose by or as if by divine election; also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment


Words: anomalous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : inconsistent with or deviating from what is usual, normal, or expected : IRREGULAR, UNUSUAL\n2 a : of uncertain nature or classification b : marked by incongruity or contradiction : PARADOXICAL


Words: anomaly
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the angular distance of a planet from its perihelion as seen from the sun\n2 : deviation from the common rule : IRREGULARITY\n3 : something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified


Words: anon
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 archaic : at once : IMMEDIATELY\n2 : SOON, PRESENTLY\n3 : after a while : LATER\n\n<2> abbreviation\nanonymous, anonymously


Words: anonymous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : not named or identified <an anonymous author> <they wish to remain anonymous>\n2 : of unknown authorship or origin <an anonymous tip>\n3 : lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizability <the anonymous faces in the crowd> <the gray anonymous streets William Styron>


Words: anopheles
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a genus (Anopheles) of mosquitoes that includes all mosquitoes which transmit malaria to humans


Words: another
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : different or distinct from the one first considered <the same scene viewed from another angle>\n2 : some other <do it another time>\n3 : being one more in addition to one or more of the same kind <have another piece of pie>\n\n<2> pronoun\n1 : an additional one of the same kind : one more\n2 : one that is different from the first or present one\n3 : one of a group of unspecified or indefinite things <in one way or another>


Words: answer
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : something spoken or written in reply to a question b : a correct response\n2 : a reply to a legal charge or suit : PLEA; also : DEFENSE\n3 : something done in response or reaction <his only answer was to walk out>\n4 : a solution of a problem\n5 : one that imitates, matches, or corresponds to another <television’s answer to the news magazines>\n\n<2> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to speak or write in reply\n2 a : to be or make oneself responsible or accountable b : to make amends : ATONE\n3 : to be in conformity or correspondence <answered to the description>\n4 : to act in response to an action performed elsewhere or by another\n5 : to be adequate : SERVE\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to speak or write in reply to b : to say or write by way of reply\n2 : to reply in rebuttal, justification, or explanation\n3 a : to correspond to <answers the description> b : to be adequate or usable for : FULFILL\n4 obsolete : to atone for\n5 : to act in response to <answered the call to arms>\n6 : to offer a solution for; especially : SOLVE


Words: answerable
Meaning:
adjective\n1 archaic : SUITABLE, ADEQUATE\n2 : liable to be called to account : RESPONSIBLE\n3 archaic : CORRESPONDING, SIMILAR\n4 : capable of being refuted


Words: ant
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: any of a family (Formicidae) of colonial hymenopterous insects with a complex social organization and various castes performing special duties\n\n<2> abbreviation\nantenna, antonym


Words: antagonism
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : opposition of a conflicting force, tendency, or principle <the antagonism of democracy to dictatorship> b : actively expressed opposition or hostility <antagonism between factions>\n2 : opposition in physiological action; especially : interaction of two or more substances such that the action of any one of them on living cells or tissues is lessened


Words: antagonist
Meaning:
noun\n1 : one that contends with or opposes another : ADVERSARY, OPPONENT\n2 : an agent of physiological antagonism: as a : a muscle that contracts with and limits the action of an agonist with which it is paired called also antagonistic muscle b : a chemical that acts within the body to reduce the physiological activity of another chemical substance (as an opiate); especially : one that opposes the action on the nervous system of a drug or a substance occurring naturally in the body by combining with and blocking its nervous receptor compare AGONIST 2b


Words: ante
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a poker stake usually put up before the deal to build the pot <the dealer called for a dollar ante>\n2 : COST, PRICE <these improvements would raise the ante>\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses : to put up (an ante); also : PAY, PRODUCE often used with up\nintransitive senses : PAY UP often used with up


Words: antecedent
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a substantive word, phrase, or clause whose denotation is referred to by a pronoun (as John in <Mary saw John and called to him>); broadly : a word or phrase replaced by a substitute\n2 : the conditional element in a proposition (as if in <if A, then B>)\n3 : the first term of a mathematical ratio\n4 a : a preceding event, condition, or cause b plural : the significant events, conditions, and traits of one’s earlier life\n5 a : PREDECESSOR; especially : a model or stimulus for later developments b plural : ANCESTORS, PARENTS\n\n<2> adjective\n: PRIOR


Words: antedate
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a date assigned to an event or document earlier than the actual date of the event or document\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 a : to date as of a time prior to that of execution b : to assign to a date prior to that of actual occurrence\n2 archaic : ANTICIPATE\n3 : to precede in time


Words: antediluvian
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible\n2 : made, evolved, or developed a long time ago <an antediluvian automobile>


Words: antelope
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : any of various ruminant mammals (family Bovidae) chiefly of Africa and southwest Asia that differ from the true oxen especially in lighter racier build and horns directed upward and backward b : PRONGHORN\n2 : leather from antelope hide


Words: antenna
Meaning:
noun\n1 plural -nae : one of a pair of slender movable segmented sensory organs on the head of insects, myriapods, and crustaceans see INSECT illustration\n2 : a usually metallic device (as a rod or wire) for radiating or receiving radio waves\n3 antennae plural : a special sensitivity or receptiveness <his political antennae proved to be shrewder than ever Erich Segal>


Words: anterior
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : situated before or toward the front b : situated near or toward the head or part most nearly corresponding to a head\n2 : coming before in time or development


Words: anthem
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a psalm or hymn sung antiphonally or responsively b : a sacred vocal composition with words usually from the Scriptures\n2 : a song or hymn of praise or gladness


Words: anther
Meaning:
noun\n: the part of a stamen that produces and contains pollen and is usually borne on a stalk see FLOWER illustration


Words: anthology
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music\n2 : ASSORTMENT <an anthology of threadbare clich*s of bistro cuisine Jay Jacobs>


Words: anthracite
Meaning:
noun\n: a hard natural coal of high luster differing from bituminous coal in containing little volatile matter and in burning very cleanly called also hard coal


Words: anthrax
Meaning:
noun\n: an infectious disease of warm-blooded animals (as cattle and sheep) caused by a spore-forming bacterium (Bacillus anthracis), transmissible to humans especially by the handling of infected products (as wool), and characterized by external ulcerating nodules or by lesions in the lungs


Words: anthropocentric
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : considering human beings as the most significant entity of the universe\n2 : interpreting or regarding the world in terms of human values and experiences


Words: anthropoid
Meaning:
noun\n1 : APE 1b\n2 : a person resembling an ape <the howling anthropoids of the Hookworm Belt H. L. Mencken>


Words: anthropology
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the science of human beings; especially : the study of human beings in relation to distribution, origin, classification, and relationship of races, physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture\n2 : theology dealing with the origin, nature, and destiny of human beings


Words: anthropomorphism
Meaning:
noun\n: an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics : HUMANIZATION


Words: anti
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: one that is opposed\n\n<2> adjective\n: OPPOSED\n\n<3> preposition\n: opposed to : AGAINST


Words: anti-
Meaning:
prefix\n1 a : of the same kind but situated opposite, exerting energy in the opposite direction, or pursuing an opposite policy <anticlinal> b : one that is opposite in kind to <anticlimax>\n2 a : opposing or hostile to in opinion, sympathy, or practice <anti-Semite> b : opposing in effect or activity <antacid>\n3 : serving to prevent, cure, or alleviate <antianxiety>\n4 : combating or defending against <antiaircraft> <antimissile>\nantiacademic anti*acne antiadministration antiaggression antiaging anti*AIDS antialcohol antialcoholism antialien antiallergenic antianemia antiapartheid antiaphrodisiac antiaristocratic antiarthritic antiarthritis antiassimilation antiasthma antiauthoritarian antiauthoritarianism antiauthority antibacklash antibias antibillboard anti*Bolshevik antiboss antibourgeois antiboycott anti*British antibug antibureaucratic antiburglar antiburglary anticaking anticapitalism anticapitalist anticarcinogen anticarcinogenic anticaries anti*Catholic anti*Catholicism anticellulite anticensorship anticholesterol anti*Christian anti*Christianity antichurch anticigarette anticity anticlassical anticling anticlotting anticold anticollision anticolonial anticolonialism anticolonialist anticommercial anticommercialism anticommunism anticommunist anticonglomerate anticonservation anticonservationist anticonsumer anticonventional anticorporate anticorrosion anticorrosive anticorruption anticounterfeiting anticrack anticreative an\nticrime anticruelty anticult anticultural antidandruff anti*Darwinian anti*Darwinism antidefamation\nantidepression antidesegregation antidesertification antidesiccant antidevelopment antidiabetic antidiarrheal antidilution antidiscrimination antidogmatic antidraft antieconomic antieducational antiegalitarian antielite antielitism antielitist antiemetic anti*English antientropic antiepilepsy antiepileptic antierotic antiestablishment antiestrogen antievolution antievolutionary antievolutionism antievolutionist antifamily antifascism antifascist antifashion antifashionable antifatigue an


Words: antibiotic
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : tending to prevent, inhibit, or destroy life\n2 : of or relating to antibiotics or to antibiosis\n\n<2> noun\n: a substance produced by or a semisynthetic substance derived from a microorganism and able in dilute solution to inhibit or kill another microorganism


Words: antibody
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a large number of proteins of high molecular weight that are produced normally by specialized cells after stimulation by an antigen and act specifically against the antigen in an immune response, that are produced abnormally by some cancer cells, and that typically consist of four subunits including two heavy chains and two light chains called also immunoglobulin


Words: antic
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : an attention-drawing often wildly playful or funny act or action : CAPER <childish antics>\n2 archaic : a performer of a grotesque or ludicrous part : BUFFOON\n\n<2> adjective\n1 archaic : GROTESQUE, BIZARRE\n2 a : characterized by clownish extravagance or absurdity b : whimsically gay : FROLICSOME


Words: anticipate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to give advance thought, discussion, or treatment to\n2 : to meet (an obligation) before a due date\n3 : to foresee and deal with in advance : FORESTALL\n4 : to use or expend in advance of actual possession\n5 : to act before (another) often so as to check or counter\n6 : to look forward to as certain : EXPECT\nintransitive senses : to speak or write in knowledge or expectation of later matter


Words: anticlimax
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the usually sudden transition in discourse from a significant idea to a trivial or ludicrous idea; also : an instance of this transition\n2 : an event (as at the end of a series) that is strikingly less important than what has preceded it


Words: antidote
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a remedy to counteract the effects of poison\n2 : something that relieves, prevents, or counteracts <an antidote to the mechanization of our society>


Words: antifreeze
Meaning:
noun\n: a substance added to a liquid (as the water in an automobile engine) to lower its freezing point


Words: antihistamine
Meaning:
noun\n: any of various compounds that counteract histamine in the body and that are used for treating allergic reactions (as hay fever) and cold symptoms


Words: antimony
Meaning:
noun\n1 : STIBNITE\n2 : a trivalent and pentavalent metalloid element that is commonly metallic silvery white, crystalline, and brittle and that is used especially as a constituent of alloys and semiconductors see ELEMENT table


Words: antipasto
Meaning:
noun\n: any of various typically Italian hors d’oeuvres; also : a plate of these served especially as the first course of a meal


Words: antipathy
Meaning:
noun\n1 obsolete : opposition in feeling\n2 : settled aversion or dislike : DISTASTE\n3 : an object of aversion


Words: antiquarian
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: one who collects or studies antiquities\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : of or relating to antiquarians or antiquities\n2 : dealing in old or rare books


Words: antiquated
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : OBSOLETE <an antiquated calendar>\n2 : outmoded or discredited by reason of age : being out of style or fashion <antiquated methods of farming>\n3 : advanced in age


Words: antique
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a relic or object of ancient times\n2 a : a work of art, piece of furniture, or decorative object made at an earlier period and according to various customs laws at least 100 years ago b : a manufactured product (as an automobile) from an earlier period\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : existing since or belonging to earlier times : ANCIENT <antique trade routes to the Orient>\n2 a : being in the style or fashion of former times <antique manners and graces> b : made in or representative of the work of an earlier period <antique mirrors>; also : being an antique\n3 : selling or exhibiting antiques <an antique show>\n\n<3> verb\ntransitive senses : to finish or refinish in antique style : give an appearance of age to\nintransitive senses : to shop around for antiques


Words: antiquity
Meaning:
noun\n1 : ancient times; especially : those before the Middle Ages\n2 : the quality of being ancient\n3 plural a : relics or monuments (as coins, statues, or buildings) of ancient times b : matters relating to the life or culture of ancient times\n4 : the people of ancient times


Words: antiseptic
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : opposing sepsis, putrefaction, or decay; especially : preventing or arresting the growth of microorganisms (as on living tissue) b : acting or protecting like an antiseptic\n2 : relating to or characterized by the use of antiseptics\n3 a : scrupulously clean : ASEPTIC b : extremely neat or orderly; especially : neat to the point of being bare or uninteresting c : free from what is held to be contaminating\n4 : coldly impersonal <an antiseptic greeting>\n\n<2> noun\n: a substance that checks the growth or action of microorganisms especially in or on living tissue; also : GERMICIDE


Words: antisocial
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : averse to the society of others : UNSOCIABLE\n2 : hostile or harmful to organized society; especially : being or marked by behavior deviating sharply from the social norm


Words: antithesis
Meaning:
noun\n1 a (1) : the rhetorical contrast of ideas by means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences (as in <action, not words> or <they promised freedom and provided slavery>) (2) : OPPOSITION, CONTRAST <the antithesis of prose and verse> b (1) : the second of two opposing constituents of an antithesis (2) : the direct opposite\n2 : the second stage of a dialectic process


Words: antitoxin
Meaning:
noun\n: an antibody that is capable of neutralizing the specific toxin (as a specific causative agent of disease) that stimulated its production in the body and is produced in animals for medical purposes by injection of a toxin or toxoid with the resulting serum being used to counteract the toxin in other individuals; also : an antiserum containing antitoxins


Words: antler
Meaning:
noun\n: one of the paired deciduous solid bone processes that arise from the frontal bone on the head of an animal of the deer family; also : a branch of an antler


Words: anvil
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a heavy usually steel-faced iron block on which metal is shaped (as by hand hammering)\n2 : INCUS


Words: anxiety
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill b : fearful concern or interest c : a cause of anxiety\n2 : an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it


Words: anxious
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency : WORRIED\n2 : characterized by, resulting from, or causing anxiety : WORRYING\n3 : ardently or earnestly wishing


Words: any
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : one or some indiscriminately of whatever kind: a : one or another taken at random <ask any man you meet> b : EVERY used to indicate one selected without restriction <any child would know that>\n2 : one, some, or all indiscriminately of whatever quantity: a : one or more used to indicate an undetermined number or amount <have you any money> b : ALL used to indicate a maximum or whole <needs any help he can get> c : a or some without reference to quantity or extent <grateful for any favor at all>\n3 a : unmeasured or unlimited in amount, number, or extent <any quantity you desire> b : appreciably large or extended <could not endure it any length of time>\n\n<2> pronoun, singular or plural in construction\n1 : any person or persons : ANYONE\n2 a : any thing or things b : any part, quantity, or number\n\n<3> adverb\n: to any extent or degree : AT ALL <was never any good>


Words: anymore
Meaning:
adverb\n1 : any longer <I was not moving anymore with my feet Ana*s Nin>\n2 : at the present time : NOW <hardly a day passes without rain anymore>


Words: anywhere
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : at, in, or to any place or point\n2 : to any extent : AT ALL\n3 used as a function word to indicate limits of variation <anywhere from 40 to 60 students>\n\n<2> noun\n: any place


Words: aorta
Meaning:
noun\n: the great arterial trunk that carries blood from the heart to be distributed by branch arteries through the body see HEART illustration


Words: apart
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 a : at a little distance <tried to keep apart from the family squabbles> b : away from one another in space or time <towns 20 miles apart>\n2 a : as a separate unit : INDEPENDENTLY <viewed apart, his arguments were unsound> b : so as to separate one from another <found it hard to tell the twins apart>\n3 : excluded from consideration : ASIDE <a few blemishes apart, the novel is excellent>\n4 : in or into two or more parts : to pieces <coming apart at the seams>\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : SEPARATE, ISOLATED\n2 : holding different opinions : DIVIDED


Words: apartheid
Meaning:
noun\n1 : racial segregation; specifically : a policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of So. Africa\n2 : SEPARATION, SEGREGATION <I favor apartheid of smokers L. E. Bellin> <sexual apartheid>


Words: apartment
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a room or set of rooms fitted especially with housekeeping facilities and usually leased as a dwelling\n2 : a building containing several individual apartments


Words: apathy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : lack of feeling or emotion : IMPASSIVENESS\n2 : lack of interest or concern : INDIFFERENCE


Words: ape
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : MONKEY; especially : one of the larger tailless or short-tailed Old World forms b : any of two families (Pongidae and Hylobatidae) of large tailless semierect primates (as the chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon) called also anthropoid, anthropoid ape\n2 a : MIMIC b : a large uncouth person\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to copy closely but often clumsily and ineptly\n\n<3> adjective\n: being beyond restraint : CRAZY, WILD usually used in the phrase go ape


Words: aperture
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an opening or open space : HOLE\n2 a : the opening in a photographic lens that admits the light b : the diameter of the stop in an optical system that determines the diameter of the bundle of rays traversing the instrument c : the diameter of the objective lens or mirror of a telescope


Words: apex
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the uppermost point : VERTEX <the apex of a mountain> b : the narrowed or pointed end : TIP <the apex of the tongue>\n2 : the highest or culminating point <the apex of his career>


Words: aphasia
Meaning:
noun\n: loss or impairment of the power to use or comprehend words usually resulting from brain damage


Words: aphid
Meaning:
noun\n: any of numerous very small sluggish homopterous insects (superfamily Aphidoidea) that suck the juices of plants


Words: aphorism
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a concise statement of a principle\n2 : a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment : ADAGE


Words: aphrodisiac
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an agent (as a food or drug) that arouses or is held to arouse sexual desire\n2 : something that excites


Words: apiary
Meaning:
noun\n: a place where bees are kept; especially : a collection of hives or colonies of bees kept for their honey


Words: apocalypse
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : one of the Jewish and Christian writings of 200 B.C. to A.D. 150 marked by pseudonymity, symbolic imagery, and the expectation of an imminent cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil and raises the righteous to life in a messianic kingdom b capitalized : REVELATION 3\n2 a : something viewed as a prophetic revelation b : ARMAGEDDON


Words: apocryphal
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of doubtful authenticity : SPURIOUS\n2 often capitalized : of or resembling the Apocrypha


Words: apogee
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the point in the orbit of an object (as a satellite) orbiting the earth that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth; also : the point farthest from a planet or a satellite (as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it compare PERIGEE\n2 : the farthest or highest point : CULMINATION <Aegean civilization reached its apogee in Crete>


Words: apologetic
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: APOLOGETICS 1\n\n<2> adjective\n1 a : offered in defense or vindication <the apologetic writings of the early Christians> b : offered by way of excuse or apology <an apologetic smile>\n2 : regretfully acknowledging fault or failure : CONTRITE <replied in an apologetic tone>


Words: apologia
Meaning:
noun\n: a defense especially of one’s opinions, position, or actions <the finest apologia or explanation of what drives a man to devote his life to pure mathematics British Book News>


Words: apology
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a formal justification : DEFENSE b : EXCUSE 2a\n2 : an admission of error or discourtesy accompanied by an expression of regret\n3 : a poor substitute : MAKESHIFT


Words: apostle
Meaning:
noun\n1 : one sent on a mission: as a : one of an authoritative New Testament group sent out to preach the gospel and made up especially of Christ’s 12 original disciples and Paul b : the first prominent Christian missionary to a region or group\n2 a : a person who initiates a great moral reform or who first advocates an important belief or system b : an ardent supporter : ADHERENT\n3 : the highest ecclesiastical official in some church organizations\n4 : one of a Mormon administrative council of 12 men


Words: apostolic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : of or relating to an apostle b : of, relating to, or conforming to the teachings of the New Testament apostles\n2 a : of or relating to a succession of spiritual authority from the apostles held (as by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Eastern Orthodox) to be perpetuated by successive ordinations of bishops and to be necessary for valid sacraments and orders b : PAPAL


Words: apostrophe
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: the addressing of a usually absent person or a usually personified thing rhetorically <Carlyle’s \n\n<2> noun\n: a mark ’ used to indicate the omission of letters or figures, the possessive case, or the plural of letters or figures


Words: apostrophize
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to address by or in apostrophe\nintransitive senses : to make use of apostrophe


Words: apotheosis
Meaning:
noun\n1 : elevation to divine status : DEIFICATION\n2 : the perfect example : QUINTESSENCE <this is the literary apotheosis of the shaggy dog story Thomas Sutcliffe>


Words: appall
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses , obsolete : WEAKEN, FAIL\ntransitive senses : to overcome with consternation, shock, or dismay


Words: appanage
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a grant (as of land or revenue) made by a sovereign or a legislative body to a dependent member of the royal family or a principal vassal b : a property or privilege appropriated to or by a person as something due\n2 : a rightful endowment or adjunct


Words: apparatus
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a set of materials or equipment designed for a particular use b : a group of anatomical or cytological parts functioning together <mitotic apparatus> c : an instrument or appliance designed for a specific operation\n2 : the functional processes by means of which a systematized activity is carried out: as a : the machinery of government b : the organization of a political party or an underground movement


Words: apparel
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to put clothes on : DRESS\n2 : ADORN, EMBELLISH\n\n<2> noun\n1 : the equipment (as sails and rigging) of a ship\n2 : personal attire : CLOTHING\n3 : something that clothes or adorns <the bright apparel of spring>


Words: apparent
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : open to view : VISIBLE\n2 : clear or manifest to the understanding\n3 : appearing as actual to the eye or mind\n4 : having an indefeasible right to succeed to a title or estate\n5 : manifest to the senses or mind as real or true on the basis of evidence that may or may not be factually valid <the air of spontaneity is perhaps more apparent than real J. R. Sutherland>


Words: apparition
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an unusual or unexpected sight : PHENOMENON b : a ghostly figure\n2 : the act of becoming visible : APPEARANCE


Words: appeal
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher court for review of the decision of a lower court\n2 : a criminal accusation\n3 a : an application (as to a recognized authority) for corroboration, vindication, or decision b : an earnest plea : ENTREATY\n4 : the power of arousing a sympathetic response : ATTRACTION <movies had a great appeal for him>\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to charge with a crime : ACCUSE\n2 : to take proceedings to have (a lower court’s decision) reviewed in a higher court\nintransitive senses\n1 : to take a lower court’s decision to a higher court for review\n2 : to call upon another for corroboration, vindication, or decision\n3 : to make an earnest request\n4 : to arouse a sympathetic response


Words: appear
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n1 a : to be or come in sight <the sun appears on the horizon> b : to show up <appears promptly at eight each day>\n2 : to come formally before an authoritative body <must appear in court today>\n3 : to have an outward aspect : SEEM <appears happy enough>\n4 : to become evident or manifest <there appears to be evidence to the contrary>\n5 : to come into public view <first appeared on a television variety show> <the book appeared in print a few years ago>\n6 : to come into existence <hominids appeared late in the evolutionary chain>


Words: appearance
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : external show : SEMBLANCE <although hostile, he preserved an appearance of neutrality> b : outward aspect : LOOK <had a fierce appearance> c plural : outward indication <trying to keep up appearances>\n2 a : a sense impression or aspect of a thing <the blue of distant hills is only an appearance> b : the world of sensible phenomena\n3 a : the act, action, or process of appearing b : the presentation of oneself in court as a party to an action often through the representation of an attorney\n4 a : something that appears : PHENOMENON b : an instance of appearing : OCCURRENCE


Words: appease
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to bring to a state of peace or quiet : CALM\n2 : to cause to subside : ALLAY <appeased my hunger>\n3 : PACIFY, CONCILIATE; especially : to buy off (an aggressor) by concessions usually at the sacrifice of principles


Words: appellant
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: of or relating to an appeal : APPELLATE\n\n<2> noun\n: one that appeals; specifically : one that appeals from a judicial decision or decree


Words: appellate
Meaning:
adjective\n: of, relating to, or recognizing appeals; specifically : having the power to review the judgment of another tribunal <an appellate court>


Words: appellation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an identifying name or title : DESIGNATION\n2 archaic : the act of calling by a name\n3 : a geographical name (as of a region, village, or vineyard) under which a winegrower is authorized to identify and market wine


Words: appendage
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an adjunct to something larger or more important : APPURTENANCE\n2 : a subordinate or derivative body part; especially : a limb or analogous part (as a seta)\n3 : a dependent or subordinate person


Words: appendix
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : APPENDAGE b : supplementary material usually attached at the end of a piece of writing\n2 : a bodily outgrowth or process; specifically : VERMIFORM APPENDIX


Words: appetite
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life; especially : the desire to eat\n2 a : an inherent craving <an insatiable appetite for work> b : TASTE, PREFERENCE <the cultural appetites of the time J. D. Hart>


Words: appetizing
Meaning:
adjective\n: appealing to the appetite especially in appearance or aroma; also : appealing to one’s taste <an appetizing display of merchandise>


Words: applaud
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses : to express approval especially by clapping the hands\ntransitive senses\n1 : to express approval of : PRAISE <applaud her efforts to lose weight>\n2 : to show approval of especially by clapping the hands


Words: applause
Meaning:
noun\n1 : marked commendation : ACCLAIM <the kind of applause every really creative writer wants Robert Tallant>\n2 : approval publicly expressed (as by clapping the hands)


Words: apple
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the fleshy usually rounded and red, yellow, or green edible pome fruit of a tree (genus Malus) of the rose family; also : an apple tree\n2 : a fruit or other vegetable production suggestive of an apple compare OAK APPLE


Words: applejack
Meaning:
noun\n: brandy distilled from hard cider; also : an alcoholic beverage traditionally made by freezing hard cider and siphoning off the concentrated liquor


Words: appliance
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an act of applying\n2 a : a piece of equipment for adapting a tool or machine to a special purpose : ATTACHMENT b : an instrument or device designed for a particular use; specifically : a household or office device (as a stove, fan, or refrigerator) operated by gas or electric current c British : FIRE ENGINE\n3 obsolete : COMPLIANCE


Words: applicable
Meaning:
adjective\n: capable of or suitable for being applied : APPROPRIATE <statutes applicable to the case>


Words: application
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an act of applying: a (1) : an act of putting to use <application of new techniques> (2) : a use to which something is put <new applications for old remedies> (3) : a program (as a word processor or a spreadsheet) that performs one of the important tasks for which a computer is used b : an act of administering or superposing <application of paint to a house> c : assiduous attention <succeeds by application to her studies>\n2 a : REQUEST, PETITION <an application for financial aid> b : a form used in making a request\n3 : the practical inference to be derived from a discourse (as a moral tale)\n4 : a medicated or protective layer or material <an oily application for dry skin>\n5 : capacity for practical use <words of varied application>


Words: applied
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : put to practical use <applied art>; especially : applying general principles to solve definite problems <applied sciences>\n2 : working in an applied science <an applied physicist>


Words: apply
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to put to use especially for some practical purpose <applies pressure to get what he wants> b : to bring into action <apply the brakes> c : to lay or spread on <apply varnish> d : to put into operation or effect <apply a law>\n2 : to employ diligently or with close attention <should apply yourself to your work>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to have relevance or a valid connection <this rule applies to freshmen only>\n2 : to make an appeal or request especially in the form of a written application <apply for a job>


Words: appoint
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to fix or set officially <appoint a trial date> b : to name officially <will appoint her director of the program> c archaic : ARRANGE d : to determine the disposition of (an estate) to someone by virtue of a power of appointment\n2 : to provide with complete and usually appropriate or elegant furnishings or equipment\nintransitive senses : to exercise a power of appointment


Words: appointment
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an act of appointing : DESIGNATION b : the designation by virtue of a vested power of a person to enjoy an estate\n2 : an arrangement for a meeting : ENGAGEMENT\n3 : EQUIPMENT, FURNISHINGS usually used in plural\n4 : a nonelective office or position <holds an academic appointment>


Words: apportion
Meaning:
transitive verb\n: to divide and share out according to a plan; especially : to make a proportionate division or distribution of


Words: apposition
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a grammatical construction in which two usually adjacent nouns having the same referent stand in the same syntactical relation to the rest of a sentence (as the poet and Burns in <a biography of the poet Burns>) b : the relation of one of such a pair of nouns or noun equivalents to the other\n2 a : an act or instance of apposing; specifically : the deposition of successive layers upon those already present (as in cell walls) b : the state of being apposed


Words: appraise
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to set a value on : estimate the amount of\n2 : to evaluate the worth, significance, or status of; especially : to give an expert judgment of the value or merit of


Words: appreciate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to grasp the nature, worth, quality, or significance of <appreciate the difference between right and wrong> b : to value or admire highly <appreciates our work> c : to judge with heightened perception or understanding : be fully aware of <must see it to appreciate it> d : to recognize with gratitude <certainly appreciates your kindness>\n2 : to increase the value of\nintransitive senses : to increase in number or value


Words: apprehend
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : ARREST, SEIZE <apprehend a thief>\n2 a : to become aware of : PERCEIVE b : to anticipate especially with anxiety, dread, or fear\n3 : to grasp with the understanding : recognize the meaning of\nintransitive senses : UNDERSTAND, GRASP


Words: apprehensive
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : capable of apprehending or quick to do so : DISCERNING\n2 : having apprehension : COGNIZANT\n3 : viewing the future with anxiety or alarm


Words: apprentice
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : one bound by indenture to serve another for a prescribed period with a view to learning an art or trade b : one who is learning by practical experience under skilled workers a trade, art, or calling\n2 : an inexperienced person : NOVICE <an apprentice in cooking>\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses : to set at work as an apprentice; especially : to bind to an apprenticeship by contract or indenture\nintransitive senses : to serve as an apprentice


Words: approach
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to draw closer to : NEAR b : to come very near to : be almost the same as <its mathematics approaches mysticism Theodore Sturgeon> <as the quantity x approaches zero>\n2 a : to make advances to especially in order to create a desired result <was approached by several Broadway producers> b : to take preliminary steps toward accomplishment or full knowledge or experience of <approach the subject with an open mind>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to draw nearer\n2 : to make an approach in golf\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : an act or instance of approaching <the approach of summer> b : APPROXIMATION <in this book he makes his closest approach to greatness>\n2 a : the taking of preliminary steps toward a particular purpose <experimenting with new lines of approach> b : a particular manner of taking such steps <a highly individual approach to language>\n3 : a means of access : AVENUE\n4 a : a golf shot from the fairway toward the green b : the steps taken by a bowler before he delivers the ball; also : the part of the alley behind the foul line from which the bowler delivers the ball\n5 : the descent of an aircraft toward a landing place


Words: appropriate
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to take exclusive possession of : ANNEX <no one should appropriate a common benefit>\n2 : to set apart for or assign to a particular purpose or use <appropriate money for the research program>\n3 : to take or make use of without authority or right\n\n<2> adjective\n: especially suitable or compatible : FITTING


Words: appropriation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an act or instance of appropriating\n2 : something that has been appropriated; specifically : money set aside by formal action for a specific use


Words: approve
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 obsolete : PROVE, ATTEST\n2 : to have or express a favorable opinion of <couldn’t approve such conduct>\n3 a : to accept as satisfactory <hopes she will approve the date of the meeting> b : to give formal or official sanction to : RATIFY <Congress approved the proposed budget>\nintransitive senses : to take a favorable view <doesn’t approve of fighting>


Words: approximate
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : located close together <approximate leaves>\n2 : nearly correct or exact <an approximate solution>\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to bring near or close b : to bring (cut edges of tissue) together\n2 : to come near to or be close to in position, value, or characteristics <a child tries to approximate his parents’ speech>\nintransitive senses : to come close usually used with to


Words: appurtenance
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an incidental right (as a right-of-way) attached to a principal property right and passing in possession with it\n2 : a subordinate part or adjunct <the appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony Shakespeare>\n3 plural : accessory objects : APPARATUS


Words: apricot
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the oval orange-colored fruit of a temperate-zone tree (Prunus armeniaca) resembling the related peach and plum in flavor b : a tree that bears apricots\n2 : a variable color averaging a moderate orange


Words: apron
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a garment usually of cloth, plastic, or leather usually tied around the waist and used to protect clothing or adorn a costume\n2 : something that suggests or resembles an apron in shape, position, or use: as a : the lower member under the sill of the interior casing of a window b : an upward or downward vertical extension of a bathroom fixture (as a sink or tub) c : an endless belt for carrying material d : an extensive fan-shaped deposit of detritus e : the part of the stage in front of the proscenium arch f : the area along the waterfront edge of a pier or wharf g : a shield (as of concrete or gravel) to protect against erosion (as of a waterway) by water h : the extensive paved part of an airport immediately adjacent to the terminal area or hangars


Words: apropos
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : at an opportune time : SEASONABLY\n2 : by way of interjection or further comment: with regard to the present topic\n\n<2> adjective\n: being both relevant and opportune\n\n<3> preposition\n: APROPOS OF


Words: apse
Meaning:
noun\n1 : APSIS 1\n2 : a projecting part of a building (as a church) that is usually semicircular in plan and vaulted


Words: apt
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : unusually fitted or qualified : READY <proved an apt tool in the hands of the conspirators>\n2 a : having a tendency : LIKELY <plants apt to suffer from drought> b : ordinarily disposed : INCLINED <apt to accept what is plausible as true>\n3 : suited to a purpose; especially : being to the point <an apt quotation>\n4 : keenly intelligent and responsive\n\n<2> abbreviation\napartment, aptitude


Words: aptitude
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : INCLINATION, TENDENCY b : a natural ability : TALENT\n2 : capacity for learning : APTNESS\n3 : general suitability


Words: aquacade
Meaning:
noun\n: a water spectacle that consists usually of exhibitions of swimming and diving with musical accompaniment


Words: aquamarine
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a transparent beryl that is blue, blue-green, or green in color\n2 : a pale blue to light greenish blue


Words: aquaplane
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a board towed behind a speeding motorboat and ridden by a person standing on it\n\n<2> intransitive verb\n1 : to ride on an aquaplane\n2 British : HYDROPLANE


Words: aquarium
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a container (as a glass tank) or an artificial pond in which living aquatic animals or plants are kept\n2 : an establishment where aquatic collections of living organisms are kept and exhibited


Words: aquatic
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : growing or living in or frequenting water <aquatic mosquito larvae>\n2 : taking place in or on water <aquatic sports>\n\n<2> noun\n1 : an aquatic animal or plant\n2 plural but singular or plural in construction : water sports


Words: aqueduct
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a conduit for water; especially : one for carrying a large quantity of flowing water b : a structure for conveying a canal over a river or hollow\n2 : a canal or passage in a part or organ


Words: aqueous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : of, relating to, or resembling water b : made from, with, or by water\n2 : of or relating to the aqueous humor


Words: aquiline
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : curving like an eagle’s beak <an aquiline nose>\n2 : of, relating to, or resembling an eagle


Words: Arab
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a member of the Semitic people of the Arabian peninsula b : a member of an Arabic-speaking people\n2 : ARABIAN HORSE\n\n<2> abbreviation\nArabian, Arabic


Words: arabesque
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: of, relating to, or being in the style of arabesque or an arabesque\n\n<2> noun\n1 : an ornament or style that employs flower, foliage, or fruit and sometimes animal and figural outlines to produce an intricate pattern of interlaced lines\n2 : a posture in ballet in which the body is bent forward from the hip on one leg with one arm extended forward and the other arm and leg backward\n3 : an elaborate or intricate pattern <richly pierced by an arabesque of wormholes John Chase> <as lawyers perform their procedural arabesques Daniel Okrent>


Words: Arabic
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a Semitic language orig. of the Arabs of the Hejaz and Nejd that is now the prevailing speech of a wide region of southwestern Asia and northern Africa\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of Arabia or the Arabs\n2 : of, relating to, or constituting Arabic\n3 : expressed in or utilizing Arabic numerals


Words: arable
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : fit for or used for the growing of crops\n2 British : engaged in, produced by, or being the cultivation of arable land\n\n<2> noun\nchiefly British : land fit or used for the growing of crops; also : a plot of such land <the village arable of Anglo-Saxon times>


Words: arbiter
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a person with power to decide a dispute : JUDGE\n2 : a person or agency having the power of deciding


Words: arbitrament
Meaning:
noun\n1 archaic : the right or power of deciding\n2 : the settling of a dispute by an arbiter\n3 : the judgment given by an arbitrator


Words: arbitrary
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by law <the manner of punishment is arbitrary>\n2 a : not restrained or limited in the exercise of power : ruling by absolute authority <an arbitrary government> b : marked by or resulting from the unrestrained and often tyrannical exercise of power <protection from arbitrary arrest and detention>\n3 a : based on or determined by individual preference or convenience rather than by necessity or the intrinsic nature of something <an arbitrary standard> <take any arbitrary positive number> <arbitrary division of historical studies into watertight compartments A. J. Toynbee> b : existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as a capricious and unreasonable act of will <when a task is not seen in a meaningful context it is experienced as being arbitrary Nehemiah Jordan>


Words: arbitrate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 archaic : DECIDE, DETERMINE\n2 : to act as arbiter upon\n3 : to submit or refer for decision to an arbiter <agreed to arbitrate their differences>\nintransitive senses : to act as arbitrator


Words: arbor
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a shelter of vines or branches or of latticework covered with climbing shrubs or vines\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a spindle or axle of a wheel\n2 : a main shaft or beam\n3 : a shaft on which a revolving cutting tool is mounted\n4 : a spindle on a cutting machine that holds the work to be cut


Words: arboreal
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or resembling a tree\n2 : inhabiting or frequenting trees <arboreal monkeys>


Words: arboretum
Meaning:
noun\n: a place where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes


Words: arborvitae
Meaning:
noun\n: any of various evergreen trees and shrubs (especially genus Thuja) of the cypress family that usually have closely overlapping or compressed scale leaves and are often grown for ornament and in hedges


Words: arbutus
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of a genus (Arbutus) of shrubs and trees of the heath family with white or pink flowers and red or orange berries\n2 : a creeping plant (Epigaea repens) of the heath family that occurs in eastern No. America and bears fragrant pink or white flowers in early spring


Words: arc
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : the apparent path described above and below the horizon by a celestial body (as the sun)\n2 : something arched or curved\n3 : a sustained luminous discharge of electricity across a gap in a circuit or between electrodes; also : ARC LAMP\n4 : a continuous portion (as of a circle or ellipse) of a curved line\n5 : degree measurement on the circumference of a circle used especially in the phrase of arc <11 minutes 3 seconds of arc>\n\n<2> intransitive verb\n1 : to form an electric arc\n2 : to follow an arc-shaped course <the missile arced across the sky>\n\n<3> adjective\n: INVERSE 2 used with the trigonometric functions and hyperbolic functions


Words: arcade
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a long arched building or gallery\n2 : an arched covered passageway or avenue (as between shops)\n3 : a series of arches with their columns or piers\n4 : an amusement center having coin-operated games


Words: arcane
Meaning:
adjective\n: known or knowable only to the initiate : SECRET <the arcane rites of a mystery cult>; broadly : MYSTERIOUS, OBSCURE <the technical consultant’s arcane explanations>


Words: arch
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a typically curved structural member spanning an opening and serving as a support (as for the wall or other weight above the opening)\n2 a : something resembling an arch in form or function; especially : either of two vaulted portions of the bony structure of the foot that impart elasticity to it b : a curvature having the form of an arch\n3 : ARCHWAY\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to cover or provide with an arch\n2 : to form into an arch\nintransitive senses\n1 : to form an arch\n2 : to take an arch-shaped course\n\n<3> adjective\n1 : PRINCIPAL, CHIEF <your arch opponent>\n2 a : MISCHIEVOUS, SAUCY b : marked by a deliberate and often forced irony, brashness, or impudence\n\n<4> abbreviation\narchaic, archery, architect, architectural, architecture


Words: archaeology
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the scientific study of material remains (as fossil relics, artifacts, and monuments) of past human life and activities\n2 : remains of the culture of a people : ANTIQUITIES


Words: archaic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses\n2 : of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time : ANTIQUATED <archaic legal traditions>\n3 capitalized : of or belonging to the early or formative phases of a culture or a period of artistic development; especially : of or belonging to the period leading up to the classical period of Greek culture\n4 : surviving from an earlier period; specifically : typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage\n5 capitalized : of or relating to the period from about 8000 B.C. to 1000 B.C. and the North American cultures of that time


Words: archdeacon
Meaning:
noun\n: a clergyman having the duty of assisting a diocesan bishop in ceremonial functions or administrative work


Words: archery
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the art, practice, or skill of shooting with bow and arrow\n2 : an archer’s weapons\n3 : a body of archers


Words: archetype
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : PROTOTYPE; also : a perfect example\n2 : IDEA 1a\n3 : an inherited idea or mode of thought in the psychology of C. G. Jung that is derived from the experience of the race and is present in the unconscious of the individual


Words: archimandrite
Meaning:
noun\n: a dignitary in an Eastern church ranking below a bishop; specifically : the superior of a large monastery or group of monasteries


Words: architect
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a person who designs buildings and advises in their construction\n2 : a person who designs and guides a plan or undertaking <the architect of American foreign policy>


Words: architectonic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or according with the principles of architecture : ARCHITECTURAL\n2 : having an organized and unified structure that suggests an architectural design


Words: architectonics
Meaning:
noun plural but singular or plural in construction\n1 : the science of architecture\n2 a : the unifying structural design of something b : the system of structure


Words: architecture
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the art or science of building; specifically : the art or practice of designing and building structures and especially habitable ones\n2 a : formation or construction as or as if as the result of conscious act <the architecture of the garden> b : a unifying or coherent form or structure <the novel lacks architecture>\n3 : architectural product or work\n4 : a method or style of building\n5 : the manner in which the components of a computer or computer system are organized and integrated


Words: architrave
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the lowest division of an entablature resting in classical architecture immediately on the capital of the column see ENTABLATURE illustration\n2 : the molding around a rectangular opening (as a door)


Words: archive
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a place in which public records or historical documents are preserved; also : the material preserved often used in plural\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to file or collect (as records or documents) in or as if in an archive


Words: arctic
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 often capitalized : of or relating to the north pole or the region near it\n2 a : bitter cold : FRIGID b : cold in temper or mood <an arctic smile>\n\n<2> noun\n: a rubber overshoe reaching to the ankle or above


Words: ardent
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : characterized by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support or activity\n2 : FIERY, HOT <an ardent sun>\n3 : SHINING, GLOWING <ardent eyes>


Words: ardor
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an often restless or transitory warmth of feeling <the sudden ardors of youth> b : extreme vigor or energy : INTENSITY c : ZEAL d : LOYALTY\n2 : sexual excitement


Words: arduous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : hard to accomplish or achieve : DIFFICULT <years of arduous training> b : marked by great labor or effort : STRENUOUS <a life of arduous toil A. C. Cole>\n2 : hard to climb : STEEP


Words: area
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a level piece of ground\n2 : the surface included within a set of lines; specifically : the number of unit squares equal in measure to the surface see METRIC SYSTEM table, WEIGHT table\n3 : the scope of a concept, operation, or activity : FIELD <the whole area of foreign policy>\n4 : AREAWAY <went down the steps into the area of a house James Joyce>\n5 : a particular extent of space or surface or one serving a special function: as a : a part of the surface of the body b : a geographic region\n6 : a part of the cerebral cortex having a particular function


Words: arena
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an area in a Roman amphitheater for gladiatorial combats\n2 a : an enclosed area used for public entertainment b : a building containing an arena\n3 a : a sphere of interest, activity, or competition <the political arena> b : a place or situation for controversy <in the public arena>


Words: argon
Meaning:
noun\n: a colorless odorless inert gaseous element found in the air and in volcanic gases and used especially in welding, lasers, and electric bulbs see ELEMENT table


Words: argosy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a large ship; especially : a large merchant ship <three of your argosies are come to harbor Shakespeare>\n2 : a fleet of ships\n3 : a rich supply <an argosy of railway folklore F. P. Donovan>


Words: argot
Meaning:
noun\n: an often more or less secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group <shoved into a taxi by a porter whose argot couldn’t understand Allen Tate>


Words: arguable
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : open to argument, dispute, or question\n2 : that can be plausibly or convincingly argued


Words: argue
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to give reasons for or against something : REASON\n2 : to contend or disagree in words : DISPUTE\ntransitive senses\n1 : to give evidence of : INDICATE\n2 : to consider the pros and cons of : DISCUSS\n3 : to prove or try to prove by giving reasons : MAINTAIN\n4 : to persuade by giving reasons : INDUCE


Words: argument
Meaning:
noun\n1 obsolete : an outward sign : INDICATION\n2 a : a reason given in proof or rebuttal b : discourse intended to persuade\n3 a : the act or process of arguing : ARGUMENTATION b : a coherent series of statements leading from a premise to a conclusion c : QUARREL, DISAGREEMENT\n4 : an abstract or summary especially of a literary work <a later editor added an argument to the poem>\n5 : the subject matter especially of a literary work\n6 a : one of the independent variables upon whose value that of a function depends b : a substantive (as the direct object of a transitive verb) that is required by a predicate in grammar c : the angle assigned to a complex number when it is plotted in a complex plane using polar coordinates called also amplitude; compare ABSOLUTE VALUE 2


Words: argumentation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act or process of forming reasons and of drawing conclusions and applying them to a case in discussion\n2 : DEBATE, DISCUSSION


Words: argyle
Meaning:
noun\n: a geometric knitting pattern of varicolored diamonds in solid and outline shapes on a single background color; also : a sock knit in this pattern


Words: aria
Meaning:
noun\n1 : AIR, MELODY, TUNE; specifically : an accompanied elaborate melody sung (as in an opera) by a single voice\n2 : a striking solo performance (as in a movie)


Words: arid
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : excessively dry; specifically : having insufficient rainfall to support agriculture\n2 : lacking in interest and life : JEJUNE


Words: arise
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n1 : to get up : RISE\n2 a : to originate from a source b : to come into being or to attention\n3 : ASCEND


Words: aristocracy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : government by the best individuals or by a small privileged class\n2 a : a government in which power is vested in a minority consisting of those believed to be best qualified b : a state with such a government\n3 : a governing body or upper class usually made up of an hereditary nobility\n4 : the aggregate of those believed to be superior


Words: arithmetic
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a branch of mathematics that deals usually with the nonnegative real numbers including sometimes the transfinite cardinals and with the application of the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to them b : a treatise on arithmetic\n2 : COMPUTATION, CALCULATION


Words: ark
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a boat or ship held to resemble that in which Noah and his family were preserved from the Flood b : something that affords protection and safety\n2 a : the sacred chest representing to the Hebrews the presence of God among them b : a repository traditionally in or against the wall of a synagogue for the scrolls of the Torah


Words: arm
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a human upper limb; especially : the part between the shoulder and the wrist\n2 : something like or corresponding to an arm: as a : the forelimb of a vertebrate b : a limb of an invertebrate animal c : a branch or lateral shoot of a plant d : a slender part of a structure, machine, or an instrument projecting from a main part, axis, or fulcrum e : the end of a ship’s yard; also : the part of an anchor from the crown to the fluke see ANCHOR illustration f : any of the usually two parts of a chromosome lateral to the centromere\n3 : an inlet of water (as from the sea)\n4 : a narrow extension of a larger area, mass, or group\n5 : POWER, MIGHT <the long arm of the law>\n6 : a support (as on a chair) for the elbow and forearm\n7 : SLEEVE\n8 : the ability to throw or pitch a baseball well; also : a player having such ability\n9 : a functional division of a group, organization, institution, or activity <the logistical arm of the air force >\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to furnish or equip with weapons\n2 : to furnish with something that strengthens or protects\n3 : to fortify morally\n4 : to equip or ready for action or operation <arm a bomb>\nintransitive senses : to prepare oneself for struggle or resistance\n\n<3> noun\n1 a : a means (as a weapon) of offense or defense; especially : FIREARM b : a combat branch (as of an army) c : an organized branch of national defense (as the navy)\n2 plural a : the hereditary heraldic devices of a family b : heraldic devices adopted by a government\n3 plural a : active hostilities : WARFARE b : military service


Words: armada
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a fleet of warships\n2 : a large force or group usually of moving things <an armada of fishing boats>


Words: armadillo
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a family (Dasypodidae) of burrowing edentate mammals found from the southern U.S. to Argentina and having the body and head encased in an armor of small bony plates


Words: Armageddon
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the site or time of a final and conclusive battle between the forces of good and evil b : the battle taking place at Armageddon\n2 : a usually vast decisive conflict or confrontation


Words: armament
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a military or naval force\n2 a : the aggregate of a nation’s military strength b : WEAPONS, ARMS\n3 : the process of preparing for war


Words: armature
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an organ or structure (as teeth or thorns) for offense or defense\n2 a : a piece of soft iron or steel that connects the poles of a magnet or of adjacent magnets b : a usually rotating part of an electric machine (as a generator or motor) which consists essentially of coils of wire around a metal core and in which electric current is induced or in which the input current interacts with a magnetic field to produce torque c : the movable part of an electromagnetic device (as a loudspeaker) d : a framework used by a sculptor to support a figure being modeled in a plastic material e : FRAMEWORK 1b <the armature of the book derives from fourteenth century England Stanley Kauffmann>


Words: armchair
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a chair with armrests\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : remote from direct dealing with problems : theoretical rather than practical <armchair strategists>\n2 : sharing vicariously in another’s experiences <an armchair traveler>


Words: armed
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : furnished with weapons b : furnished with something that provides security, strength, or efficacy\n2 : marked by the maintenance of armed forces in readiness\n\n<2> adjective\n: having an arm or arms especially of a specified kind or number usually used in combination <long-armed> <two-armed>


Words: armor
Meaning:
noun\n1 : defensive covering for the body; especially : covering (as of metal) used in combat\n2 : a quality or circumstance that affords protection <the armor of prosperity>\n3 : a protective outer layer (as of a ship, a plant or animal, or a cable)\n4 : armored forces and vehicles (as tanks)


Words: armory
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a supply of arms for defense or attack b : a collection of available resources\n2 : a place where arms and military equipment are stored; especially : one used for training reserve military personnel\n3 : a place where arms are manufactured


Words: armpit
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the hollow beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder\n2 : the least desirable place : PIT <77th Street Station was the armpit of detective duty Joseph Wambaugh>


Words: army
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a large organized body of armed personnel trained for war especially on land b : a unit capable of independent action and consisting usually of a headquarters, two or more corps, and auxiliary troops c often capitalized : the complete military organization of a nation for land warfare\n2 : a great multitude <an army of bicycles Norm Fruchter>\n3 : a body of persons organized to advance a cause


Words: aroma
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a distinctive pervasive and usually pleasant or savory smell; broadly : ODOR b : the odor of a wine imparted by the grapes from which it is made\n2 : a distinctive quality or atmosphere : FLAVOR <the aroma of enjoyment Stella D. Gibbons>


Words: around
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 a : in a circle or in circumference <the wheel goes around> <a tree five feet around> b : in, along, or through a circuit <the road goes around by the lake>\n2 a : on all or various sides : in every or any direction <papers lying around> <nothing for miles around> b : in close from all sides so as to surround <people crowded around> c : in or near one’s present place or situation <wait around awhile>\n3 a : here and there : from one place to another <travels around on business> b : to a particular place <come around for dinner>\n4 a : in rotation or succession <another winter comes around> b : from beginning to end : THROUGH <mild the year around> c : in order <the other way around>\n5 : in or to an opposite direction or position <turn around>\n6 : with some approach to exactness : APPROXIMATELY <cost around 5>\n\n<2> preposition\n1 a : on all sides of b : so as to encircle or enclose <seated around the table> c : so as to avoid or get past : on or to another side of <find a way around their objections> <went around the lake> <around the corner> d : NEAR <lives around Chicago> <around the turn of the century>\n2 : in all directions outward from <look around you>\n3 : here and there in or throughout <barnstorming around the country>\n4 : so as to have a center or basis in <a society organized around kinship ties>\n\n<3> adjective\n1 : ABOUT 1 <has been up and around for two days>\n2 : being in existence, evidence, or circulation <the most intelligent of the artists around today R. M. Coates>


Words: arouse
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to awaken from sleep\n2 : to rouse or stimulate to action or to physiological readiness for activity : EXCITE <the book aroused debate>\nintransitive senses : to awake from sleep : STIR


Words: arpeggio
Meaning:
noun\n1 : production of the tones of a chord in succession and not simultaneously\n2 : a chord played in arpeggio


Words: arraign
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to call (a defendant) before a court to answer to an indictment : CHARGE\n2 : to accuse of wrong, inadequacy, or imperfection


Words: arrange
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to make preparations for : PLAN <arranged a reception for the visitor>\n2 : to put into a proper order or into a correct or suitable sequence, relationship, or adjustment <arrange flowers in a vase> <arrange cards alphabetically>\n3 a : to adapt (a musical composition) by scoring for voices or instruments other than those for which orig. written b : ORCHESTRATE\n4 : to bring about an agreement or understanding concerning : SETTLE <arrange an exchange of war prisoners>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to bring about an agreement or understanding <arranged to have a table at the restaurant>\n2 : to make preparations : PLAN <arranged for a vacation with his family>


Words: arrant
Meaning:
adjective\n: being notoriously without moderation : EXTREME <we are arrant knaves, all; believe none of us Shakespeare>


Words: arras
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a tapestry of Flemish origin used especially for wall hangings and curtains\n2 : a wall hanging or screen of tapestry


Words: array
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to dress or decorate especially in splendid or impressive attire : ADORN\n2 a : to set or place in order : DRAW UP, MARSHAL b : to set or set forth in order (as a jury) for the trial of a cause\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : a regular and imposing grouping or arrangement : ORDER <lined up in soldierly array Donald Barthelme> b : an orderly listing of jurors impaneled\n2 a : CLOTHING, ATTIRE b : rich or beautiful apparel : FINERY\n3 : a body of soldiers : MILITIA <the baron and his feudal array>\n4 : an imposing group : large number <faced a whole array of problems>\n5 a (1) : a number of mathematical elements arranged in rows and columns (2) : a data structure in which similar elements of data are arranged in a table b : a series of statistical data arranged in classes in order of magnitude\n6 : a group of elements forming a complete unit <an antenna array>


Words: arrest
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 a : to bring to a stop <sickness arrested his activities> b : CHECK, SLOW c : to make inactive <an arrested tumor>\n2 : SEIZE, CAPTURE; specifically : to take or keep in custody by authority of law\n3 : to catch suddenly and engagingly\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : the act of stopping b : the condition of being stopped or inactive\n2 : the taking or detaining in custody by authority of law


Words: arrival
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act of arriving\n2 : the attainment of an end or state\n3 : one that has recently reached a destination


Words: arrive
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n1 a : to reach a destination b : to make an appearance <the guests have arrived>\n2 a archaic : HAPPEN b : to be near in time : COME <the moment has arrived>\n3 : to achieve success


Words: arrogant
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one’s own worth or importance in an overbearing manner <an arrogant official>\n2 : proceeding from or characterized by arrogance <arrogant manners>


Words: arrogate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 a : to claim or seize without justification b : to make undue claims to having : ASSUME\n2 : to claim on behalf of another : ASCRIBE


Words: arrow
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a missile weapon shot from a bow and usually having a slender shaft, a pointed head, and feathers at the butt\n2 : something shaped like an arrow; especially : a mark (as on a map or signboard) to indicate direction\n\n<2> intransitive verb\n: to move fast and straight like an arrow in flight : DART


Words: arrowhead
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a wedge-shaped piercing tip usually fixed to an arrow\n2 : something resembling an arrowhead\n3 : any of a genus (Sagittaria) of marsh or aquatic plants of the water-plantain family with leaves shaped like arrowheads


Words: arrowroot
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : any of a genus (Maranta of the family Marantaceae, the arrowroot family) of tropical American plants with tuberous roots; especially : one (M. arundinacea) whose roots yield an easily digested edible starch b : any of several plants (as coontie) that yield starch\n2 : starch yielded by an arrowroot


Words: arsenal
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an establishment for the manufacture or storage of arms and military equipment b : a collection of weapons\n2 : STORE, REPERTORY <the team’s arsenal of veteran players>


Words: arsenic
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a trivalent and pentavalent solid poisonous element that is commonly metallic steel-gray, crystalline, and brittle see ELEMENT table\n2 : a poisonous trioxide As2O3 or As4O6 of arsenic used especially as an insecticide or weed killer called also arsenic trioxide\n\n<2> adjective\n: of, relating to, or containing arsenic especially with a valence of five


Words: arson
Meaning:
noun\n: the willful or malicious burning of property (as a building) especially with criminal or fraudulent intent


Words: arterial
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : of or relating to an artery b : relating to or being the bright red blood present in most arteries that has been oxygenated in lungs or gills\n2 : of, relating to, or constituting through traffic\n\n<2> noun\n: a through street or highway


Words: arteriosclerosis
Meaning:
noun\n: a chronic disease characterized by abnormal thickening and hardening of the arterial walls with resulting loss of elasticity


Words: artery
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of the tubular branching muscular- and elastic-walled vessels that carry blood from the heart through the body\n2 : a channel (as a river or highway) of transportation or communication; especially : the main channel in a branching system


Words: artful
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : performed with or showing art or skill <an artful performance on the violin>\n2 a : using or characterized by art and skill : DEXTEROUS <an artful prose stylist> b : adroit in attaining an end often by insinuating or indirect means : WILY <an artful cross-examiner>\n3 : ARTIFICIAL <trim walks and artful bowers William Wordsworth>


Words: arthritis
Meaning:
noun\n: inflammation of joints due to infectious, metabolic, or constitutional causes; also : a specific arthritic condition


Words: arthropod
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a phylum (Arthropoda) of invertebrate animals (as insects, arachnids, and crustaceans) that have a segmented body and jointed appendages, a usually chitinous exoskeleton molted at intervals, and a dorsal anterior brain connected to a ventral chain of ganglia


Words: artichoke
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a tall composite herb (Cynara scolymus) like a thistle with coarse pinnately incised leaves; also : its edible immature flower head which is cooked as a vegetable\n2 : JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE


Words: article
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a distinct often numbered section of a writing b : a separate clause c : a stipulation in a document (as a contract or a creed) d : a nonfictional prose composition usually forming an independent part of a publication (as a magazine)\n2 : an item of business : MATTER\n3 : any of a small set of words or affixes (as a, an, and the) used with nouns to limit or give definiteness to the application\n4 : a member of a class of things; especially : an item of goods <articles of value>\n5 : a thing of a particular and distinctive kind <the genuine article>\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to bind by articles (as of apprenticeship)


Words: articulate
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : divided into syllables or words meaningfully arranged : INTELLIGIBLE b : able to speak c : expressing oneself readily, clearly, or effectively; also : expressed in this manner\n2 a : consisting of segments united by joints : JOINTED <articulate animals> b : distinctly marked off\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to utter distinctly <articulating each note in the musical phrase> b : to give clear and effective utterance to : put into words <articulate one’s grievances> c : to give definition to (as a shape or object) <shades of gray were chosen to articulate different spaces Carol Vogel>\n2 a : to unite by means of a joint : JOINT b : to form or fit into a systematic whole <articulating a program for all school grades>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to utter articulate sounds\n2 : to become united or connected by or as if by a joint


Words: artifact
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : something created by humans usually for a practical purpose; especially : an object remaining from a particular period <caves containing prehistoric artifacts> b : something characteristic of or resulting from a human institution or activity <self-consciousness turns out to be an artifact of our education system Times Literary Supplement>\n2 : a product of artificial character (as in a scientific test) due usually to extraneous (as human) agency


Words: artifice
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : clever or artful skill : INGENUITY <believing that characters had to be created from within rather than with artifice Garson Kanin> b : an ingenious device or expedient\n2 a : an artful stratagem : TRICK b : false or insincere behavior <social artifice>


Words: artificer
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a skilled or artistic worker or craftsman\n2 : one that makes or contrives : DEVISER <had been the artificer of his own fortunes Times Literary Supplement>


Words: artificial
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : humanly contrived often on a natural model : MAN-MADE <an artificial limb> <artificial diamonds>\n2 a : having existence in legal, economic, or political theory b : caused or produced by a human and especially social or political agency <an artificial price advantage> <artificial barriers of discrimination R. C. Weaver>\n3 obsolete : ARTFUL, CUNNING\n4 a : lacking in natural or spontaneous quality <an artificial smile> <an artificial excitement> b : IMITATION, SHAM <artificial flavor>\n5 : based on differential morphological characters not necessarily indicative of natural relationships <an artificial key for plant identification>


Words: artillery
Meaning:
noun\n1 : weapons (as bows, slings, and catapults) for discharging missiles\n2 a : large bore crew-served mounted firearms (as guns, howitzers, and rockets) : ORDNANCE b : a branch of an army armed with artillery\n3 : means of impressing, arguing, or persuading


Words: artist
Meaning:
noun\n1 a obsolete : one skilled or versed in learned arts b archaic : PHYSICIAN c archaic : ARTISAN\n2 a : one who professes and practices an imaginative art b : a person skilled in one of the fine arts\n3 : a skilled performer; especially : ARTISTE\n4 : one who is adept at something <con artist> <strikeout artist>


Words: artistic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of art or artists <artistic subjects> <an artistic success>\n2 : showing imaginative skill in arrangement or execution <artistic photography>


Words: artistry
Meaning:
noun\n1 : artistic quality of effect or workmanship <the artistry of his novel>\n2 : artistic ability <the artistry of the violinist> <a lawyer’s artistry in persuading juries>


Words: artless
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : lacking art, knowledge, or skill : UNCULTURED\n2 a : made without skill : CRUDE b : free from artificiality : NATURAL <artless grace>\n3 : free from guile or craft : sincerely simple


Words: arty
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: showily or pretentiously artistic <arty lighting and photography>\n\n<2> abbreviation\nartillery


Words: arum
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a genus (Arum of the family Araceae, the arum family) of Old World plants having usually arrow-shaped leaves and a showy spathe partially enclosing a spadix; broadly : a plant of the arum family


Words: Aryan
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : INDO-EUROPEAN\n2 a : of or relating to a hypothetical ethnic type illustrated by or descended from early speakers of Indo-European languages b : NORDIC c used in Nazism to designate a supposed master race of non-Jewish Caucasians having especially Nordic features\n3 : of or relating to Indo-Iranian or its speakers\n\n<2> noun\n1 : INDO-EUROPEAN\n2 a : NORDIC b : GENTILE


Words: as
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : to the same degree or amount <as deaf as a post> <twice as long>\n2 : for instance <various trees, as oak or pine>\n3 : when considered in a specified form or relation usually used before a preposition or a participle <my opinion as distinguished from his>\n\n<2> conjunction\n1 : AS IF <looks as he had seen a ghost S. T. Coleridge>\n2 : in or to the same degree in which <deaf as a post> usually used as a correlative after an adjective or adverb modified by adverbial as or so <as cool as a cucumber>\n3 : in the way or manner that <do as do>\n4 : in accordance with what or the way in which <quite good as boys go>\n5 : WHILE, WHEN <spilled the milk as she got up>\n6 : regardless of the degree to which : THOUGH <improbable as it seems, it’s true>\n7 : for the reason that : BECAUSE, SINCE <stayed home as she had no car>\n8 : that the result is <so clearly guilty as to leave no doubt>\n\n<3> pronoun\n1 : THAT, WHO, WHICH used after same or such <in the same building as my brother> <tears such as angels weep John Milton> and chiefly dial. after a substantive not modified by same or such <that kind of fruit as maids call medlars Shakespeare>\n2 : a fact that <is a foreigner, as is evident from his accent>\n\n<4> preposition\n1 a : LIKE 2 <all rose as one man> b : LIKE 1a <his face was as a mask Max Beerbohm>\n2 : in the capacity, character, condition, or role of <works as an editor>\n\n<5> noun\n1 a : a bronze coin of the ancient Roman republic b : a unit of value equivalent to an as coin\n2 : LIBRA 2a


Words: asafetida
Meaning:
noun\n: the fetid gum resin of various Oriental plants (genus Ferula) of the carrot family formerly used in medicine as an antispasmodic and in folk medicine as a general prophylactic against disease


Words: asbestos
Meaning:
noun\n: any of several minerals (as chrysotile) that readily separate into long flexible fibers, that have been implicated as causes of certain cancers, and that have been used especially formerly as fireproof insulating materials


Words: ascend
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses\n1 a : to move upward b : to slope upward\n2 a : to rise from a lower level or degree b : to go back in time or in order of genealogical succession\ntransitive senses\n1 : to go or move up <ascend a staircase>\n2 : to succeed to : OCCUPY <ascend the throne>


Words: ascendant
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : the point of the ecliptic or degree of the zodiac that rises above the eastern horizon at any moment\n2 : a state or position of dominant power or importance\n3 : a lineal or collateral relative in the ascending line\n\n<2> adjective\n1 a : moving upward : RISING b : directed upward <an ascendant stem>\n2 a : SUPERIOR b : DOMINANT


Words: ascent
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the act of rising or mounting upward : CLIMB b : an upward slope or rising grade : ACCLIVITY c : the degree of elevation : INCLINATION, GRADIENT\n2 : an advance in social status or reputation : PROGRESS\n3 : a going back in time or upward in order of genealogical succession


Words: ascertain
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 archaic : to make certain, exact, or precise\n2 : to find out or learn with certainty


Words: ascetic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline\n2 : austere in appearance, manner, or attitude


Words: aseptic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : preventing infection <aseptic techniques> b : free or freed from pathogenic microorganisms <an aseptic operating room>\n2 : lacking vitality, emotion, or warmth <aseptic essays>


Words: asexual
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : lacking sex or functional sex organs <asexual plants>\n2 a : involving or reproducing by reproductive processes (as cell division, spore formation, fission, or budding) that do not involve the union of individuals or germ cells <asexual reproduction> <an asexual generation> b : produced by asexual reproduction <asexual spores>\n3 : devoid of sexuality <an asexual relationship>


Words: ashamed
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace b : feeling inferior or unworthy\n2 : restrained by anticipation of shame <was ashamed to beg>


Words: ashen
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: of, relating to, or made from ash wood\n\n<2> adjective\n: resembling ashes (as in color); especially : deadly pale <a face ashen and haggard>


Words: ashlar
Meaning:
noun\n1 : hewn or squared stone; also : masonry of such stone\n2 : a thin squared and dressed stone for facing a wall of rubble or brick


Words: Asian
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent of Asia or its people\n\n<2> noun\n: a native or inhabitant of Asia


Words: aside
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : to or toward the side <stepped aside>\n2 : away from others or into privacy <pulled him aside>\n3 : out of the way especially for future use : AWAY <putting aside savings>\n4 : away from one’s thought or consideration <jesting aside>\n\n<2> preposition\nobsolete : BEYOND, PAST\n\n<3> noun\n1 : an utterance meant to be inaudible to someone; especially : an actor’s speech heard by the audience but supposedly not by other characters\n2 : a straying from the theme : DIGRESSION


Words: asinine
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : marked by inexcusable failure to exercise intelligence or sound judgment <an asinine excuse>\n2 : of, relating to, or resembling an ass


Words: ask
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to call on for an answer b : to put a question about c : SPEAK, UTTER <ask a question>\n2 a : to make a request of <she asked her teacher for help> b : to make a request for <she asked help from her teacher>\n3 : to call for : REQUIRE\n4 : to set as a price <asked 3000 for the car>\n5 : INVITE\nintransitive senses\n1 : to seek information\n2 : to make a request <asked for food>\n3 : LOOK often used in the phrase ask for trouble


Words: aslant
Meaning:
<1> adverb or adjective\n: in a slanting direction : OBLIQUELY\n\n<2> preposition\n: over or across in a slanting direction


Words: asleep
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : being in a state of sleep\n2 : DEAD\n3 : lacking sensation : NUMB\n4 a : INACTIVE, DORMANT b : not alert : INDIFFERENT\n\n<2> adverb\n1 : into a state of sleep\n2 : into the sleep of death\n3 : into a state of inactivity, sluggishness, or indifference


Words: asp
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: ASPEN\n\n<2> noun\n: a small venomous snake of Egypt usually held to be a cobra (Naja haje)


Words: asparagus
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a genus (Asparagus) of Old World perennial plants of the lily family having much-branched stems, minute scalelike leaves, and narrow usually filiform branchlets that function as leaves; especially : one (A. officinalis) widely cultivated for its edible young shoots


Words: aspect
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the position of planets or stars with respect to one another held by astrologers to influence human affairs; also : the apparent position (as conjunction) of a body in the solar system with respect to the sun b : a position facing a particular direction : EXPOSURE <the house has a southern aspect> c : the manner of presentation of a plane to a fluid through which it is moving or to a current\n2 a (1) : appearance to the eye or mind (2) : a particular appearance of countenance : MIEN b : a particular status or phase in which something appears or may be regarded <studied every aspect of the question>\n3 archaic : an act of looking : GAZE\n4 a : the nature of the action of a verb as to its beginning, duration, completion, or repetition and without reference to its position in time b : a set of inflected verb forms that indicate aspect


Words: aspen
Meaning:
noun\n: any of several poplars (especially Populus tremula of Europe and P. tremuloides and P. grandidentata of No. America) with leaves that flutter in the lightest wind because of their flattened petioles


Words: asperity
Meaning:
noun\n1 : RIGOR, SEVERITY\n2 a : roughness of surface : UNEVENNESS; also : a tiny projection from a surface b : roughness of sound\n3 : roughness of manner or of temper : HARSHNESS


Words: aspersion
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a sprinkling with water especially in religious ceremonies\n2 a : the act of calumniating b : a calumnious expression <cast aspersions on her integrity>


Words: asphalt
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a dark bituminous substance that is found in natural beds and is also obtained as a residue in petroleum refining and that consists chiefly of hydrocarbons\n2 : an asphaltic composition used for pavements and as a waterproof cement\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to cover with asphalt : PAVE 1


Words: asphodel
Meaning:
noun\n: any of various Old World usually perennial herbs (especially genera Asphodelus and Asphodeline) of the lily family with flowers in usually long erect racemes


Words: asphyxiate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to cause asphyxia in; also : to kill or make unconscious by inadequate oxygen, presence of noxious agents, or other obstruction to normal breathing\nintransitive senses : to become asphyxiated


Words: aspic
Meaning:
<1> noun\nobsolete : 2ASP\n\n<2> noun\n: a clear savory jelly (as of fish or meat stock) used as a garnish or to make a meat, fish, or vegetable mold


Words: aspirant
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: one who aspires <presidential aspirants>\n\n<2> adjective\n: seeking to attain a desired position or status <the pilot was an aspirant astronaut>


Words: aspiration
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : audible breath that accompanies or comprises a speech sound b : the pronunciation or addition of an aspiration; also : the symbol of an aspiration\n2 : a drawing of something in, out, up, or through by or as if by suction: as a : the act of breathing and especially of breathing in b : the withdrawal of fluid or tissue from the body c : the taking of foreign matter into the lungs with the respiratory current\n3 a : a strong desire to achieve something high or great b : an object of such desire


Words: aspire
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n1 : to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal <aspired to a career in medicine>\n2 : ASCEND, SOAR


Words: aspirin
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a white crystalline derivative C9H8O4 of salicylic acid used for relief of pain and fever\n2 : a tablet of aspirin


Words: ass
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : any of several hardy gregarious African or Asian perissodactyl mammals (genus Equus) smaller than the horse and having long ears; especially : an African mammal (E. asinus) that is the ancestor of the donkey\n2 often vulgar : a stupid, obstinate, or perverse person often compounded with a preceding adjective <don’t be a smart-ass>\n\n<2> noun\n1 a often vulgar : BUTTOCKS often used in emphatic reference to a specific person <get your ass over here> <saved my ass> b often vulgar : ANUS\n2 usually vulgar : SEXUAL INTERCOURSE\n\n<3> adverb\noften vulgar used as a postpositive intensive especially with words of derogatory implication <fancy-ass>


Words: assassin
Meaning:
noun\n1 capitalized : one of a secret order of Muslims that at the time of the Crusades terrorized Christians and other enemies by secret murder committed under the influence of hashish\n2 : a person who commits murder; especially : one who murders a politically important person either for hire or from fanatical motives


Words: assassinate
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously\n2 : to murder by sudden or secret attack usually for impersonal reasons


Words: assault
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a violent physical or verbal attack b : a military attack usually involving direct combat with enemy forces c : a concerted effort (as to reach a goal or defeat an adversary)\n2 a : a threat or attempt to inflict offensive physical contact or bodily harm on a person (as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner) that puts the person in immediate danger of or in apprehension of such harm or contact compare BATTERY 1b b : RAPE\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to make an assault on\n2 : RAPE\nintransitive senses : to make an assault


Words: assay
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 archaic : TRIAL, ATTEMPT\n2 : examination and determination as to characteristics (as weight, measure, or quality)\n3 : analysis (as of an ore or drug) to determine the presence, absence, or quantity of one or more components\n4 : a substance to be assayed; also : the tabulated result of assaying\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : TRY, ATTEMPT\n2 a : to analyze (as an ore) for one or more specific components b : to judge the worth of : ESTIMATE\nintransitive senses : to prove up in an assay


Words: assemblage
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a collection of persons or things : GATHERING\n2 : the act of assembling : the state of being assembled\n3 a : an artistic composition made from scraps, junk, and odds and ends (as of paper, cloth, wood, stone, or metal) b : the art of making assemblages


Words: assemble
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to bring together (as in a particular place or for a particular purpose)\n2 : to fit together the parts of\nintransitive senses : to meet together : CONVENE


Words: assembly
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a company of persons gathered for deliberation and legislation, worship, or entertainment\n2 capitalized : a legislative body; specifically : the lower house of a legislature\n3 : ASSEMBLAGE 1, 2\n4 : a signal for troops to assemble or fall in\n5 a : the fitting together of manufactured parts into a complete machine, structure, or unit of a machine b : a collection of parts so assembled\n6 : the translation of assembly language to machine language by an assembler


Words: assent
Meaning:
<1> intransitive verb\n: to agree to something especially after thoughtful consideration : CONCUR\n\n<2> noun\n: an act of assenting : ACQUIESCENCE, AGREEMENT


Words: assert
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to state or declare positively and often forcefully or aggressively\n2 a : to demonstrate the existence of <assert his manhood James Joyce> b : POSIT, POSTULATE


Words: assess
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to determine the rate or amount of (as a tax)\n2 a : to impose (as a tax) according to an established rate b : to subject to a tax, charge, or levy\n3 : to make an official valuation of (property) for the purposes of taxation\n4 : to determine the importance, size, or value of\n5 : to charge (a player or team) with a foul or penalty


Words: asset
Meaning:
noun\n1 plural a : the property of a deceased person subject by law to the payment of his or her debts and legacies b : the entire property of a person, association, corporation, or estate applicable or subject to the payment of debts\n2 : ADVANTAGE, RESOURCE <his wit is his chief asset>\n3 a : an item of value owned b plural : the items on a balance sheet showing the book value of property owned


Words: assiduous
Meaning:
adjective\n: marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application <an assiduous book collector> <tended her garden with assiduous attention>


Words: assign
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to transfer (property) to another especially in trust or for the benefit of creditors\n2 a : to appoint to a post or duty <assigned them to light duty> <assigned me two clerks> b : to appoint as a duty or task <assigns 20 pages for homework>\n3 : to fix or specify in correspondence or relationship <assign counsel to the defendant> <assign a value to the variable>\n4 a : to ascribe as a motive, reason, or cause especially after deliberation b : to consider to belong to (a specified period of time)\n\n<2> noun\n: ASSIGNEE 3 <heirs and assigns>


Words: assignation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act of assigning or the assignment made\n2 : an appointment of time and place for a meeting; especially : TRYST <returned from an assignation with his mistress W. B. Yeats>


Words: assignment
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act of assigning\n2 a : a position, post, or office to which one is assigned b : a specified task or amount of work assigned or undertaken as if assigned by authority\n3 : the transfer of property; especially : the transfer of property to be held in trust or to be used for the benefit of creditors


Words: assimilate
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to take in and appropriate as nourishment : absorb into the system b : to take into the mind and thoroughly comprehend\n2 a : to make similar b : to alter by assimilation c : to absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group\n3 : COMPARE, LIKEN\nintransitive senses : to become assimilated\n\n<2> noun\n: something that is assimilated


Words: assist
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses : to give usually supplementary support or aid to\nintransitive senses\n1 : to give support or aid <assisted at the stove> <another surgeon assisted on the operation>\n2 : to be present as a spectator <the ideal figures assisting at Italian holy scenes Mary McCarthy>\n\n<2> noun\n1 : an act of assistance : AID\n2 : the action (as a throw or pass) of a player who enables a teammate to make a putout or score a goal; also : official credit given for such an action\n3 : a mechanical device that provides assistance


Words: assize
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a judicial inquest b : an action to be decided by such an inquest, the writ for instituting it, or the verdict or finding rendered by the jury\n2 a : the former periodical sessions of the superior courts in English counties for trial of civil and criminal cases usually used in plural b : the time or place of holding such a court, the court itself, or a session of it usually used in plural


Words: associate
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to join as a partner, friend, or companion\n2 obsolete : to keep company with : ATTEND\n3 : to join or connect together : COMBINE\n4 : to bring together or into relationship in any of various intangible ways (as in memory or imagination)\nintransitive senses\n1 : to come or be together as partners, friends, or companions\n2 : to combine or join with other parts : UNITE\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : closely connected (as in function or office) with another\n2 : closely related especially in the mind\n3 : having secondary or subordinate status <associate membership in a society>\n\n<3> noun\n1 : one associated with another: as a : PARTNER, COLLEAGUE b : COMPANION, COMRADE\n2 a : an entry-level member (as of a learned society, professional organization, or profession) b : EMPLOYEE, WORKER\n3 often capitalized : a degree conferred especially by a junior college <associate in arts>


Words: association
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the act of associating b : the state of being associated : COMBINATION, RELATIONSHIP\n2 : an organization of persons having a common interest : SOCIETY\n3 : something linked in memory or imagination with a thing or person\n4 : the process of forming mental connections or bonds between sensations, ideas, or memories\n5 : the aggregation of chemical species to form (as with hydrogen bonds) loosely bound complexes\n6 : a major unit in ecological community organization characterized by essential uniformity and usually by two or more dominant species


Words: associative
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of or relating to association especially of ideas or images\n2 : dependent on or acquired by association or learning\n3 : of, having, or being the property of producing the same result no matter which pair of elements next to each other in a mathematical expression is used to perform a given operation first if the elements in the expression are listed in a fixed order <addition is associative since (a b) c a (b c)>


Words: assonance
Meaning:
noun\n1 : resemblance of sound in words or syllables\n2 a : relatively close juxtaposition of similar sounds especially of vowels b : repetition of vowels without repetition of consonants (as in stony and holy) used as an alternative to rhyme in verse


Words: assort
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to distribute into groups of a like kind : CLASSIFY\n2 : to supply with an assortment (as of goods)\nintransitive senses\n1 : to agree in kind : HARMONIZE\n2 : to keep company : ASSOCIATE


Words: assorted
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : suited especially by nature or character <an ill-assorted pair>\n2 : consisting of various kinds <assorted chocolates>


Words: assortment
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the act of assorting b : the state of being assorted\n2 : a collection of assorted things or persons


Words: assuage
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to lessen the intensity of (something that pains or distresses) : EASE\n2 : PACIFY, QUIET\n3 : to put an end to by satisfying : APPEASE, QUENCH


Words: assume
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 a : to take up or in : RECEIVE b : to take into partnership, employment, or use\n2 a : to take to or upon oneself : UNDERTAKE b : PUT ON, DON\n3 : to take control of\n4 : to pretend to have or be : FEIGN <assumed an air of confidence in spite of her dismay>\n5 : to take as granted or true : SUPPOSE\n6 : to take over (the debts of another) as one’s own


Words: assumption
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the taking up of a person into heaven b capitalized : August 15 observed in commemoration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary\n2 : a taking to or upon oneself <the assumption of a new position>\n3 : the act of laying claim to or taking possession of something <the assumption of power>\n4 : ARROGANCE, PRETENSION\n5 a : an assuming that something is true b : a fact or statement (as a proposition, axiom, postulate, or notion) taken for granted\n6 : the taking over of another’s debts


Words: assurance
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act or action of assuring: as a : PLEDGE, GUARANTEE b : the act of conveying real property; also : the instrument by which it is conveyed c chiefly British : INSURANCE\n2 : the state of being assured: as a : SECURITY b : a being certain in the mind <the puritan’s assurance of salvation> c : confidence of mind or manner : easy freedom from self-doubt or uncertainty; also : excessive self-confidence : BRASHNESS, PRESUMPTION\n3 : something that inspires or tends to inspire confidence <gave repeated assurances of goodwill>


Words: assure
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to make safe (as from risks or against overthrow) : INSURE\n2 : to give confidence to <and hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts 1 John 3:19 (Authorized Version)>\n3 : to make sure or certain : CONVINCE <glancing back to assure himself no one was following>\n4 : to inform positively <I assure you that we will do better next time>\n5 : to make certain the coming or attainment of : GUARANTEE <worked hard to assure accuracy>


Words: assured
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : characterized by certainty or security : GUARANTEED <an assured market>\n2 a : SELF-ASSURED b : SELF-SATISFIED\n3 : satisfied as to the certainty or truth of a matter <rest assured we got what we came for>\n\n<2> noun\n: INSURED


Words: astatine
Meaning:
noun\n: a radioactive halogen element discovered by bombarding bismuth with alpha particles and also formed by radioactive decay see ELEMENT table


Words: aster
Meaning:
noun\n1 New Latin, from Latin, aster, from Greek aster-, ast*r star, aster a : any of various chiefly fall-blooming leafy-stemmed composite herbs (Aster and closely related genera) with often showy heads containing disk flowers or both disk and ray flowers b : CHINA ASTER\n2 New Latin, from Greek aster-, ast*r : a system of microtubules arranged radially about a centriole at either end of the mitotic or meiotic spindle


Words: asterisk
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: the character y used in printing or writing as a reference mark, as an indication of the omission of letters or words, to denote a hypothetical or unattested linguistic form, or for various arbitrary meanings\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to mark with an asterisk : STAR


Words: astern
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : behind a ship\n2 : at or toward the stern of a ship\n3 : STERNFOREMOST, BACKWARD


Words: asteroid
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : any of the small celestial bodies found especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter\n2 : STARFISH\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : resembling a star <asteroid bodies in sporotrichosis>\n2 : of or resembling a starfish


Words: asthma
Meaning:
noun\n: a condition often of allergic origin that is marked by continuous or paroxysmal labored breathing accompanied by wheezing, by a sense of constriction in the chest, and often by attacks of coughing or gasping


Words: astigmatism
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a defect of an optical system (as a lens) causing rays from a point to fail to meet in a focal point resulting in a blurred and imperfect image\n2 : a defect of vision due to astigmatism of the refractive system of the eye and especially to corneal irregularity\n3 : distorted understanding suggestive of the blurred vision of an astigmatic person


Words: astonish
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 obsolete : to strike with sudden fear\n2 : to strike with sudden and usually great wonder or surprise


Words: astound
Meaning:
<1> adjective\narchaic : overwhelmed with astonishment or amazement : ASTOUNDED\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to fill with bewilderment or wonder


Words: astraddle
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: on or above and extending onto both sides : ASTRIDE\n\n<2> preposition\n: with one leg on each side of : ASTRIDE


Words: astrakhan
Meaning:
noun\n1 : karakul of Russian origin\n2 : a cloth with a usually wool, curled, and looped pile resembling karakul


Words: astral
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or coming from the stars <astral influences> <unusual astral occurrences>\n2 : of or relating to a mitotic or meiotic aster\n3 : of or consisting of a supersensible substance held in theosophy to be next above the tangible world in refinement\n4 a : VISIONARY b : elevated in station or position : EXALTED


Words: astray
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : off the right path or route : STRAYING\n2 : in error : away from what is proper or desirable


Words: astride
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : with one leg on each side : astride a horse <she rode astride, not sidesaddle>\n2 : with the legs stretched wide apart <standing astride>\n\n<2> preposition\n1 : on or above and with one leg on each side of\n2 : placed or lying on both sides of\n3 : extending over or across : SPANNING, BRIDGING


Words: astrolabe
Meaning:
noun\n: a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant


Words: astrology
Meaning:
noun\n1 archaic : ASTRONOMY\n2 : the divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects


Words: astronomical
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of or relating to astronomy\n2 : enormously or inconceivably large or great <astronomical numbers>


Words: astronomy
Meaning:
noun\n: the study of objects and matter outside the earth’s atmosphere and of their physical and chemical properties


Words: astrophysics
Meaning:
noun plural but singular or plural in construction\n: a branch of astronomy dealing especially with the behavior, physical properties, and dynamic processes of celestial objects and phenomena


Words: astute
Meaning:
adjective\n: having or showing shrewdness and perspicacity <an astute observer> <astute remarks>; also : CRAFTY, WILY


Words: asunder
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : into parts <torn asunder>\n2 : apart from each other in position <wide asunder>


Words: asylum
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an inviolable place of refuge and protection giving shelter to criminals and debtors : SANCTUARY\n2 : a place of retreat and security : SHELTER\n3 a : the protection or inviolability afforded by an asylum : REFUGE b : protection from arrest and extradition given especially to political refugees by a nation or by an embassy or other agency enjoying diplomatic immunity\n4 : an institution for the care of the destitute or sick and especially the insane


Words: at
Meaning:
<1> preposition\n1 used as a function word to indicate presence or occurrence in, on, or near <staying at a hotel> <at a party> <sick at heart>\n2 used as a function word to indicate the goal of an indicated or implied action or motion <aim at the target> <creditors are at him again>\n3 used as a function word to indicate that with which one is occupied or employed <at work> <at the controls> <good at chess>\n4 used as a function word to indicate situation in an active or passive state or condition <at liberty> <at rest>\n5 used as a function word to indicate the means, cause, or manner <sold at auction> <laughed at my joke> <act at your own discretion>\n6 a used as a function word to indicate the rate, degree, or position in a scale or series <the temperature at 90> <at first> b used as a function word to indicate age or position in time <will retire at 65>\n\n<2> noun\n\n\n<3> abbreviation\nairtight, atmosphere, atomic


Words: atavism
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination b : recurrence of or reversion to a past style, manner, outlook, or approach <architectural atavism>\n2 : one that manifests atavism : THROWBACK


Words: athenaeum
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a building or room in which books, periodicals, and newspapers are kept for use\n2 : a literary or scientific association


Words: athirst
Meaning:
adjective\n1 archaic : THIRSTY\n2 : having a strong eager desire <I that for ever feel athirst for glory John Keats>


Words: athlete
Meaning:
noun\n: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina


Words: athletic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of or relating to athletes or athletics\n2 : characteristic of an athlete; especially : VIGOROUS, ACTIVE\n3 : MESOMORPHIC\n4 : used by athletes


Words: athletics
Meaning:
noun plural but singular or plural in construction\n1 : exercises, sports, or games engaged in by athletes\n2 : the practice or principles of athletic activities


Words: athwart
Meaning:
<1> preposition\n1 : ACROSS\n2 : in opposition to <a procedure directly athwart the New England prejudices R. G. Cole>\n\n<2> adverb\n1 : across especially in an oblique direction\n2 : in opposition to the right or expected course <and quite athwart goes all decorum Shakespeare>


Words: atilt
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : in a tilted position\n2 : with lance in hand <run atilt at death Shakespeare>


Words: atlas
Meaning:
noun\n1 capitalized : a Titan who for his part in the Titans’ revolt against the gods is forced by Zeus to support the heavens on his shoulders\n2 capitalized : one who bears a heavy burden\n3 a : a bound collection of maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter b : a bound collection of tables, charts, or plates\n4 : the first vertebra of the neck\n5 plural usually atlantes : a male figure used like a caryatid as a supporting column or pilaster called also telamon


Words: atmosphere
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the gaseous envelope of a celestial body (as a planet) b : the whole mass of air surrounding the earth\n2 : the air of a locality\n3 : a surrounding influence or environment <an atmosphere of hostility>\n4 : a unit of pressure equal to the pressure of the air at sea level or approximately 14.7 pounds per square inch (101,325 pascals)\n5 a : the overall aesthetic effect of a work of art b : a dominant aesthetic or emotional effect or appeal


Words: atom
Meaning:
noun\n1 : one of the minute indivisible particles of which according to ancient materialism the universe is composed\n2 : a tiny particle : BIT\n3 : the smallest particle of an element that can exist either alone or in combination\n4 : the atom considered as a source of vast potential energy


Words: atomic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : of, relating to, or concerned with atoms <atomic physics> b : NUCLEAR 2 <atomic energy>\n2 a : marked by acceptance of the theory of atomism b : ATOMISTIC 2\n3 : MINUTE\n4 of a chemical element : existing in the state of separate atoms


Words: atomize
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to treat as made up of many discrete units\n2 : to reduce to minute particles or to a fine spray\n3 : DIVIDE, FRAGMENT\n4 : to subject to attack by nuclear weapons


Words: atonal
Meaning:
adjective\n: marked by avoidance of traditional musical tonality; especially : organized without reference to key or tonal center and using the tones of the chromatic scale impartially


Words: atone
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 obsolete : RECONCILE\n2 : to supply satisfaction for : EXPIATE\nintransitive senses : to make amends


Words: atonement
Meaning:
noun\n1 obsolete : RECONCILIATION\n2 : the reconciliation of God and man through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ\n3 : reparation for an offense or injury : SATISFACTION\n4 Christian Science : the exemplifying of man’s oneness with God


Words: atrium
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the central room of a Roman house\n2 plural usually atriums : a rectangularly shaped open patio around which a house is built; also : a many-storied court in a building (as a hotel) usually with a skylight\n3 New Latin, from Latin : an anatomical cavity or passage; especially : the chamber or either of the chambers of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into the ventricle or ventricles see HEART illustration


Words: atrocious
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : extremely wicked, brutal, or cruel : BARBARIC\n2 : APPALLING, HORRIFYING <the atrocious weapons of modern war>\n3 a : utterly revolting : ABOMINABLE <atrocious working conditions> b : of very poor quality <atrocious handwriting>


Words: atrocity
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the quality or state of being atrocious\n2 : an atrocious act, object, or situation <the sufferings and atrocities of trench warfare Aldous Huxley>


Words: atrophy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue; also : arrested development or loss of a part or organ incidental to the normal development or life of an animal or plant\n2 : a wasting away or progressive decline : DEGENERATION <the atrophy of freedom> <was not a solitude of atrophy, of negation, but of perpetual flowering Willa Cather>


Words: atropine
Meaning:
noun\n: a racemic mixture of hyoscyamine obtained from any of various solanaceous plants (as belladonna) and used especially in the form of its sulfate for its anticholinergic effects (as pupil dilation or inhibition of smooth muscle spasms)


Words: attach
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to take by legal authority especially under a writ <attached the property>\n2 a : to bring (oneself) into an association b : to assign temporarily\n3 : to bind by personal ties (as of affection or sympathy) <was strongly attached to his family>\n4 : to make fast (as by tying or gluing) <attach a label to a package>\n5 : to associate especially as a property : ATTRIBUTE <attached great importance to public opinion polls>\nintransitive senses : to become attached : ADHERE


Words: attachment
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a seizure by legal process; also : the writ or precept commanding such seizure\n2 a : the state of being personally attached : FIDELITY <attachment to a cause> b : affectionate regard <a deep attachment to nature>\n3 : a device attached to a machine or implement\n4 : the physical connection by which one thing is attached to another\n5 : the process of physically attaching


Words: attack
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to set upon or work against forcefully\n2 : to assail with unfriendly or bitter words\n3 : to begin to affect or to act on injuriously\n4 : to set to work on\n5 : to threaten (a piece in chess) with immediate capture\nintransitive senses : to make an attack\n\n<2> noun\n1 : the act of attacking with physical force or unfriendly words : ASSAULT\n2 : a belligerent or antagonistic action\n3 a : a fit of sickness; especially : an active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease b : a period of being strongly affected by something (as a desire or mood)\n4 a : an offensive or scoring action <won the game with an eight-hit attack> b : offensive players or the positions taken up by them\n5 : the setting to work on some undertaking <made a new attack on the problem>\n6 : the beginning of destructive action (as by a chemical agent)\n7 : the act or manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase


Words: attain
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to reach as an end : GAIN, ACHIEVE <attain a goal>\n2 : to come into possession of : OBTAIN <he attained preferment over his fellows>\n3 : to come to as the end of a progression or course of movement <they attained the top of the hill> <attain a ripe old age>\nintransitive senses : to come or arrive by motion, growth, or effort usually used with to


Words: attainder
Meaning:
noun\n1 : extinction of the civil rights and capacities of a person upon sentence of death or outlawry usually after a conviction of treason\n2 obsolete : DISHONOR


Words: attainment
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act of attaining : the condition of being attained\n2 : something attained : ACCOMPLISHMENT <scientific attainments>


Words: attaint
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to affect by attainder\n2 a : INFECT, CORRUPT b archaic : TAINT, SULLY\n3 archaic : ACCUSE\n\n<2> noun\nobsolete : a stain upon honor or purity : DISGRACE


Words: attempt
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to make an effort to do, accomplish, solve, or effect <attempted to swim the swollen river>\n2 archaic : TEMPT\n3 archaic : to try to subdue or take by force : ATTACK\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : the act or an instance of attempting; especially : an unsuccessful effort b : something resulting from or representing an attempt <surrounded by a few attempts at rose bushes Marian Engel>\n2 : ATTACK, ASSAULT <an attempt on the life of the president>


Words: attend
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to pay attention to\n2 : to look after : take charge of <campsites attended by park rangers Jackson Rivers>\n3 a : to go or stay with as a companion, nurse, or servant b : to visit professionally as a physician\n4 archaic a : to wait for b : to be in store for\n5 : to be present with : ACCOMPANY\n6 : to be present at : go to <attend law school>\nintransitive senses\n1 : to apply oneself <attend to your work>\n2 : to apply the mind or pay attention : HEED\n3 a : to be ready for service <ministers who attend upon the king> b : to be present\n4 obsolete : WAIT, STAY\n5 : to direct one’s attention : SEE <I’ll attend to that>


Words: attendance
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act or fact of attending <a physician in attendance>\n2 a : the persons or number of persons attending <daily attendance at the fair> b : the number of times a person attends


Words: attendant
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : one who attends another to perform a service; especially : an employee who waits on customers\n2 : something that accompanies : CONCOMITANT\n3 : ATTENDEE\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : accompanying, waiting upon, or following in order to perform service <Cherub and Seraph attendant on their Lord John Milton>\n2 : accompanying or following as a consequence or result <problems attendant upon pollution>


Words: attention
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the act or state of attending especially through applying the mind to an object of sense or thought b : a condition of readiness for such attention involving especially a selective narrowing or focusing of consciousness and receptivity\n2 : OBSERVATION, NOTICE; especially : consideration with a view to action <a problem requiring prompt attention>\n3 a : an act of civility or courtesy especially in courtship b : sympathetic consideration of the needs and wants of others : ATTENTIVENESS\n4 : a position assumed by a soldier with heels together, body erect, arms at the sides, and eyes to the front often used as a command


Words: attenuate
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to make thin or slender\n2 : to make thin in consistency : RAREFY\n3 : to lessen the amount, force, magnitude, or value of : WEAKEN\n4 : to reduce the severity, virulence, or vitality of\nintransitive senses : to become thin, fine, or less\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : attenuated especially in thickness, density, or force\n2 : tapering gradually usually to a long slender point <attenuate leaves>


Words: attest
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to affirm to be true or genuine; specifically : to authenticate by signing as a witness b : to authenticate officially\n2 : to establish or verify the usage of\n3 : to be proof of : MANIFEST <her record attests her integrity>\n4 : to put on oath\nintransitive senses : to bear witness : TESTIFY <attest to a belief>


Words: attic
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a low story or wall above the main order of a facade in the classical styles\n2 : a room behind an attic\n3 : a room or a space immediately below the roof of a building : GARRET\n4 : something resembling an attic (as in being used for storage)


Words: attire
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n: to put garments on : DRESS, ARRAY; especially : to clothe in fancy or rich garments\n\n<2> noun\n1 : DRESS, CLOTHES; especially : splendid or decorative clothing\n2 : the antlers or antlers and scalp of a stag or buck


Words: attitude
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the arrangement of the parts of a body or figure : POSTURE\n2 : a position assumed for a specific purpose <a threatening attitude>\n3 : a ballet position similar to the arabesque in which the raised leg is bent at the knee\n4 a : a mental position with regard to a fact or state b : a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state\n5 : the position of an aircraft or spacecraft determined by the relationship between its axes and a reference datum (as the horizon or a particular star)\n6 : an organismic state of readiness to respond in a characteristic way to a stimulus (as an object, concept, or situation)\n7 a : a negative or hostile state of mind b : a cocky or arrogant manner


Words: attorney
Meaning:
noun\n: one who is legally appointed to transact business on another’s behalf; specifically : a legal agent qualified to act for suitors and defendants in legal proceedings


Words: attract
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to cause to approach or adhere: as a : to pull to or draw toward oneself or itself <a magnet attracts iron> b : to draw by appeal to natural or excited interest, emotion, or aesthetic sense : ENTICE <attract attention>\nintransitive senses : to exercise attraction


Words: attraction
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : the act, process, or power of attracting b : personal charm\n2 : the action or power of drawing forth a response : an attractive quality\n3 : a force acting mutually between particles of matter, tending to draw them together, and resisting their separation\n4 : something that attracts or is intended to attract people by appealing to their desires and tastes <coming attractions>


Words: attribute
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : an inherent characteristic; also : an accidental quality\n2 : an object closely associated with or belonging to a specific person, thing, or office <a scepter is the attribute of power>; especially : such an object used for identification in painting or sculpture\n3 : a word ascribing a quality; especially : ADJECTIVE\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : to explain by indicating a cause <attributed his success to his coach>\n2 a : to regard as a characteristic of a person or thing b : to reckon as made or originated in an indicated fashion <attributed the invention to a Russian> c : CLASSIFY, DESIGNATE


Words: attributive
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : relating to or of the nature of an attribute : ATTRIBUTING\n2 : joined directly to a modified noun without a linking verb (as city in city streets)


Words: attrition
Meaning:
noun\n1 Middle English attricioun, from Medieval Latin attrition-, attritio, from Latin : sorrow for one’s sins that arises from a motive other than that of the love of God\n2 : the act of rubbing together : FRICTION; also : the act of wearing or grinding down by friction\n3 : the act of weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse, or attack\n4 : a reduction in numbers usually as a result of resignation, retirement, or death


Words: attune
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to bring into harmony : TUNE\n2 : to make aware or responsive <attune businesses to changing trends>


Words: auburn
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of the color auburn\n2 : of a reddish brown color\n\n<2> noun\n: a moderate brown


Words: auction
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a sale of property to the highest bidder\n2 : the act or process of bidding in some card games\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to sell at auction <auctioned off his library>


Words: audacious
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : intrepidly daring : ADVENTUROUS <an audacious mountain climber> b : recklessly bold : RASH\n2 : contemptuous of law, religion, or decorum : INSOLENT\n3 : marked by originality and verve


Words: audible
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: heard or capable of being heard\n\n<2> noun\n: a substitute offensive or defensive play called at the line of scrimmage in football


Words: audience
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the act or state of hearing\n2 a : a formal hearing or interview <an audience with the pope> b : an opportunity of being heard <I would succeed if were once given audience>\n3 a : a group of listeners or spectators b : a reading, viewing, or listening public\n4 : a group of ardent admirers or devotees : FOLLOWING


Words: audio
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of or relating to acoustic, mechanical, or electrical frequencies corresponding to normally audible sound waves which are of frequencies approximately from 15 to 20,000 hertz\n2 a : of or relating to sound or its reproduction and especially high-fidelity reproduction b : relating to or used in the transmission or reception of sound compare VIDEO c : of, relating to, or utilizing recorded sound\n\n<2> noun\n1 : an audio signal; broadly : SOUND\n2 : the section of television or motion-picture equipment that deals with sound\n3 : the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound


Words: audiovisual
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : designed to aid in learning or teaching by making use of both hearing and sight\n2 : of or relating to both hearing and sight


Words: audit
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a formal examination of an organization’s or individual’s accounts or financial situation b : the final report of an audit\n2 : a methodical examination and review\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : to perform an audit of or for <audit the books> <audit the company>\n2 : to attend (a course) without working for or expecting to receive formal credit


Words: audition
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : the power or sense of hearing\n2 : the act of hearing; especially : a critical hearing <an audition of new recordings>\n3 : a trial performance to appraise an entertainer’s merits\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses : to test especially in an audition\nintransitive senses : to give a trial performance


Words: auditor
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a person authorized to examine and verify accounts\n2 : one that hears or listens; especially : one that is a member of an audience\n3 : a person who audits a course of study\n4 : a person who hears (as a court case) in the capacity of judge


Words: auditorium
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the part of a public building where an audience sits\n2 : a room, hall, or building used for public gatherings


Words: auditory
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 archaic : AUDIENCE\n2 archaic : AUDITORIUM\n\n<2> adjective\n: of, relating to, or experienced through hearing


Words: auger
Meaning:
noun\n: any of various tools or devices having a helical shaft or member that are used for boring holes (as in wood, earth, or ice) or moving loose material (as snow)


Words: aught
Meaning:
<1> pronoun\n1 : ANYTHING\n2 : ALL, EVERYTHING <for aught care> <for aught we know>\n\n<2> adverb\narchaic : AT ALL\n\n<3> noun\n1 : ZERO, CIPHER\n2 archaic : NONENTITY, NOTHING


Words: augment
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to make greater, more numerous, larger, or more intense <the impact of the report was augmented by its timing>\n2 : to add an augment to\n3 : SUPPLEMENT <augmented her scholarship by working nights>\nintransitive senses : to become augmented\n\n<2> noun\n: a vowel prefixed or a lengthening of the initial vowel to mark past time especially in Greek and Sanskrit verbs


Words: augur
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : an official diviner of ancient Rome\n2 : one held to foretell events by omens\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to foretell especially from omens\n2 : to give promise of : PRESAGE <higher pay augurs a better future>\nintransitive senses : to predict the future especially from omens


Words: auk
Meaning:
noun\n: any of several black-and-white short-necked diving seabirds (family Alcidae) that breed in colder parts of the northern hemisphere


Words: aura
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a subtle sensory stimulus (as an aroma) b : a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source <the place had an aura of mystery>\n2 : a luminous radiation : NIMBUS\n3 : a subjective sensation (as of lights) experienced before an attack of some disorders (as epilepsy or a migraine)\n4 : an energy field that is held to emanate from a living being


Words: aureole
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a radiant light around the head or body of a representation of a sacred personage b : something resembling an aureole <an aureole of hair>\n2 : RADIANCE, AURA <an aureole of youth and health>\n3 : the luminous area surrounding the sun or other bright light when seen through thin cloud or mist : CORONA\n4 : a ring-shaped zone around an igneous intrusion


Words: auricle
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an atrium of a heart b : PINNA 2b c : an anterior ear-shaped pouch in each atrium of the human heart\n2 : an angular or ear-shaped lobe, process, or appendage


Words: auricular
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : told privately <an auricular confession>\n2 : understood or recognized by the sense of hearing\n3 : of, relating to, or using the ear or the sense of hearing\n4 : of or relating to an auricle


Words: aurora
Meaning:
noun\n1 : DAWN\n2 capitalized : the Roman goddess of dawn compare EOS\n3 : a luminous phenomenon that consists of streamers or arches of light appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet’s magnetic polar regions and is caused by the emission of light from atoms excited by electrons accelerated along the planet’s magnetic field lines


Words: auspice
Meaning:
noun\n1 : observation by an augur especially of the flight and feeding of birds to discover omens\n2 plural : kindly patronage and guidance\n3 : a prophetic sign; especially : a favorable sign


Words: auspicious
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : affording a favorable auspice : PROPITIOUS <made an auspicious beginning>\n2 : attended by good auspices : PROSPEROUS <an auspicious year>


Words: austere
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : stern and cold in appearance or manner b : SOMBER, GRAVE <an austere critic>\n2 : morally strict : ASCETIC\n3 : markedly simple or unadorned <an austere office> <an austere style of writing>\n4 : giving little or no scope for pleasure <austere diets>\n5 of a wine : having the flavor of acid or tannin predominant over fruit flavors usually indicating a capacity for aging


Words: austral
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of or relating to the Southern hemisphere\n2 capitalized : AUSTRALIAN\n\n<2> noun\n: the basic monetary unit of Argentina 1985*91


Words: Australian
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent or commonwealth of Australia, its inhabitants, or the languages spoken there\n2 : of, relating to, or being a biogeographic region that comprises Australia, the islands north of it from Celebes eastward, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Polynesia\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a native or inhabitant of the Australian commonwealth\n2 : a group of about 200 languages spoken by the aboriginal inhabitants of Australia


Words: authentic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 obsolete : AUTHORITATIVE\n2 a : worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact <paints an authentic picture of our society> b : conforming to an original so as to reproduce essential features <an authentic reproduction of a colonial farmhouse> c : made or done the same way as an original <authentic Mexican fare>\n3 : not false or imitation : REAL, ACTUAL <based on authentic documents> <an authentic cockney accent>\n4 a of a church mode : ranging upward from the keynote compare PLAGAL 1 b of a cadence : progressing from the dominant chord to the tonic compare PLAGAL 2\n5 : true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character


Words: author
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : one that originates or creates : SOURCE <software authors> <the author of this crime> b capitalized : GOD 1\n2 : the writer of a literary work (as a book)\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to be the author of


Words: authoritarian
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority <had authoritarian parents>\n2 : of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people


Words: authoritative
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : having or proceeding from authority : OFFICIAL <authoritative church doctrine> b : showing evident authority : DEFINITIVE <a most authoritative literary critique>\n2 : DICTATORIAL 2


Words: authority
Meaning:
noun\n1 a (1) : a citation (as from a book or file) used in defense or support (2) : the source from which the citation is drawn b (1) : a conclusive statement or set of statements (as an official decision of a court) (2) : a decision taken as a precedent (3) : TESTIMONY c : an individual cited or appealed to as an expert\n2 a : power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior b : freedom granted by one in authority : RIGHT\n3 a : persons in command; specifically : GOVERNMENT b : a governmental agency or corporation to administer a revenue-producing public enterprise <the transit authority>\n4 a : GROUNDS, WARRANT <had excellent authority for believing the claim> b : convincing force <lent authority to the performance>


Words: authorize
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to establish by or as if by authority : SANCTION <a custom authorized by time>\n2 : to invest especially with legal authority : EMPOWER <authorized to act for her husband>\n3 archaic : JUSTIFY 1a


Words: authorship
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the profession of writing\n2 : the source (as the author) of a piece of writing, music, or art\n3 : the state or act of writing, creating, or causing


Words: autochthonous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : INDIGENOUS, NATIVE <an autochthonous people>\n2 : formed or originating in the place where found <autochthonous rock> <an autochthonous infection>


Words: autocracy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the authority or rule of an autocrat\n2 : government in which one person possesses unlimited power\n3 : a community or state governed by autocracy


Words: autograph
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: something written or made with one’s own hand: a : an original manuscript or work of art b : a person’s handwritten signature\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : to write with one’s own hand\n2 : to write one’s signature in or on\n\n<3> adjective\n: being in the writer’s own handwriting : not copied or duplicated <an autograph letter>


Words: automate
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to operate by automation\n2 : to convert to largely automatic operation : AUTOMATIZE\nintransitive senses : to undergo automation


Words: automatic
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : largely or wholly involuntary; especially : REFLEX 5 <automatic blinking of the eyelids> b : acting or done spontaneously or unconsciously c : done or produced as if by machine : MECHANICAL <the answers were automatic>\n2 : having a self-acting or self-regulating mechanism\n3 of a firearm : using either gas pressure or force of recoil and mechanical spring action for repeatedly ejecting the empty cartridge shell, introducing a new cartridge, and firing it\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a machine or apparatus that operates automatically: as a : an automatic firearm b : an automatic gear-shifting mechanism\n2 : a semiautomatic firearm\n3 : AUDIBLE


Words: automation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automatically\n2 : the state of being operated automatically\n3 : automatically controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human organs of observation, effort, and decision


Words: automaton
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a mechanism that is relatively self-operating; especially : ROBOT\n2 : a machine or control mechanism designed to follow automatically a predetermined sequence of operations or respond to encoded instructions\n3 : an individual who acts in a mechanical fashion


Words: automobile
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n: AUTOMOTIVE\n\n<2> noun\n: a usually four-wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation


Words: automotive
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or concerned with self-propelled vehicles or machines\n2 : SELF-PROPELLED


Words: autonomous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or marked by autonomy\n2 a : having the right or power of self-government b : undertaken or carried on without outside control : SELF-CONTAINED <an autonomous school system>\n3 a : existing or capable of existing independently <an autonomous zooid> b : responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole <an autonomous growth>\n4 : controlled by the autonomic nervous system


Words: autopsy
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an examination of a body after death to determine the cause of death or the character and extent of changes produced by disease\n2 : a critical examination, evaluation, or assessment of someone or something past


Words: autumn
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the season between summer and winter comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of September, October, and November or as reckoned astronomically extending from the September equinox to the December solstice called also fall\n2 : a period of maturity or incipient decline <in the autumn of life>


Words: auxiliary
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : offering or providing help b : functioning in a subsidiary capacity <an auxiliary branch of the state university>\n2 of a verb : accompanying another verb and typically expressing person, number, mood, or tense\n3 a : SUPPLEMENTARY b : constituting a reserve <an auxiliary power plant>\n4 : equipped with sails and a supplementary inboard engine\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : an auxiliary person, group, or device; specifically : a member of a foreign force serving a nation at war b : a Roman Catholic titular bishop assisting a diocesan bishop and not having the right of succession called also auxiliary bishop\n2 : an auxiliary boat or ship\n3 : an auxiliary verb


Words: auxin
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of various usually acidic organic substances that promote cell elongation in plant shoots and usually regulate other growth processes (as root initiation): as a : INDOLEACETIC ACID b : any of various synthetic substances (as 2,4-D) resembling indoleacetic acid in activity and used especially in research and agriculture\n2 : PLANT HORMONE


Words: avail
Meaning:
<1> verb\nintransitive senses : to be of use or advantage : SERVE <our best efforts did not avail>\ntransitive senses\n1 : to be of use or advantage to : PROFIT\n2 : to result in : bring about <his efforts availed him nothing>\n\n<2> noun\n1 : advantage toward attainment of a goal or purpose : USE <effort was of little avail>\n2 plural : profits or proceeds especially from a business or from the sale of property


Words: available
Meaning:
adjective\n1 archaic : having a beneficial effect\n2 : VALID used of a legal plea or charge\n3 : present or ready for immediate use\n4 : ACCESSIBLE, OBTAINABLE <articles available in any drugstore>\n5 : qualified or willing to do something or to assume a responsibility <available candidates>\n6 : present in such chemical or physical form as to be usable (as by a plant) <available nitrogen> <available water>


Words: avalanche
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a large mass of snow, ice, earth, rock, or other material in swift motion down a mountainside or over a precipice\n2 : a sudden great or overwhelming rush or accumulation of something <office workers tied down with an avalanche of paperwork>\n3 : a cumulative process in which photons or accelerated charge carriers produce additional photons or charge carriers through collisions (as with gas molecules)\n\n<2> verb\nintransitive senses : to descend in an avalanche\ntransitive senses : OVERWHELM, FLOOD


Words: avatar
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the incarnation of a Hindu deity (as Vishnu)\n2 a : an incarnation in human form b : an embodiment (as of a concept or philosophy) often in a person\n3 : a variant phase or version of a continuing basic entity


Words: ave
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : an expression of greeting or of leave-taking : HAIL, FAREWELL\n2 often capitalized : AVE MARIA\n\n<2> abbreviation\navenue


Words: avenge
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to take vengeance for or on behalf of\n2 : to exact satisfaction for (a wrong) by punishing the wrongdoer


Words: avenue
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a way of access : ROUTE\n2 : a channel for pursuing a desired object <avenues of communication>\n3 a chiefly British : the principal walk or driveway to a house situated off a main road b : a broad passageway bordered by trees\n4 : an often broad street or road


Words: aver
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 a : to verify or prove to be true in pleading a cause b : to allege or assert in pleading\n2 : to declare positively


Words: average
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a single value (as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values b : MEAN 1b\n2 a : an estimation of or approximation to an arithmetic mean b : a level (as of intelligence) typical of a group, class, or series <above the average>\n3 : a ratio expressing the average performance especially of an athletic team or an athlete computed according to the number of opportunities for successful performance\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : equaling an arithmetic mean\n2 a : being about midway between extremes <a man of average height> b : not out of the ordinary : COMMON <the average person>\n\n<3> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 a : to be or come to an average <the gain averaged out to 20 percent> b : to have a medial value of <a color averaging a pale purple>\n2 : to buy on a falling market or sell on a rising market additional shares or commodities so as to obtain a more favorable average price usually used with down or up\ntransitive senses\n1 : to do, get, or have on the average or as an average sum or quantity <averages 12 hours of work a day>\n2 : to find the arithmetic mean of (a series of unequal quantities)\n3 a : to bring toward the average b : to divide among a number proportionately


Words: aversion
Meaning:
noun\n1 obsolete : the act of turning away\n2 a : a feeling of repugnance toward something with a desire to avoid or turn from it <regards drunkenness with aversion> b : a settled dislike : ANTIPATHY <expressed an aversion to parties> c : a tendency to extinguish a behavior or to avoid a thing or situation and especially a usually pleasurable one because it is or has been associated with a noxious stimulus\n3 : one that is the object of aversion


Words: avert
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to turn away or aside (as the eyes) in avoidance\n2 : to see coming and ward off : AVOID


Words: aviation
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the operation of heavier-than-air aircraft\n2 : military airplanes\n3 : airplane manufacture, development, and design


Words: avid
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : desirous to the point of greed : urgently eager : GREEDY <avid for publicity>\n2 : characterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit <avid readers>


Words: avocado
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a pulpy green to purple nutty-flavored edible fruit of any of various tropical American trees (genus Persea especially P. americana) of the laurel family; also : a tree bearing avocados\n2 : a light yellowish green


Words: avocation
Meaning:
noun\n1 archaic : DIVERSION, DISTRACTION\n2 : customary employment : VOCATION\n3 : a subordinate occupation pursued in addition to one’s vocation especially for enjoyment : HOBBY


Words: avoid
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to make legally void : ANNUL <avoid a plea>\n2 obsolete : VOID, EXPEL\n3 a : to keep away from : SHUN b : to prevent the occurrence or effectiveness of c : to refrain from\n4 archaic : to depart or withdraw from : LEAVE


Words: avoirdupois
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT\n2 : WEIGHT, HEAVINESS; especially : personal weight\n\n<2> adjective\n: expressed in avoirdupois weight <one ounce avoirdupois>


Words: avouch
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to declare as a matter of fact or as a thing that can be proved : AFFIRM\n2 : to vouch for : CORROBORATE\n3 a : to acknowledge (as an act) as one’s own b : CONFESS, AVOW


Words: avow
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to declare assuredly\n2 : to declare openly, bluntly, and without shame <ever ready to avow his reactionary outlook>


Words: avuncular
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of or relating to an uncle\n2 : suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality <avuncular indulgence>


Words: await
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 obsolete : to lie in wait for\n2 a : to wait for b : to remain in abeyance until <a treaty awaiting ratification>\n3 : to be in store for <wonders what awaits him next>\nintransitive senses\n1 obsolete : ATTEND\n2 : to stay or be in waiting : WAIT\n3 : to be in store


Words: awake
Meaning:
<1> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to cease sleeping\n2 : to become aroused or active again\n3 : to become conscious or aware of something <awoke to the possibilities>\ntransitive senses\n1 : to arouse from sleep or a sleeplike state <awoken by the storm>\n2 : to make active : stir up <awoke old memories>\n\n<2> adjective\n: fully conscious, alert, and aware : not asleep


Words: award
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to give by judicial decree or after careful consideration\n2 : to confer or bestow as being deserved or merited or needed <award scholarships to disadvantaged students>\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : a judgment or final decision; especially : the decision of arbitrators in a case submitted to them b : the document containing the decision of arbitrators\n2 : something that is conferred or bestowed especially on the basis of merit or need


Words: awash
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : alternately covered and exposed by waves or tide b : washing about : AFLOAT c : covered with water : FLOODED\n2 : filled, covered, or completely overrun as if by a flood <a movie awash in sentimentality>


Words: away
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 : on the way : ALONG <get away early>\n2 : from this or that place : HENCE, THENCE <go away>\n3 a : in a secure place or manner <locked away> b : in another direction <look away>\n4 : out of existence : to an end <echoes dying away>\n5 : from one’s possession <gave away a fortune>\n6 : steadily onward : UNINTERRUPTEDLY <clocks ticking away>\n7 : by a long distance or interval : FAR <away back in 1910>\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : absent from a place : GONE <away for the weekend>\n2 : distant in space or time <a lake 10 miles away> <the season is two months away>\n3 : played on an opponent’s grounds <home and away games>\n4 baseball : OUT <two away in the ninth>


Words: awe
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime <stood in awe of the king> <regard nature’s wonders with awe>\n2 archaic a : DREAD, TERROR b : the power to inspire dread\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to inspire with awe


Words: awesome
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : expressive of awe <awesome tribute>\n2 a : inspiring awe <an awesome task> b : TERRIFIC 2, 3; especially : EXTRAORDINARY


Words: awful
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : inspiring awe\n2 : filled with awe: as a obsolete : AFRAID, TERRIFIED b : deeply respectful or reverential\n3 : extremely disagreeable or objectionable\n4 : exceedingly great used as an intensive <an awful lot of money>\n\n<2> adverb\n: VERY, EXTREMELY <awful tired>


Words: awkward
Meaning:
adjective\n1 obsolete : PERVERSE\n2 archaic : UNFAVORABLE, ADVERSE\n3 a : lacking dexterity or skill (as in the use of hands) <awkward with a needle and thread> b : showing the result of a lack of expertness <awkward pictures>\n4 a : lacking ease or grace (as of movement or expression) b : lacking the right proportions, size, or harmony of parts : UNGAINLY\n5 a : lacking social grace and assurance b : causing embarrassment <an awkward moment>\n6 : not easy to handle or deal with : requiring great skill, ingenuity, or care <an awkward load> <an awkward diplomatic situation>


Words: awn
Meaning:
noun\n: one of the slender bristles that terminate the glumes of the spikelet in some cereal and other grasses


Words: awning
Meaning:
noun\n: a rooflike cover extending over or in front of a place (as over the deck or in front of a door or window) as a shelter


Words: awry
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n1 : in a turned or twisted position or direction : ASKEW\n2 : off the correct or expected course : AMISS


Words: ax
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a cutting tool that consists of a heavy edged head fixed to a handle with the edge parallel to the handle and that is used especially for felling trees and chopping and splitting wood\n2 : a hammer with a sharp edge for dressing or spalling stone\n3 : abrupt removal (as from employment or from a budget) sometimes used in the phrase get the ax\n4 : a musical instrument (as a guitar or a saxophone)\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 a : to shape, dress, or trim with an ax b : to chop, split, or sever with an ax\n2 : to remove abruptly (as from employment or from a budget)\n\n<3> abbreviation\naxiom, axis


Words: axial
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an axis\n2 a : situated around, in the direction of, on, or along an axis b : extending in a direction essentially perpendicular to the plane of a cyclic structure (as of cyclohexane) <axial hydrogens> compare EQUATORIAL


Words: axiom
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a maxim widely accepted on its intrinsic merit\n2 : a statement accepted as true as the basis for argument or inference : POSTULATE 1\n3 : an established rule or principle or a self-evident truth


Words: axis
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a straight line about which a body or a geometric figure rotates or may be supposed to rotate b : a straight line with respect to which a body or figure is symmetrical called also axis of symmetry c : a straight line that bisects at right angles a system of parallel chords of a curve and divides the curve into two symmetrical parts d : one of the reference lines of a coordinate system\n2 a : the second vertebra of the neck on which the head and first vertebra turn as on a pivot b : any of various central, fundamental, or axial parts\n3 : a plant stem\n4 : one of several imaginary lines assumed in describing the positions of the planes by which a crystal is bounded and the positions of atoms in the structure of the crystal\n5 : a main line of direction, motion, growth, or extension\n6 a : an implied line in painting or sculpture through a composition to which elements in the composition are referred b : a line actually drawn and used as the basis of measurements in an architectural or other working drawing\n7 : any of three fixed lines of reference in an aircraft that run in the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions, are mutually perpendicular, and usually pass through the aircraft’s center of gravity\n8 : PARTNERSHIP, ALLIANCE\nness, inexperience, or ill breeding <felt gauche and unsophisticated at formal parties*.


Words: axle
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a pin or shaft on or with which a wheel or pair of wheels revolves b (1) : a fixed bar or beam with bearings at its ends on which wheels (as of a cart) revolve (2) : the spindle of such a beam\n2 archaic : AXIS


Words: aye
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n: ALWAYS, CONTINUALLY, EVER <love that will aye endure W. S. Gilbert>\n\n<2> adverb\n: YES <aye, aye, sir>\n\n<3> noun\n: an affirmative vote or voter <the ayes have it>


Words: azalea
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a subgenus (Azalea) of rhododendrons with funnel-shaped corollas and usually deciduous leaves including many species and hybrid forms cultivated as ornamentals


Words: azimuth
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an arc of the horizon measured between a fixed point (as true north) and the vertical circle passing through the center of an object usually in astronomy and navigation clockwise from the north point through 360 degrees\n2 : horizontal direction expressed as the angular distance between the direction of a fixed point (as the observer’s heading) and the direction of the object


Words: Aztec
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a member of a Nahuatl-speaking people that founded the Mexican empire conquered by Cortes in 1519 b : a member of any people under Aztec influence\n2 : NAHUATL


Words: azure
Meaning:
noun\n1 archaic : LAPIS LAZULI\n2 a : the blue color of the clear sky b : the heraldic color blue\n3 : the unclouded sky


Words: b
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : the 2d letter of the English alphabet b : a graphic representation of this letter c : a speech counterpart of orthographic b\n2 : the 7th tone of a C-major scale\n3 : a graphic device for reproducing the letter b\n4 : one designated b especially as the 2d in order or class\n5 a : a grade rating a student’s work as good but short of excellent b : one graded or rated with a B\n6 : something shaped like the letter\n\n<2> abbreviation\nbachelor, bacillus, back, bag, bale, bass, basso, bat, Baum*, before, Bible, billion, bishop, black, blue, bolivar, book, born, bottom, brick, brightness, British, bulb, butut


Words: babble
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses\n1 a : to talk enthusiastically or excessively b : to utter meaningless or unintelligible sounds\n2 : to make sounds as though babbling\ntransitive senses\n1 : to utter in an incoherently or meaninglessly repetitious manner\n2 : to reveal by talk that is too free


Words: babe
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : INFANT, BABY b slang : GIRL, WOMAN\n2 : a naive inexperienced person used especially in the phrase babe in the woods


Words: baboon
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a genus (Papio) of large gregarious primates of Africa and southwestern Asia having a long square naked muzzle; also : any of several closely related primates


Words: babushka
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a usually triangularly folded kerchief for the head b : a head covering resembling a babushka\n2 : an elderly Russian woman


Words: baby
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a (1) : an extremely young child; especially : INFANT (2) : an extremely young animal b : the youngest of a group\n2 a : one that is like a baby (as in behavior) b : something that is one’s special responsibility, achievement, or interest\n3 slang a : GIRL, WOMAN often used in address b : BOY, MAN often used in address\n4 : PERSON, THING <is one tough baby>\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or being a baby\n2 : much smaller than the usual <baby carrots> <a baby flattop> <take two baby steps>\n\n<3> transitive verb\n1 : to tend to indulge with often excessive or inappropriate care and solicitude <babying their only child>\n2 : to operate or treat with care <baby a new motor> <babying a sore knee>


Words: baccalaureate
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the degree of bachelor conferred by universities and colleges\n2 a : a sermon to a graduating class b : the service at which this sermon is delivered


Words: bacchanalia
Meaning:
noun\n1 plural , capitalized : a Roman festival of Bacchus celebrated with dancing, song, and revelry\n2 : ORGY 2, 3


Words: bachelor
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a young knight who follows the banner of another\n2 : a person who has received what is usually the lowest degree conferred by a four-year college, university, or professional school <bachelor of arts>\n3 a : an unmarried man b : a male animal (as a fur seal) without a mate during breeding time\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : suitable for or occupied by a single person <a bachelor apartment>\n2 : UNMARRIED <bachelor women> <bachelor parents>


Words: bacillus
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of a genus (Bacillus) of aerobic rod-shaped gram-positive bacteria producing endospores that do not thicken the rod and including many saprophytes and some parasites (as B. anthracis of anthrax); broadly : a straight rod-shaped bacterium\n2 : BACTERIUM; especially : a disease-producing bacterium


Words: back
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a (1) : the rear part of the human body especially from the neck to the end of the spine (2) : the body considered as the wearer of clothes (3) : capacity for labor, effort, or endurance (4) : the back considered as the seat of one’s awareness of duty or failings <get off my back> b : the part of a lower animal (as a quadruped) corresponding to the human back c : SPINAL COLUMN d : BACKBONE 4\n2 a : the side or surface opposite the front or face : the rear part; also : the farther or reverse side b : something at or on the back for support <back of a chair> c : a place away from the front <sat in back>\n3 : a position in some games (as football or soccer) behind the front line of players; also : a player in this position\n\n<2> adverb\n1 a : to, toward, or at the rear b : in or into the past : backward in time; also : AGO c : to or at an angle off the vertical d (1) : under restraint (2) : in a delayed or retarded condition\n2 a : to, toward, or in a place from which a person or thing came b : to or toward a former state c : in return or reply\n\n<3> adjective\n1 a : being at or in the back <back door> b : distant from a central or main area <back roads> c : articulated at or toward the back of the oral passage <back vowels>\n2 : having returned or been returned\n3 : being in arrears : OVERDUE\n4 : moving or operating backward : REVERSE\n5 : not current <back numbers of a magazine>\n6 : constituting the final 9 holes of an 18-hole golf course\n\n<4> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to support by material or moral assistance usually used with up b : SUBSTANTIATE c : to assume financial responsibility for d : to provide musical accompaniment for often used with up\n2 a : to cause to go back or in reverse b : to articulate (a sound) with the tongue farther back\n3 a : to furnish with a back b : to be at the back of\nintransitive senses\n1 : to move backward often used with up\n2 of the wind : to shift counterclockwise compare VEER\n3 : to have the back in the direction of something


Words: backbite
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to say mean or spiteful things about\nintransitive senses : to backbite a person


Words: backboard
Meaning:
noun\n: a board placed at or serving as the back of something; especially : a rounded or rectangular board behind the basket on a basketball court which serves to keep missed shots from going out-of-bounds and from which the ball can be made to rebound into the basket


Words: backbone
Meaning:
noun\n1 : SPINAL COLUMN, SPINE\n2 : something that resembles a backbone: as a : a chief mountain ridge, range, or system b : the foundation or most substantial or sturdiest part of something c : the longest chain of atoms or groups of atoms in a usually long molecule (as a polymer or protein)\n3 : firm and resolute character\n4 : SPINE 1c


Words: backfield
Meaning:
noun\n: the football players whose positions are behind the line of scrimmage; also : the positions themselves


Words: backfire
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a fire started to check an advancing fire by clearing an area\n2 : a loud noise caused by the improperly timed explosion of fuel mixture in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine\n\n<2> intransitive verb\n1 : to make or undergo a backfire\n2 : to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect


Words: backgammon
Meaning:
noun\n: a board game played with dice and counters in which players try to be the first to gather their pieces into one corner and then systematically remove them from the board


Words: background
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : the scenery or ground behind something b : the part of a painting representing what lies behind objects in the foreground\n2 : an inconspicuous position\n3 a : the conditions that form the setting within which something is experienced b (1) : the circumstances or events antecedent to a phenomenon or development (2) : information essential to understanding of a problem or situation c : the total of a person’s experience, knowledge, and education\n4 a : intrusive sound or radiation that interferes with received or recorded electronic signals b : a more or less steady level of noise above which the effect (as radioactivity) being measured by an apparatus (as a Geiger counter) is detected; especially : a somewhat steady level of radiation in the natural environment (as from cosmic rays)\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to provide with background


Words: backhand
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a stroke (as in tennis) made with the back of the hand turned in the direction of movement; also : the side on which such strokes are made b : a catch (as in baseball) made to the side of the body opposite the hand being used\n2 : handwriting whose strokes slant downward from left to right\n\n<2> adjective\n: made with a backhand <a backhand tennis stroke>\n\n<3> adverb\n: with a backhand\n\n<4> transitive verb\n: to do, hit, or catch backhand


Words: backing
Meaning:
noun\n1 : something forming a back\n2 a : SUPPORT, AID b : endorsement especially of a warrant by a magistrate


Words: backlog
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a large log at the back of a hearth fire\n2 : an accumulation of tasks unperformed or materials not processed\n\n<2> verb\n: ACCUMULATE


Words: backslap
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses : to display excessive or effusive goodwill for\nintransitive senses : to display excessive cordiality or goodwill


Words: backslide
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n1 : to lapse morally or in the practice of religion\n2 : to revert to a worse condition : RETROGRESS


Words: backstop
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : something at the back serving as a stop: as a : a screen or fence for keeping a ball from leaving the field of play b : a stop (as a pawl) that prevents a backward movement (as of a wheel)\n2 : a player (as the catcher) positioned behind the batter\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : SUPPORT, BOLSTER\n2 : to serve as a backstop to


Words: backstroke
Meaning:
noun\n: a swimming stroke executed on the back and usually consisting of alternating circular arm pulls and a flutter kick


Words: backtrack
Meaning:
intransitive verb\n1 a : to retrace one’s course b : to go back to an earlier point in a sequence\n2 : to reverse a position


Words: backward
Meaning:
<1> adverb\n1 a : toward the back b : with the back foremost\n2 a : in a reverse or contrary direction or way b : toward the past c : toward a worse state\n\n<2> adjective\n1 a : directed or turned backward b : done or executed backward\n2 : DIFFIDENT, SHY\n3 : retarded in development\n\n<3> noun\n: the part behind or past


Words: backwash
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a backward flow or movement (as of water or air) produced especially by a propelling force; also : the fluid that is moving backward\n2 : CONSEQUENCE, AFTERMATH


Words: backwoods
Meaning:
noun plural but singular or plural in construction\n1 : wooded or partly cleared areas far from cities\n2 : a remote or culturally backward area


Words: bacteriology
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a science that deals with bacteria and their relations to medicine, industry, and agriculture\n2 : bacterial life and phenomena


Words: bacterium
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a group (as kingdom Procaryotae syn. Monera) of prokaryotic unicellular round, spiral, or rod-shaped single-celled microorganisms that are often aggregated into colonies or motile by means of flagella, that live in soil, water, organic matter, or the bodies of plants and animals, and that are autotrophic, saprophytic, or parasitic in nutrition and important because of their biochemical effects and pathogenicity compare BLUE-GREEN ALGA


Words: bad
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : failing to reach an acceptable standard : POOR b : UNFAVORABLE <make a bad impression> c : not fresh : SPOILED <bad fish> d : not sound : DILAPIDATED <the house was in bad condition>\n2 a : morally objectionable b : MISCHIEVOUS, DISOBEDIENT\n3 : inadequate or unsuited to a purpose <a bad plan> <bad lighting>\n4 : DISAGREEABLE, UNPLEASANT <bad news>\n5 a : INJURIOUS, HARMFUL b : SERIOUS, SEVERE <in bad trouble> <a bad cough>\n6 : INCORRECT, FAULTY <bad grammar>\n7 a : suffering pain or distress <felt generally bad> b : UNHEALTHY, DISEASED <bad teeth>\n8 : SORROWFUL, SORRY\n9 : INVALID, VOID <a bad check>\n10 badder baddest slang a : GOOD, GREAT b : TOUGH, MEAN\n\n<2> noun\n1 : something that is bad\n2 : an evil or unhappy state\n\n<3> adverb\n: BADLY


Words: badge
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a device or token especially of membership in a society or group\n2 : a characteristic mark\n3 : an emblem awarded for a particular accomplishment


Words: badger
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : any of various burrowing mammals (especially Taxidea taxus and Meles meles) that are related to the weasels and are widely distributed in the northern hemisphere b : the pelt or fur of a badger\n2 capitalized : a native or resident of Wisconsin used as a nickname\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to harass or annoy persistently


Words: baffle
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to defeat or check (as a person) by confusing or puzzling : DISCONCERT\n2 : to check or break the force or flow of by or as if by a baffle\n\n<2> noun\n: a device (as a plate, wall, or screen) to deflect, check, or regulate flow (as of a fluid, light, or sound)


Words: bag
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a usually flexible container that may be closed for holding, storing, or carrying something: as a : PURSE; especially : HANDBAG b : a bag for game c : SUITCASE\n2 : something resembling a bag: as a : a pouched or pendulous bodily part or organ; especially : UDDER b : a puffed-out sag or bulge in cloth c : a square white stuffed canvas bag to mark a base in baseball\n3 : the amount contained in a bag\n4 a : a quantity of game taken; also : the maximum legal quantity of game b : an assortment or collection especially of nonmaterial things <a bag of tricks>\n5 : an unattractive woman\n6 : something one likes or does regularly or well; also : one’s characteristic way of doing things\n\n<2> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to swell out : BULGE\n2 : to hang loosely\ntransitive senses\n1 : to cause to swell\n2 : to put into a bag\n3 a : to take (animals) as game b : to get possession of especially by strategy or stealth c : CAPTURE, SEIZE d : to shoot down : DESTROY


Words: bagasse
Meaning:
noun\n: plant residue (as of sugarcane or grapes) left after a product (as juice) has been extracted


Words: bagatelle
Meaning:
noun\n1 : TRIFLE 1\n2 : any of various games involving the rolling of balls into scoring areas\n3 : a short literary or musical piece in light style


Words: baggage
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : suitcases, trunks, and personal belongings of travelers : LUGGAGE\n2 : transportable equipment especially of a military force\n3 : things (as objects, circumstances, or beliefs) that get in the way : IMPEDIMENTA\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a contemptible woman; especially : PROSTITUTE\n2 : a young woman


Words: bagpipe
Meaning:
noun\n: a wind instrument consisting of a reed melody pipe and from one to five drones with air supplied continuously either by a bag with valve-stopped mouth tube or by bellows often used in plural


Words: bail
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a container used to remove water from a boat\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : to clear (water) from a boat by dipping and throwing over the side usually used with out\n2 : to clear water from by dipping and throwing usually used with out\n\n<3> noun\n1 : the temporary release of a prisoner in exchange for security given for the due appearance of the prisoner\n2 : security given for the release of a prisoner on bail\n3 : one who provides bail\n\n<4> transitive verb\n1 : to release under bail\n2 : to procure the release of by giving bail often used with out\n3 : to help from a predicament used with out <bailing out impoverished countries>\n\n<5> noun\n1 a : a supporting half hoop b : a hinged bar for holding paper against the platen of a typewriter\n2 : a usually arched handle (as of a kettle or pail)\n\n<6> transitive verb\n: to deliver (personal property) in trust to another for a special purpose and for a limited period\n\n<7> noun\nchiefly British : a device for confining or separating animals


Words: bailiff
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an official employed by a British sheriff to serve writs and make arrests and executions b : a minor officer of some U.S. courts usually serving as a messenger or usher\n2 chiefly British : one who manages an estate or farm


Words: bait
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to persecute or exasperate with unjust, malicious, or persistent attacks b : TEASE\n2 a : to harass (as a chained animal) with dogs usually for sport b : to attack by biting and tearing\n3 a : to furnish with bait b : ENTICE, LURE\n4 : to give food and drink to (an animal) especially on the road\nintransitive senses , archaic : to stop for food and rest when traveling\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : something used in luring especially to a hook or trap b : a poisonous material placed where it will be eaten by usually wild animals considered undesirable or deleterious\n2 : LURE, TEMPTATION


Words: bake
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to cook (as food) by dry heat especially in an oven\n2 : to dry or harden by subjecting to heat\nintransitive senses\n1 : to prepare food by baking it\n2 : to become baked\n3 : to become extremely hot\n\n<2> noun\n1 : the act or process of baking\n2 : a social gathering at which a baked food is served\n3 : baked food <a bake sale>


Words: balance
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : an instrument for weighing: as a : a beam that is supported freely in the center and has two pans of equal weight suspended from its ends b : a device that uses the elasticity of a spiral spring for measuring weight or force c capitalized : LIBRA\n2 : a means of judging or deciding\n3 : a counterbalancing weight, force, or influence\n4 : an oscillating wheel operating with a hairspring to regulate the movement of a timepiece\n5 a : stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis b : equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements c : equality between the totals of the two sides of an account\n6 a : an aesthetically pleasing integration of elements b : the juxtaposition in writing of syntactically parallel constructions containing similar or contrasting ideas\n7 a : physical equilibrium b : the ability to retain one’s balance\n8 a : weight or force of one side in excess of another b : something left over : REMAINDER c : an amount in excess especially on the credit side of an account\n9 : mental and emotional steadiness\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a (1) : to compute the difference between the debits and credits of (an account) (2) : to pay the amount due on : SETTLE b (1) : to arrange so that one set of elements exactly equals another <balance a mathematical equation> (2) : to complete (a chemical equation) so that the same number of atoms and electric charges of each kind appears on each side\n2 a : COUNTERBALANCE, OFFSET b : to equal or equalize in weight, number, or proportion\n3 : to weigh in or as if in a balance\n4 a : to bring to a state or position of equipoise b : to poise in or as if in balance c : to bring into harmony or proportion\nintransitive senses\n1 : to become balanced or established in balance\n2 : to be an equal counterpoise\n3 : WAVER 1 <balances and temporizes on matters that demand action>


Words: balcony
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a platform that projects from the wall of a building and is enclosed by a parapet or railing\n2 : an interior projecting gallery in a public building (as a theater)


Words: bald
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : lacking a natural or usual covering (as of hair, vegetation, or nap) b : having little or no tread <bald tires>\n2 : UNADORNED\n3 : UNDISGUISED, PALPABLE\n4 : marked with white\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses : to make bald\nintransitive senses : to become bald


Words: baldachin
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a cloth canopy fixed or carried over an important person or a sacred object\n2 : a rich embroidered fabric of silk and gold\n3 : an ornamental structure resembling a canopy used especially over an altar


Words: bale
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : great evil\n2 : WOE, SORROW\n\n<2> noun\n: a large bundle of goods; specifically : a large closely pressed package of merchandise bound and usually wrapped <a bale of paper> <a bale of hay>\n\n<3> transitive verb\n: to make up into a bale


Words: baleen
Meaning:
noun\n: a horny substance found in two rows of plates from 2 to 12 feet long attached along the upper jaws of baleen whales


Words: balk
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a ridge of land left unplowed as a dividing line or through carelessness\n2 : BEAM, RAFTER\n3 : HINDRANCE, CHECK\n4 a : the space behind the balkline on a billiard table b : any of the outside divisions made by the balklines\n5 : failure of a player to complete a motion; especially : an illegal motion of the pitcher in baseball while in position\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 archaic : to pass over or by\n2 : to check or stop by or as if by an obstacle : BLOCK\nintransitive senses\n1 : to stop short and refuse to proceed\n2 : to refuse abruptly used with at <Congress balked at putting up the money Thomas Fleming>\n3 : to commit a balk in sports


Words: balky
Meaning:
adjective\n: refusing or likely to refuse to proceed, act, or function as directed or expected <a balky mule>


Words: ball
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a round or roundish body or mass: as a : a spherical or ovoid body used in a game or sport b : EARTH, GLOBE c : a spherical or conical projectile; also : projectiles used in firearms d : a roundish protuberant anatomic structure; especially : the rounded eminence at the base of the thumb or big toe\n2 a often vulgar : TESTIS b plural (1) often vulgar : NONSENSE often used interjectionally (2) often vulgar : NERVE 3\n3 : a game in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or struck; also : quality of play in such a game\n4 a : a pitch not swung at by the batter that fails to pass through the strike zone b : a hit or thrown ball in various games <foul ball>\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to form or gather into a ball <balled the paper into a wad>\n2 usually vulgar : to have sexual intercourse with\nintransitive senses\n1 : to form or gather into a ball\n2 usually vulgar : to engage in sexual intercourse\n\n<3> noun\n1 : a large formal gathering for social dancing\n2 : a very pleasant experience : a good time


Words: ballad
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a narrative composition in rhythmic verse suitable for singing b : an art song accompanying a traditional ballad\n2 : a simple song : AIR\n3 : a popular song; especially : a slow romantic or sentimental song


Words: ballast
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a heavy substance used to improve the stability and control the draft of a ship or the ascent of a balloon\n2 : something that gives stability (as in character or conduct)\n3 : gravel or broken stone laid in a railroad bed or used in making concrete\n4 : a device used to provide the starting voltage or to stabilize the current in a circuit (as of a fluorescent lamp)\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 : to steady or equip with or as if with ballast\n2 : to fill in (as a railroad bed) with ballast


Words: ballet
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a theatrical art form using dancing, music, and scenery to convey a story, theme, or atmosphere b : dancing in which conventional poses and steps are combined with light flowing figures (as leaps and turns)\n2 : music for a ballet\n3 : a group that performs ballets


Words: ballistic
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of or relating to ballistics or to a body in motion according to the laws of ballistics\n2 : suddenly and extremely upset or angry : WILD usually used with go


Words: ballistics
Meaning:
noun plural but singular or plural in construction\n1 a : the science of the motion of projectiles in flight b : the flight characteristics of a projectile\n2 a : the study of the processes within a firearm as it is fired b : the firing characteristics of a firearm or cartridge


Words: balloon
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a nonporous bag of tough light material filled with heated air or a gas lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere\n2 : an inflatable bag (as of rubber) usually used as a toy or for decoration\n3 : the outline enclosing words spoken or thought by a figure especially in a cartoon\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : relating to, resembling, or suggesting a balloon <a balloon sleeve>\n2 : being or having a final installment that is much larger than preceding ones in a term or installment note\n\n<3> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to swell or puff out : EXPAND <ballooned to 200 pounds>\n2 : to ascend or travel in a balloon\n3 : to increase rapidly\ntransitive senses : INFLATE, INCREASE


Words: ballot
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a small ball used in secret voting b : a sheet of paper used to cast a secret vote\n2 a : the action or system of secret voting b : the right to vote c : VOTE 1a\n3 : the number of votes cast\n4 : the drawing of lots\n\n<2> intransitive verb\n: to vote or decide by ballot


Words: ballyhoo
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a noisy attention-getting demonstration or talk\n2 : flamboyant, exaggerated, or sensational advertising or propaganda


Words: balm
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a balsamic resin; especially : one from small tropical evergreen trees (genus Commiphora of the family Burseraceae)\n2 : an aromatic preparation (as a healing ointment)\n3 : any of several aromatic plants of the mint family; especially : LEMON BALM\n4 : a spicy aromatic odor\n5 : a soothing restorative agency


Words: balsa
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a small raft or boat; specifically : one made of tightly bundled reeds and used on Lake Titicaca\n2 : a tropical American tree (Ochroma pyramidale syn. O. lagopus) of the silk-cotton family with extremely light strong wood used especially for floats; also : its wood


Words: balsam
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an aromatic and usually oily and resinous substance flowing from various plants; especially : any of several resinous substances containing benzoic or cinnamic acid and used especially in medicine b : a preparation containing resinous substances and having a balsamic odor\n2 a : a balsam-yielding tree; especially : BALSAM FIR b : IMPATIENS; especially : a common garden ornamental (Impatiens balsamina)\n3 : BALM 5


Words: baluster
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an object or vertical member (as the leg of a table, a round in a chair back, or the stem of a glass) having a vaselike or turned outline\n2 : an upright often vase-shaped support for a rail


Words: bamboo
Meaning:
noun\n: any of various chiefly tropical woody or arborescent grasses (as of the genera Bambusa, Arundinaria, and Dendrocalamus) including some with hollow stems used for building, furniture, or utensils and young shoots used for food


Words: ban
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 archaic : CURSE\n2 : to prohibit especially by legal means <ban discrimination>; also : to prohibit the use, performance, or distribution of <ban a book> <ban a pesticide>\nintransitive senses : to utter curses or maledictions\n\n<2> noun\n1 : the summoning in feudal times of the king’s vassals for military service\n2 : ANATHEMA, EXCOMMUNICATION\n3 : MALEDICTION, CURSE\n4 : legal or formal prohibition\n5 : censure or condemnation especially through social pressure\n\n<3> noun\n"


Words: banana
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an elongated usually tapering tropical fruit with soft pulpy flesh enclosed in a soft usually yellow rind\n2 : any of several widely cultivated perennial herbs (genus Musa of the family Musaceae, the banana family) bearing bananas in compact pendent bunches


Words: band
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : something that confines or constricts while allowing a degree of movement\n2 : something that binds or restrains legally, morally, or spiritually\n3 : a strip serving to join or hold things together: as a : BELT 2 b : a cord or strip across the back of a book to which the sections are sewn\n4 : a thin flat encircling strip especially for binding: as a : a close-fitting strip that confines material at the waist, neck, or cuff of clothing b : a strip of cloth used to protect a newborn baby’s navel called also bellyband c : a ring of elastic\n5 a : a strip (as of living tissue or rock) or a stripe (as on an animal) differentiable (as by color, texture, or structure) from the adjacent material or area b : a more or less well-defined range of wavelengths, frequencies, or energies c : RANGE 7a\n6 : a narrow strip serving chiefly as decoration: as a : a narrow strip of material applied as trimming to an article of dress b plural : a pair of strips hanging at the front of the neck as part of a clerical, legal, or academic dress c : a ring without raised portions\n7 : TRACK 1e(2)\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to affix a band to or tie up with a band\n2 : to finish or decorate with a band\n3 : to gather together : UNITE <banded themselves together for protection>\nintransitive senses : to unite for a common purpose often used with together <have banded together in hopes of attacking the blight that is common to them all J. B. Conant>\n\n<3> noun\n: a group of persons, animals, or things; especially : a group of musicians organized for ensemble playing and using chiefly woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments compare ORCHESTRA


Words: bandage
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a strip of fabric used especially to dress and bind up wounds\n2 : a flexible strip or band used to cover, strengthen, or compress something\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to bind, dress, or cover with a bandage


Words: bandbox
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a usually cylindrical box of paperboard or thin wood for holding light articles of attire\n2 : a structure (as a baseball park) having relatively small interior dimensions\n\n<2> adjective\n: exquisitely neat, clean, or ordered as if just taken from a bandbox <a bandbox perfection of appearance>


Words: banderole
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a long narrow forked flag or streamer\n2 : a long scroll bearing an inscription or a device


Words: bandit
Meaning:
noun\n1 plural also banditti : an outlaw who lives by plunder; especially : a member of a band of marauders\n2 : ROBBER\n3 : an enemy plane


Words: bandolier
Meaning:
noun\n: a belt worn over the shoulder and across the breast often for the suspending or supporting of some article (as cartridges) or as a part of an official or ceremonial dress


Words: bandstand
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a usually roofed platform on which a band or orchestra performs outdoors\n2 : a platform in a ballroom or nightclub on which musicians perform


Words: bandwagon
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a usually ornate and high wagon for a band of musicians especially in a circus parade\n2 : a popular party, faction, or cause that attracts growing support often used in such phrases as climb on the bandwagon\n3 : a current or fashionable trend


Words: bandy
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to bat (as a tennis ball) to and fro\n2 a : to toss from side to side or pass about from one to another often in a careless or inappropriate manner b : EXCHANGE; especially : to exchange (words) argumentatively c : to discuss lightly or banteringly d : to use in a glib or offhand manner often used with about <bandy these statistics about with considerable bravado Richard Pollak>\n3 archaic : to band together\nintransitive senses\n1 obsolete : CONTEND\n2 archaic : UNITE\n\n<2> noun\n: a game similar to hockey and believed to be its prototype\n\n<3> adjective\n1 of legs : BOWED\n2 : BOWLEGGED


Words: bane
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a obsolete : KILLER, SLAYER b : POISON c : DEATH, DESTRUCTION <stop the way of those that seek my bane Philip Sidney> d : WOE\n2 : a source of harm or ruin : CURSE <national frontiers have been more of a bane than a boon for mankind D. C. Thomson>\n\n<2> transitive verb\nobsolete : to kill especially with poison\n\n<3> noun\nchiefly Scottish : BONE


Words: bang
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to strike sharply : BUMP\n2 : to knock, beat, or thrust vigorously often with a sharp noise\n3 often vulgar : to have sexual intercourse with\nintransitive senses\n1 : to strike with a sharp noise or thump\n2 : to produce a sharp often metallic explosive or percussive noise or series of such noises\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a resounding blow\n2 : a sudden loud noise often used interjectionally\n3 a : a sudden striking effect b : a quick burst of energy <start off with a bang> c : THRILL <I get a bang out of all this W. H. Whyte>\n\n<3> adverb\n: RIGHT, DIRECTLY <ran bang up against more trouble>\n\n<4> noun\n: a fringe of banged hair usually used in plural\n\n<5> transitive verb\n: to cut (as front hair) short and squarely across


Words: bangle
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a stiff usually ornamental bracelet or anklet slipped or clasped on\n2 : an ornamental disk that hangs loosely (as on a bracelet)


Words: banish
Meaning:
transitive verb\n1 : to require by authority to leave a country\n2 : to drive out or remove from a home or place of usual resort or continuance\n3 : to clear away : DISPEL <his discovery banishes anxiety Stringfellow Barr>


Words: banjo
Meaning:
noun\n: a musical instrument with a drumlike body, a fretted neck, and usually four or five strings which may be plucked or strummed


Words: bank
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a mound, pile, or ridge raised above the surrounding level: as a : a piled-up mass of cloud or fog b : an undersea elevation rising especially from the continental shelf\n2 : the rising ground bordering a lake, river, or sea or forming the edge of a cut or hollow\n3 a : a steep slope (as of a hill) b : the lateral inward tilt of a surface along a curve or of a vehicle (as an airplane) when taking a curve\n4 : a protective or cushioning rim or piece\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 a : to raise a bank about b : to cover (as a fire) with fresh fuel and adjust the draft of air so as to keep in an inactive state c : to build (a curve) with the roadbed or track inclined laterally upward from the inside edge\n2 : to heap or pile in a bank\n3 : to drive (a ball in billiards) into a cushion\n4 : to form or group in a tier\nintransitive senses\n1 : to rise in or form a bank often used with up <clouds would bank up about midday, and showers fall William Beebe>\n2 a : to incline an airplane laterally b (1) : to incline laterally (2) : to follow a curve or incline <skiers banking around the turn>\n\n<3> noun\n1 a : an establishment for the custody, loan, exchange, or issue of money, for the extension of credit, and for facilitating the transmission of funds b obsolete : the table, counter, or place of business of a money changer\n2 : a person conducting a gambling house or game; specifically : DEALER\n3 : a supply of something held in reserve: as a : the fund of supplies (as money, chips, or pieces) held by the banker or dealer for use in a game b : a fund of pieces belonging to a game (as dominoes) from which the players draw\n4 : a place where something is held available <memory bank>; especially : a depot for the collection and storage of a biological product of human origin for medical use <blood bank>\n\n<4> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to manage a bank\n2 : to deposit money or have an account in a bank\ntransitive senses : to deposit in a bank\n\n<5> noun\n1 : a group or series of objects arranged together in a row or a tier: as a


Words: bankroll
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: supply of money : FUNDS\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to supply the capital for or pay the cost of (a business or project)


Words: bankrupt
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a person who has done any of the acts that by law entitle his creditors to have his estate administered for their benefit b : a person judicially declared subject to having his estate administered under the bankrupt laws for the benefit of his creditors c : a person who becomes insolvent\n2 : one who is destitute of a particular thing <a moral bankrupt>\n\n<2> adjective\n1 a : reduced to a state of financial ruin : IMPOVERISHED; specifically : legally declared a bankrupt <the company went bankrupt> b : of or relating to bankrupts or bankruptcy <bankrupt laws>\n2 a : BROKEN, RUINED <a bankrupt professional career> b : exhausted of valuable qualities : STERILE <a bankrupt old culture> c : DESTITUTE used with of or in <bankrupt of all merciful feelings>\n\n<3> transitive verb\n1 : to reduce to bankruptcy\n2 : IMPOVERISH <defections had bankrupted the party of its brainpower>


Words: banner
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a piece of cloth attached by one edge to a staff and used by a leader (as a monarch or feudal lord) as his standard b : 2FLAG 1 c : an ensign displaying a distinctive or symbolic device or legend; especially : one presented as an award of honor or distinction\n2 : a headline in large type running across a newspaper page\n3 : a strip of cloth on which a sign is painted <welcome banners stretched across the street>\n4 : a name, slogan, or goal associated with a particular group or ideology <the new banner is \n\n<2> adjective\n1 : prominent in support of a political party <a banner Democratic county>\n2 : distinguished from all others especially in excellence <a banner year for business>\n\n<3> transitive verb\n1 : to furnish with a banner\n2 : to print (as a news story) under a banner usually on the front page


Words: bannock
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a usually unleavened flat bread or biscuit made with oatmeal or barley meal\n2 chiefly New England : CORN BREAD; especially : a thin cake baked on a griddle


Words: banquet
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a sumptuous feast; especially : an elaborate and often ceremonious meal for numerous people often in honor of a person <a state banquet>\n2 : a meal held in recognition of some occasion or achievement <an awards banquet>\n\n<2> verb\nintransitive senses : to partake of a banquet\ntransitive senses : to treat with a banquet : FEAST


Words: banquette
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a raised way along the inside of a parapet or trench for gunners or guns b Southern : SIDEWALK\n2 a : a long upholstered bench b : a sofa having one roll-over arm c : a built-in upholstered bench along a wall


Words: banshee
Meaning:
noun\n: a female spirit in Gaelic folklore whose appearance or wailing warns a family that one of them will soon die


Words: bantam
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : any of numerous small domestic fowls that are often miniatures of members of the standard breeds\n2 : a person of diminutive stature and often combative disposition\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : SMALL, DIMINUTIVE\n2 : pertly combative


Words: banter
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to speak to or address in a witty and teasing manner\n2 archaic : DELUDE\n3 chiefly Southern Midland : CHALLENGE\nintransitive senses : to speak or act playfully or wittily\n\n<2> noun\n: good-natured and usually witty and animated joking


Words: Bantu
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a family of Niger-Congo languages spoken in central and southern Africa\n2 : a member of any of a group of African peoples who speak Bantu languages


Words: banyan
Meaning:
noun\n: an East Indian fig tree (Ficus benghalensis) of the mulberry family with branches that send out shoots which grow down to the soil and root to form secondary trunks


Words: baobab
Meaning:
noun\n: a broad-trunked Old World tropical tree (Adansonia digitata) of the silk-cotton family with an edible acid fruit resembling a gourd and bark used in making paper, cloth, and rope


Words: baptism
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a Christian sacrament marked by ritual use of water and admitting the recipient to the Christian community b : a non-Christian rite using water for ritual purification c Christian Science : purification by or submergence in Spirit\n2 : an act, experience, or ordeal by which one is purified, sanctified, initiated, or named


Words: baptize
Meaning:
verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to administer baptism to\n2 a : to purify or cleanse spiritually especially by a purging experience or ordeal b : INITIATE\n3 : to give a name to (as at baptism) : CHRISTEN\nintransitive senses : to administer baptism


Words: bar
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a straight piece (as of wood or metal) that is longer than it is wide and has any of various uses (as for a lever, support, barrier, or fastening) b : a solid piece or block of material that is usually considerably longer than it is wide <a bar of gold> <candy bar> c : a usually rigid piece (as of wood or metal) longer than it is wide that is used as a handle or support; especially : a handrail used by ballet dancers to maintain balance while exercising\n2 : something that obstructs or prevents passage, progress, or action: as a : the destruction of an action or claim in law; also : a plea or objection that effects such destruction b : an intangible or nonphysical impediment c : a submerged or partly submerged bank (as of sand) along a shore or in a river often obstructing navigation\n3 a (1) : the railing in a courtroom that encloses the place about the judge where prisoners are stationed or where the business of the court is transacted in civil cases (2) : COURT, TRIBUNAL (3) : a particular system of courts (4) : an authority or tribunal that hands down judgment b (1) : the barrier in the English Inns of Court that formerly separated the seats of the benchers or readers from the body of the hall occupied by the students (2) : the whole body of barristers or lawyers qualified to practice in the courts of any jurisdiction (3) : the profession of barrister or lawyer\n4 : a straight stripe, band, or line much longer than it is wide: as a : one of two or more horizontal stripes on a heraldic shield b : a metal or embroidered strip worn on a usually military uniform especially to indicate rank (as of a company officer) or service\n5 a : a counter at which food or especially alcoholic beverages are served b : BARROOM c : SHOP 2b\n6 a : a vertical line across the musical staff before the initial measure accent b : MEASURE\n7 : a lace and embroidery joining covered with buttonhole stitch for connecting various parts of the pattern in needlepoint lace and cutwork\n\n<2> transitive verb\n1 a : to fasten with a bar b


Words: barb
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a medieval cloth headdress passing over or under the chin and covering the neck\n2 a : a sharp projection extending backward (as from the point of an arrow or fishhook) and preventing easy extraction; also : a sharp projection with its point similarly oblique to something else b : a biting or pointedly critical remark or comment\n3 : 2BARBEL\n4 : any of the side branches of the shaft of a feather see FEATHER illustration\n5 : a plant hair or bristle ending in a hook\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to furnish with a barb\n\n<3> noun\n: any of a northern African breed of horses that are noted for speed and endurance and are related to Arabians\n\n<4> noun\nslang : BARBITURATE


Words: barbarian
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : of or relating to a land, culture, or people alien and usually believed to be inferior to another land, culture, or people\n2 : lacking refinement, learning, or artistic or literary culture


Words: barbaric
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of barbarians b : possessing or characteristic of a cultural level more complex than primitive savagery but less sophisticated than advanced civilization\n2 a : marked by a lack of restraint : WILD b : having a bizarre, primitive, or unsophisticated quality\n3 : BARBAROUS 3


Words: barbarism
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a barbarian or barbarous social or intellectual condition : BACKWARDNESS b : the practice or display of barbarian acts, attitudes, or ideas\n2 : an idea, act, or expression that in form or use offends against contemporary standards of good taste or acceptability


Words: barbarous
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : UNCIVILIZED b : lacking culture or refinement : PHILISTINE\n2 : characterized by the occurrence of barbarisms\n3 : mercilessly harsh or cruel


Words: barbecue
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to roast or broil on a rack over hot coals or on a revolving spit before or over a source of heat\n2 : to cook in a highly seasoned vinegar sauce\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a large animal (as a steer) roasted whole or split over an open fire or a fire in a pit; also : smaller pieces of barbecued meat\n2 : a social gathering especially in the open air at which barbecued food is eaten\n3 : an often portable fireplace over which meat and fish are roasted


Words: barbell
Meaning:
noun\n: a bar with adjustable weighted disks attached to each end that is used for exercise and in weight lifting


Words: barber
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: one whose business is cutting and dressing hair, shaving and trimming beards, and performing related services\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses : to perform the services of a barber for\nintransitive senses : to perform the services of a barber


Words: barberry
Meaning:
noun\n: any of a genus (Berberis of the family Berberidaceae, the barberry family) of shrubs usually having spines, yellow flowers, and oblong red berries


Words: barbiturate
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a salt or ester of barbituric acid\n2 : any of various derivatives of barbituric acid used especially as sedatives, hypnotics, and antispasmodics


Words: barcarole
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a Venetian boat song usually in 68 or 128 time characterized by the alternation of a strong and weak beat that suggests a rowing rhythm\n2 : music imitating a barcarole


Words: bard
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a : a tribal poet-singer skilled in composing and reciting verses on heroes and their deeds b : a composer, singer, or declaimer of epic or heroic verse\n2 : POET\n\n<2> noun\n: a piece of armor or ornament for a horse’s neck, breast, or flank\n\n<3> transitive verb\n1 : to furnish with bards\n2 : to dress meat for cooking by covering with strips of fat


Words: bare
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 a : lacking a natural, usual, or appropriate covering b (1) : lacking clothing (2) obsolete : BAREHEADED c : UNARMED\n2 : open to view : EXPOSED\n3 a : unfurnished or scantily supplied b : DESTITUTE <bare of all safeguards>\n4 a : having nothing left over or added <the bare necessities of life> b : MERE <a bare two hours away> c : devoid of amplification or adornment\n5 obsolete : WORTHLESS\n\n<2> transitive verb\n: to make or lay bare : UNCOVER


Words: bareback
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n: on the bare back of a horse : without a saddle <likes riding bareback> <bareback riding>


Words: barefaced
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : having the face uncovered: a : having no whiskers : BEARDLESS b : wearing no mask\n2 a : OPEN, UNCONCEALED b : lacking scruples


Words: barefoot
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n: with the feet bare <went barefoot most of the summer> <barefoot boy, with cheek of tan J. G. Whittier>


Words: bareheaded
Meaning:
adverb or adjective\n: without a covering for the head <went bareheaded in the hot sun> <a bareheaded boy who had lost his cap>


Words: barely
Meaning:
adverb\n1 : in a meager manner : PLAINLY <a barely furnished room>\n2 : SCARCELY, HARDLY <barely enough money for lunch>


Words: bargain
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : an agreement between parties settling what each gives or receives in a transaction between them or what course of action or policy each pursues in respect to the other\n2 : something acquired by or as if by bargaining; especially : an advantageous purchase\n3 : a transaction, situation, or event regarded in the light of its results\n\n<2> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to negotiate over the terms of a purchase, agreement, or contract : HAGGLE\n2 : to come to terms : AGREE\ntransitive senses\n1 : to bring to a desired level by bargaining <bargain a price down>\n2 : to sell or dispose of by bargaining


Words: barge
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: any of various boats: as a : a roomy usually flat-bottomed boat used chiefly for the transport of goods on inland waterways and usually propelled by towing b : a large motorboat supplied to the flag officer of a flagship c : a roomy pleasure boat; especially : a boat of state elegantly furnished and decorated\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses : to carry by barge\nintransitive senses\n1 : to move ponderously or clumsily\n2 : to thrust oneself heedlessly or unceremoniously <barged into the meeting>


Words: baritone
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a male singing voice of medium compass between bass and tenor; also : a person having this voice\n2 : a member of a family of instruments having a range between tenor and bass; especially : the baritone saxhorn or baritone saxophone\n\n<2> adjective\n: relating to or having the range or part of a baritone


Words: barium
Meaning:
noun\n: a silver-white malleable toxic bivalent metallic element of the alkaline-earth group that occurs only in combination see ELEMENT table


Words: bark
Meaning:
<1> verb\nintransitive senses\n1 a : to make the characteristic short loud cry of a dog b : to make a noise resembling a bark\n2 : to speak in a curt loud and usually angry tone : SNAP\ntransitive senses\n1 : to utter in a curt loud usually angry tone\n2 : to advertise by persistent outcry <barking their wares>\n\n<2> noun\n1 a : the sound made by a barking dog b : a similar sound\n2 : a short sharp peremptory tone of speech or utterance\n\n<3> noun\n1 : the tough exterior covering of a woody root or stem; specifically : the tissues outside the cambium that include an inner layer especially of secondary phloem and an outer layer of periderm\n2 : CINCHONA 2\n\n<4> transitive verb\n1 : to treat with an infusion of tanbark\n2 a : to strip the bark from b : to rub off or abrade the skin of\n\n<5> noun\n1 a : a small sailing ship b : a sailing ship of three or more masts with the aftmost mast fore-and-aft rigged and the others square-rigged\n2 : a craft propelled by sails or oars


Words: barker
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: one that barks; especially : a person who advertises by hawking at an entrance to a show\n\n<2> noun\n: one that removes or prepares bark


Words: barley
Meaning:
noun\n: a cereal grass (genus Hordeum, especially H. vulgare) having the flowers in dense spikes with long awns and three spikelets at each joint of the rachis; also : its seed used especially in malt beverages, breakfast foods, and stock feeds


Words: barn
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a usually large building for the storage of farm products or feed and usually for the housing of farm animals or farm equipment b : an unusually large and usually bare building <a great barn of a hotel W. A. White>\n2 : a large building for the housing of a fleet of vehicles (as trolley cars or trucks)


Words: barnacle
Meaning:
noun\n1 : BARNACLE GOOSE\n2 from a popular belief that the goose grew from the crustacean : any of numerous marine crustaceans (subclass Cirripedia) with feathery appendages for gathering food that are free-swimming as larvae but permanently fixed (as to rocks, boat hulls, or whales) as adults


Words: barnstorm
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to tour through rural districts staging usually theatrical performances\n2 : to travel from place to place making brief stops (as in a political campaign or a promotional tour)\n3 : to pilot one’s airplane in sight-seeing flights with passengers or in exhibition stunts in an unscheduled course especially in rural districts\ntransitive senses : to travel across while barnstorming


Words: barnyard
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a usually fenced area adjoining a barn\n\n<2> adjective\n: SMUTTY, EARTHY, SCATOLOGICAL <barnyard humor>


Words: barometer
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an instrument for determining the pressure of the atmosphere and hence for assisting in forecasting weather and for determining altitude\n2 : one that indicates fluctuations (as in public opinion)\n3 : STANDARD 4 <a barometer to measure high school talent Jeff Fellenzer>


Words: baron
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : one of a class of tenants holding his rights and title by military or other honorable service directly from a feudal superior (as a king) b : a lord of the realm : NOBLE, PEER\n2 a : a member of the lowest grade of the peerage in Great Britain b : a nobleman on the continent of Europe of varying rank c : a member of the lowest order of nobility in Japan\n3 : a joint of meat consisting of two sirloins or loins and legs not cut apart at the backbone <a baron of beef>\n4 : a man of great power or influence in some field of activity <cattle baron>


Words: baroque
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of artistic expression prevalent especially in the 17th century that is marked generally by use of complex forms, bold ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement, and tension\n2 : characterized by grotesqueness, extravagance, complexity, or flamboyance\n3 : irregularly shaped used of gems <a baroque pearl>\n\n<2> noun\n: the baroque style or the period in which it flourished


Words: barouche
Meaning:
noun\n: a four-wheeled carriage with a driver’s seat high in front, two double seats inside facing each other, and a folding top over the back seat


Words: barracuda
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of a genus (Sphyraena of the family Sphyraenidae) of elongate predaceous often large fishes of warm seas that include fishes used for food as well as some forms regarded as toxic\n2 : one that uses aggressive, selfish, and sometimes unethical methods to obtain a goal especially in business


Words: barrage
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: a dam placed in a watercourse to increase the depth of water or to divert it into a channel for navigation or irrigation\n\n<2> noun\n1 : artillery fire laid on a line close to friendly troops to screen and protect them\n2 : a vigorous or rapid outpouring or projection of many things at once <a barrage of protests>\n\n<3> transitive verb\n: to deliver a barrage against


Words: barratry
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the purchase or sale of office or preferment in church or state\n2 : an unlawful act or fraudulent breach of duty on the part of a master of a ship or of the mariners to the injury of the owner of the ship or cargo\n3 : the persistent incitement of litigation


Words: barred
Meaning:
adjective\n: marked by or divided off by bars; especially : having alternate bands of different color <barred feather>


Words: barrel
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : a round bulging vessel of greater length than breadth that is usually made of staves bound with hoops and has flat ends of equal diameter\n2 a : the amount contained in a barrel; especially : the amount (as 31 gal. of fermented beverage or 42 gal. of petroleum) fixed for a certain commodity used as a unit of measure b : a great quantity\n3 : a drum or cylindrical part: as a : the discharging tube of a gun b : the cylindrical metal box enclosing the mainspring of a timepiece c : the part of a fountain pen or of a pencil containing the ink or lead d : a cylindrical or tapering housing containing the optical components of a photographic-lens system and the iris diaphragm e : TUMBLING BARREL f : the fuel outlet from the carburetor on a gasoline engine\n4 : the trunk of a quadruped\n\n<2> verb\ntransitive senses : to put or pack in a barrel\nintransitive senses : to move at a high speed or without hesitation


Words: barren
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : not reproducing: as a : incapable of producing offspring used especially of females or matings b : not yet or not recently pregnant c : habitually failing to fruit\n2 : not productive: as a : producing little or no vegetation : DESOLATE <barren deserts> b : producing inferior crops <barren soil> c : unproductive of results or gain : FRUITLESS <a barren scheme>\n3 : DEVOID, LACKING used with of <barren of excitement>\n4 : lacking interest, information, or charm\n5 : DULL, UNRESPONSIVE\n\n<2> noun\n1 plural : an extent of usually level land having an inferior growth of trees or little vegetation\n2 : a tract of barren land


Words: barricade
Meaning:
<1> transitive verb\n1 : to block off or stop up with a barricade\n2 : to prevent access to by means of a barricade\n\n<2> noun\n1 : an obstruction or rampart thrown up across a way or passage to check the advance of the enemy\n2 : BARRIER 3, OBSTACLE\n3 plural : a field of combat or dispute


Words: barrier
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : something material that blocks or is intended to block passage <highway barriers> <a barrier contraceptive> b : a natural formation or structure that prevents or hinders movement or action <geographic barriers to species dissemination> <barrier beaches> <drugs that cross the placental barrier>\n2 plural , often capitalized : a medieval war game in which combatants fight on foot with a fence or railing between them\n3 : something immaterial that impedes or separates : OBSTACLE <behavioral barriers> <trade barriers> <a barrier to honest communication>


Words: barrister
Meaning:
noun\n: a counsel admitted to plead at the bar and undertake the public trial of causes in an English superior court compare SOLICITOR


Words: barrow
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 : MOUNTAIN, MOUND used only in the names of hills in England\n2 : a large mound of earth or stones over the remains of the dead : TUMULUS\n\n<2> noun\n: a male hog castrated before sexual maturity\n\n<3> noun\n1 a : HANDBARROW b : WHEELBARROW\n2 : a cart with a shallow box body, two wheels, and shafts for pushing it


Words: barter
Meaning:
<1> verb\nintransitive senses : to trade by exchanging one commodity for another\ntransitive senses : to trade or exchange by or as if by bartering\n\n<2> noun\n1 : the act or practice of carrying on trade by bartering\n2 : the thing given in exchange in bartering


Words: basal
Meaning:
adjective\n1 a : relating to, situated at, or forming the base b : arising from the base of a stem <basal leaves>\n2 a : of or relating to the foundation, base, or essence : FUNDAMENTAL b : of, relating to, or being essential for maintaining the fundamental vital activities of an organism : MINIMAL c : used for teaching beginners <basal readers>


Words: basalt
Meaning:
noun\n: a dark gray to black dense to fine-grained igneous rock that consists of basic plagioclase, augite, and usually magnetite


Words: base
Meaning:
<1> noun\n1 a (1) : the lower part of a wall, pier, or column considered as a separate architectural feature (2) : the lower part of a complete architectural design b : the bottom of something considered as its support : FOUNDATION c (1) : a side or face of a geometrical figure from which an altitude can be constructed; especially : one on which the figure stands (2) : the length of a base d : that part of a bodily organ by which it is attached to another more central structure of the organism\n2 a : a main ingredient <paint having a latex base> b : a supporting or carrying ingredient (as of a medicine)\n3 a : the fundamental part of something : GROUNDWORK, BASIS b : the economic factors on which in Marxist theory all legal, social, and political relations are formed\n4 : the lower part of a heraldic field\n5 a : the starting point or line for an action or undertaking b : a baseline in surveying c : a center or area of operations: as (1) : the place from which a military force draws supplies (2) : a place where military operations begin (3) : a permanent military installation d (1) : a number (as 5 in 56.44 or 57) that is raised to a power; especially : the number that when raised to a power equal to the logarithm of a number yields the number itself <the logarithm of 100 to the base 10 is 2 since 102 100> (2) : a number equal to the number of units in a given digit’s place that for a given system of writing numbers is required to give the numeral 1 in the next higher place <the decimal system uses a base of 10>; also : such a system of writing numbers using an indicated base <convert from base 10 to base 2> (3) : a number that is multiplied by a rate or of which a percentage or fraction is calculated <to find the interest on 90 at 10 multiply the base 90 by .10> e : ROOT 6\n6 a : the starting place or goal in various games b : any one of the four stations at the corners of a baseball infield c : a point to be considered <his opening remarks touched every base>\n7 a : any of various typically water-soluble and bitter ta


Words: baseball
Meaning:
noun\n: a game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players each on a large field having four bases that mark the course a runner must take to score; also : the ball used in this game


Words: baseboard
Meaning:
noun\n: a board situated at or forming the base of something; specifically : a molding covering the joint of a wall and the adjoining floor


Words: basement
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the part of a building that is wholly or partly below ground level\n2 : the ground floor facade or interior in Renaissance architecture\n3 : the lowest or fundamental part of something; specifically : the rocks underlying stratified rocks\n4 chiefly New England : a toilet or washroom especially in a school


Words: bash
Meaning:
<1> verb\ntransitive senses\n1 : to strike violently : HIT; also : to injure or damage by striking : SMASH often used with in\n2 : to attack physically or verbally <media bashing> <celebrity bashing>\nintransitive senses : CRASH\n\n<2> noun\n1 : a forceful blow\n2 : a festive social gathering : PARTY\n3 : TRY, ATTEMPT <have a bash at it>


Words: bashful
Meaning:
adjective\n1 : socially shy or timid : DIFFIDENT, SELF-CONSCIOUS\n2 : resulting from or typical of a bashful nature <a bashful smile>


Words: basic
Meaning:
<1> adjective\n1 : of, relating to, or forming the base or essence : FUNDAMENTAL\n2 : constituting or serving as the basis or starting point\n3 a : of, relating to, containing, or having the character of a chemical base b : having an alkaline reaction\n4 : containing relatively little silica <basic rocks>\n5 : relating to, made by, used in, or being a process of making steel done in a furnace lined with basic material and under basic slag\n\n<2> noun\n1 : something that is basic : FUNDAMENTAL <get back to basics>\n2 : BASIC TRAINING


Words: basil
Meaning:
noun\n1 : any of several aromatic herbs (genus Ocimum) of the mint family; especially : SWEET BASIL\n2 : the dried or fresh leaves of a basil used especially as a seasoning


Words: basilica
Meaning:
noun\n1 : an oblong building ending in a semicircular apse used in ancient Rome especially for a court of justice and place of public assembly\n2 : an early Christian church building consisting of nave and aisles with clerestory and a large high transept from which an apse projects\n3 : a Roman Catholic church given ceremonial privileges


Words: basilisk
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a legendary reptile with fatal breath and glance\n2 : any of several crested tropical American lizards (genus Basiliscus) related to the iguanas and noted for their ability to run on their hind legs


Words: basin
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : an open usually circular vessel with sloping or curving sides used typically for holding water for washing b chiefly British : a bowl used especially in cooking c : the quantity contained in a basin\n2 a : a dock built in a tidal river or harbor b : an enclosed or partly enclosed water area\n3 a : a large or small depression in the surface of the land or in the ocean floor b : the entire tract of country drained by a river and its tributaries c : a great depression in the surface of the lithosphere occupied by an ocean\n4 : a broad area of the earth beneath which the strata dip usually from the sides toward the center


Words: basis
Meaning:
noun\n1 : the bottom of something considered as its foundation\n2 : the principal component of something\n3 a : something on which something else is established or based b : an underlying condition or state of affairs <hired on a trial basis> <on a first-name basis>\n4 : the basic principle\n5 : a set of linearly independent vectors in a vector space such that any vector in the vector space can be expressed as a linear combination of them with appropriately chosen coefficients


Words: bask
Meaning:
verb\nintransitive senses\n1 : to lie in or expose oneself to a pleasant warmth or atmosphere\n2 : to take pleasure or derive enjoyment\ntransitive senses , obsolete : to warm by continued exposure to heat


Words: basket
Meaning:
noun\n1 a : a receptacle made of interwoven material (as osiers) b : any of various lightweight usually wood containers c : the quantity contained in a basket\n2 : something that resembles a basket especially in shape or use\n3 a : a net open at the bottom and suspended from a metal ring that constitutes the goal in basketball b : a field goal in basketball\n4 a : an aggregate of values (as of selected currencies) the average of which serves as a monetary standard b : a selection of financial instruments (as equities, futures, or options) the values of which reflect market fluctuations\n5 : a ring around the lower end of a ski pole that keeps the pole from sinking too deep in snow


Words: basketball
Meaning:
noun\n: a usually indoor court game between two teams of usually five players each who score by tossing an inflated ball through a raised goal; also : the ball used in this game


Words: Basque
Meaning:
noun\n1 : a member of a people inhabiting the western Pyrenees on the Bay of Biscay\n2 : the language of the Basques of unknown relationship\n3 not capitalized : a tight-fitting bodice for women


Words: bass
Meaning:
<1> noun\n: any of numerous edible spiny-finned marine or freshwater fishes (especially families Centrarchidae, Serranidae, and Percichthyidae)\n\n<2> adjective\n1 : deep or grave in tone\n2 a : of low pitch b : relating to or having the range or part of a bass\n\n<3> noun\n1 a : the lowest voice part in a 4-part chorus b : the lower half of the whole vocal or instrumental tonal range compare TREBLE c : the lowest adult male singing voice; also : a person having this voice d : a member of a family of instruments having the lowest range; especially : DOUBLE BASS\n2 : a deep or grave tone : a low-pitched sound\n\n<4> noun\n1 : BASSWOOD 1\n2 : a coarse tough fiber from palms


