📖 A — The English dictionary

aa — Everyday, meaning 1: (science) Aa (from Hawaiian «ʻaʻā») is a kind of lava that cools into rough, sharp, jagged lumps.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (abbreviation) AA is a battery size: a small cylinder battery used in remote controls and toys («AA batteries»).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (UK) The AA is the Automobile Association, which helps drivers whose cars break down.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (abbreviation) AA also means Alcoholics Anonymous, a group that helps people stop drinking alcohol.↗ Example: Aa lava is rough and sharp, so you must never walk on it.↗ · The remote needs two AA batteries.↗ · AAA batteries are thinner than AA ones.↗ · Our car broke down, so Dad called the AA.↗ · On Hawaii we saw fields of black aa lava.↗ · The scientist explained the difference between aa and pahoehoe.↗

aah — Everyday, meaning 1: «Aah» is a sound you make when you feel relief, pleasure or calm.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: «Aah» shows that you suddenly understand something.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: «Aah» is the sound people make at something sweet, like a baby or a kitten.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: «Aah» is the sound a doctor asks you to make so they can see your throat.↗ Example: «Aah, a nice cold drink!» said Dad.↗ · Aah, now I understand the sum.↗ · Everyone went «aah» when they saw the puppy.↗ · «Open wide and say aah,» said the dentist.↗ · She sank into the warm bath.↗ «Aah.»↗ · Aah, there you are!↗ I've been looking for you.↗

aardvark — Everyday, meaning 1: An African mammal with a long snout, long ears, a thick tail and strong claws, which digs into ant and termite nests at night and eats the insects with its long sticky tongue.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: It lives in burrows and comes out mostly at night.↗ Example: The aardvark dug into the termite mound with its claws.↗ · An aardvark can eat thousands of ants in one night.↗ · Aardvarks sleep in burrows during the day.↗ · «Aardvark» is one of the first words in the dictionary.↗ · The aardvark's long ears help it hear insects.↗ · At the zoo we only saw the aardvark in the nocturnal house.↗

aardwolf — Everyday, meaning 1: An aardwolf is a small striped animal of southern and eastern Africa, related to the hyena, that eats mainly termites.↗ Example: The aardwolf eats termites, not big animals.↗ · An aardwolf can eat over 200,000 termites in one night.↗ · The aardwolf looks like a small striped hyena.↗ · Aardwolves sleep in burrows during the day.↗ · The aardwolf has very small teeth.↗ · We read about the aardwolf in our book of African animals.↗

ab — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) An ab is one of the stomach muscles; people usually say «abs», short for «abdominal muscles».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: AB is a blood group (type AB).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (abbreviation) Ab can stand for other things, such as Alberta in Canadian addresses (AB) or «able seaman» (AB) on ships.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (Latin) «ab» means «from», as in «ab initio» (from the beginning).↗ Example: Sit-ups make your abs stronger.↗ · The PE teacher showed us an ab stretch.↗ · The superhero had big muscles and six-pack abs.↗ · My blood group is AB.↗ · People with type AB blood can receive blood from any group.↗ · The parcel was sent to Calgary, AB.↗ · A Version by Saadiah, ab. ben David, and three others, Mantua, 1562, 4to.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · The twelve months of the year are: Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tamus, Ab, Elul, Tishri, Marcheshvan, Kislev, Teves, Schevat and Adar.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · He produced Teth, predominant in Hearing, crowned, combined, and formed Leo in the world, Ab in the year, and the left kidney in man.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗ · Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.↗ (Writings DAN.3.30, JPS 1917)↗ · Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.↗ (Writings DAN.3.13, JPS 1917)↗ · And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.↗ (Writings DAN.3.23, JPS 1917)↗

aback — Everyday, meaning 1: To be taken aback means to be surprised or shocked by something unexpected, so that you are thrown off balance.↗ Example: I was taken aback when Sam shouted my name.↗ · She was taken aback by the news.↗ · The little bird was taken aback by the sharp words.↗ · Dad was taken aback at how late it was.↗

abacus — Everyday, meaning 1: An abacus is a frame with rows of beads that slide along wires or rods, used for counting and doing sums.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: In buildings, an abacus is the flat slab on top of a column (architecture word).↗ Example: We used an abacus to add 27 and 15.↗ · On the abacus, the top row shows hundreds and the bottom row shows ones.↗ · Some children in Japan learn very fast mental maths with a soroban abacus.↗ · The abacus was used long before calculators.↗ · Move three beads to the left to add three.↗ · My little brother counts the coloured beads on his toy abacus.↗ · ')) Some Pythagoreans used the strokes with the principle of |iosi- tion without a zero in the columns of an abacus i Ur.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗ · In my opinion, the sexagesimal position originated from the decimal position, and not the reverse ; for the earliest abacus, which was doubtless based on a decimal position, is older than the (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

abandon — Everyday, meaning 1: To abandon means to leave someone or something, especially someone who needs you, and not come back («abandon a pet»).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To abandon a plan or activity means to stop it before the end («The match was abandoned because of rain»).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To abandon a place means to leave it, often because of danger («Abandon ship!»).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: «With abandon» means in a wild, free way without worrying.↗ Example: They found an abandoned puppy by the road.↗ · The football match was abandoned because of the storm.↗ · «Abandon ship!» shouted the captain.↗ · Never play in abandoned buildings; they can be unsafe.↗ · We abandoned our picnic when it started to rain.↗ · The village was abandoned hundreds of years ago.↗ · Do not abandon your friend when they need help.↗ · The children danced with wild abandon.↗ · "A bad fellow, that Ivan! now he's rich, he's abandoned us!"↗ · As a matter of fact, he himself abandons the division of the letters into three parts, and rearranges them in a twofold division, one of ten and one of twelve letters.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗ · For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the nether-world; neither wilt Thou suffer Thy godly one to see the pit.↗ (Writings PSA.16.10, JPS 1917)↗ · For the fortified city is solitary, a habitation abandoned and forsaken, like the wilderness; there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.↗ (Prophets ISA.27.10, JPS 1917)↗

abandonment — Everyday, meaning 1: Abandonment is leaving someone or something behind for ever, especially when you should have cared for them.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Abandonment is giving up a plan or activity completely, as in the abandonment of the match.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal) Abandonment is acting wildly and freely without control, as in dancing with abandonment.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Abandonment can also mean giving yourself up completely to a feeling or a high ideal.↗ Example: Pet abandonment rises after the holidays.↗ · The abandonment of the village left the houses empty.↗ · Rain led to the abandonment of the cricket match.↗ · The orphan in the story felt the pain of abandonment.↗ · The castle fell into ruin after its abandonment.↗ · The team decided on the abandonment of the old plan.↗ · It is the lofty abandonment of self for the dawning of the beautiful in the soul!↗

abase — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: To make someone lower in rank, pride or dignity; to humble them.↗ Example: Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath; and look upon every one that is proud, and abase him.↗ (Writings JOB.40.11, JPS 1917)↗ · Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven; for all His works are truth, and His ways justice; and those that walk in pride He is able to abase.'↗ (Writings DAN.4.34, JPS 1917)↗ · thus saith the Lord GOD: The mitre shall be removed, and the crown taken off; this shall be no more the same: that which is low shall be exalted, and that which is high abased.↗ (Prophets EZK.21.31, JPS 1917)↗

abashed — Everyday, meaning 1: Abashed means embarrassed and feeling small, because you have been shamed or made to look foolish in front of others.↗ Example: He stood abashed when the teacher praised him.↗ · She felt abashed when everyone laughed at her.↗ · The little boy looked abashed and said sorry.↗ · I was abashed by my own mistake.↗ · They looked unto Him, and were radiant; and their faces shall never be abashed.↗ (Writings PSA.34.6, JPS 1917)↗ · Let them be ashamed and affrighted for ever; yea, let them be abashed and perish; (Writings PSA.83.18, JPS 1917)↗ · My tongue also shall tell of Thy righteousness all the day; for they are ashamed, for they are abashed, that seek my hurt.↗ (Writings PSA.71.24, JPS 1917)↗

abate — Everyday, meaning 1: To abate means to become less strong or less in amount: «The storm abated.».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal, law) To abate something means to make it less or put an end to it: «abate the noise».↗ Example: We waited in the hut until the storm abated.↗ · The floods began to abate after three days.↗ · Her fever abated during the night.↗ · The noise from the party showed no signs of abating.↗ · When the wind abated, the boats sailed out again.↗ · The fighting continued unabated.↗ · By this time the storm was much abated.↗ · And the people cried unto Moses; and Moses prayed unto the LORD, and the fire abated.↗ (Torah NUM.11.2, JPS 1917)↗ · And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground.↗ (Torah GEN.8.8, JPS 1917)↗ · And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.↗ (Torah DEU.34.7, JPS 1917)↗ · God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?'↗ Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.↗ (Prophets JDG.8.3, JPS 1917)↗

abatement — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A lowering or reduction of an amount, such as a price or a payment.↗ Example: But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain unto the year of jubilee, and an abatement shall be made from thy valuation.↗ (Torah LEV.27.18, JPS 1917)↗

abattoir — Everyday, meaning 1: An abattoir is a building where animals such as cows, pigs and sheep are killed for meat.↗ Another word is slaughterhouse.↗ Example: The cattle were taken to the abattoir.↗ · Abattoirs must follow strict rules about hygiene.↗ · Many people become vegetarian after learning about abattoirs.↗ · Vets check animals at the abattoir.↗ · The local abattoir closed down.↗ · Animal welfare laws say animals must not suffer in abattoirs.↗

abbess — Everyday, meaning 1: An abbess is the woman who is head of a convent or community of nuns.↗ Example: The abbess led the nuns in prayer.↗ · The old woman was the Abbess of the convent.↗ · The prince asked the abbess for help.↗ · Every morning the abbess rang the bell for the nuns.↗

abbey — Everyday, meaning 1: (church) An abbey is a building, or group of buildings, where monks or nuns live and pray together, led by an abbot or abbess.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An abbey is also a large church that was once part of such a place, such as Westminster Abbey in London.↗ Example: Monks lived and prayed at the abbey.↗ · We visited the ruins of an old abbey.↗ · Kings and queens are crowned in Westminster Abbey.↗ · The abbey bells rang for evening prayers.↗ · The abbot was in charge of the abbey.↗ · Many abbeys were closed long ago and fell into ruins.↗ · Nuns at the abbey made honey and candles.↗ · Llewelyn had local connection with Bedd Gellert, which was the seat of an Augustinian abbey, one of the oldest in Wales.↗

abbot — Everyday, meaning 1: (church) An abbot is the man in charge of an abbey, a community of monks who live, pray and work together.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (history) In the Middle Ages an abbot could also be a powerful landowner, as important as a lord.↗ Example: The abbot rang the bell for morning prayers.↗ · Every monk in the abbey obeyed the abbot.↗ · The old abbot welcomed the tired travellers and gave them bread.↗ · In 1539 King Henry VIII closed the abbeys and the abbots lost their lands.↗ · Our class visited the ruins of an abbey where an abbot once lived.↗ · The abbot wrote down the rules the monks had to follow.↗ · In the story, a greedy abbot hid the gold under the chapel floor.↗

abbreviated — Everyday, meaning 1: Abbreviated means made shorter, especially a word or phrase written in a short form: «Mr» is the abbreviated form of «Mister».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Abbreviated can mean shortened in time or length: an abbreviated version of the story.↗ Example: «Centimetre» is abbreviated to «cm».↗ · «Doctor» is often abbreviated as «Dr».↗ · We watched an abbreviated version of the film.↗ · The United Kingdom is abbreviated to UK.↗ · In maths, «kilogram» is abbreviated to «kg».↗ · Sunday is sometimes abbreviated to «Sun.».↗

abbreviation — Everyday, meaning 1: A short form of a word or phrase.↗ e.g. "Mon" is an abbreviation of "Monday".↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A set of letters standing for a longer name, like UK for United Kingdom or km for kilometre.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The act of making something shorter.↗ Example: "km" is the abbreviation for kilometre.↗ · "Dr" is an abbreviation of "Doctor".↗ · Write the abbreviations for the days of the week.↗ · "Aug" is a short form of August.↗ · Texts are full of abbreviations like "btw" and "omg".↗ · In science, "ml" stands for millilitre.↗ · The abbreviation UN means the United Nations.↗ · Regularly used abbreviations (for example, "Grimm, KM." or "P.V.S.") have been made consistent throughout, without note.↗