📖 A — The English dictionary · page 20

agency — Everyday, meaning 1: An agency is a business or organisation that provides a service for other people, like a travel agency.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An agency is a part of a government that does special work, like a space agency.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Agency can also mean the power to make your own choices.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Agency can also mean the action or means by which something happens.↗ Example: We booked our holiday through a travel agency.↗ · The space agency launched a new rover to Mars.↗ · A news agency sends stories to newspapers.↗ · Mum found her new job through an agency.↗ · In the film, the spy works for a secret agency.↗ · The weather agency warned of strong winds.↗ · These fables, again, were among the books brought into an extended circulation by the agency of the printing press.↗

agenda — Everyday, meaning 1: A list of things to be talked about or done at a meeting.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Things someone plans or wants to do: «What's on the agenda today?».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A secret aim or plan: a «hidden agenda».↗ Example: The first item on the agenda is the school trip.↗ · What's on the agenda for Saturday?↗ · The class council wrote an agenda.↗ · Saving water is high on the agenda.↗ · I think he has a hidden agenda.↗ · The meeting followed the agenda closely.↗ · Lunch is next on the agenda!↗

agent — Everyday, meaning 1: An agent is a person whose job is to act for someone else, such as a travel agent, an estate agent or a football player's agent.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A secret agent is a spy who works secretly for a country.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In science, an agent is something that causes a change: a cleaning agent, a raising agent in baking.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A free agent is someone who can do what they like, not tied to anyone.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A character in an old tale, human or supernatural, can be an agent who makes things happen.↗ Example: The secret agent sent a coded message.↗ · We booked our holiday through a travel agent.↗ · The estate agent showed us around the house.↗ · The famous player's agent asked for more money.↗ · Baking powder is a raising agent.↗ · Bleach is a strong cleaning agent, so keep it away from children.↗ · Now that school is over, I'm a free agent.↗ · I'm kind of a house agent, also a manager of funerals.↗

aggravate — Everyday, meaning 1: To make a problem, injury or illness worse.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) To annoy someone.↗ Example: Running on it will aggravate your injury.↗ · Scratching aggravates the itch.↗ · Shouting only aggravated the problem.↗ · My little brother really aggravates me.↗ · Smoke can aggravate asthma.↗ · It's so aggravating when the bus is late.↗ · "And to be sure it isn't pleasing to me, you aggravating goose-cap!"↗

aggravation — Everyday, meaning 1: Annoyance, irritation or anger caused by something that keeps bothering you.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Something that makes a bad situation worse.↗ Example: Prince Vivien was wild with aggravation.↗ · The delay was a great aggravation to the Prince.↗ · Noisy neighbours are an aggravation.↗

aggregate — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) A total made by adding several amounts together.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (sport, UK and elsewhere) The total score over two or more games.↗ e.g. "on aggregate".↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (adjective, formal) Made up of many parts added together.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (verb, formal) To collect or add things together into one total.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (science, building) Sand, gravel and small stones mixed into concrete.↗ Example: Find the aggregate of 12, 15 and 23.↗ · City won 4–3 on aggregate after the two matches.↗ · The aggregate cost of the trip was 300 dollars.↗ · Her aggregate mark across all tests was the highest in the class.↗ · The builders mixed cement with aggregate.↗ · The data from all the schools was aggregated into one table.↗

aggregation — Everyday, meaning 1: Aggregation is bringing many things together into one group or total.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An aggregation is a group or mass of things, animals or people gathered together.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal, data) Aggregation is combining many numbers into one, such as a total or an average.↗ Example: An aggregation of ladybirds spent the winter under the bark.↗ · The website is an aggregation of news from many papers.↗ · Aggregation of the test scores gave the class average.↗ · A huge aggregation of jellyfish washed up on the beach.↗ · The report used aggregation, so no single pupil's mark is shown.↗ · Cities are an aggregation of many small communities.↗

aggression — Everyday, meaning 1: Aggression is angry or violent behaviour or feelings that make a person or animal want to attack or hurt others.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Aggression is a country or army attacking another without being attacked first.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (sport) Aggression can mean playing with great force and energy.↗ Example: The dog showed aggression when someone touched its food.↗ · Shouting and pushing are kinds of aggression.↗ · Try deep breaths when you feel aggression building up.↗ · The invasion was an act of aggression.↗ · The players were told to control their aggression on the pitch.↗ · Teasing can lead to aggression if nobody stops it.↗

aggressive — Everyday, meaning 1: Aggressive describes someone who acts angrily and is ready to attack, fight or hurt others.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Aggressive can also mean very determined and forceful, as in an aggressive player in a game.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In medicine an aggressive illness spreads fast.↗ Example: The dog became aggressive when someone touched its puppies.↗ · Shouting and pushing is aggressive behaviour.↗ · If someone is aggressive, walk away and tell an adult.↗ · Wasps can get aggressive near their nest.↗ · She is an aggressive tennis player who always attacks the net.↗ · Stay calm; don't be aggressive back.↗

aggressor — Everyday, meaning 1: An aggressor is a person, group or country that starts a fight, attack or war.↗ Example: The teacher asked who was the aggressor in the fight.↗ · In the war, the invading country was the aggressor.↗ · He wasn't the aggressor; he was only defending himself.↗ · The aggressor pushed first and then ran away.↗ · Countries came together to stop the aggressor.↗ · Usually the aggressor is not the one who gets most hurt.↗

aghast — Everyday, meaning 1: Shocked and horrified, struck dumb by surprise or fear.↗ Example: The youth stood aghast at the king's words.↗ · "She won't!"↗ Nibs exclaimed, aghast.↗ · We were aghast to see the broken window.↗ · And they shall be affrighted; pangs and throes shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in travail; they shall look aghast one at another; their faces shall be faces of flame.↗ (Prophets ISA.13.8, JPS 1917)↗

agile — Everyday, meaning 1: Able to move quickly, easily and lightly: «an agile monkey».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Able to think quickly and cleverly: «an agile mind».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (computing, work) «Agile» is a way of working in teams in short steps, changing plans often.↗ Example: The cat was agile enough to jump onto the fence.↗ · Monkeys are agile climbers.↗ · The goalkeeper was quick and agile.↗ · Gymnasts must be strong and agile.↗ · Grandpa is still agile for his age.↗ · She has an agile mind and solves puzzles fast.↗ · Then he went on his way merrily, and being light and agile he never felt tired.↗

agility — Everyday, meaning 1: Agility is being able to move quickly, easily and lightly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Agility (of mind) is being able to think quickly and cleverly.↗ Example: The cat jumped onto the fence with great agility.↗ · We did agility drills in PE, running between cones.↗ · Squirrels show amazing agility in the trees.↗ · Our dog won a prize in an agility contest.↗ · The goalkeeper needs agility to save the ball.↗ · Puzzles help your mental agility.↗ · Monkeys swing through branches with agility.↗ · Ares is represented as a man of youthful appearance; his tall muscular form combines great strength with wonderful agility.↗

agitate — Everyday, meaning 1: To make someone feel worried, nervous or upset.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To shake or stir a liquid hard.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To argue or campaign publicly to make a change happen.↗ Example: The loud noise agitated the dog.↗ · Agitate the jar to mix the paint.↗ · Workers agitated for better pay.↗ · Don't agitate your sister before bed.↗ · The washing machine agitates the clothes.↗ · Women agitated for the vote.↗ · "Remember that I am hatching eggs; it may agitate me, and will affect them."↗

agitated — Everyday, meaning 1: Worried, nervous and upset, unable to keep calm.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Shaken or stirred, as a liquid.↗ Example: She grew agitated when the bus was late.↗ · The horse was agitated by the storm.↗ · Grandad gets agitated when he loses his glasses.↗ · He paced up and down, looking agitated.↗ · The agitated water bubbled in the beaker.↗ · Try to calm the agitated puppy.↗ · When the King came home at evening, he asked them why they were so agitated.↗

agitating — Everyday, meaning 1: Making someone worried or upset.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Shaking or stirring a liquid.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Campaigning loudly for a change.↗ Example: They were agitating for cleaner rivers.↗ · Keep agitating the mixture until it is smooth.↗ · The waiting was agitating for everyone.↗ · Protesters were agitating outside.↗ · The tumble dryer is agitating the clothes.↗ · Stop agitating your brother!↗

agitation — Everyday, meaning 1: Agitation is a worried, nervous or upset feeling that makes you restless.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Agitation is shaking or stirring something, such as a liquid.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Agitation is public campaigning or protest to make people demand change.↗ Example: He paced up and down in agitation.↗ · Her agitation grew as the clock ticked.↗ · The dog showed signs of agitation during the fireworks.↗ · Agitation helps the sugar dissolve faster.↗ · The washing machine cleans clothes by agitation.↗ · There was agitation in the streets for fairer laws.↗ · Before Jack and his mother had recovered from their alarm and agitation, a beautiful lady stood before them.↗ · Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, even by reason of mine agitation that is in me.↗ (Writings JOB.20.2, JPS 1917)↗

agnostic — Everyday, meaning 1: A person who believes that we cannot know for sure whether God exists, so they do not say yes or no.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (adjective) Not sure or not deciding about something: «I'm agnostic about pineapple on pizza.».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (computers) Working with any kind of system: «a device-agnostic app» works on any phone or computer.↗ Example: My uncle says he is an agnostic: he doesn't know if God is real.↗ · An atheist says there is no God; an agnostic says we can't be sure.↗ · Our class learned that Christians, atheists and agnostics can still be good friends.↗ · I'm agnostic about whether cats or dogs are better.↗ · The game is platform-agnostic, so it runs on any console.↗ · She grew up agnostic but later went to church.↗

ago — Everyday, meaning 1: Ago means before now, back in the past: «two years ago».↗ Example: How old was Tom 2 years ago?↗ · 3 years ago Mia was 5.↗ How old is she now?↗ · Ben planted a tree 4 years ago.↗ · Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago.↗ · We moved here a long time ago.↗ · Long ago, people had no electricity.↗ · The bus left five minutes ago.↗ · How long ago did you lose your tooth?↗ · Thus far. it has been impossible to determine tiic ago and authorship of tlic Sefer Yetzirah. .↗ Tcwish tradition claims divine origin for it: it was intrusted by tlie Lord to Adam and after- wards to Abraham***).↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗ · And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found.↗ (Prophets 1SA.9.20, JPS 1917)↗ · That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued.↗ (Writings ECC.3.15, JPS 1917)↗ · Whatsoever cometh into being, the name thereof was given long ago, and it is foreknown what man is; neither can he contend with Him that is mightier than he.↗ (Writings ECC.6.10, JPS 1917)↗

agonized — Everyday, meaning 1: Agonized means showing great pain of body or mind, or great worry and fear.↗ Example: She gave an agonized cry when she dropped the vase.↗ · His agonized face showed how much he was hurting.↗ · The wait was agonized, with no news at all.↗

agony — Everyday, meaning 1: Very great pain of the body.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Very great worry or sadness of the mind.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) Something very annoying or hard: «The waiting was agony!».↗ Example: He was in agony after breaking his arm.↗ · Waiting for the results was agony.↗ · The agony of losing the final stayed with her.↗ · Call for help if someone is in agony.↗ · My new shoes were agony on the long walk.↗ · The magazine has an agony aunt.↗ · A cry of agony escaped from him; he struggled to get free, and tottered from her.↗ · And he said unto me: Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me, for the agony hath taken hold of me; because my life is just yet in me.↗ (Prophets 2SA.1.9, JPS 1917)↗