📖 A — The English dictionary · page 49

artifice — Everyday, meaning 1: A clever trick used to fool people.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Clever skill, or a way of doing things that is not natural.↗ Example: The fox won by artifice, not strength.↗ · She spoke simply, without artifice.↗ · The magician's artifice amazed us.↗ · Odysseus used artifice to get into Troy.↗ · Stage make-up is a kind of artifice.↗ · The plan was full of artifice.↗ · A LION, unable from old age and infirmities to provide himself with food by force, resolved to do so by artifice.↗

artificer — Everyday, meaning 1: An artificer is a skilled craftsman who makes or builds things, especially with metal.↗ Example: The artificer hammered the metal into a shield.↗ · The Greek god was a famous artificer of metal things.↗ · Every village had a skilled artificer who mended the tools.↗ · of gold for the things of gold, and of silver for the things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers.↗ (Writings 1CH.29.5, JPS 1917)↗

artificial — Everyday, meaning 1: Artificial means made by people, not natural.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Artificial means a copy of something natural: «artificial flowers».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Artificial behaviour is not sincere; fake.↗ Example: The pitch is made of artificial grass.↗ · Plastic is an artificial material.↗ · We read by artificial light at night.↗ · Artificial flowers never need water.↗ · Artificial intelligence helps computers understand speech.↗ · Her smile looked artificial.↗ · This drink has no artificial colours.↗ · Then the artificial bird had to sing alone.↗

artificially — Everyday, meaning 1: Artificially means made or done by people, not by nature.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Artificially can mean in a way that is not real or natural, or that is forced.↗ Example: The sweets are artificially coloured.↗ · This drink is artificially sweetened.↗ · The lake was made artificially by building a dam.↗ · The diamonds were grown artificially in a lab.↗ · The flowers are lit artificially in the greenhouse.↗ · Prices were kept artificially low by the government.↗ · Her smile looked artificially bright.↗ · For the griffin had been artificially made by the King-enchanter, and the two halves had never really got used to each other.↗

artillery — Everyday, meaning 1: Artillery means big guns and cannons used in war, and also the soldiers who fire them.↗ Early Modern English, meaning 1: In older English, any weapons that throw or shoot, such as bows and arrows or catapults.↗ Example: The artillery fired all night.↗ · I heard the roar of heavy artillery.↗ · The cannons were stacked near the artillery lines.↗ · I heard them coming, and I also at the same time was conscious of a rush of air and a sound like the roar of heavy artillery.↗ (Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen) · At last I fell over the tail-end of a gun, and by that knew I was somewhere near the artillery lines where the cannon were stacked at night.↗ (The Jungle Book)

artisan — Everyday, meaning 1: An artisan is a skilled worker who makes things by hand, such as a carpenter, potter or weaver.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (adjective) Artisan bread, cheese and so on are made by hand in small amounts, in a traditional way.↗ Example: The artisan carved a beautiful wooden chair.↗ · In medieval towns artisans belonged to guilds.↗ · Potters and glassblowers are artisans.↗ · We bought artisan bread at the market.↗ · The artisan taught his apprentice for seven years.↗ · Local artisans sell crafts at the fair.↗ · Late one evening a certain artisan happened to be returning home from a jovial feast in a distant village.↗ · When people learned of their existence, they all left the original artisan and went to them, honoring them, and negotiating with them in their building enterprises " (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

artist — Everyday, meaning 1: An artist is a person who paints, draws, makes sculptures or other works of art.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An artist can also be a performer, such as a singer, musician, actor or dancer.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: An artist can be anyone who does something with great skill, as in «a real artist with a football».↗ Example: Van Gogh was a Dutch artist who painted sunflowers.↗ · My sister wants to be an artist when she grows up.↗ · A street artist drew a huge chalk picture on the path.↗ · Every child in our class is an artist in art club.↗ · The singer is the most famous artist on the show.↗ · The artist mixed blue and yellow to make green.↗ · The pictures were drawn by Mr. Kakuzo Fujiyama, a Tokio artist.↗

artistic — Everyday, meaning 1: Artistic means good at art or creative things like drawing, painting, music or design.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Artistic means to do with art or artists.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Artistic also means attractive and done with skill and imagination.↗ Example: She is very artistic and loves painting.↗ · The display was really artistic.↗ · Artistic licence lets writers change facts for a story.↗ · He shows great artistic talent.↗ · The town has an artistic community.↗ · The cake was decorated in an artistic way.↗ · Never had so beautiful and so artistic a robe been seen.↗

arts — Everyday, meaning 1: The arts are activities like painting, drawing, music, dance, drama, film and writing, where people make things to express ideas and feelings.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Arts (in school and university) are subjects about people and culture, like history, languages and literature, as opposed to sciences.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Arts is also the plural of «art», meaning skills: «the arts of cooking and sewing».↗ Example: We do arts and crafts every Friday.↗ · She loves the arts, especially dance and music.↗ · Karate is one of the martial arts.↗ · The town has a new arts centre.↗ · Our school has a performing arts show in the summer.↗ · My cousin studies arts at university.↗ · The festival celebrates the arts.↗ · We made puppets in arts and crafts.↗ · And the magicians did in like manner with their secret arts, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.↗ (Torah EXO.8.7, JPS 1917)↗ · Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their secret arts.↗ (Torah EXO.7.11, JPS 1917)↗ · And the magicians did so with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; and there were gnats upon man, and upon beast.↗ (Torah EXO.8.18, JPS 1917)↗

artwork — Everyday, meaning 1: An artwork is a piece of art, such as a painting, drawing, sculpture or collage.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Artwork (uncountable) is the pictures and designs in a book, magazine, game, album or poster.↗ Example: Our class artwork is on the wall in the corridor.↗ · The museum has artworks from all over the world.↗ · Leonardo's Mona Lisa is a famous artwork.↗ · I love the artwork in this picture book.↗ · She signed her artwork in the corner.↗ · The game's artwork was drawn by hand.↗ · Please take your artwork home at the end of term.↗

arum — Everyday, meaning 1: An arum is a plant with arrow-shaped leaves and a hood-like flower around a spike, such as the arum lily or the wild arum (cuckoo pint, lords and ladies).↗ Example: Lords and ladies is a wild arum that grows in hedges.↗ · Arum berries are poisonous.↗ · The white arum lily is popular at weddings.↗ · Flies are attracted to the smelly arum flower.↗ · Don't pick the arum's red berries.↗ · Arum lilies grow wild in parts of Australia.↗

aryan — Everyday, meaning 1: (history) Aryan was an old name for the ancient people who spoke early Indo-Iranian languages in Iran and northern India; «arya» meant «noble» in Sanskrit.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (history, Nazi) The Nazis in Germany misused «Aryan» to mean a made-up «master race» of white, often blond, people; this idea was false and cruel and was used to justify the Holocaust.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (a name) Aryan (also spelled Aarya or Arian) is also a boy's name in India and elsewhere.↗ Example: The Nazis falsely claimed that «Aryans» were better than other people.↗ · There is no such thing as a master race.↗ · The name Iran comes from an old word linked to «Aryan».↗ · In ancient Sanskrit, «arya» meant «noble».↗ · Hitler's ideas about an «Aryan race» led to terrible crimes.↗ · My classmate's name is Aryan.↗

as — Everyday, meaning 1: As means in the role of: she works as a nurse.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: As means in the same way or the same amount: as tall as his dad, as many as.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: As can mean at the same time: as I walked in, the bell rang.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: As can mean because: as it was raining, we stayed inside.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (casual) In strong chatty talk «as» after a word means «very»: it's cold as, he's mad as (Australia, NZ, UK slang: «sweet as» means great).↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (casual) «As if!» means «that will never happen» or «no way».↗ Everyday, meaning 7: (formal) The exam voice uses «as» in stiff phrases: «as follows», «as stated above», «as specified», «in so far as», «inasmuch as».↗ Example: Today's lesson: Multiplying as equal groups.↗ · Lily has as many stickers as Max.↗ · Tom has twice as many marbles as Sue.↗ · As I opened the door, the cat ran out.↗ · He dressed up as a pirate for the party.↗ · You can bring fruits such as apples and grapes.↗ · As it was late, we went straight to bed.↗ · Do it as soon as you can.↗ · «Can you do the dishes?»↗ «Sweet as, mate.»↗ · it's cold as out there, bring ya jacket↗ · «Your brother will share his chips.»↗ «As if!»↗ · The quantities are as follows: Tom possesses twice as many marbles as Sue, who possesses 6.↗ · All was as still as salt.↗ · And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them.↗ (Torah GEN.50.12, JPS 1917)↗ · And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.↗ (Torah LEV.24.23, JPS 1917)↗ · But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.↗ (Torah NUM.14.32, JPS 1917)↗ · Shall His recompense be as thou wilt?↗ (Writings JOB.34.33, JPS 1917)↗ · May his years be as many generations!↗ (Writings PSA.61.7, JPS 1917)↗ · How is she become as a widow!↗ (Writings LAM.1.1, JPS 1917)↗

asap — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) ASAP stands for «as soon as possible»: very soon, without delay.↗ Example: Please reply ASAP.↗ · Mum said come home ASAP.↗ · We need more glue ASAP!↗ · Hand in your forms asap.↗ · The plumber is coming ASAP to fix the leak.↗ · Let me know asap if you can come.↗

ascend — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) To ascend means to go up, to climb or rise.↗ e.g. "the balloon ascended into the sky".↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To ascend the throne means to become king or queen.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In ascending order means arranged from the smallest to the largest.↗ Example: Write the numbers in ascending order: 2, 5, 9, 14.↗ · The climbers ascended the mountain slowly.↗ · The lift ascended to the top floor.↗ · The hot-air balloon ascended into the clouds.↗ · The prince ascended the throne when the old king died.↗ · Sort the heights in ascending order.↗ · The path ascends steeply to the castle.↗ · She was also going to ascend the mountain.↗ · And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.↗ (Torah GEN.28.12, JPS 1917)↗ · Now mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.↗ (Torah EXO.19.18, JPS 1917)↗ · Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended?↗ (Writings PRO.30.4, JPS 1917)↗ · I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.'↗ (Prophets ISA.14.14, JPS 1917)↗ · Who shall ascend into the mountain of the LORD? and who shall stand in His holy place?↗ (Writings PSA.24.3, JPS 1917)↗

ascender — Everyday, meaning 1: (handwriting, printing) An ascender is the part of a lowercase letter that goes up above the middle of the line, as in b, d, f, h, k, l and t.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An ascender is a climbing tool that grips a rope so a climber can go up it.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: An ascender is a person or thing that goes up.↗ Example: The letters b, d and h have ascenders.↗ · Make your ascenders tall and straight.↗ · The letter «g» has a descender, not an ascender.↗ · The climber clipped an ascender onto the rope.↗ · Cavers use ascenders to climb out of deep holes.↗ · In joined-up writing, loop your ascenders neatly.↗

ascension — Everyday, meaning 1: (church, Bible) The Ascension is the event when, Christians believe, Jesus rose up into heaven forty days after he rose from the dead.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) An ascension is the act of rising or going up.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal) Coming to a high position, such as a king coming to the throne (more often «accession»).↗ Example: Christians remember the Ascension of Jesus on Ascension Day.↗ · The Bible says Jesus was taken up into a cloud at his Ascension.↗ · Our church window shows the Ascension.↗ · We watched the slow ascension of the hot-air balloon.↗ · Ascension Island is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.↗ · The climbers' ascension of the mountain took three days.↗ · The vicar explained the Ascension to the children.↗