| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| a 1 | A registry mark given by underwriters (as at Lloyd’s) to ships in first-class condition. Inferior grades are indicated by A 2 and A 3. | |
| aam | noun | A Dutch and German measure of liquids, varying in different cities, being at Amsterdam about 41 wine gallons, at Antwerp 36 1/2, at Hamburg 38 1/4. |
| ab- | A prefix in many words of Latin origin. It signifies from, away , separating, or departure, as in abduct, abstract, abscond. See A-(6). | |
| abb | noun | Among weavers, yarn for the warp. Hence, abb wool is wool for the abb. |
| aby | verb t. & i. | Alt. of Abye |
| ace | noun | A unit; a single point or spot on a card or die; the card or die so marked; as, the ace of diamonds., Hence: A very small quantity or degree; a particle; an atom; a jot. |
| ach | noun | Alt. of Ache |
| act | noun | That which is done or doing; the exercise of power, or the effect, of which power exerted is the cause; a performance; a deed., The result of public deliberation; the decision or determination of a legislative body, council, court of justice, etc.; a decree, edit, law, judgment, resolve, award; as, an act of Parliament, or of Congress., A formal solemn writing, expressing that something has been done., A performance of part of a play; one of the principal divisions of a play or dramatic work in which a certain definite part of the action is completed., A thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student., A state of reality or real existence as opposed to a possibility or possible existence., Process of doing; action. In act, in the very doing; on the point of (doing)., To move to action; to actuate; to animate., To perform; to execute; to do., To perform, as an actor; to represent dramatically on the stage., To assume the office or character of; to play; to personate; as, to act the hero., To feign or counterfeit; to simulate., To exert power; to produce an effect; as, the stomach acts upon food., To perform actions; to fulfill functions; to put forth energy; to move, as opposed to remaining at rest; to carry into effect a determination of the will., To behave or conduct, as in morals, private duties, or public offices; to bear or deport one’s self; as, we know not why he has acted so., To perform on the stage; to represent a character. |
| ad- | As a prefix ad- assumes the forms ac-, af-, ag-, al-, an-, ap-, ar-, as-, at-, assimilating the d with the first letter of the word to which ad- is prefixed. It remains unchanged before vowels, and before d, h, j, m, v. Examples: adduce, adhere, adjacent, admit, advent, accord, affect, aggregate, allude, annex, appear, etc. It becomes ac- before qu, as in acquiesce. | |
| add | verb t. | To give by way of increased possession (to any one); to bestow (on)., To join or unite, as one thing to another, or as several particulars, so as to increase the number, augment the quantity, enlarge the magnitude, or so as to form into one aggregate. Hence: To sum up; to put together mentally; as, to add numbers; to add up a column., To append, as a statement; to say further., To make an addition. To add to, to augment; to increase; as, it adds to our anxiety., To perform the arithmetical operation of addition; as, he adds rapidly. |
| ado | noun | To do; in doing; as, there is nothing ado., Doing; trouble; difficulty; troublesome business; fuss; bustle; as, to make a great ado about trifles. |
| adz | noun | Alt. of Adze, To cut with an adz. |
| aft | adverb & adjective | Near or towards the stern of a vessel; astern; abaft. |
| aga | noun | Alt. of Agha |
| age | noun | The whole duration of a being, whether animal, vegetable, or other kind; lifetime., That part of the duration of a being or a thing which is between its beginning and any given time; as, what is the present age of a man, or of the earth?, The latter part of life; an advanced period of life; seniority; state of being old., One of the stages of life; as, the age of infancy, of youth, etc., Mature age; especially, the time of life at which one attains full personal rights and capacities; as, to come of age; he (or she) is of age., The time of life at which some particular power or capacity is understood to become vested; as, the age of consent; the age of discretion., A particular period of time in history, as distinguished from others; as, the golden age, the age of Pericles., A great period in the history of the Earth., A century; the period of one hundred years., The people who live at a particular period; hence, a generation., A long time., To grow aged; to become old; to show marks of age; as, he grew fat as he aged., To cause to grow old; to impart the characteristics of age to; as, grief ages us. |
| ago | adjective & adverb | Past; gone by; since; as, ten years ago; gone long ago. |
| aha | interj. | An exclamation expressing, by different intonations, triumph, mixed with derision or irony, or simple surprise., A sunk fence. See Ha-ha. |
| ahu | noun | The Asiatic gazelle. |
| ais | plural | of Ai |
| aid | verb t. | To support, either by furnishing strength or means in cooperation to effect a purpose, or to prevent or to remove evil; to help; to assist., Help; succor; assistance; relief., The person or thing that promotes or helps in something done; a helper; an assistant., A subsidy granted to the king by Parliament; also, an exchequer loan., A pecuniary tribute paid by a vassal to his lord on special occasions., An aid-de-camp, so called by abbreviation; as, a general’s aid. |
| ail | verb t. | To affect with pain or uneasiness, either physical or mental; to trouble; to be the matter with; — used to express some uneasiness or affection, whose cause is unknown; as, what ails the man? I know not what ails him., To be affected with pain or uneasiness of any sort; to be ill or indisposed or in trouble., Indisposition or morbid affection. |
| aim | verb i. | To point or direct a missile weapon, or a weapon which propels as missile, towards an object or spot with the intent of hitting it; as, to aim at a fox, or at a target., To direct the indention or purpose; to attempt the accomplishment of a purpose; to try to gain; to endeavor; — followed by at, or by an infinitive; as, to aim at distinction; to aim to do well., To guess or conjecture., To direct or point, as a weapon, at a particular object; to direct, as a missile, an act, or a proceeding, at, to, or against an object; as, to aim a musket or an arrow, the fist or a blow (at something); to aim a satire or a reflection (at some person or vice)., The pointing of a weapon, as a gun, a dart, or an arrow, in the line of direction with the object intended to be struck; the line of fire; the direction of anything, as a spear, a blow, a discourse, a remark, towards a particular point or object, with a view to strike or affect it., The point intended to be hit, or object intended to be attained or affected., Intention; purpose; design; scheme., Conjecture; guess. |
| air | noun | The fluid which we breathe, and which surrounds the earth; the atmosphere. It is invisible, inodorous, insipid, transparent, compressible, elastic, and ponderable., Symbolically: Something unsubstantial, light, or volatile., A particular state of the atmosphere, as respects heat, cold, moisture, etc., or as affecting the sensations; as, a smoky air, a damp air, the morning air, etc., Any aeriform body; a gas; as, oxygen was formerly called vital air., Air in motion; a light breeze; a gentle wind., Odoriferous or contaminated air., That which surrounds and influences., Utterance abroad; publicity; vent., Intelligence; information., A musical idea, or motive, rhythmically developed in consecutive single tones, so as to form a symmetrical and balanced whole, which may be sung by a single voice to the stanzas of a hymn or song, or even to plain prose, or played upon an instrument; a melody; a tune; an aria., In harmonized chorals, psalmody, part songs, etc., the part which bears the tune or melody — in modern harmony usually the upper part — is sometimes called the air., The peculiar look, appearance, and bearing of a person; mien; demeanor; as, the air of a youth; a heavy air; a lofty air., Peculiar appearance; apparent character; semblance; manner; style., An artificial or affected manner; show of pride or vanity; haughtiness; as, it is said of a person, he puts on airs., The representation or reproduction of the effect of the atmospheric medium through which every object in nature is viewed., Carriage; attitude; action; movement; as, the head of that portrait has a good air., The artificial motion or carriage of a horse., To expose to the air for the purpose of cooling, refreshing, or purifying; to ventilate; as, to air a room., To expose for the sake of public notice; to display ostentatiously; as, to air one’s opinion., To expose to heat, for the purpose of expelling dampness, or of warming; as, to air linen; to air liquors. |
| ait | noun | An islet, or little isle, in a river or lake; an eyot., Oat. |
| ake | noun & verb | See Ache. |
| al- | a prefix. | All; wholly; completely; as, almighty, almost., To; at; on; — in OF. shortened to a-. See Ad-., The Arabic definite article answering to the English the; as, Alkoran, the Koran or the Book; alchemy, the chemistry. |
| ala | noun | A winglike organ, or part. |
| alb | noun | A vestment of white linen, reaching to the feet, an enveloping the person; — in the Roman Catholic church, worn by those in holy orders when officiating at mass. It was formerly worn, at least by clerics, in daily life. |
| ale | noun | An intoxicating liquor made from an infusion of malt by fermentation and the addition of a bitter, usually hops., A festival in English country places, so called from the liquor drunk. |
| all | adjective | The whole quantity, extent, duration, amount, quality, or degree of; the whole; the whole number of; any whatever; every; as, all the wheat; all the land; all the year; all the strength; all happiness; all abundance; loss of all power; beyond all doubt; you will see us all (or all of us)., Any., Only; alone; nothing but., Wholly; completely; altogether; entirely; quite; very; as, all bedewed; my friend is all for amusement., Even; just. (Often a mere intensive adjunct.), The whole number, quantity, or amount; the entire thing; everything included or concerned; the aggregate; the whole; totality; everything or every person; as, our all is at stake., Although; albeit. |
| alp | noun | A very high mountain. Specifically, in the plural, the highest chain of mountains in Europe, containing the lofty mountains of Switzerland, etc., Fig.: Something lofty, or massive, or very hard to be surmounted., A bullfinch. |
| als | adverb | Also., As. |
| alt | adjective & noun | The higher part of the scale. See Alto. |
| amy | noun | A friend. |
| ana | adverb | Of each; an equal quantity; as, wine and honey, ana (or, contracted, aa), / ij., that is, of wine and honey, each, two ounces. |
| and | conj. | A particle which expresses the relation of connection or addition. It is used to conjoin a word with a word, a clause with a clause, or a sentence with a sentence., In order to; — used instead of the infinitival to, especially after try, come, go., It is sometimes, in old songs, a mere expletive., If; though. See An, conj. |
| ani | noun | Alt. of Ano |
| ano | noun | A black bird of tropical America, the West Indies and Florida (Crotophaga ani), allied to the cuckoos, and remarkable for communistic nesting. |
| ann | noun | Alt. of Annat |
| ant | noun | A hymenopterous insect of the Linnaean genus Formica, which is now made a family of several genera; an emmet; a pismire. |
| any | adjective & pronoun | One indifferently, out of an indefinite number; one indefinitely, whosoever or whatsoever it may be., Some, of whatever kind, quantity, or number; as, are there any witnesses present? are there any other houses like it?, To any extent; in any degree; at all. |
| ape | noun | A quadrumanous mammal, esp. of the family Simiadae, having teeth of the same number and form as in man, and possessing neither a tail nor cheek pouches. The name is applied esp. to species of the genus Hylobates, and is sometimes used as a general term for all Quadrumana. The higher forms, the gorilla, chimpanzee, and ourang, are often called anthropoid apes or man apes., One who imitates servilely (in allusion to the manners of the ape); a mimic., A dupe., To mimic, as an ape imitates human actions; to imitate or follow servilely or irrationally. |
| apo | A prefix from a Greek preposition. It usually signifies from, away from, off, or asunder, separate; as, in apocope (a cutting off), apostate, apostle (one sent away), apocarpous. | |
| apt | adjective | Fit or fitted; suited; suitable; appropriate., Having an habitual tendency; habitually liable or likely; — used of things., Inclined; disposed customarily; given; ready; — used of persons., Ready; especially fitted or qualified (to do something); quick to learn; prompt; expert; as, a pupil apt to learn; an apt scholar., To fit; to suit; to adapt. |
| ara | noun | The Altar; a southern constellation, south of the tail of the Scorpion., A name of the great blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), native of South America. |
| arc | noun | A portion of a curved line; as, the arc of a circle or of an ellipse., A curvature in the shape of a circular arc or an arch; as, the colored arc (the rainbow); the arc of Hadley’s quadrant., An arch., The apparent arc described, above or below the horizon, by the sun or other celestial body. The diurnal arc is described during the daytime, the nocturnal arc during the night. |
| are | The present indicative plural of the substantive verb to be; but etymologically a different word from be, or was. Am, art, are, and is, all come from the root as., The unit of superficial measure, being a square of which each side is ten meters in length; 100 square meters, or about 119.6 square yards. | |
| ark | noun | A chest, or coffer., The oblong chest of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, which supported the mercy seat with its golden cherubs, and occupied the most sacred place in the sanctuary. In it Moses placed the two tables of stone containing the ten commandments. Called also the Ark of the Covenant., The large, chestlike vessel in which Noah and his family were preserved during the Deluge. Gen. vi. Hence: Any place of refuge., A large flatboat used on Western American rivers to transport produce to market. |
| arm | noun | The limb of the human body which extends from the shoulder to the hand; also, the corresponding limb of a monkey., Anything resembling an arm, The fore limb of an animal, as of a bear., A limb, or locomotive or prehensile organ, of an invertebrate animal., A branch of a tree., A slender part of an instrument or machine, projecting from a trunk, axis, or fulcrum; as, the arm of a steelyard., The end of a yard; also, the part of an anchor which ends in the fluke., An inlet of water from the sea., A support for the elbow, at the side of a chair, the end of a sofa, etc., Fig.: Power; might; strength; support; as, the secular arm; the arm of the law., A branch of the military service; as, the cavalry arm was made efficient., A weapon of offense or defense; an instrument of warfare; — commonly in the pl., To take by the arm; to take up in one’s arms., To furnish with arms or limbs., To furnish or equip with weapons of offense or defense; as, to arm soldiers; to arm the country., To cover or furnish with a plate, or with whatever will add strength, force, security, or efficiency; as, to arm the hit of a sword; to arm a hook in angling., Fig.: To furnish with means of defense; to prepare for resistance; to fortify, in a moral sense., To provide one’s self with arms, weapons, or means of attack or resistance; to take arms. |
| art | The second person singular, indicative mode, present tense, of the substantive verb Be; but formed after the analogy of the plural are, with the ending -t, as in thou shalt, wilt, orig. an ending of the second person sing. pret. Cf. Be. Now used only in solemn or poetical style., The employment of means to accomplish some desired end; the adaptation of things in the natural world to the uses of life; the application of knowledge or power to practical purposes., A system of rules serving to facilitate the performance of certain actions; a system of principles and rules for attaining a desired end; method of doing well some special work; — often contradistinguished from science or speculative principles; as, the art of building or engraving; the art of war; the art of navigation., The systematic application of knowledge or skill in effecting a desired result. Also, an occupation or business requiring such knowledge or skill., The application of skill to the production of the beautiful by imitation or design, or an occupation in which skill is so employed, as in painting and sculpture; one of the fine arts; as, he prefers art to literature., Those branches of learning which are taught in the academical course of colleges; as, master of arts., Learning; study; applied knowledge, science, or letters., Skill, dexterity, or the power of performing certain actions, acquired by experience, study, or observation; knack; as, a man has the art of managing his business to advantage., Skillful plan; device., Cunning; artifice; craft., The black art; magic. | |
| asa | noun | An ancient name of a gum. |
| ash | noun | A genus of trees of the Olive family, having opposite pinnate leaves, many of the species furnishing valuable timber, as the European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and the white ash (F. Americana)., The tough, elastic wood of the ash tree., sing. of Ashes., To strew or sprinkle with ashes. |
| ask | verb t. | To request; to seek to obtain by words; to petition; to solicit; — often with of, in the sense of from, before the person addressed., To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity; as, what price do you ask?, To interrogate or inquire of or concerning; to put a question to or about; to question., To invite; as, to ask one to an entertainment., To publish in church for marriage; — said of both the banns and the persons., To request or petition; — usually followed by for; as, to ask for bread., To make inquiry, or seek by request; — sometimes followed by after., A water newt. |
| asp | noun | Same as Aspen., A small, hooded, poisonous serpent of Egypt and adjacent countries, whose bite is often fatal. It is the Naja haje. The name is also applied to other poisonous serpents, esp. to Vipera aspis of southern Europe. See Haje., One of several species of poplar bearing this name, especially the Populus tremula, so called from the trembling of its leaves, which move with the slightest impulse of the air. |
| ass | noun | A quadruped of the genus Equus (E. asinus), smaller than the horse, and having a peculiarly harsh bray and long ears. The tame or domestic ass is patient, slow, and sure-footed, and has become the type of obstinacy and stupidity. There are several species of wild asses which are swift-footed., A dull, heavy, stupid fellow; a dolt. |
| ate | the preterit of Eat., The goddess of mischievous folly; also, in later poets, the goddess of vengeance., of Eat | |
| auf | noun | A changeling or elf child, — that is, one left by fairies; a deformed or foolish child; a simpleton; an oaf. |
| auk | noun | A name given to various species of arctic sea birds of the family Alcidae. The great auk, now extinct, is Alca (/ Plautus) impennis. The razor-billed auk is A. torda. See Puffin, Guillemot, and Murre. |
| aum | noun | Same as Aam. |
| ava | noun | Same as Kava. |
| ave | noun | An ave Maria., A reverential salutation. |
| awe | noun | Dread; great fear mingled with respect., The emotion inspired by something dreadful and sublime; an undefined sense of the dreadful and the sublime; reverential fear, or solemn wonder; profound reverence., To strike with fear and reverence; to inspire with awe; to control by inspiring dread. |
| awk | adjective | Odd; out of order; perverse., Wrong, or not commonly used; clumsy; sinister; as, the awk end of a rod (the but end)., Clumsy in performance or manners; unhandy; not dexterous; awkward., Perversely; in the wrong way. |
| awl | noun | A pointed instrument for piercing small holes, as in leather or wood; used by shoemakers, saddlers, cabinetmakers, etc. The blade is differently shaped and pointed for different uses, as in the brad awl, saddler’s awl, shoemaker’s awl, etc. |
| awm | noun | See Aam. |
| awn | noun | The bristle or beard of barley, oats, grasses, etc., or any similar bristlelike appendage; arista. |
| axe | noun | A tool or instrument of steel, or of iron with a steel edge or blade, for felling trees, chopping and splitting wood, hewing timber, etc. It is wielded by a wooden helve or handle, so fixed in a socket or eye as to be in the same plane with the blade. The broadax, or carpenter’s ax, is an ax for hewing timber, made heavier than the chopping ax, and with a broader and thinner blade and a shorter handle., Alt. of Axeman |
| aye | adverb | Alt. of Ay, An affirmative vote; one who votes in the affirmative; as, “To call for the ayes and noes;” “The ayes have it.”, Alt. of Ay |