4 letter word starting with a

by
Words Parts of Speech Meaning/Definition/Similar Words
abay noun Barking; baying of dogs upon their prey. See Bay.
abba noun Father; religious superior; — in the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic churches, a title given to the bishops, and by the bishops to the patriarch.
abbe noun The French word answering to the English abbot, the head of an abbey; but commonly a title of respect given in France to every one vested with the ecclesiastical habit or dress.
abed adverb In bed, or on the bed., To childbed (in the phrase “brought abed,” that is, delivered of a child).
abet verb t. To instigate or encourage by aid or countenance; — used in a bad sense of persons and acts; as, to abet an ill-doer; to abet one in his wicked courses; to abet vice; to abet an insurrection., To support, uphold, or aid; to maintain; — in a good sense., To contribute, as an assistant or instigator, to the commission of an offense., Act of abetting; aid.
abib noun The first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, corresponding nearly to our April. After the Babylonish captivity this month was called Nisan.
abid of Abide
abit 3d sing. pres. of Abide.
able superl. Fit; adapted; suitable., Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain; able to play on a piano., Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever; powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able speech., Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property., To make able; to enable; to strengthen., To vouch for.
ably adverb In an able manner; with great ability; as, ably done, planned, said.
abox adverb & adjective Braced aback.
abut verb i. To project; to terminate or border; to be contiguous; to meet; — with on, upon, or against; as, his land abuts on the road.
abye verb t. & i. To pay for; to suffer for; to atone for; to make amends for; to give satisfaction., To endure; to abide.
aces plural of Ace
ache noun A name given to several species of plants; as, smallage, wild celery, parsley., Continued pain, as distinguished from sudden twinges, or spasmodic pain. “Such an ache in my bones.”, To suffer pain; to have, or be in, pain, or in continued pain; to be distressed.
acid adjective Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar: as, acid fruits or liquors. Also fig.: Sour-tempered., Of or pertaining to an acid; as, acid reaction., A sour substance., One of a class of compounds, generally but not always distinguished by their sour taste, solubility in water, and reddening of vegetable blue or violet colors. They are also characterized by the power of destroying the distinctive properties of alkalies or bases, combining with them to form salts, at the same time losing their own peculiar properties. They all contain hydrogen, united with a more negative element or radical, either alone, or more generally with oxygen, and take their names from this negative element or radical. Those which contain no oxygen are sometimes called hydracids in distinction from the others which are called oxygen acids or oxacids.
acme noun The top or highest point; the culmination., The crisis or height of a disease., Mature age; full bloom of life.
acne noun A pustular affection of the skin, due to changes in the sebaceous glands.
acre noun Any field of arable or pasture land., A piece of land, containing 160 square rods, or 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet. This is the English statute acre. That of the United States is the same. The Scotch acre was about 1.26 of the English, and the Irish 1.62 of the English.
adam noun The name given in the Bible to the first man, the progenitor of the human race., “Original sin;” human frailty.
adar noun The twelfth month of the Hebrew ecclesiastical year, and the sixth of the civil. It corresponded nearly with March.
adaw verb t. To subdue; to daunt., To awaken; to arouse.
adit noun An entrance or passage. Specifically: The nearly horizontal opening by which a mine is entered, or by which water and ores are carried away; — called also drift and tunnel., Admission; approach; access.
adry adjective In a dry or thirsty condition.
adze noun A carpenter’s or cooper’s tool, formed with a thin arching blade set at right angles to the handle. It is used for chipping or slicing away the surface of wood.
aeon noun A period of immeasurable duration; also, an emanation of the Deity. See Eon., An immeasurable or infinite space of time; eternity; a long space of time; an age., One of the embodiments of the divine attributes of the Eternal Being.
aery noun An aerie., Aerial; ethereal; incorporeal; visionary.
afar adverb At, to, or from a great distance; far away; — often used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off.
afer noun The southwest wind.
affy verb t. To confide (one’s self to, or in); to trust., To betroth or espouse; to affiance., To bind in faith., To trust or confide.
agha noun In Turkey, a commander or chief officer. It is used also as a title of respect.
aged imp. & past participle of Age, Old; having lived long; having lived almost to or beyond the usual time allotted to that species of being; as, an aged man; an aged oak., Belonging to old age., Having a certain age; at the age of; having lived; as, a man aged forty years.
agen adverb & preposition See Again.
agio noun The premium or percentage on a better sort of money when it is given in exchange for an inferior sort. The premium or discount on foreign bills of exchange is sometimes called agio.
agni plural of Agnus
agog adjective & adverb In eager desire; eager; astir.
agon noun A contest for a prize at the public games.
agre adverb Alt. of Agree
ague noun An acute fever., An intermittent fever, attended by alternate cold and hot fits., The cold fit or rigor of the intermittent fever; as, fever and ague., A chill, or state of shaking, as with cold., To strike with an ague, or with a cold fit.
ahem interj. An exclamation to call one’s attention; hem.
ahey interj. Hey; ho.
ahoy interj. A term used in hailing; as, “Ship ahoy.”
aiel noun See Ayle.
aino noun One of a peculiar race inhabiting Yesso, the Kooril Islands etc., in the northern part of the empire of Japan, by some supposed to have been the progenitors of the Japanese. The Ainos are stout and short, with hairy bodies.
airy adjective Consisting of air; as, an airy substance; the airy parts of bodies., Relating or belonging to air; high in air; aerial; as, an airy flight., Open to a free current of air; exposed to the air; breezy; as, an airy situation., Resembling air; thin; unsubstantial; not material; airlike., Relating to the spirit or soul; delicate; graceful; as, airy music., Without reality; having no solid foundation; empty; trifling; visionary., Light of heart; vivacious; sprightly; flippant; superficial., Having an affected manner; being in the habit of putting on airs; affectedly grand., Having the light and aerial tints true to nature.
ajar adverb Slightly turned or opened; as, the door was standing ajar., In a state of discord; out of harmony; as, he is ajar with the world.
ajog adverb On the jog.
akin adjective Of the same kin; related by blood; — used of persons; as, the two families are near akin., Allied by nature; partaking of the same properties; of the same kind.
alae plural of Ala
alan noun A wolfhound.
alar adjective Pertaining to, or having, wings., Axillary; in the fork or axil.
alas interj. An exclamation expressive of sorrow, pity, or apprehension of evil; — in old writers, sometimes followed by day or white; alas the day, like alack a day, or alas the white.
albe conj. Alt. of Albee
alco noun A small South American dog, domesticated by the aborigines.
alee adverb On or toward the lee, or the side away from the wind; the opposite of aweather. The helm of a ship is alee when pressed close to the lee side.
alew noun Halloo.
alfa noun Alt. of Alfa grass
alga noun A kind of seaweed; pl. the class of cellular cryptogamic plants which includes the black, red, and green seaweeds, as kelp, dulse, sea lettuce, also marine and fresh water confervae, etc.
alit of Alight
ally verb t. To unite, or form a connection between, as between families by marriage, or between princes and states by treaty, league, or confederacy; — often followed by to or with., To connect or form a relation between by similitude, resemblance, friendship, or love., A relative; a kinsman., One united to another by treaty or league; — usually applied to sovereigns or states; a confederate., Anything associated with another as a helper; an auxiliary., Anything akin to another by structure, etc., See Alley, a marble or taw.
alma noun Alt. of Almah
alme noun Alt. of Almeh
alms noun sing. & pl. Anything given gratuitously to relieve the poor, as money, food, or clothing; a gift of charity.
aloe noun The wood of the agalloch., A genus of succulent plants, some classed as trees, others as shrubs, but the greater number having the habit and appearance of evergreen herbaceous plants; from some of which are prepared articles for medicine and the arts. They are natives of warm countries., The inspissated juice of several species of aloe, used as a purgative.
alow adverb Below; in a lower part.
also adverb & conj. In like manner; likewise., In addition; besides; as well; further; too., Even as; as; so.
alto noun Formerly the part sung by the highest male, or counter-tenor, voices; now the part sung by the lowest female, or contralto, voices, between in tenor and soprano. In instrumental music it now signifies the tenor., An alto singer.
alum noun A double sulphate formed of aluminium and some other element (esp. an alkali metal) or of aluminium. It has twenty-four molecules of water of crystallization., To steep in, or otherwise impregnate with, a solution of alum; to treat with alum.
amb- Alt. of Ambi-
ambo noun A large pulpit or reading desk, in the early Christian churches.
amir noun Emir., One of the Mohammedan nobility of Afghanistan and Scinde., Same as Ameer.
amel verb t. Enamel., To enamel.
amen interj., adverb, & noun An expression used at the end of prayers, and meaning, So be it. At the end of a creed, it is a solemn asseveration of belief. When it introduces a declaration, it is equivalent to truly, verily., To say Amen to; to sanction fully.
amia noun A genus of fresh-water ganoid fishes, exclusively confined to North America; called bowfin in Lake Champlain, dogfish in Lake Erie, and mudfish in South Carolina, etc. See Bowfin.
amic adjective Related to, or derived, ammonia; — used chiefly as a suffix; as, amic acid; phosphamic acid.
amid preposition See Amidst., In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among.
amit verb t. To lose.
amma noun An abbes or spiritual mother.
amyl noun A hydrocarbon radical, C5H11, of the paraffine series found in amyl alcohol or fusel oil, etc.
ana- A prefix in words from the Greek, denoting up, upward, throughout, backward, back, again, anew.
anal adjective Pertaining to, or situated near, the anus; as, the anal fin or glands.
anan interj. An expression equivalent to What did you say? Sir? Eh?
anas noun A genus of water fowls, of the order Anseres, including certain species of fresh-water ducks.
anes adverb Once.
anet noun The herb dill, or dillseed.
anew adverb Over again; another time; in a new form; afresh; as, to arm anew; to create anew.
anil noun A West Indian plant (Indigofera anil), one of the original sources of indigo; also, the indigo dye.
anna noun An East Indian money of account, the sixteenth of a rupee, or about 2/ cents.
anoa noun A small wild ox of Celebes (Anoa depressicornis), allied to the buffalo, but having long nearly straight horns.
anon adverb Straightway; at once., Soon; in a little while., At another time; then; again.
ansa noun A name given to either of the projecting ends of Saturn’s ring.
an’t A contraction for are and am not; also used for is not; — now usually written ain’t.
ant- See Anti-, prefix.
anta noun A species of pier produced by thickening a wall at its termination, treated architecturally as a pilaster, with capital and base.
ante noun Each player’s stake, which is put into the pool before (ante) the game begins., To put up (an ante).
anti A prefix meaning against, opposite or opposed to, contrary, or in place of; — used in composition in many English words. It is often shortened to ant-; as, antacid, antarctic.
anus noun The posterior opening of the alimentary canal, through which the excrements are expelled.
apar noun Alt. of Apara
aped imp. & past participle of Ape
aper noun One who apes.
apex noun The tip, top, point, or angular summit of anything; as, the apex of a mountain, spire, or cone; the apex, or tip, of a leaf., The end or edge of a vein nearest the surface.
apis noun A genus of insects of the order Hymenoptera, including the common honeybee (Apis mellifica) and other related species. See Honeybee.
apod noun Alt. of Apodal, Alt. of Apode
apse noun A projecting part of a building, esp. of a church, having in the plan a polygonal or semicircular termination, and, most often, projecting from the east end. In early churches the Eastern apse was occupied by seats for the bishop and clergy., The bishop’s seat or throne, in ancient churches., A reliquary, or case in which the relics of saints were kept.
apus noun A genus of fresh-water phyllopod crustaceans. See Phyllopod.
aqua noun Water; — a word much used in pharmacy and the old chemistry, in various signification, determined by the word or words annexed.
arab noun One of a swarthy race occupying Arabia, and numerous in Syria, Northern Africa, etc.
arak noun Same as Arrack.
arch noun Any part of a curved line., Usually a curved member made up of separate wedge-shaped solids, with the joints between them disposed in the direction of the radii of the curve; used to support the wall or other weight above an opening. In this sense arches are segmental, round (i. e., semicircular), or pointed., A flat arch is a member constructed of stones cut into wedges or other shapes so as to support each other without rising in a curve., Any place covered by an arch; an archway; as, to pass into the arch of a bridge., Any curvature in the form of an arch; as, the arch of the aorta., To cover with an arch or arches., To form or bend into the shape of an arch., To form into an arch; to curve., Chief; eminent; greatest; principal., Cunning or sly; sportively mischievous; roguish; as, an arch look, word, lad., A chief.
area noun Any plane surface, as of the floor of a room or church, or of the ground within an inclosure; an open space in a building., The inclosed space on which a building stands., The sunken space or court, giving ingress and affording light to the basement of a building., An extent of surface; a tract of the earth’s surface; a region; as, vast uncultivated areas., The superficial contents of any figure; the surface included within any given lines; superficial extent; as, the area of a square or a triangle., A spot or small marked space; as, the germinative area., Extent; scope; range; as, a wide area of thought.
aret verb t. To reckon; to ascribe; to impute.
arew adverb In a row.
argo noun The name of the ship which carried Jason and his fifty-four companions to Colchis, in quest of the Golden Fleece., A large constellation in the southern hemisphere, called also Argo Navis. In modern astronomy it is replaced by its three divisions, Carina, Puppis, and Vela.
aria noun An air or song; a melody; a tune.
arid adjective Exhausted of moisture; parched with heat; dry; barren.
aril noun Alt. of Arillus
arms noun Instruments or weapons of offense or defense., The deeds or exploits of war; military service or science., Anything which a man takes in his hand in anger, to strike or assault another with; an aggressive weapon., The ensigns armorial of a family, consisting of figures and colors borne in shields, banners, etc., as marks of dignity and distinction, and descending from father to son., The legs of a hawk from the thigh to the foot.
army noun A collection or body of men armed for war, esp. one organized in companies, battalions, regiments, brigades, and divisions, under proper officers., A body of persons organized for the advancement of a cause; as, the Blue Ribbon Army., A great number; a vast multitude; a host.
arna noun Alt. of Arnee
arow adverb In a row, line, or rank; successively; in order.
arse noun The buttocks, or hind part of an animal; the posteriors; the fundament; the bottom.
arum noun A genus of plants found in central Europe and about the Mediterranean, having flowers on a spadix inclosed in a spathe. The cuckoopint of the English is an example.
asci noun pl. See Ascus.
ashy adjective Pertaining to, or composed of, ashes; filled, or strewed with, ashes., Ash-colored; whitish gray; deadly pale.
asse noun A small foxlike animal (Vulpes cama) of South Africa, valued for its fur.
atmo noun The standard atmospheric pressure used in certain physical measurements calculations; conventionally, that pressure under which the barometer stands at 760 millimeters, at a temperature of 0ยก Centigrade, at the level of the sea, and in the latitude of Paris.
atom noun An ultimate indivisible particle of matter., An ultimate particle of matter not necessarily indivisible; a molecule., A constituent particle of matter, or a molecule supposed to be made up of subordinate particles., The smallest particle of matter that can enter into combination; one of the elementary constituents of a molecule., Anything extremely small; a particle; a whit., To reduce to atoms.
atop adverb On or at the top.
atte At the.
atwo adverb In two; in twain; asunder.
aube noun An alb.
auld adjective Old; as, Auld Reekie (old smoky), i. e., Edinburgh.
auln noun An ell. [Obs.] See Aune.
aune noun A French cloth measure, of different parts of the country (at Paris, 0.95 of an English ell); — now superseded by the meter.
aunt noun The sister of one’s father or mother; — correlative to nephew or niece. Also applied to an uncle’s wife., An old woman; and old gossip., A bawd, or a prostitute.
aura noun Any subtile, invisible emanation, effluvium, or exhalation from a substance, as the aroma of flowers, the odor of the blood, a supposed fertilizing emanation from the pollen of flowers, etc., The peculiar sensation, as of a light vapor, or cold air, rising from the trunk or limbs towards the head, a premonitory symptom of epilepsy or hysterics.
avel verb t. To pull away.
aver noun A work horse, or working ox., To assert, or prove, the truth of., To avouch or verify; to offer to verify; to prove or justify. See Averment., To affirm with confidence; to declare in a positive manner, as in confidence of asserting the truth.
aves noun pl. The class of Vertebrata that includes the birds.
avid adjective Longing eagerly for; eager; greedy.
avie adverb Emulously.
avis noun Advice; opinion; deliberation.
avow verb t. To declare openly, as something believed to be right; to own or acknowledge frankly; as, a man avows his principles or his crimes., To acknowledge and justify, as an act done. See Avowry., Avowal., To bind, or to devote, by a vow., A vow or determination.
away adverb From a place; hence., Absent; gone; at a distance; as, the master is away from home., Aside; off; in another direction., From a state or condition of being; out of existence., By ellipsis of the verb, equivalent to an imperative: Go or come away; begone; take away., On; in continuance; without intermission or delay; as, sing away.
awed imp. & past participle of Awe
awny adjective Having awns; bearded.
awry adverb & adjective Turned or twisted toward one side; not in a straight or true direction, or position; out of the right course; distorted; obliquely; asquint; with oblique vision; as, to glance awry., Aside from the line of truth, or right reason; unreasonable or unreasonably; perverse or perversely.
axal adjective [See Axial.]
axil noun The angle or point of divergence between the upper side of a branch, leaf, or petiole, and the stem or branch from which it springs.
axis noun The spotted deer (Cervus axis or Axis maculata) of India, where it is called hog deer and parrah (Moorish name)., A straight line, real or imaginary, passing through a body, on which it revolves, or may be supposed to revolve; a line passing through a body or system around which the parts are symmetrically arranged., A straight line with respect to which the different parts of a magnitude are symmetrically arranged; as, the axis of a cylinder, i. e., the axis of a cone, that is, the straight line joining the vertex and the center of the base; the axis of a circle, any straight line passing through the center., The stem; the central part, or longitudinal support, on which organs or parts are arranged; the central line of any body., The second vertebra of the neck, or vertebra dentata., Also used of the body only of the vertebra, which is prolonged anteriorly within the foramen of the first vertebra or atlas, so as to form the odontoid process or peg which serves as a pivot for the atlas and head to turn upon., One of several imaginary lines, assumed in describing the position of the planes by which a crystal is bounded., The primary or secondary central line of any design.
axes plural of Axis
axle noun The pin or spindle on which a wheel revolves, or which revolves with a wheel., A transverse bar or shaft connecting the opposite wheels of a car or carriage; an axletree., An axis; as, the sun’s axle.
ayah noun A native nurse for children; also, a lady’s maid.
ayen adverb & preposition Alt. of Ayeins
ayle noun A grandfather.
ayme noun The utterance of the ejaculation “Ay me !” [Obs.] See Ay, interj.
ayry noun See Aerie.
azo- A combining form of azote, Applied loosely to compounds having nitrogen variously combined, as in cyanides, nitrates, etc., Now especially applied to compounds containing a two atom nitrogen group uniting two hydrocarbon radicals, as in azobenzene, azobenzoic, etc. These compounds furnish many artificial dyes. See Diazo-.
azym noun Alt. of Azyme