Iseabail MacLeod - The Websters Universal American English Dictionary: Websters Word Power

a1 [a] (when emphatic sometimes ), adj the indefinite article, a broken-down form of an, used before words beginning with the sound of a consonant; one; any.

a2 [], prep derived from the prep on, still used as a prefix, as in a foot, twice a day, a-going. [Short for OE an, a dialect form of on, on, in at.]

A-bomb [bomb] n atomic bomb.

aardvark [rdvrk] n an edentate (Orycteropus afer) of Africa. [Du aarde, earth, vark (now varken), pig.]

aardwolf [rdwlf] n a carnivore (Proteles crystatus) of southern and eastern Africa akin to the hyenas. [Du aarde, earth, wolf, wolf.]

abaca [-b-k] n a plantain (Musa testilis) grown in the Philippine Islands; its fiber, called Manila hemp. [Native name.]

aback [a-bak] adv (naut) (of sails) pressed backward against the mast by the windtaken aback, taken by surprise. [OE on bc, on and back.]

abacus [aba-kus] n a frame with sliding beads for doing arithmatic; (archit) a level tablet on the capital of a column:plabac [-s]. [L,Gr abax, -akos, a board for reckoning on.]

abaft [a-bft] prep behind. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, and bften, after, behind; itself made up of pfx be-, and ftan. See .]

abalone [ab-a-ln] n a sea mollusk (genus Haloitis) with an oval, slightly spiral, shell.

abandon [a-bandn] vt to give up; to desert; to yield (oneself) without restraint (to).nabandon, careless freedom of action.adjabandoned, deserted; very wicked, unrestrained.nabandonment. [OFr bandon, at ones disposal, and abandoner, to leave to ones discretion or mercybandon, ban, control.]

abase [a-bs] vt to humble;nabasement. [OFr abaissier, to bring lowL ad, to, and LL bassus, low.]

abash [a-bash] vt to disconcert, mortify.nabashment, confusion from shame. [OFr esbahir, to be amazedL ex, out, and Fr interj bah, expressive of astonishment.]

abate [a-bt] vti to make or become less; (law) to end.nabatement, the act of abating; the sum or quantity abated. [OFr abatre, to beat downL ab, form, and batre, popular form of bature, to beat; conn with beat.]

abatis [abat-s] n a rampart of trees felled and laid side by side, with the branches towards the enemy. [Fr See, .]

abattoir [aba-twr] n a slaughter house. [Fr See .]

abbacy [aba-si] n the office, tenure, etc.of an abbot; adjabbatial [ab-shl]. [App orig a Scottish form for older abbatiesee .]

abb [ab] n the title of a French priest.

abbess [abes] n the head of a convent of nuns. [Fr abesseLL abbtissa; cf .]

abbey [abi] n a convent or monastery; the church attached to it;plabbeys. [OFr abaeLL abbtia.]

abbot [abt] n the head of a monastery. [L abbs, abbtisAbba.]

abbreviate [a-brvi-t] vt to make shorter, esp to shorten (a word) by omitting letters.nabbrevition, an act of shortening; a shortened form. [L abbrevire, -tumab, inten, and brevis, short. See .]

ABC, abcee [-b-s] n the alphabet; the rudiments of anything.

abdicate [abdi-kt] vti formally to renounce of give up (office or dignity).nabdiction. [L ab, from or off, dicre, -tum, to proclaim.]

abdomen [abd-mn, ab-dmen] n the belly; in mammals, the part between diaphragm and pelvis; in arthropods, the part of the body behind the thorax.adjabdominal [-dom-]. [L.]

abduct [ab-dukt] vt to take away by force.nsabduction, abductor. [LL abdcre-ab, from, dcre, ductum, to draw, lead.]

abeam [a-bm] adv (naut) on a line at right angles to a ships keel. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, + beam.]

abed [a-bed] adv in bed. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, + bed.]

Aberdeen Angus [ab-r-dn ang-us] n a Scottish breed of black hornless cattle.

aberrant [ab-ernt] adj deviating from what is usual, normal, or right.naberrtion, a deviation from truth or rectitude; mental or moral lapse; a distortion, as of an image produced through an imperfect lens. [L aberrre, -tumab, from, errre, to wander.]

abet [a-bet] vt to encourage or aid;pr pabetting; pt pabbetted.nabetter, abettor. [OFr abeter (L ad), to, and beter, to bait, from root of bait.]

abeyance [a-bns] n a state of suspension; temporary inactivity. [OFr abeance (L ad), to, and beer, baer, to gape.]

abhor [ab-hr] vt to shrink from with horror; to detest, loathe;pr pabhorring; pt pabhorred.nabhorrence [-hor], extreme loathing.adjabhorrent, detestable. [L abhorrreab, from, and horrre. See .]

abide [a-bd] vt to endure; to tolerate.vi to remain in a place; (arch) to reside.pt and pt pabode.abide by, to live up to (a promise, etc.); to submit to and carry out. [OE bdanpfx -, inten, and bdan, to wait.]

ability [a-bili-ti] n being able; power to do; talent; skill.plabilities. [OFr ablet (Fr habilet)L habilitshabilis, apthabre, to have, hold.]

abject [abjekt] adj miserable; wretched; degraded.nabjection.advabjectly. [L abjectus, cast awayab, away, jacre, to throw.]

abjure [ab-jr] vt to renounce on oath; to renounce.nabjurtion. [L ab, from, jurre, -tum, to swear.]

ablate [ab-lt] vt to remove, as by surgery; to wear away, burn away, or vaporize.vi to be ablated, as a rocket shield in reentry. [L ablatus, carried away.]

ablative [ablat-iv] adj (gram) in or belonging to a case which in Latin, etc. denotes direction from a place, time and source, agent, instrument, etc.n the ablative case. [L abltvusab, from, ferre, ltum, to bear.]

ablaze [a-blz] adj flaming; greatly excited.adv on fire. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, + (1).]

able [bl] adj having enough strength, power or means (to do a thing); talented; skilled; (law) competent.advably.adjable-bodied, strong; robust.able seaman, able-bodied seaman, a trained or skilled seaman. [OFr (h)ableL habilis; see .]

-able [--bl] suffix meaning; able to (durable); capable of being (drinkable); having qualities of (comfortable); tending to (perishable).

ablution [-blsh()n] n the washing of ones body, or part of it. [L ablti, -nisab, away, lure, to wash.]

Abnaki [ab-nki] n a confederacy of more than 20 Amerindian tribes of Maine, New Brunswick, and southern Quebec.