The Webster's Universal American English Dictionary E-Book

• Herausgeber: Geddes and Grosset
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Webster's Universal American English Dictionary contains more than 150,000 definitions, pronunciations for all words, concise word origins, and prefixes, suffixes and combining forms. This dictionary is ideal for lovers of language and literature, crossword solvers and word game enthusiasts.

Leseprobe

WEBSTER’S WORD POWER

Universal

AMERICAN

English

Dictionary

Geddes & Grosset

© 2018 Geddes & Grosset

This edition published 2018 by The Gresham Publishing CompanyAcademy Park, Building 4000, Gower Street, Glasgow G51 1PRAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

First published 2006. This edition revised and updated 2018.

This book is not published by the original publishers ofWEBSTER’S DICTIONARY or by their successors.

epub ISBN: 978 1 85534 031 2mobi ISBN: 978 1 85534 033 6

Contents

Preface

Pronunciation Guide

Abbreviations used in the Dictionary

Abbreviations used in Etymologies

Dictionary

Preface

This dictionary has been prepared for the many business and professional people, families, students, office workers, learners of English, word-game enthusiasts and others who need an up-to-date, comprehensive but concise source of reference, but who have no need for the more extensive etymological approach found in larger volumes.

When at first we come across an unfamiliar word, or one which without being totally unknown to us is puzzling, our curiosity may lead us to try to check its correct spelling, its precise meaning, its accepted pronunciation and the appropriateness of its usage in the particular context in which it is found. The crossword solver has of course an additional motive to pick up the dictionary. Even the well-informed reader may occasionally need to check a particular word or phrase – in fact no-one can ever be quite sure that he or she will not find reason to refer to a complete vocabulary of everyday words particularly when communicating with the written word or whenever clarity is essential.

The modern lexicographer’s prime role in preparing a dictionary is to reflect the changes taking place in contemporary language. Linguistic change can often be so gradual that we barely notice it, although occasionally there is a sudden realisation that a new word or phrase, previously unknown is in general use, or that a form of usage that was once considered to be ‘wrong’ has slowly become ‘right’.

In presenting a dictionary in a concise manner, the problems faced regarding which words to include and which to leave aside are not easy to resolve. So quickly do additions to the language occur that the choice becomes ever more difficult. A balance must be struck between those words which are so familiar to us, the entries which may seem obsolete and those which merit the status of inclusion.

To compound the editors’ difficulties it has to be recognised that language is as quick to absorb foreign importations as it is to develop old words to serve new purposes.

In selecting new words for insertion the editors have been careful to include only those terms which have acquired some stability of form and meaning and show strong signs of surviving within the language at least for a period of time. Words and senses of an archaic and obsolete nature that are frequently found in standard works of literature have been included. A wide range of prefixes, suffixes, and combining forms have been embraced enabling the dictionary user to deduce the meanings of thousands of additional words that are themselves too specialised for entry in their own right in a volume of this scope.

It is appropriate here to draw attention to the arrangement of entries within the text. Words which are derived from a common root have often been grouped together under one head-word. These words can easily be located despite the fact that they are not shown as main entries, as their positions in the dictionary are alphabetically close to the places they would have occupied had they been shown separately.

Derivations given under a head-word are arranged alphabetically. Direct derivatives, i.e. words which are formed by adding a suffix or ending to the root word are given after the head-word is defined. After these follow any one or two word compounds, some of which are hyphenated.

Regarding the order of definitions, where words have more than one definition, the original or oldest meaning of the word is given first, with subsequent definitions illustrating the staged development of the usage of the entry.

Labels relating to grammatical form e.g. n. v.t. adj. appear before words or meanings where appropriate. Labels applicable in terms of classification (e.g. slang obs.) precede the lists of meanings.

Pronunciation is indicated phonemically, the re-spelling approach being considered simpler than a system of phonetic symbols.

With this arrangement it has been possible to provide good coverage of colloquial and figurative expressions which play such an important part in the language, together with literary vocabulary and listings of technical words and meanings.

Pronunciation Guide

Accented syllables are followed by ´, e.g. ban´dit, as-ton´ish-ing

Vowels and diphthongs in accented syllables

Sound

Examples

Pronunciation

ā

as in

(1)

fate

name, aid, rein

naām, aād, raān

(2)

bare

tare, wear, hair, heir

tār, wār, hār, ār

ä

as in

(1)

father

grass, path

gräss, päth

(2)

far

harm, heart, palm

härm, härt, päm

a

as in

sat

bad, have

bad, hav

ē

as in

(1)

me

lean, keel, chief, sieze

lēn, kēl, chēf, sēz

(2)

fear

gear, sheer, here, bier

gēr, shēr, hēr, bēr

e

as in

pet

red, thread, said, bury

red, thred, sed, ber´i

ī

as in

(1)

mine

side, shy, dye, height

sīd, shī, dī, hīt

(2)

sire

hire, byre

hīr, bīr

i

as in

bid

pin, busy, hymn

pin, biz´i, him

ō

as in

(1)

mote

bone, road, foe, dough

bōn, rōd, fō, dō

(2)

more

fore, soar, floor

fōr, sōr, flōr

o

as in

got

shot, shone

shot, shon

ö

as in

(1)

all

haul, lawn, fall, bought

höl, lön, föl, böt

(2)

for

swarm, horn

swörm, hörn

ōō

as in

(1)

moon

fool, sou

fōōl, sōō

(2)

poor

boor, tour

bōōr, tōōr

oo

as in

foot

good, full, would

good, fool, wood

ū

as in

(1)

mute

tune, due, newt, view

tūn, dū, nūt, vū

(2)

pure

endure

en-dūr´

u

as in

bud

run, love

run, luv

û

as in

her

heard, bird, world, absurd

hûrd, bûrd, wûrld, absûrd´

ow

as in

(1)

house

mount, frown

mownt, frown

(2)

hour

sour

sowr

oi

as in

boy

toy, buoy, soil

toi, boi, soil

Certain acceptable variations in pronunciation of vowelsbefore r are not allowed for in the table above. For instance, the o in port is often pronounced ö.

Vowels of Unaccented Syllables

Sound

Examples

Pronunciation

ȧ

as in

(1)

signal

mental, infant, desperate

men´tȧl, in´fȧnt, des´per-ȧt

(2)

beggar

altar

ölt´ȧr

ė

as in

(1)

moment

potent

pōtėnt

(2)

silver

never

nev´ėr

i

as in

perish

merit, minute, mountain, silly

mer´it, min´it, mownt´in, sil´i

ȯ

as in

(1)

abbot

faggot, bishop

fag´ȯt, bish´ȯp

(2)

doctor

sailor, rigor

sāl´ȯr, rig´ȯr

u

u

as in

(1)

circus

nimbus, bulbous

nim´b

u

u

s, bul´b

u

u

s

(2)

figure

treasure

trez´

u

u

r

(3)

tenure

adventure

ad-ven´ty

u

u

r

(or ad-ven´ch

u

u

r see below)

Consonants

Sound

Examples

Pronunciation

ch

as in cheap

church, feature, match

chûrch, fē´ch

u

u

r (or fē´ty

u

u

r), mach

f

as in fate

fell, phone, laugh

fel, fōn, läf

g

as in good

game, mitigate, guard, ghastly

gām, mit´i-gāt, gärd, gäst´li

gw

as in penguin

linguist

ling´gwist

gz

as in example

exist

egz-ist´

H

as in loch

pibroch

pē´broH

hw

as in where

what

hwot

j

as in just

jade, gentle, midge, rigid, region

jād, jen´tl, mij, rij´id, rē´jȯn

k

as in keel

kite, cold, chorus

kīt, kōld, kō´rus (or kö´rus)

ks

as in axe

explain

eks-plān´

kw

as in queen

quite, choir, coiffeur

kwīt, kwīr, kwäf-ær´

ng

as in sing

rang, rank, longer

rang, rangk, long´gėr

s

as in see

sole, cede, scent, mass

sōl, sēd, sent, mas

sh

as in shine

shape, machine, sugar,

shāp, ma-shēn, shoog´ȧr

pressure, precious, mention

presh´

u

u

r, presh´

u

u

s, men´sh(ȯ)n

th

as in thin

theme, health

thēm, helth

TH

as in then

though, bathe

THO

, bā

TH

y

as in yet

young, super, feature

yung, s(y)ōō´pėr, fē´ty

u

u

r

(or fē´ch

u

u

r)

z

as in zone

zero, maze, muse, xylem, roads

zē´rō, māz, mūz, zīlem, rōdz

zh

as in azure

measure, vision, rouge

mezh´

u

u

r, vizh´(ȯ)n, rōōzh

Additional sounds in foreign words

Sound

Examples

Pronunciation

e

as in père

maître

metr’

ø

as in deux

douloureux

dōō-lōō-rø

œ

as in œuvre

fauteuil, fleur

fō-tœ-y’, flœr

ü

as in Führer

fü´rėr

Nasalised vowels

ã

as in blanc

outrance, mélange

ōō-trãs, mā-lãzh

ε

)

as in vin

poussin, timbre

pōōs-

ε

)

, t

ε

)

br’

ↄ

)

as in mon

accompli, convenance

a-k

ↄ

)

-pl

ↄ

)

, k

ↄ

)

´ve-n

ↄ

)

s

æ

)

as in lundi

un

æ

)

An apostrophe is used to indicate where the sound is two separate consonants.It is also used to describe the sound at the end of such words as timbre (tεobr’).

Abbreviations used in the Dictionary

abbrev

abbreviation

abl

ablative

acc

accusative

adj(s)

adjective(s)

adv(s)

adverb(s)

aero

aeronautics

alg

algebra

anat

anatomy

anc

ancient(ly)

anthrop

anthropology

aor

aorist

app

apparently

approx

approximately

arch

archaic

archeol

archeology

archit

architecture

arith

arithmetic

astrol

astrology

astron.

astronomy

at no

or

at numb

atomic number

B

Bible (Authorised Version)

biol

biology

book-k

book-keeping

bot

botany

c

(L

circa

) about

cap

capital

cent

century

cf

(L

confer

) compare

chem

chemistry

cog

cognate

coll

colloquial (ly)

comp

comparative

conj

conjunction

conn

connectedconnection

contr

contractedcontraction

cook

cookery

corr

corruptioncorresponding

dat

dative

demons

demonstrative

der

derivedderivation

derog

derogatoryderogatorily

dial

dialectal

Dict

Dictionary

dim

diminutive

dub

dubious, doubtful

E

East

econ

economics

eg

(L

exempli gratia

)for example

elect

electricity

erron

erroneous(ly)

esp

especially

ety

etymology

facet

facetiously

fem

feminine

fig

figuratively

foll

followedfollowing

freq

frequently

fut

future

gen

genitive

geog

geography

geol

geology

geom

geometry

gram

grammar

her

heraldry

hist

history

ie

(L

id est

) that is

imit

imitative

imper

imperative

impers

impersonal(ly)

incl

including

indic

indicative

infin

infinitive

inten

intensive

interj

interjection

interrog

interrogative(ly)

intrans

intransitive

lit

literal(ly)

mach

machinery

masc

masculine

math

mathematics

mech

mechanics

med

medicine

mil

military

min

minerology

mod

modern

mus

music

myth

mythology

N

North

n(s)

noun(s)

naut

nautical

neg

negative

neut

neuter

nom

nominative

n pl

noun plural

n sing

noun singular

NT

New Testament(Authorised Version)

obs

obsolete

opp

opposed

orig

original(ly)origin

OT

Old Testament(Authorised Version)

p

participle

p adj

participal adjective

pa p

past participle

part

participle

pass

passive

pa t

past tense

perf

perfect

perh

perhaps

pers

person(al)

pfx

prefix

phil(os)

philosophy

phonet

phonetics

phot

photography

phys

physics

pl

plural

poet

poetical

pop

popular(ly)

poss

possessivepossibly

Pr Bk

Book of Common Prayer

pr p

present participle

prep

preposition

pres

present

print

printing

priv

privative

prob

probably

pron(s)

pronoun(s)

pron

pronouncedpronunciation

pros

prosody

psych

psychology

qv

(L

quod vide

) which see

RC

Roman Catholic

reflex

reflexive

rel

related, relative

S

South

Shak

Shakespeare

sing

singular

subj

subjunctive

suffx

suffix

superl

superlative

theat

theater

theol

theology

trans

transitivetranslation

trig

trigonometry

TV

television

ult

ultimately

usu

usually

vb(s)

verbs

v(s)i

verb(s) intransitive

voc

vocative

v(s)t

verb(s) transitive

vulg

vulgar(ly)

W

West

zool

zoology

For abbreviations used in etymologies see next page.

Abbreviations used in Etymologies

A F

Anglo-French

Afrik

Afrikaans

Amer

American

Angl

Anglian

Ar

Arabic

Austr

Australian

Beng

Bengali

Celt

Celtic

Chin

Chinese

Dan

Danish

Du

Dutch

Eng

English

Fr

French

Gael

Gaelic

Ger

German

Gmc

Germanic

Gr

Greek

Heb

Hebrew

Hind

Hindi

Icel

Icelandic(Modern)

Ir

Irish

Ind

Indian

It

Italian

Jap

Japanese

L

Latin

L Ger

Low German

L L

Late Latin

Low L

Low Latin

M E

Middle English

Mex

Mexican

Norm

Norman

Norw

Norwegian

O E

Old English

O Fr

Old French

O H G

Old High German

O N

Old Norse

Pers

Persian

Pol

Polish

Port

Portuguese

Russ

Russian

S Afr

South African

Sans

Sanskrit

Scand

Scandinavian

Scot

Scottish

Sp

Spanish

Sw

Swedish

Turk

Turkish

U S

United States

W

Welsh

W S

West Saxon

DICTIONARY

A

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

a2 [ȧ], 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 [ā´bomb] n atomic bomb.

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

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

abaca [ä-bä-kä] 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 wind—taken aback, taken by surprise. [OE on bǣc, on and back.]

abacus [ab´a-kus] n a frame with sliding beads for doing arithmatic; (archit) a level tablet on the capital of a column:—plab´acī [-sī]. [L,—Gr abax, -akos, a board for reckoning on.]

abaft [a-bäft´] prep behind. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, and bæften, after, behind; itself made up of pfx be-, and æftan. Seeaft.]

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

abandon [a-ban´dȯn] vt to give up; to desert; to yield (oneself) without restraint (to).—naban´don, careless freedom of action.—adjaban´doned, deserted; very wicked, unrestrained.—naban´donment. [OFr à bandon, at one’s disposal, and abandoner, to leave to one’s discretion or mercy—bandon, ban, control.]

abase [a-bās´] vt to humble;—nabase´ment. [OFr abaissier, to bring low—L ad, to, and LL bassus, low.]

abash [a-bash´] vt to disconcert, mortify.—nabash´ment, confusion from shame. [OFr esbahir, to be amazed—L ex, out, and Fr interj bah, expressive of astonishment.]

abate [a-bāt´] vti to make or become less; (law) to end.—nabate´ment, the act of abating; the sum or quantity abated. [OFr abatre, to beat down—L ab, form, and batěre, popular form of batuěre, to beat; conn with beat.]

abatis [a´bat-ēs] n a rampart of trees felled and laid side by side, with the branches towards the enemy. [Fr See, abate.]

abattoir [ab´a-twär] n a slaughter house. [Fr See abate.]

abbacy [ab´a-si] n the office, tenure, etc.—of an abbot; adjabbatial [ab-ā´shȧl]. [App orig a Scottish form for older abbatie—seeabbey.]

abbé [ab´ā] n the title of a French priest.

abbess [ab´es] n the head of a convent of nuns. [Fr abesse—LL abbātissa; cf abbot.]

abbey [ab´i] n a convent or monastery; the church attached to it;—plabb´eys. [OFr abaïe—LL abbātia.]

abbot [ab´ȯt] n the head of a monastery. [L abbās, abbātis—Abba.]

abbreviate [a-brē´vi-āt] vt to make shorter, esp to shorten (a word) by omitting letters.—nabbreviā´tion, an act of shortening; a shortened form. [L abbreviāre, -ātum—ab, inten, and brevis, short. See brief.]

ABC, abcee [ā-bē-sē´] n the alphabet; the rudiments of anything.

abdicate [ab´di-kāt] vti formally to renounce of give up (office or dignity).—nabdicā´tion. [L ab, from or off, dicāre, -ātum, to proclaim.]

abdomen [ab´dȯ-mėn, ab-dō´men] 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.—nsabduc´tion, abduc´tor. [LL abdūcěre-ab, from, dūcěre, ductum, to draw, lead.]

abeam [a-bēm´] adv (naut) on a line at right angles to a ship’s keel. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, + beam.]

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

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

aberrant [ab-er´ȧnt] adj deviating from what is usual, normal, or right.—naberrā´tion, a deviation from truth or rectitude; mental or moral lapse; a distortion, as of an image produced through an imperfect lens. [L aberrāre, -ātum—ab, from, errāre, to wander.]

abet [a-bet´] vt to encourage or aid;—pr pabett´ing; pt pabbett´ed.—nabett´er, abett´or. [OFr abeter—à (L ad), to, and beter, to bait, from root of bait.]

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

abhor [ab-hör´] vt to shrink from with horror; to detest, loathe;—pr pabhorr´ing; pt pabhorred´.—nabhorr´ence [-hor´], extreme loathing.—adjabhorr´ent, detestable. [L abhorrēre—ab, from, and horrēre. Seehorror.]

abide [a-bīd´] 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 ābīdan—pfx ā-, inten, and bīdan, to wait.]

ability [a-bil´i-ti] n being able; power to do; talent; skill.—plabil´ities. [OFr ableté (Fr habileté)—L habilitās—habilis, apt—habēre, to have, hold.]

abject [ab´jekt] adj miserable; wretched; degraded.—nabjec´tion.—advab´jectly. [L abjectus, cast away—ab, away, jacěre, to throw.]

abjure [ab-jōōr] vt to renounce on oath; to renounce.—nabjurā´tion. [L ab, from, jurāre, -ātum, to swear.]

ablate [ab-lāt] 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 [ab´lat-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 ablātīvus—ab, from, ferre, lātum, to bear.]

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

able [ā´bl] adj having enough strength, power or means (to do a thing); talented; skilled; (law) competent.—adva´bly.—adja´ble-bod´ied, strong; robust.—able seaman, able-bodied seaman, a trained or skilled seaman. [OFr (h)able—L habilis; see ability.]

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

ablution [ȧ-blōō´sh(ȯ)n] n the washing of one’s body, or part of it. [L ablūtiō, -ōnis—ab, away, luěre, to wash.]

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

abnegate [ab´ni-gāt] vt to deny and refuse; to renounce.—nabnegā´tion. [L ab, away, negāre, to deny.]

abnormal [ab-nör´mȧl] adj not normal, average, or typical; irregular.—nabnormal´ity—advabnor´mally. [From root of anomalous; influenced by normal.]

ABO group the classification of human blood into the groups A, B, AB and O according to the reactions to each other.

aboard [a-bōrd´, -börd] adv, prep on or in (a ship, a train, etc.); alongside. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, + board.]

abode1 [a-bōd´] n a home, residence. [From abide.]

abode2 [a-bōd´] pt p, pt p of abide

abolish [ab-ol´ish] vt to put an end to; to annul.—nsaboli´tion, the act of abolishing; Abolition, the abolishing of slavery in the US; aboli´tionist. [Fr abolir, abolissant—L abolescěre—abolěre, -itum.]

abominate [ab-om´in-āt] vt to abhor, to detest extremely.—adjabom´inable, hateful, detestable.—nabom´inableness.—advabom´inably.—nabominā´tion.—abominable snowman, a hairy manlike creature supposed to live in the snows of Tibet.—Also yeti. [L abōminārī, -ātus, to turn from as of bad omen. Seeomen.]

aborigine [ab-o-rij´in-ē] n any of the first known inhabitants of a region.—adjaborig´inal, existing (in a region) from the beginning; of aborigines.—n an aborigine. [L aborīgines—ab orīgine, from the beginning. Seeorigin.]

abort [ab-ört´] vi to miscarry in birth; to come to nothing.—vt to cause to abort; to terminate prematurely; to stop in the early stages, as because of an equipment failure.—n the premature termination of the flight of an aircraft, or any aspect of a rocket or spacecraft launch.—adjabort´ed.—nabor´tion, premature expulsion of a fetus, esp if induced on purpose.—adjabort´ive, unsuccessful, fruitless; arrested in development.—advabort´ively.—nabort´iveness. [L aborīrī, abortus—ab, from (reversing meaning), orīrī, to rise.]

abound [ab-ownd´] vi to overflow, be in great plenty; to teem. [OFr abunder—L abundāre, to overflow—ab, from, unda, a wave.]

about [a-bowt´] prep on all sides of; near to; with; on the point of; concerning.—adv all around; near; nearly; in the opposite direction.—be about to, to be on the point of. [OE on būtan—on, in, būtan, without—be, by, and ūtan, locative of ūt, out.]

above [a-buv´] prep over, on top of; better or more than.—adv overhead; in a higher position, order, or power; at an earlier point in a writing.—adjabove´board, without deception or concealment; open; done honorably. [OE ābūfan—on, on, bufan, above—be, by, ufan, high, upwards, prop the locative of uf, up.]

abracadabra [ab-ra-ka-dab´ra] n a magical charm or spell; gibberish. [L, origin unknown.]

abrade [ab-rād´] vt to scrape away, to rub off.—nabrasion [ab-rā´zh(ȯ)n], the act of rubbing off; an abraded place.—adjabrā´sive [-ziv, -siv], tending to abrade.—n a substance, as sandpaper, used for grinding, polishing, etc. [L ab, off, rāděre, rāsum, to scrape.]

abreast [a-brest´] adv side by side; informed (of); aware. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, + breast.]

abridge [a-brij´] vt to shorten, lessen, curtail; to shorten by using fewer words but keeping the substance.—nabridg´ment, abridge´ment. [OFr abregier—L abbreviāre. See abbreviate.]

abroad [a-bröd´] adv over a wide area; out of doors; in circulation, current; at large; in or to another country.—from abroad, from a foreign land; at large; in or to another country. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, + broad.]

abrogate [ab´ro-gāt] vt to abolish; to repeal; to annul.—nabrogā´tion. [L abrogāre—ab, away, rogāre, -ātum, to ask, or to propose a law.]

abrupt [ab-rupt´] adj sudden; unexpected; brusque; very steep; disconnected, as some writing.—advabrupt´ly.—nabrupt´ness. [L abruptus—ab, off, rumpěre, ruptum, to break.]

abscess [ab´ses] n an inflamed area, containing pus localized in some tissue of the body. [L absecessus—abs, away, cēděre, cessum, to go, to retreat.]

abscission [ab-sizh´(ȯ)n] n act of cutting off; state of being cut off; (bot) the natural separation of flowers, fruit, and leaves from a plant at a special separation layer.—nabscissa [ab-sis´a], for rectilineal axes, the distance of a point from the vertical axis (y-axis) measured in a direction parallel to the horizontal axis [x-axis];—plabsciss´as, absciss´ae [-ē]. [L abscinděre, abscissum—ab, from, scinděre, to cut.]

abscond [ab-skond´] vi to hide, or get out of the way, esp in order to escape a legal process. [L absconděre—abs, from or away, conděre, to hide.]

abseil [ap´zīl, ab-sīl] vi to lower oneself down a rock face using a double rope attached to a higher point.—nabseiling. [Ger -ab, down, seil, a rope.]

absent [ab´sėnt] adj away, not present; not existing; inattentive.—advab´sently, in an inattentive manner.—vtabsent´, to keep (oneself) away.—nsab´sence, the state of being away, the time of this; a lack, absentēē, one who is absent, as from work. absentee´ism, absentee ballot, a ballot marked and sent to a board of elections by a voter (absentee voter), who cannot be present to vote in an election.—adjab´sentmind´ed, inattentive to surroundings; pre-occupied; habitually forgetful.—absent without leave, (military, naval absent from duty without official permission. [L absens, -entis, pr p of abesse—ab, away from, esse, to be.]

absinthe, absinth [ab´sinth] n wormwood; a green liquer flavored with wormwood or a substitute, anise and other aromatics. [Fr,—L absinthium—Gr apsinthion, wormwood.]

absolute [ab´sȯl-(y)ōōt] adj free from limits or conditions; complete; certain, positive; perfect, pure; not relative (inf) utter, out-and-out an absolute shame.—advab´solutely, independently, unconditionally; positively; completely;—nsab´soluteness; ab´solutism, government where the ruler is without restriction, despotism; absolute alcohol, waterfree alcohol; absolute pitch, the actual pitch of a sound determined by the number of vibrations per second; the ability to recognize or reproduce the pitch of notes in music; absolute scale, a temperature scale based on absolute zero; absolute temperature, temperature measured on the absolute scale; absolute value, the numerical value of a real number without regard to sign; absolute zero, a hypothetical temperature marked by the complete absence of heat, approximately equivalent to -273°C or -459°F. [L absolūtus, pt p of absolvěre. See absolve.]

absolution [ab-sol-(y)ōō´sh(ȯ)n] n forgiveness; remission of sin or its penalty. [OFr,—L absolūtiō, -ōnis—absolvěre, See absolve.]

absolve [ab-zolv´, or -solv´] vt to set free from guilt, a duty, etc.; to give religious absolution to. [L absolvěre—ab, from, solvěre; see solve.]

absorb [ab-sôrb´] vt to suck up; to take in; to swallow up; to incorporate; to pay for (costs, etc.); to take in (a shock) without recoil; to take up and transform (energy) instead of transmitting or reflecting it; to engage wholly.—adjabsorb´able.—nabsorbabil´ity.—advsabsorb´edly; absorb´ingly.—adjabsorb´ent, able to absorb, as a sponge.—nsabsorbent, absorbant, absorb´er, that which absorbs; absorp´tion, the act of absorbing; entire occupation of mind.—adjabsorp´tive, [Fr,—L absorbēre—ab, from, sorbēre, sorptum, to suck in.]

abstain [ab-stān´] vi to keep oneself from some indulgence, esp from drinking alcohol; to refrain from using one’s vote.—nsabstain´er, drinks; absten´tion. [Fr abstenir—L abstinēre—abs, from, tenēre, to hold.]

abstemious [ab-stēm´i-us] adj temperate; sparing in food, drink or enjoyments.—advabstem´iously.—nabstem´iousness. [L abstēmius—abs, from, tēmētum, strong wine.]

abstinent [ab´stin-ėnt] adj abstaining from.—nsab´stinence, ab´stinency, an abstaining or refraining, esp from food and drink. [Fr,—L abstinens, -entis—abstinēre. See abstain.]

abstract [ab-strakt´] vt to remove; to summarize in writing.—adjabstract´ed, not paying attention.—advabstract´edly,—nsabstract´edness; abstraction, act of abstracting; state of being abstracted; absence of mind; an abstract idea; an example of abstract art.—adjabstract [ab´strakt], having no material existence; theoretical rather than practical.—n a written summary; an example of abstract art.—abstract art, art that does not represent things pictorially, but expresses the artist’s ideas or emotions; abstract expressionism, a form of abstract art in which paint is applied spontaneously.—Also action painting.—advab´stractly.—nab´stractness.—in the abstract, in theory. [L abstrahěre—abs, away from, trahěre, tractum, to draw.]

abstruse [ab-strōōs´] adj difficult to understand.—advabstruse´ly.—nabstruse´ness. [L abstrūsus, thrust away (from observation)—abs, away from, trūděre, trūsum, to thrust.]

absurd [ab-sûrd´] adj obviously unreasonable, ridiculous.—nsabsurd´ness; absurd´ity,—advabsurd´ly. [L absurdus—ab, inten, surdus, deaf, dull.]

abundance [ab-und´ȧns] n ample sufficiency; great plenty.—adjabund´ant, plentiful; rich (in).—advabund´antly. [Seeabound.]

abuse [ab-ūz´] vt to use wrongly; to maltreat; to revile; to violate.—nabuse [ab-ūs´], ill use; misapplication; an unjust or corrupt usage; vituperation.—adjabusive[-ūs-]—advabus´ively.—nabus´iveness. [L ab, away (from what is right), ūtī, ūsus, to use.]

abut [a-but´] vi to end or lean (on, upon, against); to border (on or upon);—pr pabutt´ing; pt pabutt´ed.—nabut´ment a part supporting a bridge, an arch, etc. [OFr abouter, to touch by an end, and OFr abuter, to touch at the end (à, to, bout, end).]

abysm [a-bizm´] n (arch, poet.) abyss.—adjabys´mal, bottomless; unfathomable; (of taste) extremely bad—advabys´mally. [OFr abisme—L abyssimus, superl of abyssus, bottomless.]

abyss [a-bis´] n a bottomless depth; anything too deep to measure (an abyss of shame). [Gr abyssos, bottomless—a-, priv, byssos, bottom.]

Abyssinian cat [ab-i-sin´i-in] a breed of small domestic cat, of African origin, grayish or brownish ticked with darker color.

acacia [a-kā´sh(y)a] n a genus (Acacia) of thorny leguminous plants with pinnate leaves of warm regions. [L—Gr akakia—akē, a sharp point.]

academicSeeacademy.

academy [a-kad´em-i] n a private secondary school; a school for specialized training, a society of scholars, writers, scientists, etc.—adjacadem´ic, of an academy; scholarly; theoretical as opposed to practical.—n member of an institution of learning; an academic person.—advacadem´ically.—nacademician [ā-kad-ė-mish´n], member of an academy of science, art, or literature.—academic freedom, freedom to teach or learn without interference (as by government officials). [Gr Akadēmia, name of garden orig outside Athens where Plato taught.]

acanthus [a-kan´thus] n a genus (Acanthus) of prickly-leaved plants; (archit) an ornament resembling their leaves used in the capitals of the Corinthian order. [L,—Gr akanthos—akantha, thorn, conn with akē, point.]

a capella [ä cȧ-pel´ȧ] adj, adv choral singing without instrumental accompaniment.

accede [ak-sēd´] vi to come into some office or dignity; to agree or assent (withto). [L accēděre, accessum, to go near to—ad to, cēděre, to go.]

accelerando [ak-sel-ėr-an´dō] adj, adv (mus) becoming faster. [It]

accelerate [ak-sel´ėr-āt] vt to increase the speed of; to hasten the progress or occurrence of.—vi to move faster.—naccelerā´tion, the act of hastening; increase of speed; rate of change of velocity.—adjaccel´erative, tending to cause acceleration; accelerating.—naccel´erator, one who or that which accelerates, esp a substance that increases the speed of a chemical action, an apparatus for regulating the speed of a machine, or one for imparting high velocities to elementary particles. [L accelerāre, -ātum—ad, to, celer, swift.]

accent [ak´sėnt] n stress on a syllable or word; a mark used to direct this stress; any mode of utterance characteristic of a region, a class, or an individual; the emphasis given to something; rhythmic stress in music or verse.—vtac´cent or accent´, to mark the accent; to emphasize.—vtaccent´uate, to accent; to emphasize.—naccentuā´tion. [Fr,—L accentus, accent—ad, to, cantus, song.]

accept [ak-sept´] vt to receive, esp willingly; to approve; to agree to; to believe in; to agree to pay; to treat as welcome.—vi to take something offered (withof).—adjacceptable [ak-sept´a-bl, or ak´-], worth accepting; tolerable.—nsaccept´ableness, acceptabil´ity.—advaccept´ably.—nsaccept´ance, act of accepting or state of being accepted; approval; assent; a promise to pay; accepta´tion, a favorable reception; a generally accepted meaning of a word or understanding of an idea;—adjaccep´ted, generally approved or believed in.—nsaccept´er; accept´or, one who accepts; a compound, atom, or subatomic particle that is capable of receiving an entity (as compound atom, etc.) to form a compound. [L acceptāre—accipěre, acceptum—ad, to capěre, to take.]

access [ak´ses] n approach; or means of approach; the right to enter, use, etc.; an outburst.—adjaccess´ible, able to be reached; open (to).—naccessibil´ity.—advaccess´ibly. [Seeaccede.]

accessary [ak-ses´ȧr-i] Seeaccessory.

accession [ak-sesh´(ȯ)n] n act of reaching a rank or position; an addition as to a collection. [See accede.]

accessory, accessary [ak-ses´ȯr-i] adj additional; contributory; aiding; (law) participating in a crime; adventitious.—n anything additional; an additional item of equipment; one who aids or gives countenance to a crime.—adjaccessōr´ial. [Seeaccede.]

accidence [ak´si-dėns] n (gram) the inflectional changes of words to denote changes in number, tense, etc. of the same word; the branch of grammar dealing with these changes. [For accidents, or perh directly from accidentia, neut pl of pr p of acciděre, treated as noun of first declension. See accident.]

accident [ak´si-dėnt] n an unforeseen or unexpected event; a mishap or disaster; chance.—adjaccident´al,—n anything not essential; (mus) a sharp, flat, or natural not in the key signature.—advaccident´ally.—accident insurance, insurance against loss through accidental bodily injury; accident-prone, having a greater than average number of accidents; having personality traits that predispose to accidents. [L acciděre, to happen—ad to, caděre, to fall.]

acclaim [a-klām´] vt to applaud; to hail.—vi to shout applause.—n a shout of applause or assent;—nacclamā´tion, acclaim; shouted assent without recourse to voting.—adjacclam´atory. [L acclāmāre—ad, to, clāmāre, -ātum, to shout.]

acclimatize [a-klīm´a-tīz] vt to adapt to a new climate or environment.—vi to become acclimatized.—Also acclim´ate.—nacclimatizā´tion.—Also acclimā´tion, acclimatā´tion. [Fr acclimater, from à, to, and climat. See climate.]

acclivity [a-kliv´i-ti] n an upward slope. [L acclīvitās—acclīvis, uphill—ad to, clīvus, a slope.]

accolade [ak-ol-ād´, -äd´] n a light touch on each shoulder with the flat of a sword conferring knighthood; praise, approval; an award. [Fr,—L ad to, collum, neck.]

accommodate [a-kom´od-āt] vt to adapt; to oblige; to lodge.—adjaccommo´dating, obliging;—naccommodā´tion, adjustment; willingness to do favors; a help; (pl) lodgings; (pl) traveling space, as on a train.—adjaccomm´odative, of the nature of an accommodation; accommodation ladder, a portable ladder or stairway used for going between a ship and a small boat. [L accommodāre, -ātum—ad, to, commodus, fitting. See commodious.]

accompany [a-kum´pan-i] vt to go with; to supplement (with something); to be present with; an accompaniment to or for.—nsaccom´paniment, that which accompanies; an instrumental part supporting a solo instrument, a voice, or a choir, accom´panist, one who performs an accompaniment. [Fr accompagner—à, to compagne, companion. See company.]

accomplice [a-kom´plis, or -kum´-] n an associate, esp in crime. [L complex, -icis, joined; pfx unexplained.]

accomplish [a-kum´plish] vt to complete; to effect, fulfill;—adjsaccom´plishable, that may be accomplished; accom´plished, done; completed; skilled, expert; polished.—naccom´plishment, completion, fulfillment; achievement; a social art or skill. [OFr acomplir—L ad, to, complēre, to fill up. See complete.]

accord [a-körd´] vi to agree; to harmonize (with).—vt to make agree; to grant.—n agreement; harmony.—naccordance, agreement; conformity.—adjaccordant, agreeing; harmonious.—advaccord´antly.—adjaccord´ing, in accordance; agreeing.—advaccord´ingly, consequently.—according to, in accordance with; as asserted by; with one accord, all agreeing. [OFr acorder—L ad, to, cor, cordis, the heart.]

accordion [a-kör´di-on] n a portable musical instrument consisting of folding bellows, keyboard, and free metal reeds.—adj hinged or creased or folded with very narrow folds like the bellows of an accordion. [From accord.]

accost [a-kost´] vt to approach and speak to. [OFr acoster—L ad, to, costa, a side.]

accouchement [a-kōōsh´mã, ment] n the time or act of giving birth.—n

accoucheur [ä-kōō-shœr´] one who assists at a birth, esp an obstetrician. [Fr,—accoucher—à, to, coucher, bed. See couch.]

account [a-kownt´] vt to probe into; to think of as, consider.—vi to give a financial reckoning (to); to give reasons (for); to kill or otherwise dispose of (withfor).—n a counting; (often pl) a record of business transactions; a bank account; a charge account; a credit customer; worth, importance; an explanation; a description, report.—adjaccount´able, liable; to account, responsible; explicable.—nsaccount´ableness, accountabil´ity, liability to give account, responsibility to fulfil obligations.—advaccount´ably.—nsaccount´ant, one whose work is accounting, account´ancy, the profession or practice of an accountant; accounting, the process of keeping and verifying accounts.—account executive, a person in business, esp advertising, who is responsible for overseeing a client’s account; on account, as partial payment; on account of, because of; on no account, not for any reason or consideration; take into account, to consider; turn to account, to turn to advantage. [OFr acconter—L ad, to, computāre, to reckon.]

accoutre, accouter [a-kōō´tėr] vt to dress or equip;—pr paccoutring [a-kōō´tėr-ing] pt paccoutred [a-kōōtėrd].—naccoutrement, accouterment [a-kōō´tėr-ments], dress; military equipment. [Fr accoutrer, earlier accoustrer.]

accredit [a-kred´it] vt to authorize; to certify; to believe in; to attribute; to furnish with credentials.—adjaccred´ited, certified officially; accepted as valid; certified as being of a prescribed quality.—naccred´itā´tion. [Fr accréditer—à, to, crédit, credit—L crēděre, to believe.]

accretion [a-krē´sh(ȯ)n] n process of growing or increase by means of gradual additions; accumulated matter; a growing together of parts. [L accrētiō, -ōnis—accrescěre—ad, in addition, crescěre, to grow.]

accrue [a-krōō´] vi to grow as a natural result; to accumulate or be added periodically. [OFr acrewe, what grows up in a wood to the profit of the owner—acreistre—L accrescěre—ad, in addition, crescěre, to grow.]

acculturate [a-kul´chuur-āt] vti to undergo, or change, by acculturation.—naccultura´tion, adaptation to a new culture, esp a different one; the mutual influence of different cultures.

accumulate [a-kūm´ūl-āt] vti to pile up, to amass.—naccumulā´tion,—adjaccum´ulative. [Fr L accumulātus, pt p of accumulāre—ad, to, cumulus, a heap.]

accurate [ak´ūr-ȧt] adj done with care, exact.—nacc´uracy, correctness;—advacc´urately.—nacc´urateness. [L accūrātus, performed with care—ad, to, cūra, care.]

accursed [a-kûrs´id, -kûrst] adj under a curse; damnable.—Also accurst´. [OE pfx ā-, inten, and cursian, to curse.]

accusative [a-kūz´a-tiv] adj (gram) or transitive of the case denoting the object of a preposition verb.—n the accusative or objective case; a word in this case (as him in ‘we saw him’). [Fr accusatif—L accūsātīvus.]

accuse [a-kūz´] vt to bring a charge against; to blame.—naccusā´tion, the act of accusing; the charge brought against anyone.—adjaccus´atory, containing accusation.—adjaccused [a-kūzd´], charged with a crime;—n the person accused.—naccus´er, one who accuses or brings a charge against another. [OFr acuser—L accūsāre, -ātum—ad, to, causa, cause.]

accustom [a-kus´tȯm] vt to make familiar by habit, use, or custom.—adjaccus´tomed. [OFr acostumer (Fr accoutumer)—à, to, co(u)stume. See custom.]

ace [ās] n the one in dice, cards, dominoes, etc., a point won by a single stroke, as in tennis; an expert, esp in combat flying; (golf) a hole in one.—adj (inf) first-rate.—ace in the hole, any advantage held in reserve; within an ace of, very near to. [Fr,—L as, unity—as, a dialectal form of Gr heis, one.]

acephalous [a-sef´a-lus] adj without a head or having the head reduced; without a governing head or chief. [Gr a-, priv, kephalē, the head.]

acerbity [a-sûr´bi-ti] n sharpness of speech or manner. [Fr,—L acerbitās—acerbus, bitter—acer, sharp.]

acetanilide [as´e-tan´-i-līd] n a drug used to lessen pain and fever. [acetic + aniline.]

acetic [a-sēt´ik, a-set´ik] adj of vinegar—nac´etate, a salt or ester of acetic acid; a fabric made of an acetate of cellulose; an acetate phonograph recording disk; acetic acid, the sour principle in vinegar. [L acētum, vinegar—acēre, to be sour.]

acetify [a-set´i-fī, a-sēt´i-fi] vti to turn into vinegar.—nacetificā´tion. [L acētum, vinegar, facěre, to make.]

acetone [as´ė-tōn] n a fragrant flammable liquid C3H6O used as a solvent and found in abnormal quantities in diabetic urine. [L acetum, vinegar.]

acetylene [a-set´i-lēn] n a gas formed by the action of water on carbide of calcium which burns with oxygen in a hot flame used for welding, lighting, etc. [acetic, + Gr hylē, matter.]

acetylsalicylic acid [a-sēt´il-sȧl´i-sil´ik] n aspirin.

Acey Deucy [ā´si dyōō´si, dōōs-] a variation of backgammon.

ache [āk] n a dull, continuous pain—vi to suffer a dull, continuous mental or physical pain; (inf) to yearn.—pr pāch´ing; pt pāched.—adjach´ing, that aches; causing distress or longing. [The verb was properly ake, the noun ache (as in speak and speech)—OE vb acan and its derivative n æce.]

achene [ā-kēn´ė] n any small dry fruit with one seed. [Gr a-, not, + chainein, to gape.]

achieve [a-chēv´] vt to perform, accomplish; to gain, win.—adjachiev´able.—nachieve´ment, a thing achieved; an exploit. [Fr achever, from à chief (venir)—Low L ad caput, to a head. See chief.]

Achilles´ heel [a-kil´ēz] n vulnerable point.—Achilles tendon, the strong tendon connecting the muscles of the calf to the bone of the heel. [from the Gr myth that Achilles was vulnerable only in the heel by which his mother held him when plunging him into the Styx.]

achromatic [a-krōm-at´ik] adj refracting light without dispersing it into its constituent colors; not readily colored by the usual staining agents; possessing no hue; (music) being without accidentals or modulations.—nachrom´atism, the state of being achromatic. [Gr a-, priv, chrōma, gen chrōmatos, colour.]

acicular [as-ik´ū-lȧr] adj shaped like a needle. [L acicula, dim, of acus, a needle.]

acid [as´id] adj sharp, tart, sour; of an acid; looking or sounding bitter; rich in silica.—n a sour substance; (chem) any of various compounds that react with a salt to form a base, that reddens litmus, that are hydrogen molecules or ions able to give up a proton to a base or are substances able to accept a pair of unshared electrons from a base; something incisive or sarcastic; (slang) LSD—vtiacid´ify, to make or become acid; to convert into an acid.—vi to become acid.—pr pacid´ifying; pt pacid´ified.—nsacidificā´tion; acid´ity, being acid; an over-acid condition of the stomach; acidō´sis, a condition marked by lower than normal alkali reserves in the body.—vtacid´ulate, make acid or slightly acid.—adjacid´ulous, acid in manner.—acid rain, rain with a high concentration of acids from the burning of fossil fuels; acid test, a crucial, final test. [L acidus—acēre, to be sour.]

acidophilus milk [a-si-dof´ilus] n milk fermented by bacteria used therapeutically to modify intestinal flora.

acknowledge [ak-nol´ij] vt to admit that something is true and valid; to report that one has received something; to express thanks for; to show that one has noticed or recognized.—nacknow´ledgment, [Pfx a- (OE on), on + knowledge.]

acme [ak´mē, -mi] n the top or highest point; the culmination or perfection. [Gr akmē, a point, the highest point—akē, a point.]

acne [ak´nē, -ni] n inflammation of sebaceous glands producing pimples. [Perh Gr akmē. See acme.]

acolyte [ak´o-līt] n an altar boy; an attendant or assistant. [Gr akolouthos, an attendant.]

aconite [ak´o-nīt] n a genus (Aconitum) of plants of the buttercup family, including monkshood; a sedative drug made of its roots. [L aconītum—Gr akonīton.]

acorn [ā´körn] n the nut of the oak.—acorn squash, a dark green winter squash with yellow flesh, shaped like an acorn. [OE æcern, prob.—æcer, field, hence meaning ‘the fruit of the unenclosed land’; confused with oak (OE āc) and corn.]

acoustic [a-kōōs´tik] adj of the sense of hearing; of sounds; of acoustics.—n placous´tics, properties (eg of a room or hall) determining how clearly sounds can be heard in it; (treated as sing) the branch of physics dealing with sound. [Fr,—Gr akoustikos—akouein, to hear.]

acquaint [a-kwānt´] vt to make (oneself) familiar (with); to inform.—nsacquaint´ance, knowledge from personal experience; a person known slightly; acquaint´anceship, slight knowledge.—adjacquaint´ed (with), having personal knowledge of. [OFr acointer—LL accognitāre—L ad, to, cognitus, known.]

acquiesce [ak-wi-es´] vi to rest satisfied with, or make no opposition to (within).—nacquiesc´ence, acceptance; assent.—adjacquiesc´ent, resting satisfied, submissive. [L acquiescěre—ad, quiēs, rest.]

acquire [a-kẇīr´] vt to gain by one’s efforts; to get as one’s own.—adjacquir´able, that may be acquired.—nacquisi´tion, the act of acquiring; that which is acquired; something worth acquiring, a useful gain.—adjacquis´itive, directed towards, acquiring (possessions); grasping.—nacquis´itiveness. acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, AIDS. [OFr aquerre—L acquīrěe. -quīsītum—ad, to, quaerěre, to seek.]

acquit [a-kwit´] vt to free from an obligation; to behave or conduct (oneself); to declare innocent;—pr pacquitt´ing; pt pacquitt´ed—nsacquitt´al, a legal discharge from an accusation. [OFr aquiter—L ad, to, quiētāre. See quit.]

acre [ā´kėr] n a measure of land containing 4840 sq yards.—nacreage [ā´ker-ij] the number of acres in a piece of land. [OE æcer, cognate with Ger acker, L ager Gr agros, Sans ajra.]

acrid [ak´rid] adj sharp and bitter to the taste, and smell; sharp in speech, etc.—nsacrid´ity, ac´ridness. [L ācer, acris, sharp.]

Acrilan [ak´ril-àn] n trade name for an acrylic fiber.

acrimony [ak´ri-mȯn-i] n bitterness of feeling or language.—adjacrimō´nious. [L acrimōnia—ācer, sharp.]

acrobat [ak´ro-bat] n one who performs spectacular gymnastic feats.—adjacrobat´ic.—n placrobat´ics, an acrobat’s tricks; any tricks requiring great skill. [Gr akrobatos, walking on tiptoe—akron, point, batos—bainein, to go.]

acronym [ak´rō-nim] n a word formed from the initial letters of other words (as radar). [Gr akron, tip, point, onoma, name.]

acrophobia [ak-rō-fō´bi-ȧ] n fear of heights. [Gr akron, tip, phobos, fear.]

Acropolis [a-krop´ol-is] n the hill in Athens on which the Parthenon was built; acropolis, the upper fortified part of an ancient Greek city. [Gr akropolis—akros, the highest, polis, a city.]

across [a-kros´] prep from one side to the other of; on at an angle; on the other side of; into contact by chance.—adv crosswise, to or on the opposite side; so as to be understood or accepted.—across the board, (of a racing bet) betting in equal amounts to win, place, and show; affecting all classes and groups. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, and cross.]

acrostic [a-kros´tik] n a poem or puzzle in which certain letters of each line, spell a word, motto, etc. or a sentence. [Gr akros, extreme, and stichos, a line.]

acrylic [a-kril´ik] adj of a group of synthetic fibers used to make fabrics; of a group of clear, synthetic resins used in making plastic, paints, etc.

act [akt] vi to exert force or influence; to produce an effect; to conduct oneself; to perform as on the stage; to function.—vt to perform.—n something done, a deed; an exploit; the process of doing something; a law; a main division of a play or opera; a short performance, as in a variety show; something done merely for show; Acts (Bible), 5th book of the New Testament, written by Luke in about 63 AD describing the beginnings of the early Church.—nact´ing, the art of an actor.—adj performing some duty temporarily,—nsact´or, someone, male or female, who does something; someone, male or female, who acts in plays, movies, etc.; ac´tress, a female performer; now, more usually, actor.—act of God, a result of forces beyond human control; act up, (inf) to misbehave; get one’s act together, (slang) get organized; plan or work systematically. [L agěre, actum; Gr agein, to put in motion; Sans aj to drive.]

actinide series [ak´ti-nīd] n series of 15 radioactive elements with increasing atomic numbers from actinium to lawrencium.

actinism [ak´tin-izm] n the chemical action of the sun’s rays.—adjac´tinic [or -tin´-]. [Gr aktīs, aktīnos, a ray.]

actinium [ak-tin´i-um] n a radioactive element (symbol Ac; at wt 227; at no 89). [Gr aktīs, a ray.]

action [ak´sh(ȯ)n] n a state of acting; a deed operation; a gesture; a battle; a lawsuit; the sequence of events in a drama, novel, etc; (pl) behavior; the way of working, as of a machine; the moving parts, as of a gun; (slang) activity.—adj ac´tionable, liable to a lawsuit.—action painting, abstract expressionism. [L actiō, -ōnis—agěre. See act.]

active [akt´iv] adj that acts; working; energetic; busy; nimble; effective; (gram) of that voice in which the subject of the verb represents the doer of the action.—advact´ively.—nsact´iveness; ac´tivism, a taking direct action to achieve a political or social end; activist, a supporter of activism; activ´ity, state of being active; a specific action (student activities)—act´ivate, vt to make more active; to make radioactive; to treat (charcoal, etc.) so as to improve adsorptive properties; to put (a military unit) on active status; to aerate (sewage) to hasten decomposition. [L actīvus—agěre. See act.]

actual [ak´tū-ȧl, ak´chǒǒ-ȧl] adj real; existing in fact and now.—vtact´ualize, to realize in action; to represent realistically.—nactual´ity.—advact´ually, [L actuālis—agěre. See act.]

actuary [ak´tū-ar-i] n one who figures insurance risks, premiums, etc.—adjactuā´rial. [L actuārius (scriba), an amanuensis, a clerk.]

actuate [ak´tū-āt] vt to put in motion; to incite to action. [L actus, action. See act.]

acuity [a-kū´i-ti] n sharpness of thought or vision. [LL acuitās—L acus, needle.]

acumen [a-kū´men, a´-] n sharpness, of perception, penetration. [L See acute.]

acupressure [ak´yoo-presh´ėr] n a practice like acupuncture but using hand pressure instead of needles.

acupuncture [ak´yoo-pungk´cher] n Chinese treatment involving insertion of needles at various points in the body to treat disease or relieve pain.—Also needle therapy.

acute [a-kūt´] adj sharp-pointed; keen; sensitive (acute hearing); severe, as pain; very serious; less than 90° (acute angles); (of a disease) severe but not long-lasting.—advacute´ly.—nacute´ness. [L acūtus, pt p of acuěre, to sharpen, from root ak, sharp.]

ad [ad] (inf) short for advertisement—nad´man, a man whose work is advertising.

adage [ad´ij] n an old saying, a proverb. [Fr,—L adagium—ad, to, and root of ȧio, I say.]

adagio [ä-dä´j(y)ō] adv (mus) slowly.—n a slow movement; a slow ballet dance. [It ad agio, at ease.]

adamant [ad´a-mȧnt] n a very hard substance.—adj inflexible, unyielding. [OFr through L,—Gr adamas, -antos—a-, priv, and damaein, to break, to tame.]

Adam’s apple [ad´amz-ap´l] n the hard projection in front of the throat, esp of a man.

adapt [a-dapt´] vt to make apt or fit; to adjust (oneself) to new circumstances.—adjadapt´able, that may be adapted; changing readily.—nsadaptabil´ity; adaptā´tion, the act, process, or result of adapting. [Fr adapter—L adaptāre—ad, to aptāre, to fit.]

add [ad] vt to join (one thing to another) as an increase or supplement; to put numbers or amounts together to get a total; to say in continuation, to remark further.—vi to increase (withto); to find a sum.—naddi´tion, an adding of numbers to get a sum; a joining of one thing to another; a part added.—adjaddi´tional, added; more; extra.—in addition (to), besides. [L adděre, additum—ad, to, dǎre, to put.]

addend [ad´end, ȧ-dend´] n a number to be added to another. [See addendum.]

addendum [a-den´dum] n a thing to be added.—pladden´da. [L gerundive of adděre. See add.]

adder1 [ad´ėr] n the venomous viper (Vipera berus) of Europe; any of several harmless No American snakes, esp puff adder.

adder2 [ad´ėr] n one that adds, esp a device in a computer that performs addition. [OE nædre; cf Ger atter for natter. An adder was orig a nadder.

addict [a-dikt´] vt to give (oneself) up (to a strong habit); to cause (a person) to become dependent upon a drug.—n [ad´ikt] one who is addicted (as to a drug).—adjaddict´ed.—naddic´tion. [L addīcěre, addictum, to consent, devote—ad, to, dicěre, to declare.]

Addison’s disease [ad´i-sȯnz] n a disease marked by deep bronzing of skin, anemia, and extreme weakness caused by underactivity of the adrenal glands. [Thomas Addison, Eng physician (1793–1860).]

additive [ad´i-tiv] adj characterized by addition; produced by addition.—n something added. [L additivus—adděre. See add.]

addle [ad´l] vti to make, to make or become rotten; to make or become confused. [ME adele—OE adela, mud.]

address [a-dres´] vt to direct words (to); to speak or write to; to direct in writing; to turn one’s skill or energies (to); (computer) to indicate or find (the location of a piece of stored information).—n a formal communication in writing; a speech; manner, deportment; the place to which a letter is directed [also ad´res] a place of residence.—adjaddress´able.—naddressēē´, the person to whom a letter is addressed. [Fr adresser—L ad, to, directum, straight.]

adduce [a-dūs´] vt to offer as example, reason, or proof in discussion or analysis, adductor, a muscle that draws one part towards another. [L adducěre—ad, to, ducěre, to bring.]

adenine [ad´ėn-ēn] a purine base C5H5N5 that codes hereditary information in the genetic code in DNA and RNA. [Gr adēn, a gland.]

ad´enoids [ad´en-oidz] n pl enlarged masses of tissue in the throat behind the nose. [Gr adēn, a gland, eidos, form.]

adept [ad-ept´, ad´ept] adj highly skilled.—n an expert. [L adeptus (artem), having attained (an art), pt p of adipisci—ad, to, apisci, to reach, obtain.]

adequate [ad´e-kwȧt] adj sufficient; equal to requirements.—advad´equately.—nsad´equateness, adequacy, [L adaequātus, made equal—ad, to, and aequus, equal.]

adhere [ad-hēr´] vi to stick; to remain attached, to give allegiance or support (to).—nadhēr´ence, state of adhering; steady attachment.—adjadhēr´ent, sticking (to)—n a follower, a partisan. [L ad, to, haerēre, haesum, to stick.]

adhesion´ [ad-hē´zh(ȯ)n] n, n the act of adhering or sticking; steady attachment (to); abnormal union of body parts; a band of fibrous tissue joining such parts.—adjadhēs´ive, sticky; apt to, or intended to, adhere.—n an adhesive substance.—advadhes´ively.—nadhes´iveness. [Seeadhere.]

ad hoc [ad hok] adj (of a committee or other body) constituted for this purpose. [L, to this.]

ad hominem [ad hōm´i-nėm] directed against a person rather than his arguments. [L]

adiabatic [ad-i-a-bat´ik] adj occurring without gain or loss of heat. [Gr adiabatos, not to be passed—a-, not, dia, through, bainein, to go.]

adieu [a-dū´] interj, n goodbye—pladieus or adieux [a-dūz´] [Fr à Dieu, to God.]

ad infinitum [ad in-fin-īt´um, -ēt ǒǒm] to infinity. [L]

ad interim [ad int´ė-rim] for the meantime. [L]

adios [a´dē-ōs] interj goodbye. [Sp]

adipose [ad´i-pōs] adj of animal fat. [L adeps, adipis, soft fat.]

adit [ad´it] n a nearly horizontal opening into a mine. [L adîtus—ad, to, īre, to go.]

adjacent [a-jās´ėnt] adj near (to); adjoining.—nadjac´-ency.—advadjac´ently. [L ad, to, jacēre, to lie.]

adjective [aj´ek-tiv] n a word added to a noun or other substantive to qualify it or to limit it.—adjadjectīv´al.—advsadjectīv´ally, ad´jectǐvely, [L adjectīvum (nomen), an added (word)—adjicěre, – jectum, to throw to, to add—ad, to, jacêre, to throw.]

adjoin [a-join´] vt to be next to.—vi to be in contact.—adjadjoin´ing, [Through Fr from L adjungěre—ad, to, jungěre. See join.]

adjourn [a-jûrn´] vt to discontinue (a meeting) in order to resume it at another time or place.—vi to suspend proceedings for a time; (inf) to retire (to another room, etc.)—n adjourn´ment, [OFr ajorner—LL adiurnāre—L ad, to, LL jurnus—L diurnus, daily.]

adjudge [a-juj´] vt to decide by law; to declare, order, or award by law. [OFr ajuger—L adjūdicāre—ad, inten, jūdicāre.]

adjudicate [a-jōō´di-kāt] vt to (Law) to hear and decide (a case).—vi to serve as a judge (in or on).—nsadjū´dicator; adjudicā´tion. [L adjūdicāre, -ātum—ad, inten jūdicāre. See judge.]

adjunct [a´jungkt] adj joined or added; attached in a temporary or subordinate position to the staff of an institution, as a university.—n a thing joined or added; (gram) any modifying word or clause; an associate or assistant of another.—adjadjunct´ive,—advadjunct´ly, [L See adjoin.]

adjure [a-jōōr´] vt to charge on oath or solemnly.—nadjurā´tion, [L adjūrāre—ad, to, jūrāre, -ātum, to swear.]

adjust [a-just´] vt to arrange properly; to regulate, to settle rightly; to decide the amount to be paid in settling (an insurance claim).—vi to adapt oneself.—adjadjust´able.—nadjust´ment. [OFr ajouster—LL adjuxtāre, to put side by side—L juxta, near.]

adjutant [a´jǒǒ-tȧnt] n an assistant; a military staff officer who assists the commanding officer.—nsad´jutancy, the office or rank of an adjutant. ad´jutant gen´eral, the head of a department of the general staff of the army; the executive officer of a major military unit (as a division or corps). [L adjūtāre, freq of adjǔvāre—ad, inten, jǔvāre, to assist.]

ad lib [ad´-lib] vti (inf) to improvize—n (inf) an ad-libbed remark.—adv (inf) as one pleases.—Also ad lib. [L ad libitum, at pleasure.]

admeasure [ad-mezh´uur] vt to apportion.—nadmeas´urement, determination and apportionment of shares; dimensions; size. [Fr,—L ad, to, mensūra, measure.]

administer [ad-min´is-tėr] vt to manage, direct; to give out as punishment; to apply (medicine, etc.); to tender (an oath, etc.)—nadministrā´tion, management; Administration, the executive officials of a government, their policies, and term of office.—adjadmin´istrative, that administers.—nadmin´istrātor, one who manages or directs; (law) one appointed to settle an estate. [Through Fr,—L administrāre—ad, to, ministrāre, to minister.]

admiral [ad´mir-ȧl] n the commanding officer of a fleet; a naval officer of the highest rank. [Through Fr,—Ar amīr, a lord, a chief—d introduced through confusion with L admīrarī, to wonder at.]

admire [ad-mīr´] vt to regard with wonder or surprise; to esteem, often in a somewhat impersonal manner; to regard with enthusiastic approval.—adjadmirable [ad´-mir-ȧ-bl] worthy of being admired.—advad´mirably.—nadmirā´tion,—nadmirrr´er,—advadmirr´ingly. [Fr admirer—L ad, at, mīrārī, to wonder.]

admit [ad-mit´] vt to allow to enter or use; to concede; to acknowledge; to be capable of; to leave room for.—vi to allow (with of)—pr padmitt´ing; pt padmitt´ed.—adjadmiss´ible, that may be admitted or allowed.—nsadmissibil´ity; admitt´ance, the act of admitting; leave to enter; (elect) the property of an electric circuit by virtue of which an alternating current flows under the action of an alternating potential difference; admiss´ion, an admitting or being admitted; an entrance fee; a conceding, confessing, etc.; a thing conceded, confessed, etc.—advadmitt´edly. [Through Fr from L admittěre, -missum—ad, to, mittěre, to send.]

admixture [ad-miks´chuur] n a mixture; a thing added in mixing. [L ad, to, and mix.]

admonish [ad-mon´ish] vt to warn; to reprove mildly. [OFr amonester—LL admonestāre—admonēre—ad, inten, monēre, to warn.]

admonition [ad-mon-ish´(ȯ)n] n gentle or friendly reproof; warning or counsel against fault or oversight.—adjadmon´itory, containing admonition. [L admonitiō, -ōnis—admonēre, -itum.]

ad nauseam [ad nö´shi-am, now´si] to a sickening degree. [L]

adobe [a-dō´bi] n a sun-dried brick; clay for making this brick; a house made of such bricks. [Sp adobar, to plaster.]

adolescent [ad-o-les´ėnt] adj of or in adolescence.—Also n—nadolesc´ence, the period of youth, between childhood and maturity. [Through Fr from L adolēscēns, -entis—adolescěre, to grow up.]

adopt [a-dopt´] vt to take legally into one’s family and raise as one’s own child; to take as one’s own; to choose or accept and put into effect; to choose (a textbook) for required study in a course.—nadop´tion, the act of adopting; the state of being adopted.—adjadopt´ive, that adopts or is adopted. [L adoptāre—ad, inten, optāre, to choose.]

adore [a-dōr´, -dör´] vt to worship; to love intensely.—adjador´able, worthy of being adored; extremely charming.—nador´ableness.—advador´ably.—nsadǒrā´tion, worship, homage; profound regard; adōr´er,—advador´ingly. [L ad, to, ōrāre.]

adorn [a-dörn´] vt to deck or dress; to embellish.—nadorn´ment, ornament; decoration. [OFr aörner, adorner—L adornāre—ad, to, ornāre, to furnish.]

adrenal [ad-rē´nȧl] adj near the kidneys.—nsAdren´alin [-rěn], trade name for synthesized adrenaline; adren´aline, epinephrine.—adrenal gland, either of a pair of thumbnailsized glands above the kidneys secreting sex hormones and hormones affecting metabolism. [L ad, to rēnes, kidneys.]

adrift [a-drift´] adj, adv floating without mooring. [Pfx a- (OE on), on, and drift.]

adroit [a-droit´] adj skillful and clever.—advadroit´ly.—nadroit´ness. [Fr à droit, according to right—L directus, straight. See direct.]

adscititious [ad-si-tish´uus] adj derived or acquired from something extrinsic. [L adscīscěre, -scītum, to take or assume—ad, to, scīscěre, to inquire—scīre, to know.]

adsorb [ad-sörb´] vt of a solid, to take up a liquid or vapor on its surface.—nadsorption. [L ad to, sorbēre to suck in.]

adulation [ad-ū-lā´sh(ȯ)n] n fawning; flattery.—adjadulatory [ad´ū-la-tȯr-i]. [L adūlārī, adūlātus, to fawn upon.]

adult [ad´ult, ad-ult´] adj grown; mature; euphemism for dealing in pornography, etc.—n a mature person, animal, or plant. [L adultus—adolēscěre, adultum, to grow.]

adulterate [a-dul´tėr-āt] vt to make impure, inferior, etc. by adding an improper substance.—adj [-ȧt] spurious.—nadul´terant, a substance used to adulterate—Also adj; adulterā´tion. [L adulterāre, -ātum, to corrupt—adulterium. See adultery.]

adultery [a-dul´tėr-i] n sexual intercourse between a married man and a woman not his wife, or between a married woman and man not her husband.—nsadul´terer, a man guilty of adultery; adul´teress, a woman who commits adultery.—adjadul´terine, resulting from adultery; spurious; adul´terous, guilty of adultery. [OFr avoutrie, adultery—L adulterium, prob from ad, to, alter, another. The modern form is due to a later reintroduction of Latin spelling.]

adumbrate [ad-um´brāt, or ad´-] vt to foreshadow; to outline vaguely.—nadumbrā´tion. [L adumbrāre, adumbrātus—ad, inten, umbra, a shadow.]

ad valorem [ad va-lō´rem, -lö´-] adj imposed at a percentage of the value. [L]

advance [ad-väns´] vt to bring forward; to promote; to raise the rate of; to lend.—vi to go forward; to make progress; to rise in rank, price, etc.—n progress; improvement; a rise in value; payment beforehand; (pl) approaches to get favor;—adj in front (advance guard); beforehand.—adjadvanced´, in front; old; ahead or higher in progress, price, etc.—nadvance´ment, promotion; improvement—advance man, a person hired to travel in advance of a theatrical company, political candidate, etc. to arrange for appearances, etc.; in advance, in front; ahead of time. [OFr avancer—L abante—ab ante, from before; the pfx was later refashioned as if it were from L ad].

advantage [ad-vänt´ij] n superiority over another; gain or benefit; (lawn tennis) first point gained after deuce—vt to be a benefit to, profit—adjadvantā´geous, of advantage; useful—advadvantā´geously.—nadvanta´geousness.—take advantage of, to use for one’s own benefit; to impose upon. [Fr avantage—avant, before—L abante. See advance.]

Advent [ad´vent] n the period including four Sundays before Christmas; advent, a coming. [Through Fr from L adventus—advenīre—ad, to, venīre, to come.]

adventitious [ad-ven-tish´uus] adj coming from outside; added by chance; (bot) developed out of the usual order or place.—advadventi´tiously. [Low L adventitius—L adventīcius—advenīre. See advent.]

adventure [ad-ven´chuur] n a strange or exciting undertaking; an unusual, stirring, often romantic experience.—vti to risk; venture.—nadven´turer, one who engages in hazardous enterprises; one who seeks to better his fortune by bold and discreditable means;—adven´turess, a female adventurer, esp a woman who seeks position and livelihood by dubious means.—adjsadven´turous, adven´turesome, enterprising; ready to incur risk.—advadven´turously