a indef art one
abacus n.frame with beads that slide along parallel rods, used for teaching numbers to children, and (in some countries) for counting
abandon v. go away from (a person or thing or place) not intending to return; forsake; desert
abandonment n. abandoning
abase v. ~ oneself/sb lower oneself/sb in dignity; degrade oneself/sb ;
abash to destroy the self-possession or self-confidence of:disconcert
abashed adj. ~ embarrassed; ashamed
abate v. make or become less
abattoir n. = slaughterhouse (slaughter)
abbess n. woman who is head of a convent or nunnery
abbey n. buildingin which monks or nuns live as a community under an abbot or abbess
abbot n. man who is head of a monastery or abbey
abbreviate v. ~ sth shorten (a word, phrase, etc), esp by omitting letters
abbreviation n. abbreviating or being abbreviated
abdicate v. resign from or formally renounce the throne
abdication giving up control, authority
abdomen n. part of the body below the chest and diaphragm, containing the stomach, bowels and digestive organs
abdominal adj. in, of or for the abdomen
abduct v. take away illegally, using force or deception; kidnap ;
abduction A carrying away of a person against his will, or illegally.
abed In bed; on a bed.
aberrant adj. not following the normal or correct way
aberration n. deviation from what is accepted as normal or right
abet v. ~ sb (in sth) help or encourage sb to commit an offence or do sth wrong
abeyance n. be in abeyance; fall/go into abeyance (of a right, rule, problem, etc) be suspended temporarily; not be in force or use for a time
abhor v. feel hatred and disgust for (sb/sth); detest
abhorrence n. hatred and disgust
abhorrent adj. ~ disgusting; hateful
abidance An abiding.
abide v. (esp with can/could, in negative sentences or questions can/could) tolerate (sb/sth); endure; bear
abiding adj. enduring; permanent
ability n. capacity or power to do sth physical or mental
abject adj. wretched; hopeless
abjure v. promise or swear to give up (a claim, an opinion, a belief, etc); renounce formally
ablaze adj. burning; on fire
able adj. be ~ to do sth have the power, means or opportunity to do sth
able-bodied adj. healthy, fit and strong
ablution n. (fml or joc ) ceremonial washing of the body, hands, sacred vessels, etc
ably adv. in an able manner
abnegate vt. to give up (rights or a claim, for example); renounce.
abnegation n. denial or renunciation (of a doctrine)
abnormal adj. different, esp in an undesirable way, from what is normal, ordinary or expected
abnormally adv: abnormally large feet
aboard adv. part, prep on or into a ship, an aircraft, a train or a bus ,
abode n. house; home
abolish v. end the existence of
abolition n. abolishing or being abolished
abolitionism principles or measures fostering abolition especially of slavery
abolitionist n. person who favours abolition, esp of capital punishment
abominable adj. ~(fml ) causing disgust; detestable
abominate v. feel hatred or disgust for (sth/sb); detest; loathe
abomination n. feeling of disgust and extreme hatred
aboriginal adj. inhabiting a land from a very early period, esp before the arrival of colonists
aborigine n. aboriginal inhabitant
abortive adj. coming to nothing; unsuccessful
abound v. be very plentiful; exist in great numbers
about adv. a little more or less than; a little before or after; approximately .;
above adv. at or to a higher point; overhead
aboveboard be in a straightforward manner
abracadabra n, interj meaningless word said as a supposedly magic formula esp by conjurors while performing magic tricks
abrade v. wear away by rubbing; scrape off
abraded rubbed off/worn away by friction
abrasion n. scraping or wearing away; rubbing off ;
abrasive adj. that scrapes or rubs sth away; rough
abreast adv. ~ side by side (with sb/sth) and facing the same way
abridge v. make shorter, esp by using fewer words; condense
abridgement n. shortening of a book, etc ,
abridgment a shortened version of a written work
abroad adv. in or to a foreign country or countries; away from one's own country
abrogate v. cancel, repeal or annul (sth)
abrupt adj. sudden and unexpected
abruptly adv.
abscess n. swollen part of the body in which a thick yellowish liquid has collected
abscission The act of cutting off, as in a surgical operation.
abscond v. ~go away suddenly and secretly, esp in order to avoid arrest
absence n. ~ being away
absent adj. ~ not present (at sth); at another place (than.)
absentee n. person who is absent
absenteeism n. frequent absence from school or work, esp without good reason ,
absinth [ absinthe: ] a potent green alcoholic drink, technically a gin, originally having high wormwood content
absinthe n. bitter green alcoholic drink made with wormwood and other herbs
absolute adj. complete; total
absolutely adv. completely
absolution n. formal declaration by a priest that a person's sins have been forgiven
absolve v. ~ sb (fml esp law , ) clear sb (of guilt); declare sb free (from blame, a promise, a duty, etc)
absorb v. take (sth) in; suck up
absorbed adj. with one's attention fully held
absorbent n, adj that is able to take in moisture, etc
absorbing adj. holding the attention fully
absorption n. ~ absorbing or being absorbed
abstain v. ~ keep oneself from doing or enjoying sth, esp from taking alcoholic drinks; refrain ;
abstemious adj. not taking much food or drink; not self-indulgent; moderate
abstention n. ~ (from sth) abstaining, esp not using one's vote at an election
abstinence n. ~ abstaining, esp from food or alcoholic drinks
abstinent voluntary forbearance especially from indulgence of an appetite or craving or from eating some foods:ABSTENTION
abstract adj. existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or practical existence
abstracted adj. thinking of other things; not paying attention ;
abstraction n. ~ of sth removing; taking away ;
abstruse adj. difficult to understand
absurd adj. unreasonable; not sensible
absurdity n.
abundance n. quantity that is more than enough; plenty
abundant adj. more than enough; plentiful
abuse v. make bad or wrong use of
abusive adj. criticizing harshly and rudely; insulting
abut v. ~ on/against sth (of land or a building) have a common boundary or side with sth; adjoin sth
abysmal adj. extremely bad
abyss n. hole so deep that it seems to have no bottom
acacia n. any of several trees with yellow or white flowers, esp one from which gum arabic is obtained ,
academic adj. of schools, colleges, etc
academician n. member of an academy
academy n. school for special training
accede v. ~ (fml ) take office
accelerate v. make move faster or happen earlier; increase the speed of
accelerating [ accelerate: ] to go, occur, or cause to go or occur more quickly; speed up
acceleration n. making or being made quicker; increase in speed
accent n. emphasis given to a syllable or word by means of stress or pitch
accentuate