Collins Dictionaries - Collins English Dictionary and Thesaurus Essential

Ag (chem) silveragain adv

1another or a second time: I want to look at that atlas again ◇ SYNONYMS: once more, another time, anew, afresh 2once more in a previously experienced state or condition: he pictured her again as she used to be ◇ SYNONYMS: once more, another time, anew, afresh 3in addition to the original amount: twice as much again 4on the other hand 5moreover or furthermore: she is talented and, again, hard-working ◇ SYNONYMS: also, in addition, moreover, besides, furthermore 6 again and againcontinually or repeatedlyagainst prep 1standing or leaning beside: she leaned against a tree ◇ SYNONYMS: beside, on, up against, in contact with, abutting 2opposed to or in disagreement with ◇ SYNONYMS: opposed to, anti (informal), hostile to, in opposition to, averse to, opposite to 3in contrast to: his complexion was a sickly white against the black stubble of his beard ◇ SYNONYMS: in opposition to, resisting, versus, counter to, in the opposite direction of 4coming in contact with: rain rattled against the window ◇ SYNONYMS: beside, on, up against, in contact with, abutting 5having an unfavourable effect on: the system works against you when you don't have money 6as a protection from: a safeguard against bacteria 7in exchange for or in return for: the dollar has gained very slightly against the yen 8 as againstas opposed to; as compared withagape adj 1(of the mouth) wide open 2(of a person) very surprisedagaric n any fungus with gills on the underside of the cap, such as a mushroomagate ( ag-git) n a hard semiprecious form of quartz with striped colouringage n 1the length of time that a person or thing has existed ◇ SYNONYMS: years, days, generation, lifetime, length of existence 2a period or state of human life 3the latter part of human life ◇ SYNONYMS: old age, experience, maturity, seniority, majority, senility, decline, advancing years 4a period of history marked by some feature ◇ SYNONYMS: time, day(s), period, generation, era, epoch 5 ages(informal) a long time 6 come of ageto become legally responsible for one's actions (usually at 18 years) ▸ vb ageingor aging, aged 7to become old: skin type changes as one ages ◇ SYNONYMS: grow old, decline, weather, fade, deteriorate, wither 8to appear or cause to appear older: the years had not aged her in any way ◇ SYNONYMS: mature, season, condition, soften, mellow, ripenaged adj 1( ay-jid) advanced in years; old ◇ SYNONYMS: old, getting on, grey, ancient, antique, elderly, antiquated 2(rhymes with raged) being at the age of: a girl aged thirteenageing or aging n 1the fact or process of growing old ▸ adj 2becoming or appearing olderageless adj 1apparently never growing old 2seeming to have existed for ever; eternal: an ageless professionagency n, pl -cies 1an organization providing a specific service: an advertising agency ◇ SYNONYMS: business, company, office, firm, department, organization, enterprise, establishment 2the business or functions of an agent 3action or power by which something happens: the intervention of a human agency in the sequence of events ◇ SYNONYMS: medium, means, activity, vehicle, instrument, mechanismagenda n 1a schedule or list of items to be attended to, for example at a meeting ◇ SYNONYMS: programme, list, plan, schedule, diary, calendar, timetable 2(US & Canad) an appointment diary with room for storing addresses, telephone numbers, etc.agent n 1a person who arranges business for other people, esp. for actors or singers ◇ SYNONYMS: representative, rep (informal), negotiator, envoy, surrogate, go-between 2a spy 3a substance which causes change in other substances: an emulsifying agent ◇ SYNONYMS: force, means, power, cause, instrument 4someone or something which causes an effect: the agent of change ◇ SYNONYMS: author, worker, vehicle, instrument, operator, performer, catalyst, doeragent provocateur ( azh-on prov-vok-at- tur) n, pl agents provocateurs( azh-on prov-vok-at- tur) a person employed by the authorities to tempt people to commit illegal acts and so be discredited or punishedage-old adj very old; ancientagglomeration n a confused mass or clusteraggrandize or -dise vb -dizing, -dizedor -dising, -disedto make greater in size, power, or rank > aggrandizement or -disement naggravate vb -vating, -vated 1to make (a disease, situation, or problem) worse ◇ SYNONYMS: make worse, exaggerate, intensify, worsen, exacerbate, magnify, inflame, increase 2(informal) to annoy ◇ SYNONYMS: annoy, bother, provoke, irritate, nettle, get on your nerves (informal) > aggravating adj > aggravation naggregate n 1an amount or total formed from separate units ◇ SYNONYMS: total, body, whole, amount, collection, cluster, mass, sum, combination 2(geol) a rock, such as granite, consisting of a mixture of minerals 3the sand and stone mixed with cement and water to make concrete ▸ adj 4formed of separate units collected into a whole ◇ SYNONYMS: collective, mixed, combined, collected, accumulated, composite, cumulative ▸ vb -gating, -gated 5to combine or be combined into a whole ◇ SYNONYMS: combine, mix, collect, assemble, heap, accumulate, pile, amass 6to amount to (a particular number) > aggregation naggression n 1violent and hostile behaviour ◇ SYNONYMS: hostility, malice, antagonism, antipathy, ill will, belligerence, destructiveness, pugnacity 2an unprovoked attack ◇ SYNONYMS: attack, campaign, injury, assault, raid, invasion, offensive, onslaught > aggressor naggressive adj 1full of anger or hostility ◇ SYNONYMS: hostile, offensive, destructive, belligerent, unfriendly, contrary, antagonistic, pugnacious, aggro (Austral & NZ), aggers (Austral slang), biffo (Austral slang) 2forceful or determined: an aggressive sales technique ◇ SYNONYMS: forceful, powerful, convincing, effective, enterprising, dynamic, bold, militant > aggressively adv > aggressiveness naggrieved adj upset and angryaggro (slang) n 1(Brit & Austral & NZ) aggressive behaviour ▸ adj 2(Austral) angry and aggressiveaghast adj overcome with amazement or horroragile adj 1quick in movement; nimble 2mentally quick or acute > agility nagitate vb -tating, -tated 1to excite, disturb, or trouble ◇ SYNONYMS: upset, worry, trouble, excite, distract, unnerve, disconcert, fluster 2to shake or stir (a liquid) ◇ SYNONYMS: stir, beat, shake, disturb, toss, rouse 3to attempt to stir up public opinion for or against something > agitated adj > agitatedly adv > agitation n > agitator naglow adj glowingAGM annual general meetingagnostic n 1a person who believes that it is impossible to know whether God exists 2a person who claims that the answer to some specific question cannot be known with certainty ▸ adj 3of or relating to agnostics > agnosticism nago adv in the past: fifty years agoagog adj eager or curious: Marcia would be agog to hear his newsagonize or -nise vb -nizing, -nizedor -nising, -nised 1to worry greatly 2to suffer agony > agonizing or -nising adj > agonizingly or -nisingly advagony n, pl -niesacute physical or mental pain ◇ SYNONYMS: suffering, pain, distress, misery, torture, discomfort, torment, hardshipagony aunt n a person who replies to readers' letters in an agony columnagony column n a newspaper or magazine feature offering advice on readers' personal problemsagoraphobia n a pathological fear of being in public places > agoraphobic adj, nagrarian adj of or relating to land or agriculture > agrarianism nagree vb agreeing, agreed 1to be of the same opinion ◇ SYNONYMS: concur, be as one, sympathize, assent, see eye to eye, be of the same opinion 2to give assent; consent 3to be consistent ◇ SYNONYMS: correspond, match, coincide, tally, conform 4 agree onto reach a joint decision about: the ministers agreed on a strategy 5 agree withto be agreeable or suitable to (one's health or appearance): you look good – your new job must agree with you ◇ SYNONYMS agree with someone: suit, get on with, befit 6to concede: they agreed that the price they were asking was too high 7(grammar) to be the same in number, gender, and case as a connected wordagreeable adj 1pleasant and enjoyable 2prepared to consent: I cannot say that she was agreeable to the project but she was resigned > agreeably advagreement n 1the act or state of agreeing ◇ SYNONYMS: concurrence, harmony, compliance, union, agreeing, consent, unison, assent 2a legally enforceable contract ◇ SYNONYMS: treaty, contract, arrangement, alliance, deal (informal), understanding, settlement, bargainagriculture n the rearing of crops and livestock; farming ◇ SYNONYMS: farming, culture, cultivation, husbandry, tillage > agricultural adj > agriculturalist nagronomy (ag- ron-om-mee) n the science of land cultivation, soil management, and crop production > agronomist naground adv onto the bottom of shallow water: they felt a jolt as the ship ran agroundague ( aig-yew) n 1(old-fashioned) malarial fever with shivering 2a fit of shiveringahead adv 1at or in the front; before ◇ SYNONYMS: in front, in advance, towards the front, frontwards 2forwards: go straight ahead ◇ SYNONYMS: in front, in advance, towards the front, frontwards 3 get aheadto achieve success: I was young and hungry to get ahead ▸ adj 4in a leading position: he is ahead in the pollsahoy interj (naut) a shout made to call a ship or to attract attentionAI 1artificial insemination 2artificial intelligenceaid n 1money, equipment, or services provided for people in need; assistance ◇ SYNONYMS: help, backing, support, benefit, favour, relief, promotion, assistance 2a person or device that helps or assists ▸ vb 3to help financially or in other ways ◇ SYNONYMS: help, support, serve, sustain, assist, avail, subsidize, be of service toaide n an assistant: a senior aide to the Prime Minister ◇ SYNONYMS: assistant, supporter, attendant, helper, right-hand man or woman or person, secondaide-de-camp (aid-de- kom) n, pl aides-de-camp(aid-de- kom) a military officer serving as personal assistant to a seniorAIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a viral disease that destroys the body's ability to fight infectionAIH artificial insemination by husbandail vb (literary) 1to trouble or afflict 2to feel unwellaileron ( ale-er-on) n a hinged flap on the back of an aircraft wing which controls rollingailing adj unwell or unsuccessful over a long period: an ailing company ◇ SYNONYMS: weak, failing, poor, flawed, unstable, unsatisfactory, deficientailment n a slight illness ◇ SYNONYMS: illness, disease, complaint, disorder, sickness, affliction, malady, infirmityaim vb 1to point (a weapon or missile) or direct (a blow or remark) at a particular person or object ◇ SYNONYMS: point 2to propose or intend: they aim to provide full and equal rights to all groups ▸ n 3the action of directing something at an object 4intention or purpose ◇ SYNONYMS: intention, point, plan, goal, design, target, purpose, desire 5 take aimto point a weapon or missile at a person or objectaimless adj having no purpose or direction > aimlessly advain't (not standard) am not, is not, are not, have not, or has not: it ain't fairair n 1the mixture of gases that forms the earth's atmosphere. It consists chiefly of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide ◇ SYNONYMS: atmosphere, sky, heavens, aerosphere 2the space above and around the earth; sky. RELATED ADJECTIVE: aerial◇ SYNONYMS: atmosphere, sky, heavens, aerosphere 3a distinctive quality, appearance, or manner: I thought he had an air of elegance and celebrity about him ◇ SYNONYMS: manner, appearance, look, aspect, atmosphere, mood, impression, aura 4a simple tune ◇ SYNONYMS: tune, song, theme, melody, strain, lay, aria 5transportation in aircraft: I went off to Italy by air and train 6 in the airin circulation; current: a sense of expectation is in the air 7 into thin airleaving no trace behind 8 on the airin the act of broadcasting on radio or television 9 up in the airuncertain ▸ vb 10to make known publicly: these issues will be aired at a ministerial meeting ◇ SYNONYMS: publicize, reveal, exhibit, voice, express, display, circulate, make public 11to expose to air to dry or ventilate 12(of a television or radio programme) to be broadcastairbag n a safety device in a car, consisting of a bag that inflates automatically in an accident to protect the driver or passengerairborne adj 1carried by air 2(of aircraft) flying; in the air ◇ SYNONYMS: flying, floating, in the air, hovering, gliding, in flight, on the wingairbrush n 1an atomizer which sprays paint by means of compressed air ▸ vb 2to paint using an airbrush 3to improve the image of (a person or thing) by hiding defects beneath a bland exteriorair conditioning n a system for controlling the temperature and humidity of the air in a building > air-conditioned adj > air conditioner naircraft n, pl -craftany machine capable of flying, such as a glider or aeroplaneaircraft carrier n a warship with a long flat deck for the launching and landing of aircraftairfield n a place where aircraft can land and take offair force n the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for air warfareair gun n a gun fired by means of compressed airair hostess n (chiefly Brit old-fashioned) a female flight attendant on an airlineairily adv in a light-hearted and casual mannerairing n 1exposure to air or warmth for drying or ventilation ◇ SYNONYMS: ventilation, drying, freshening, aeration 2exposure to public debate: both these notions got an airing during the campaign ◇ SYNONYMS: exposure, display, expression, publicity, vent, utterance, disseminationairless adj lacking fresh air; stuffyairlift n 1the transportation by air of troops or cargo when other routes are blocked ▸ vb 2to transport by an airliftairline n an organization that provides scheduled flights for passengers or cargoairliner n a large passenger aircraftairlock n 1a bubble of air blocking the flow of liquid in a pipe 2an airtight chamber between places that do not have the same air pressure, such as in a spacecraft or submarineairmail n 1the system of sending mail by aircraft 2mail sent by aircraftairman or (fem) airwoman n, pl -menor -womena person serving in an air forceairplane n (US & Canad) an aeroplane ◇ SYNONYMS: plane, aircraft, jet, aeroplane, airlinerairplay n the broadcast performances of a record on radioairport n a landing and taking-off area for civil aircraft, with facilities for aircraft maintenance and passenger arrival and departureair raid n an attack by enemy aircraft in which bombs are droppedairship n a lighter-than-air self-propelled aircraftairspace n the atmosphere above a particular country, regarded as its territoryairstrip n a cleared area for the landing and taking-off of aircraftairtight adj 1sealed so that air cannot enter 2having no weak points: your reasoning is airtight and your evidence soundairworthy adj (of an aircraft) safe to fly > airworthiness nairy adj airier, airiest 1spacious and well ventilated 2light-hearted and casual 3having little basis in reality; fanciful: airy assurancesaisle (rhymes with mile) n a passageway separating seating areas in a church, theatre, or train, or separating rows of shelves in a supermarket ◇ SYNONYMS: passageway, path, lane, passage, corridor, alley, gangwayajar adj, adv (of a door) slightly openaka also known asakimbo adv (with) arms akimbowith hands on hips and elbows turned outwardsakin adj akin tosimilar or very close to: the technique is akin to impressionist paintingalabaster n a kind of white stone used for making statues and vasesà la carte adj, adv (of a menu) having dishes individually pricedalacrity n speed or eagerness: I accepted the invitation with alacrityà la mode adj fashionablealarm n 1fear aroused by awareness of danger ◇ SYNONYMS: fear, panic, anxiety, fright, apprehension, nervousness, consternation, trepidation (formal) 2a noise warning of danger: there had been no time to put on life jackets or to sound the alarm ◇ SYNONYMS: danger signal, warning, bell, alert, siren, alarm bell, hooter, distress signal 3a device that transmits a warning ◇ SYNONYMS: danger signal, warning, bell, alert, siren, alarm bell, hooter, distress signal 4short for alarm clock ▸ vb 5to fill with fear ◇ SYNONYMS: frighten, scare, panic, distress, startle, dismay, daunt, unnerve 6to fit or activate a burglar alarm on (a house, car, etc.) > alarming adjalarm clock n a clock that sounds at a set time to wake a person upalarmist n 1a person who alarms others needlessly ▸ adj 2causing needless alarmalas adv 1unfortunately or regrettably: the answer, alas, is that they cannot get any for the moment ▸ interj 2(old-fashioned) an exclamation of grief or alarmalbatross n 1a large sea bird with very long wings 2(golf) a score of three strokes under par for a holealbeit conj even though: these effects occur, albeit to a lesser degreealbino n, pl -nosa person or animal with white or almost white hair and skin and pinkish eyes > albinism nalbum n 1a book with blank pages, for keeping photographs or stamps in 2a collection of recordings released as a single itemalbumen n 1egg white 2(biochem) same as albumin albumin or albumen n (biochem) a water-soluble protein found in blood plasma, egg white, milk, and musclealchemy n a medieval form of chemistry concerned with trying to change base metals into gold and to find an elixir to prolong life indefinitely > alchemist nalcohol n 1a colourless flammable liquid present in intoxicating drinks 2intoxicating drinks generallyalcoholic n 1a person who is addicted to alcohol ◇ SYNONYMS: drinker, drunkard, drunk, inebriate, tippler, lush (slang), wino (informal), toper (literary) ▸ adj 2of or relating to alcohol ◇ SYNONYMS: intoxicating, hard, strong, stiff, brewed, fermented, distilledalcoholism n a condition in which dependence on alcohol harms a person's health and everyday lifealcopop n (informal) an alcoholic drink that tastes like a soft drinkalcove n a recess in the wall of a roomaldehyde n (chem) any organic compound containing the group –CHO, derived from alcohol by oxidationalder n a tree with toothed leaves and conelike fruits, often found in damp placesalderman n, pl -men 1(formerly, in England and Wales) a senior member of a local council, elected by other councillors 2(in the US, Canada and Australia) a member of the governing body of a cityale n 1a beer fermented in an open vessel using yeasts that rise to the top of the brew 2(formerly) an alcoholic drink that is unflavoured by hops 3(Brit) another word for beer alert adj 1watchful and attentive ◇ SYNONYMS: attentive, awake, vigilant, watchful, on the lookout, circumspect, observant, on guard 2 alert toaware of ▸ n 3a warning or the period during which a warning remains in effect 4 on the alertwatchful ▸ vb 5to warn of danger ◇ SYNONYMS: warn, signal, inform, alarm, notify, tip off, forewarn 6to make aware of a fact > alertness nA level n 1(Brit) the advanced level of a subject taken for the General Certificate of Education 2a pass in a subject at A levelalfalfa n a plant widely used for feeding farm animalsalfresco adj, adv in the open airalgae ( al-jee) pl n, sing alga( al-ga) plants which grow in water or moist ground, and which have no true stems, roots, or leavesalgebra n a branch of mathematics in which symbols are used to represent numbers > algebraic adjALGOL n an early computer programming language designed for mathematical and scientific purposesalgorithm n a logical arithmetical or computational procedure for solving problemsalias adv 1also known as: Iris florentina, alias orris root ▸ n, pl -ases 2a false namealibi n, pl -bis 1(law) a plea of being somewhere else when a crime was committed 2(informal) an excuse ▸ vb -biing, -bied 3to provide someone with an alibialien adj 1foreign ◇ SYNONYMS: foreign, strange, imported, unknown, exotic, unfamiliar 2from another world 3 alien torepugnant or opposed to: these methods are alien to the world of politics ▸ n 4a person who is a citizen of a country other than the one in which he or she lives ◇ SYNONYMS: foreigner, incomer, immigrant, stranger, outsider, newcomer, asylum seeker 5a being from another world 6a person who does not seem to fit in with his or her environmentalienate vb -ating, -ated 1to cause (a friend) to become unfriendly or hostile ◇ SYNONYMS: antagonize, anger, annoy, offend, irritate, hassle (informal), estrange, hack off (informal) 2to cause (someone) to feel that he or she does not belong somewhere 3(law) to transfer the ownership of property to another person > alienation nalight1 vb alighting, alightedor alit 1to step out of a vehicle or off a horse: we alighted on Vladivostok station ◇ SYNONYMS: get off, descend, get down, disembark, dismount 2to land: we saw thirty goldfinches alighting on the ledge ◇ SYNONYMS: land, light, settle, come down, descend, perch, touch down, come to restalight2 adj, adv 1on fire 2illuminated: the lamp on the desk was alight ◇ SYNONYMS: lit up, bright, brilliant, shining, illuminated, fieryalign (a- line) vb 1to bring (a person or group) into agreement with the policy of another 2to place (two objects) in a particular position in relation to each other ◇ SYNONYMS: line up, order, range, regulate, straighten, even up > alignment nalike adj 1similar: they were thought to be very alike ◇ SYNONYMS: similar, close, the same, parallel, resembling, identical, corresponding, akin ▸ adv 2in the same way: they even dressed alike ◇ SYNONYMS: similarly, identically, equally, uniformly, correspondingly, analogously 3considered together: players and spectators alikealimentary adj of or relating to nutritionalimentary canal n the tubular passage in the body through which food is passed and digestedalimony n (law) an allowance paid under a court order by one spouse to another after separationA-line adj (of a skirt) slightly flaredaliquot adj (maths) denoting or belonging to an exact divisor of a numberalive adj 1living; having life ◇ SYNONYMS: living, breathing, animate, subsisting, existing, functioning, in the land of the living (informal) 2in existence: he said that he would keep the company alive, no matter what ◇ SYNONYMS: in existence, existing, functioning, active, operative, in force, on-going, prevalent 3lively ◇ SYNONYMS: lively, active, vital, alert, energetic, animated, agile, perky 4 alive toaware of 5 alive withswarming with: the rocky shoreline was alive with birdsalkali ( alk-a-lie) n (chem) a substance that combines with acid and neutralizes it to form a saltalkaline adj (chem) having the properties of or containing an alkali > alkalinity nalkaloid n (chem) any of a group of organic compounds containing nitrogen. Many are poisonous and some are used as drugsall determiner 1the whole quantity or number (of): all the banks agree; we're all to blame ◇ SYNONYMS: the whole amount, everything, the total, the aggregate, the totality, the sum total, the entirety, the entire amount 2every one of a class: almost all animals sneeze ◇ SYNONYMS: every, each, every single, every one of, each and every ▸ adj 3the greatest possible: in all seriousness ◇ SYNONYMS: complete, greatest, full, total, perfect, entire, utter 4any whatever: I'm leaving out all question of motive for the time being 5 all alongsince the beginning 6 all butnearly 7 all in alleverything considered 8 all over Afinished Beverywhere in or on: we send them all over the world C(informal) typically: that's him all over 9 all theso much (more or less) than otherwise: the need for new drugs is all the more important 10 at allused for emphasis: my throat's no better at all 11 be all for(informal) to be strongly in favour of 12 for allin spite of: for all his cynicism, he's at heart a closet idealist 13 in allaltogether: there were five in all ▸ adv 14(in scores of games) each: the score was two all ▸ n 15 give one's allto make the greatest possible effortAllah n the name of God in Islamallay vb to reduce (fear, doubt, or anger)allegation n an unproved assertion or accusation ◇ SYNONYMS: claim, charge, statement, declaration, accusation, assertion, affirmationallege vb -leging, -legedto state without proof ◇ SYNONYMS: claim, charge, challenge, state, maintain, declare, assert, upholdalleged adj stated but not proved: the spot where the alleged crime took place ◇ SYNONYMS: claimed, supposed, declared, assumed, so-called, apparent, stated, described > allegedly (al- lej-id-lee) advallegiance n loyalty or dedication to a person, cause, or belief ◇ SYNONYMS: loyalty, devotion, fidelity, obedience, constancy, faithfulnessallegory n, pl -riesa story, poem, or picture with an underlying meaning as well as the literal one > allegorical adj > allegorize or -rise vballegretto (music) adv 1fairly quickly or briskly ▸ n, pl -tos 2a piece or passage to be performed fairly quickly or brisklyallegro (music) adv 1in a brisk lively manner ▸ n, pl -gros 2a piece or passage to be performed in a brisk lively manneralleluia interj praise the Lord!allergen ( al-ler-jen) n a substance capable of causing an allergic reaction > allergenic adjallergic adj 1having or caused by an allergy ◇ SYNONYMS: sensitive, affected, susceptible, hypersensitive 2 allergic to(informal) having a strong dislike of: father and son seemed to have been allergic to each other from the startallergy n, pl -gies 1extreme sensitivity to a substance such as a food or pollen, which causes the body to react to any contact with it ◇ SYNONYMS: sensitivity, reaction, susceptibility, antipathy, hypersensitivity, sensitiveness 2(informal) a strong dislike for somethingalleviate vb -ating, -atedto lessen (pain or suffering) ◇ SYNONYMS: ease, reduce, relieve, moderate, soothe, lessen, lighten, allay > alleviation nalley n 1a narrow passage between or behind buildings ◇ SYNONYMS: passage, walk, lane, pathway, alleyway, passageway, backstreet 2 Aa building containing lanes for tenpin bowling Ba long narrow wooden lane down which the ball is rolled in tenpin bowling 3a path in a garden, often lined with treesalliance n 1the state of being allied 2a formal relationship between two or more countries or political parties to work together ◇ SYNONYMS: union, league, association, agreement, marriage, connection, combination, coalition 3the countries or parties involvedallied adj 1united by a common aim or common characteristics: the allied areas of telepathy and clairvoyance ◇ SYNONYMS: united, linked, related, combined, integrated, affiliated, cooperating, in league 2Allied relating to the countries that fought against Germany and Japan in the Second World War: the Allied bombing of German citiesalligator n a large reptile of the southern US, similar to the crocodile but with a shorter broader snoutall in adj 1(informal) exhausted 2(of wrestling) with no style forbidden ▸ adv 3with all expenses includedalliteration n the use of the same sound at the start of words occurring together, as in round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran > alliterative adjallocate vb -cating, -catedto assign to someone or for a particular purpose ◇ SYNONYMS: assign, grant, distribute, designate, set aside, earmark, give out, consign > allocation nallot vb -lotting, -lottedto assign as a share or for a particular purposeallotment n 1(Brit) a small piece of land rented by a person to grow vegetables on 2a portion allotted 3distributionallotrope n (chem) any of two or more physical forms in which an element can existallow vb 1to permit someone to do something ◇ SYNONYMS: permit, approve, enable, sanction, endure, license, tolerate, authorize 2to set aside: I allowed plenty of time ◇ SYNONYMS: give, provide, grant, spare, devote, assign, allocate, set aside 3to acknowledge (a point or claim) ◇ SYNONYMS: acknowledge, accept, admit, grant, recognize, yield, concede, confess 4 allow forto take into account ◇ SYNONYMS allow for something: take into account, consider, plan for, accommodate, provide for, make provision for, make allowances for, make concessions for > allowable adjallowance n 1an amount of money given at regular intervals ◇ SYNONYMS: pocket money, grant, fee, payment, ration, handout, remittance 2(in Britain) an amount of a person's income that is not subject to income tax 3 make allowances for Ato treat or judge someone less severely because he or she has special problems Bto take into account in one's plansalloy n 1a mixture of two or more metals ▸ vb 2to mix metals in order to obtain a substance with a desired propertyall right adj 1acceptable or satisfactory: is everything all right? ◇ SYNONYMS: satisfactory, O.K. or okay (informal), average, fair, sufficient, standard, acceptable, good enough 2unharmed; safe: I'm going to check if he's all right ◇ SYNONYMS: well, O.K. or okay (informal), whole (archaic), sound, fit, safe, healthy, unharmed ▸ interj 3an expression of approval or agreement ▸ adv 4satisfactorily 5safely 6without doubt: it was her all rightall-rounder n a person with many skills and abilitiesallspice n a spice used in cooking, which comes from the berries of a tropical American treeallude vb -luding, -luded> allude toto refer indirectly toallure n attractiveness or appealalluring adj extremely attractiveallusion n an indirect referencealluvial adj 1of or relating to alluvium ▸ n 2same as alluvium alluvium n, pl -viaa fertile soil consisting of mud, silt, and sand deposited by flowing waterally n, pl -lies 1a country, person, or group with an agreement to support another ◇ SYNONYMS: partner, friend, colleague, associate, mate (informal), comrade, helper, collaborator, cobber (Austral & NZ old-fashioned, informal), E hoa (NZ) ▸ vb -lies, -lying, -lied 2 ally oneself withto agree to support another country, person, or group ◇ SYNONYMS ally yourself with something or someone: unite with, associate with, unify, collaborate with, join forces with, band together withalma mater n the school, college, or university that one attendedalmanac n a yearly calendar with detailed information on matters like anniversaries and phases of the moonalmighty adj 1having power over everything 2(informal) very great: there was an almighty bang ▸ n 3 the AlmightyGodalmond n an edible oval nut with a yellowish-brown shell, which grows on a small treealmoner n (Brit) a former name for a hospital social workeralmost adv very nearly ◇ SYNONYMS: nearly, about, close to, virtually, practically, roughly, just about, not quitealms ( ahmz) pl n (old-fashioned) donations of money or goods to poor peoplealoe n 1a plant with fleshy spiny leaves 2 aloesa bitter drug made from aloe leavesaloft adv 1in the air 2(naut) in the rigging of a shipalone adj 1without anyone or anything else ◇ SYNONYMS: solitary, isolated, separate, apart, by yourself, unaccompanied, on your tod (slang) ▸ adv 2without anyone or anything else ◇ SYNONYMS: solely, only, individually, singly, exclusively, uniquely 3 leave someone or something aloneto refrain from annoying someone or interfering with something 4 let alonenot to mention: it looked inconceivable that he could run again, let alone be electedalong prep 1over part or all of the length of: we were going along the railway tracks ▸ adv 2moving forward: they were roaring along at 40mph 3in company with another or others: let them go along for the ride 4 along withtogether with: I'm including the good days along with the badalongside prep 1close beside ▸ adv 2near the side of somethingaloof adj distant or haughty in manneralopecia (al-loh- pee-sha) n loss of hair, usually due to illnessaloud adv in an audible voice ◇ SYNONYMS: out loud, clearly, plainly, distinctly, audibly, intelligiblyalpaca n 1a South American mammal related to the llama, with dark shaggy hair 2wool or cloth made from this hairalpenstock n a strong stick with an iron tip used by hikers and mountain climbersalpha n 1the first letter in the Greek alphabet (Α, α) 2(Brit) the highest grade in an examination or for a piece of academic work 3 alpha and omegathe first and lastalphabet n a set of letters in fixed conventional order, used in a writing systemalphabetical adj in the conventional order of the letters of an alphabet > alphabetically advalphabetize or -ise vb -izing, -izedor -ising, -isedto put in alphabetical order > alphabetization or -isation nalpine adj 1of high mountains 2Alpine of the Alps ▸ n 3a plant grown on or native to mountainsalready adv 1before the present time ◇ SYNONYMS: before now, before, previously, at present, by now, by then, even now, just now 2before an implied or expected time ◇ SYNONYMS: before now, before, previously, at present, by now, by then, even now, just nowalright adj, interj, adv (not standard) same as all right Alsatian n a large wolflike dogalso adv in addition; too ◇ SYNONYMS: and, too, further, in addition, as well, moreover, besides, furthermorealso-ran n a loser in a race, competition, or electionalt combining form alternative: alt rockaltar n 1the table used for Communion in Christian churches 2a raised structure on which sacrifices are offered and religious rites performedaltarpiece n a painting or a decorated screen set above and behind the altar in a Christian churchalter vb to make or become different; change ◇ SYNONYMS: modify, change, reform, vary, transform, adjust, adapt, revisealteration n a change or modificationaltercation n a noisy argumentalter ego n 1a hidden side to one's personality 2a very close friendalternate vb -nating, -nated 1to occur by turns ◇ SYNONYMS: interchange, change, fluctuate, take turns, oscillate, chop and change 2to interchange regularly or in succession ◇ SYNONYMS: intersperse, interchange, exchange, swap, stagger, rotate ▸ adj 3occurring by turns ◇ SYNONYMS: alternating, interchanging, every other, rotating, every second, sequential 4every second (one) of a series: alternate days 5being a second choice > alternately adv > alternation nalternating current n an electric current that reverses direction at frequent regular intervalsalternative n 1a possibility of choice between two or more things ◇ SYNONYMS: substitute, choice, other, option, preference, recourse 2either or any of such choices ◇ SYNONYMS: substitute, choice, other, option, preference, recourse ▸ adj 3presenting a choice between two or more possibilities 4of a lifestyle, etc. that is less conventional or materialistic than is usual > alternatively advalternator n an electrical machine that generates an alternating currentalthough conj in spite of the fact that ◇ SYNONYMS: though, while, even if, even though, whilst, albeit, despite the fact that, notwithstandingaltimeter (al- tim-it-er) n an instrument that measures altitudealtitude n height, esp. above sea levelalto n, pl -tos 1short for contralto 2the highest adult male voice 3a singer with an alto voice 4a musical instrument, for instance a saxophone, that is the second or third highest in its family ▸ adj 5denoting such an instrument, singer, or voice: an alto flutealtogether adv 1completely: an altogether different message ◇ SYNONYMS: absolutely, quite, completely, totally, perfectly, fully, thoroughly, wholly 2on the whole: this is not altogether a bad thing ◇ SYNONYMS: on the whole, generally, mostly, in general, collectively, all things considered, on average, for the most part 3in total: altogether, 25 aircraft took part ◇ SYNONYMS: in total, in all, all told, taken together, in sum, everything included ▸ n 4 in the altogether(informal) nakedaltruism n unselfish concern for the welfare of others > altruist n > altruistic adjaluminium or (US & Canad) aluminum n (chem) a light malleable silvery-white metallic element that does not rust. SYMBOL: Alalumnus (al- lumm-nuss) or (fem) alumna (al- lumm-na) n, pl -ni(-nie) or -nae(-nee) (chiefly US & Canad) a graduate of a school or collegealways adv 1without exception: she was always at the top of her form in school work ◇ SYNONYMS: habitually, regularly, every time, consistently, invariably, perpetually, without exception, customarily 2continually: you're always shouting or whining ◇ SYNONYMS: continually, constantly, all the time, forever, repeatedly, persistently, perpetually, incessantly 3in any case: they're all adults, they can always say noalyssum n a garden plant with clusters of small white flowersam vb (with "I" as subject) a form of the present tense of be AM 1amplitude modulation 2(in Britain) Member of the National Assembly for Walesa.m. before noonamalgam n 1a blend or combination 2an alloy of mercury with another metal: dental amalgamamalgamate vb -mating, -mated 1to combine or unite 2to alloy (a metal) with mercury > amalgamation namandla (a- mand-la) n (S African) a political slogan calling for power to the Black populationamanuensis (am-man-yew- en-siss) n, pl -ses(-seez) a person who copies manuscripts or takes dictationamaranth n 1(poetic) an imaginary flower that never fades 2a lily-like plant with small green, red, or purple flowersamaryllis n a lily-like plant with large red or white flowers and a long stalkamass vb to accumulate or collect: the desire to amass wealth ◇ SYNONYMS: collect, gather, assemble, compile, accumulate, pile up, hoardamateur n 1a person who engages in a sport or other activity as a pastime rather than as a profession ◇ SYNONYMS: nonprofessional, outsider, layperson, layman or woman, dilettante, non-specialist, dabbler 2a person unskilled in a subject or activity ▸ adj 3doing something out of interest, not for money 4amateurish > amateurism namateurish adj lacking skillamatory adj of or relating to romantic or sexual loveamaze vb amazing, amazedto fill with surprise; astonish ◇ SYNONYMS: astonish, surprise, shock, stun, alarm, stagger, startle, bewilder > amazement n > amazing adj > amazingly advAmazon n 1a strong and powerful woman 2(Greek myth) one of a race of women warriors of Scythia > Amazonian adjambassador n 1a diplomat of the highest rank, sent to another country as permanent representative of his or her own country ◇ SYNONYMS: representative, minister, agent, deputy, diplomat, envoy, consul, attaché 2a representative or messenger: he saw himself as an ambassador for the game > ambassadorial adjamber n 1a yellow translucent fossilized resin, used in jewellery ▸ adj 2brownish-yellowambergris ( am-ber-greece) n a waxy substance secreted by the sperm whale, which is used in making perfumesambidextrous adj able to use both hands with equal easeambience or ambiance n the atmosphere of a placeambient adj 1surrounding: low ambient temperatures 2creating a relaxing atmosphere: ambient musicambiguity n, pl -ties 1the possibility of interpreting an expression in more than one way ◇ SYNONYMS: vagueness, doubt, uncertainty, obscurity, equivocation, dubiousness 2an ambiguous situation or expression: the ambiguities of feminine identityambiguous adj having more than one possible interpretation ◇ SYNONYMS: unclear, obscure, vague, dubious, enigmatic, indefinite, inconclusive, indeterminate > ambiguously advambit n limits or boundaryambition n 1strong desire for success ◇ SYNONYMS: enterprise, longing, drive, spirit, desire, passion, enthusiasm, striving 2something so desired; a goal ◇ SYNONYMS: goal, hope, dream, target, aim, wish, purpose, desireambitious adj 1having a strong desire for success ◇ SYNONYMS: enterprising, spirited, daring, eager, intent, enthusiastic, hopeful, striving 2requiring great effort or ability: ambitious plansambivalence (am- biv-a-lenss) n the state of feeling two conflicting emotions at the same time > ambivalent adjamble vb -bling, -bled 1to walk at a leisurely pace ▸ n 2a leisurely walk or paceambrosia n 1something delightful to taste or smell 2(classical myth) the food of the godsambulance n a motor vehicle designed to carry sick or injured peopleambush n 1the act of waiting in a concealed position to make a surprise attack 2an attack from such a position ◇ SYNONYMS: trap, snare, lure, waylaying ▸ vb 3to attack suddenly from a concealed position ◇ SYNONYMS: trap, attack, surprise, deceive, dupe, ensnare, waylay, bushwhack (US)ameliorate (am- meal-yor-rate) vb -rating, -ratedto make (something) better > amelioration namen interj so be it: used at the end of a prayeramenable (a- mean-a-bl) adj likely or willing to cooperateamend vb to make small changes to something such as a piece of writing or a contract, in order to improve it: he has amended the basic design ◇ SYNONYMS: change, improve, reform, fix, correct, repair, edit, alteramendment n an improvement or correction ◇ SYNONYMS: addition, change, adjustment, attachment, adaptation, revision, modification, alterationamends pl n make amends forto compensate for some injury or insultamenity n, pl -tiesa useful or enjoyable feature: all kinds of amenities including horse riding and golf ◇ SYNONYMS: facility, service, advantage, comfort, convenienceAmerican adj 1of the United States of America or the American continent ▸ n 2a person from the United States of America or the American continentAmericanism n an expression or custom that is characteristic of the people of the United StatesAmericano n, pl -nosespresso coffee diluted with hot wateramethyst ( am-myth-ist) n 1a purple or violet variety of quartz used as a gemstone ▸ adj 2purple or violetamiable adj having a pleasant nature; friendly > amiability n > amiably advamicable adj characterized by friendliness: ideally the parting should be amicable > amicability n > amicably advamid or amidst prep in the middle of; among ◇ SYNONYMS: in the middle of, among, surrounded by, amongst, in the midst of, in the thick ofamidships adv (naut) at, near, or towards the centre of a shipamino acid (am- mean-oh) n (chem) any of a group of organic compounds containing the aminogroup, –NH2, and one or more carboxyl groups, –COOH, esp. one that is a component of proteinamiss adv 1wrongly or badly: anxious not to tread amiss 2 take something amissto be offended by something ▸ adj 3wrong or faultyamity n (formal) friendshipammeter n an instrument for measuring an electric current in amperesammonia n 1a colourless strong-smelling gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen 2a solution of this in waterammonite n the fossilized spiral shell of an extinct sea creatureammunition n 1bullets, bombs, and shells that can be fired from or as a weapon ◇ SYNONYMS: munitions, rounds, shot, shells, powder, explosives, armaments 2facts that can be used in an argumentamnesia n a partial or total loss of memory > amnesiac adj, namnesty n, pl -ties 1a general pardon for offences against a government ◇ SYNONYMS: general pardon, mercy, pardoning, immunity, forgiveness, reprieve, remission, clemency 2a period during which a law is suspended, to allow people to confess to crime or give up weapons without fear of prosecutionamniocentesis n, pl -sesremoval of amniotic fluid from the womb of a pregnant woman in order to detect possible abnormalities in the fetusamniotic fluid n the fluid surrounding the fetus in the wombamoeba or (US) ameba (am- mee-ba) n, pl -bae(-bee) or -basa microscopic single-cell creature that is able to change its shapeamok or amuck adv run amokto run about in a violent frenzyamong or amongst prep 1in the midst of: she decided to dwell among the Greeks ◇ SYNONYMS: in the midst of, with, together with, in the middle of, amid, surrounded by, amidst, in the thick of 2in the group, class, or number of: he is among the top trainers ◇ SYNONYMS: in the group of, one of, part of, included in, in the company of, in the class of, in the number of 3to each of: the stakes should be divided among the players ◇ SYNONYMS: between, to 4with one another within a group: sort it out among yourselvesamoral (aim- mor-ral) adj without moral standards or principles > amorality namorous adj feeling, displaying, or relating to sexual love or desireamorphous adj 1lacking a definite shape 2of no recognizable character or typeamortize or -tise vb -tizing, -tizedor -tising, -tised(finance) to pay off (a debt) gradually by periodic transfers to a sinking fundamount n 1extent or quantity ◇ SYNONYMS: quantity, measure, size, supply, mass, volume, capacity, extent ▸ vb 2 amount toto be equal or add up to ◇ SYNONYMS amount to something: add up to, mean, total, equal, constitute, comprise, be equivalent toamour n a secret love affairamp n 1an ampere 2(informal) an amplifierampere ( am-pair) n the basic unit of electric currentampersand n the character &, meaning andamphetamine (am- fet-am-mean) n a drug used as a stimulantamphibian n 1an animal, such as a newt, frog, or toad, that lives on land but breeds in water 2a vehicle that can travel on both water and landamphibious adj 1living or operating both on land and in or on water 2relating to a military attack launched from the sea against a shoreamphitheatre or (US) amphitheater n a circular or oval building without a roof, in which tiers of seats rise from a central open arenaamphora ( am-for-ra) n, pl -phorae(-for-ree) an ancient Greek or Roman jar with two handles and a narrow neckample adj 1more than sufficient: there is already ample evidence ◇ SYNONYMS: plenty of, generous, lavish, abundant, plentiful, expansive, copious, profuse 2large: ample helpings of stewed pomegranates and pears ◇ SYNONYMS: large, full, extensive, generous, abundant, bountifulamplifier n an electronic device used to increase the strength of a current or sound signalamplify vb -fies, -fying, -fied 1(electronics) to increase the strength of (a current or sound signal) 2to explain in more detail 3to increase the size, extent, or effect of > amplification namplitude n 1greatness of extent 2(physics) the maximum displacement from the zero or mean position of a wave or oscillationamply adv fully or generously: she was amply rewarded for it ◇ SYNONYMS: fully, completely, richly, generously, abundantly, profusely, copiouslyampoule or (US) ampule n (med) a small glass container in which liquids for injection are sealedamputate vb -tating, -tatedto cut off (a limb or part of a limb) for medical reasons > amputation namuck adv same as amok amulet n a trinket or jewel worn as a protection against evilamuse vb amusing, amused 1to cause to laugh or smile ◇ SYNONYMS: entertain, please, delight, charm, cheer, tickle 2to entertain or keep interested ◇ SYNONYMS: occupy, interest, involve, engage, entertain, absorb, engross > amusing adj > amusingly advamusement n 1the state of being amused ◇ SYNONYMS: enjoyment, entertainment, cheer, mirth, merriment 2something that amuses or entertains someone ◇ SYNONYMS: pastime, game, sport, joke, entertainment, hobby, recreation, diversion