Collins Dictionaries - Collins English Dictionary and Thesaurus Essential

at prep

1indicating location or position: she had planted a vegetable garden at the back 2towards; in the direction of: she was staring at the wall behind him 3indicating position in time: we arrived at 12.30 4engaged in: the innocent laughter of children at play 5during the passing of: she works at night as a nurse's aide 6for; in exchange for: crude oil is selling at its lowest price since September 7indicating the object of an emotion: I'm angry at you because you were rude to meatavism ( at-a-viz-zum) n 1the recurrence of primitive characteristics that were present in distant ancestors but not in more recent ones 2reversion to a former type > atavistic adjate vb the past tense of eatatheism ( aith-ee-iz-zum) n the belief that there is no God > atheist natherosclerosis n, pl -sesa disease in which deposits of fat cause the walls of the arteries to thicken > atherosclerotic adjathlete n 1a person trained to compete in sports or exercises ◇ SYNONYMS: sportsperson, player, runner, competitor, sportsman, contestant, gymnast, sportswoman 2(chiefly Brit) a competitor in track-and-field eventsathletic adj 1physically fit or strong ◇ SYNONYMS: fit, strong, powerful, healthy, active, trim, strapping, energetic 2of or for an athlete or athletics > athletically adv > athleticism nathletics pl n (Brit & Austral) track-and-field events ◇ SYNONYMS: sports, games, races, exercises, contests, sporting events, gymnastics, track and field eventsathwart prep 1across ▸ adv 2transversely; from one side to anotheratlas n a book of mapsatmosphere n 1the mass of gases surrounding the earth or any other heavenly body ◇ SYNONYMS: air, sky, heavens, aerosphere 2the air in a particular place 3a pervasive feeling or mood: the atmosphere was tense ◇ SYNONYMS: feeling, character, environment, spirit, surroundings, tone, mood, climate 4a unit of pressure equal to the normal pressure of the air at sea level > atmospheric adj > atmospherically advatmospherics pl n radio interference caused by electrical disturbance in the atmosphereatoll n a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoonatom n 1 Athe smallest quantity of an element which can take part in a chemical reaction Bthis entity as a source of nuclear energy 2a very small amount ◇ SYNONYMS: particle, bit, spot, trace, molecule, dot, speckatom bomb n same as atomic bomb atomic adj 1of or using atomic bombs or atomic energy 2of atoms > atomically advatomic bomb or atom bomb n a type of bomb in which the energy is provided by nuclear fissionatomic energy n same as nuclear energyatomic number n the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of an elementatomic weight n the ratio of the average mass per atom of an element to one twelfth of the mass of an atom of carbon-12atomize or -ise vb -izing, -izedor -ising, -ised 1to separate into free atoms 2to reduce to fine particles or spray 3to destroy by nuclear weaponsatomizer or -iser n a device for reducing a liquid to a fine sprayatonal (eh- tone-al) adj (of music) not written in an established key > atonality natone vb atoning, atonedto make amends (for a sin, crime, or wrongdoing)atonement n 1something done to make amends for wrongdoing 2(Christian theol) the reconciliation of humankind with God through the sacrificial death of Christatop prep on top ofatrium n, pl atria 1(anatomy) the upper chamber of each half of the heart 2a central hall that extends through several storeys in a modern building 3the open main court of an ancient Roman house > atrial adjatrocious adj 1extremely cruel or wicked 2horrifying or shocking 3(informal) very bad > atrociously advatrocity n 1behaviour that is wicked or cruel ◇ SYNONYMS: cruelty, horror, brutality, savagery, wickedness, barbarity, viciousness, fiendishness 2pl -tiesan act of extreme cruelty ◇ SYNONYMS: act of cruelty, crime, horror, evil, outrage, abominationatrophy ( at-trof-fee) n, pl -phies 1a wasting away of a physical organ or part 2a failure to grow ▸ vb -phies, -phying, -phied 3to waste awayattach vb 1to join, fasten, or connect ◇ SYNONYMS: affix, stick, secure, add, join, couple, link, tie 2to attribute or ascribe: he attaches particular importance to the proposed sale ◇ SYNONYMS: ascribe, connect, attribute, assign, associate 3 attach oneself or be attached toto become associated with or joinattaché (at- tash-shay) n a specialist attached to a diplomatic missionattaché case n a flat rectangular briefcase for carrying papersattached adj 1married, engaged, or in an exclusive sexual relationship ◇ SYNONYMS: spoken for, married, partnered, engaged, accompanied 2 attached tofond of ◇ SYNONYMS attached to: fond of, devoted to, affectionate towards, full of regard forattachment n 1affection or regard for ◇ SYNONYMS: fondness, liking, feeling, relationship, regard, attraction, affection, affinity, aroha (NZ) 2an accessory that can be fitted to a device to change what it can do ◇ SYNONYMS: accessory, fitting, extra, component, extension, supplement, fixture, accoutrement 3a computer file sent with an email messageattack vb 1to launch a physical assault (against) ◇ SYNONYMS: assault, strike (at), mug (informal), ambush, tear into, set upon, lay into (informal) 2to criticize vehemently ◇ SYNONYMS: criticize, blame, abuse, condemn, knock (informal), put down, slate (informal), have a go (at) (informal) 3to set about (a job or problem) with vigour 4to affect adversely: BSE attacks the animal's brain 5to take the initiative in a game or sport ▸ n 6the act of attacking ◇ SYNONYMS: assault, charge, campaign, strike, raid, invasion, offensive, blitz 7any sudden appearance of a disease or symptoms: a bad attack of mumps ◇ SYNONYMS: bout, fit, stroke, seizure, spasm, convulsion, paroxysm > attacker nattain vb 1to manage to do or get (something): the country attained economic growth ◇ SYNONYMS: obtain, get, reach, complete, gain, achieve, acquire, fulfil 2to reach ◇ SYNONYMS: reach, achieve, acquire, accomplish > attainable adjattainment n an achievement or the act of achieving somethingattar n a perfume made from damask rosesattempt vb 1to make an effort (to do or achieve something); try ◇ SYNONYMS: try, seek, aim, struggle, venture, undertake, strive, endeavour ▸ n 2an endeavour to achieve something; effort ◇ SYNONYMS: try, go (informal), shot (informal), effort, trial, bid, crack (informal), stab (informal) 3 attempt on someone's lifean attack on someone with the intention to killattend vb 1to be present at (an event) ◇ SYNONYMS: be present, go to, visit, frequent, haunt, appear at, turn up at, patronize 2to go regularly to a school, college, etc. 3to look after: the actors lounged in their canvas chairs, attended by sycophants 4to pay attention ◇ SYNONYMS: pay attention, listen, hear, mark, note, observe, heed, pay heed 5 attend toto apply oneself to: I've a few things I must attend to ◇ SYNONYMS attend to something: apply yourself to, concentrate on, look after, take care of, see to, get to work on, devote yourself to, occupy yourself withattendance n 1the act of attending ◇ SYNONYMS: presence, being there, attending, appearance 2the number of people present ◇ SYNONYMS: turnout, audience, gate, congregation, house, crowd, throng, number present 3regularity in attendingattendant n 1a person who assists, guides, or provides a service ◇ SYNONYMS: assistant, guard, servant, companion, aide, escort, follower, helper ▸ adj 2associated: nuclear power and its attendant dangers ◇ SYNONYMS: accompanying, related, associated, accessory, consequent, resultant, concomitant 3being in attendanceattention n 1concentrated direction of the mind ◇ SYNONYMS: thinking, thought, mind, consideration, scrutiny, heed, deliberation, intentness 2consideration, notice, or observation ◇ SYNONYMS: awareness, regard, notice, recognition, consideration, observation, consciousness 3detailed care or treatment ◇ SYNONYMS: care, support, concern, treatment, looking after, succour, ministration 4the alert position in military drill 5 attentionsacts of courtesy: the attentions of men seemed to embarrass herattentive adj 1paying close attention 2considerately helpful: at society parties he is attentive to his wife > attentively adv > attentiveness nattenuated adj 1weakened 2thin and extended > attenuation nattest vb 1to affirm or prove the truth of 2to bear witness to (an act or event) > attestation nattic n a space or room within the roof of a house ◇ SYNONYMS: loft, garret, roof spaceattire n clothes, esp. fine or formal onesattired adj dressed in a specified wayattitude n 1the way a person thinks and behaves ◇ SYNONYMS: opinion, view, position, approach, mood, perspective, point of view, stance 2a position of the body ◇ SYNONYMS: position, bearing, pose, stance, carriage, posture 3(informal) a hostile manner 4the orientation of an aircraft or spacecraft in relation to some plane or directionattorney n 1a person legally appointed to act for another 2(US) a lawyerattract vb 1to arouse the interest or admiration of ◇ SYNONYMS: allure, draw, persuade, charm, appeal to, win over, tempt, lure (informal) 2(of a magnet) to draw (something) closer by exerting a force on it ◇ SYNONYMS: pull (informal), draw, magnetizeattraction n 1the act or quality of attracting ◇ SYNONYMS: appeal, pull (informal), charm, lure, temptation, fascination, allure, magnetism 2an interesting or desirable feature: the attractions of working abroad ◇ SYNONYMS: appeal, pull (informal), charm, lure, temptation, fascination, allure, magnetism 3an object or place that people visit for interest: this carefully preserved tourist attraction 4(of a magnet) a force by which one object attracts another ◇ SYNONYMS: pull, magnetismattractive adj appealing to the senses or mind ◇ SYNONYMS: seductive, charming, tempting, pretty, fair, inviting, lovely, pleasant, hot (informal), fit (Brit informal), lush (slang) > attractively adv > attractiveness nattribute vb -uting, -uted 1 attribute toto regard as belonging to or produced by: a play attributed to William Shakespeare ◇ SYNONYMS: ascribe, credit, refer, trace, assign, charge, allocate, put down ▸ n 2a quality or feature belonging to or representative of a person or thing ◇ SYNONYMS: quality, feature, property, character, element, aspect, characteristic, distinction > attributable adj > attribution nattributive adj (grammar) (of an adjective) coming before the noun modifiedattrition n constant wearing down to weaken or destroy: a war of attritionattune vb -tuning, -tunedto adjust or accustom (a person or thing)atypical (eh- tip-ik-kl) adj not typical > atypically advAu (chem) goldaubergine ( oh-bur-zheen) n (Brit) the dark purple fruit of a tropical plant, cooked and eaten as a vegetableaubrietia (aw- bree-sha) n a trailing purple-flowered rock plantauburn adj (of hair) reddish-brownauction n 1a public sale at which articles are sold to the highest bidder ▸ vb 2to sell by auctionauctioneer n a person who conducts an auctionaudacious adj 1recklessly bold or daring 2impudent or presumptuous > audacity naudible adj loud enough to be heard > audibility n > audibly advaudience n 1a group of spectators or listeners at a concert or play ◇ SYNONYMS: spectators, company, crowd, gathering, gallery, assembly, viewers, listeners 2the people reached by a book, film, or radio or television programme 3a formal interview ◇ SYNONYMS: interview, meeting, hearing, exchange, reception, consultationaudio adj 1of or relating to sound or hearing 2of or for the transmission or reproduction of soundaudiovisual adj involving both hearing and sight: audiovisual teaching aidsaudit n 1an official inspection of business accounts, conducted by an independent qualified accountant 2any thoroughgoing assessment or review: an audit of their lifestyle ▸ vb auditing, audited 3to examine (business accounts) officiallyaudition n 1a test of a performer's or musician's ability for a particular role or job ▸ vb 2to test or be tested in an auditionauditor n a person qualified to audit accountsauditorium n, pl -toriumsor -toria 1the area of a concert hall or theatre in which the audience sits 2(US & Canad) a building for public meetingsauditory adj of or relating to hearingau fait (oh fay) adj 1(usually foll. by with) fully informed (about) 2expertAug. Augustauger n a pointed tool for boring holesaught pron (old-fashioned, or literary) anything whatever: for aught I knowaugment vb to make or become greater in number or strength > augmentation nau gratin (oh grat-tan) adj cooked with a topping of breadcrumbs and sometimes cheeseaugur vb to be a good or bad sign of future events: a double fault on the opening point did not augur wellaugury n 1the foretelling of the future 2pl -riesan omenaugust adj dignified and imposingAugust n the eighth month of the yearauk n a northern sea bird with a heavy body, short wings, and black-and-white plumageaunt n 1a sister of one's father or mother 2the wife of one's uncle 3a child's term of address for a female friend of the parentsauntie or aunty n, pl -ies(informal) an auntAunt Sally n, pl -lies 1a figure used in fairgrounds as a target 2any target for insults or criticismau pair n a young foreign person, typically a woman, who helps with childcare or housework in return for board and lodgingaura n, pl aurasor aurae 1a distinctive air or quality associated with a person or thing ◇ SYNONYMS: air, feeling, quality, atmosphere, tone, mood, ambience 2any invisible emanationaural adj of or using the ears or hearing > aurally advaureole or aureola n 1a ring of light surrounding the head of a figure represented as holy; halo 2the sun's corona, visible as a faint halo during eclipsesau revoir (oh riv- vwahr) interj goodbyeauricle n 1the upper chamber of the heart 2the outer part of the ear > auricular adjaurora n, pl -rasor -rae 1an atmospheric phenomenon of bands of light sometimes seen in the polar regions 2(poetic) the dawnaurora australis n the aurora seen around the South Poleaurora borealis n the aurora seen around the North Poleauscultation n the listening to of the internal sounds of the body, usually with a stethoscope, to help with medical diagnosisauspices ( aw-spiss-siz) pl n under the auspices ofwith the support and approval ofauspicious adj showing the signs of future successAussie n, adj (informal) Australianaustere adj 1stern or severe: his austere and serious attitude to events 2self-disciplined or ascetic: an extraordinarily austere and puritanical organization 3severely simple or plain: the austere backdrop of greyausterity n, pl -ties 1the state of being austere ◇ SYNONYMS: plainness, simplicity, starkness 2reduced availability of luxuries and consumer goodsAustralasian adj of Australia, New Zealand, and neighbouring islandsAustralia Day n a public holiday in Australia on January 26Australian adj 1of Australia ▸ n 2a person from Australiaautarchy ( aw-tar-kee) n, pl -chiesabsolute power or autocracyautarky ( aw-tar-kee) n, pl -kiesa policy of economic self-sufficiencyauthentic adj 1of undisputed origin or authorship; genuine ◇ SYNONYMS: real, pure, genuine, valid, undisputed, lawful, bona fide, dinkum (Austral & NZ informal), true-to-life, live 2reliable or accurate ◇ SYNONYMS: accurate, legitimate, authoritative 3(music) using period instruments, scores, and playing techniques > authentically adv > authenticity nauthenticate vb -cating, -catedto establish as genuine > authentication nauthor n 1a person who writes a book, article, or other written work ◇ SYNONYMS: writer, composer, novelist, hack, creator, scribbler, scribe, wordsmith 2an originator or creator ◇ SYNONYMS: creator, father, producer, designer, founder, architect, inventor, originatorauthoritarian adj 1insisting on strict obedience to authority ◇ SYNONYMS: strict, severe, autocratic, dictatorial, dogmatic, tyrannical, doctrinaire ▸ n 2a person who insists on strict obedience to authority ◇ SYNONYMS: disciplinarian, dictator, tyrant, despot, autocrat, absolutist > authoritarianism nauthoritative adj 1recognized as being reliable: the authoritative book on Shakespeare ◇ SYNONYMS: reliable, accurate, valid, authentic, definitive, dependable, trustworthy 2possessing authority; official ◇ SYNONYMS: commanding, masterly, imposing, assertive, imperious, self-assured > authoritatively advauthority n, pl -ties 1the power to command, control, or judge others ◇ SYNONYMS: prerogative, influence, power, control, weight, direction, command, licence, mana (NZ) 2a person or group with this power: a third escapee turned himself in to the authorities ◇ SYNONYMS: powers that be, government, police, officials, the state, management, administration, the system 3a decision-making organization or government department: the local authority ◇ SYNONYMS: powers that be, government, police, officials, the state, management, administration, the system 4an expert in a particular field ◇ SYNONYMS: expert, specialist, professional, master, guru, virtuoso, connoisseur, fundi (S African) 5official permission: she had no authority to negotiate 6a position that has the power to command, control, or judge others: people in authority ◇ SYNONYMS: command, power, control, rule, management, direction, mastery 7 on good authorityfrom reliable evidence 8confidence resulting from expertiseauthorize or -ise vb -izing, -izedor -ising, -ised 1to give authority to ◇ SYNONYMS: empower, commission, enable, entitle, mandate, accredit, give authority to 2to give official permission for ◇ SYNONYMS: permit, allow, grant, approve, sanction, license, warrant, consent to > authorization or -isation nauthorship n 1the origin or originator of a written work or plan 2the profession of writingautism n (psychiatry) a developmental condition characterized by difficulties in responding to and communicating with other people > autistic adjauto- or (sometimes before a vowel) aut- combining form 1self; of or by the same one: autobiography 2self-propelling: automobileautobiography n, pl -phiesan account of a person's life written by that person > autobiographer n > autobiographical adjautocracy n, pl -ciesgovernment by an individual with unrestricted authorityautocrat n 1a ruler with absolute authority 2a dictatorial person > autocratic adj > autocratically advautocross n a sport in which cars race over a circuit of rough grassAutocue n (trademark) an electronic television prompting device displaying a speaker's script, unseen by the audienceautogiro or autogyro n, pl -rosa self-propelled aircraft resembling a helicopter but with an unpowered rotorautograph n 1a handwritten signature of a famous person ▸ vb 2to write one's signature on or inautomat n (US) a vending machineautomate vb -mating, -matedto make (a manufacturing process) automaticautomatic adj 1(of a device or mechanism) able to activate or regulate itself ◇ SYNONYMS: mechanical, automated, mechanized, push-button, self-propelling 2(of a process) performed by automatic equipment ◇ SYNONYMS: mechanical, automated, mechanized, push-button, self-propelling 3done without conscious thought ◇ SYNONYMS: involuntary, natural, unconscious, mechanical, spontaneous, reflex, instinctive, unwilled 4(of a firearm) utilizing some of the force of each explosion to reload and fire continuously 5occurring as a necessary consequence: the certificate itself carries no automatic legal benefits ▸ n 6an automatic firearm 7a motor vehicle with automatic transmission > automatically advautomation n the use of automatic, often electronic, methods to control industrial processesautomaton n, pl -tonsor -ta 1a mechanical device operating under its own power 2a person who acts mechanicallyautomobile n (US & Canad) a carautonomous adj 1having self-government ◇ SYNONYMS: self-ruling, free, independent, sovereign, self-sufficient, self-governing, self-determining 2independent of others ◇ SYNONYMS: self-ruling, free, independent, sovereign, self-sufficient, self-governing, self-determiningautonomy n, pl -mies 1the right or state of self-government ◇ SYNONYMS: independence, freedom, sovereignty, self-determination, self-government, self-rule, self-sufficiency, home rule, rangatiratanga (NZ) 2freedom to determine one's own actions and behaviour ◇ SYNONYMS: independence, freedom, sovereignty, self-determination, self-government, self-rule, self-sufficiency, home rule, rangatiratanga (NZ)autopsy n, pl -siesexamination of a corpse to determine the cause of deathautosuggestion n a process in which a person unconsciously supplies the means of influencing his or her own behaviour or beliefsautumn n 1the season of the year between summer and winter 2a period of late maturity followed by a decline > autumnal adjauxiliary adj 1secondary or supplementary 2supporting ▸ n, pl -ries 3a person or thing that supports or supplementsauxiliary verb n a verb used to indicate the tense, voice, or mood of another verb, such as will in I will goavail vb 1to be of use, advantage, or assistance (to) 2 avail oneself ofto make use of ▸ n 3use or advantage: to no availavailable adj 1obtainable or accessible ◇ SYNONYMS: accessible, ready, to hand, handy, at hand, free, to be had, achievable 2able to be contacted and willing to talk: a spokesman insisted she was not available for comment > availability n > availably advavalanche n 1a fall of large masses of snow and ice down a mountain ◇ SYNONYMS: snow-slide, landslide, landslip 2a sudden or overwhelming quantity of anything ◇ SYNONYMS: large amount, barrage, torrent, deluge, inundationavant-garde (av-ong- gard) n 1those artists, writers, or musicians whose techniques and ideas are in advance of those generally accepted ▸ adj 2using ideas or techniques in advance of those generally accepted ◇ SYNONYMS: progressive, pioneering, experimental, innovative, unconventional, ground-breakingavarice ( av-a-riss) n extreme greed for wealth > avaricious adjavast interj (naut) stop! cease!avatar n 1(Hinduism) the appearance of a god in human or animal form 2a movable image that represents a person in a virtual environment, such as an online role-playing gameAve. avenueavenge vb avenging, avengedto inflict a punishment in retaliation for (harm done) or on behalf of (the person harmed) > avenger navenue n 1a wide street ◇ SYNONYMS: street, way, course, drive, road, approach, route, path 2a road bordered by two rows of trees 3a line of approach: the United States was exhausting every avenue to achieve a diplomatic solutionaver (av- vur) vb averring, averredto state to be true > averment naverage n 1the typical or normal amount or quality ◇ SYNONYMS: standard, normal, usual, par, mode, mean, medium, norm 2the result obtained by adding the numbers or quantities in a set and dividing the total by the number of members in the set ◇ SYNONYMS: standard, normal, usual, par, mode, mean, medium, norm 3 on averageusually or typically ◇ SYNONYMS on average: usually, generally, normally, typically, for the most part, as a rule ▸ adj 4usual or typical ◇ SYNONYMS: usual, standard, general, normal, regular, ordinary, typical, commonplace 5calculated as an average ◇ SYNONYMS: mean, middle, medium, intermediate, median 6mediocre or inferior ▸ vb -aging, -aged 7to calculate or estimate the average of 8to amount to or be on average ◇ SYNONYMS: make on average, be on average, even out to, do on average, balance out toaverse adj opposed: he's not averse to publicity, of the right kindaversion n 1extreme dislike or disinclination 2a person or thing that arouses thisavert vb 1to turn away: he had to avert his eyes ◇ SYNONYMS: turn away, turn aside 2to ward off: a final attempt to avert war ◇ SYNONYMS: ward off, avoid, prevent, frustrate, fend off, preclude, stave off, forestall, deflectavian ( aiv-ee-an) adj of or like a bird: the treatment of avian diseasesavian flu n another name for bird flu aviary n, pl aviariesa large enclosure in which birds are keptaviation n the art or science of flying aircraftaviator or (fem) aviatrix n (old-fashioned) the pilot of an aircraftavid adj 1very keen or enthusiastic: she is an avid football fan 2eager: avid for economic development > avidity n > avidly advavocado n, pl -dosa pear-shaped tropical fruit with a leathery green skin and greenish-yellow fleshavocation n 1(Brit & Austral & NZ old-fashioned) a person's regular job 2(formal) a hobbyavocet n a long-legged shore bird with a long slender upward-curving billavoid vb 1to refrain from doing ◇ SYNONYMS: refrain from, bypass, dodge, eschew, escape, duck (out of) (informal), fight shy of, shirk from 2to prevent from happening ◇ SYNONYMS: prevent, stop, frustrate, hamper, foil, inhibit, avert, thwart 3to keep out of the way of ◇ SYNONYMS: keep away from, dodge, shun, evade, steer clear of, bypass > avoidable adj > avoidably adv > avoidance navoirdupois or avoirdupois weight (av-er-de- poise) n a system of weights based on the pound, which contains 16 ouncesavow vb 1to state or affirm 2to admit openly > avowal n > avowed adj > avowedly (a- vow-id-lee) advavuncular adj (of a man) friendly, helpful, and caring towards someone youngerawait vb 1to wait for ◇ SYNONYMS: wait for, expect, look for, look forward to, anticipate, stay for 2to be in store for ◇ SYNONYMS: be in store for, wait for, be ready for, lie in wait for, be in readiness forawake adj 1not sleeping ◇ SYNONYMS: not sleeping, sleepless, wide-awake, aware, conscious, aroused, awakened, restless 2alert or aware: awake to the danger ▸ vb awaking, awokeor awaked, awokenor awaked 3to emerge or rouse from sleep ◇ SYNONYMS: wake up, come to, wake, stir, awaken, rouse 4to become or cause to become alert ◇ SYNONYMS: alert, stimulate, provoke, revive, arouse, stir up, kindleawaken vb 1to awake 2to cause to be aware of: anxieties awakened by reunificationaward vb 1to give (something) for merit ◇ SYNONYMS: present with, give, grant, hand out, confer, endow, bestow 2(law) to declare to be entitled, such as by decision of a court ◇ SYNONYMS: grant, give, confer ▸ n 3something awarded, such as a prize ◇ SYNONYMS: prize, gift, trophy, decoration, grant, bonsela (S African), koha (NZ) 4(law) the decision of an arbitrator or courtaware adj 1 aware ofknowing about: he's at least aware of the problem 2informed: they are becoming more politically aware every day ◇ SYNONYMS: informed, enlightened, knowledgeable, learned, expert, versed, up to date, in the picture > awareness nawash adv, adj washed over by wateraway adv 1from a particular place: I saw them walk away and felt absolutely desolated ◇ SYNONYMS: off, elsewhere, abroad, hence, from here 2in or to another, a usual, or a proper place: he decided to put the car away in the garage 3at a distance: keep away from the windows ◇ SYNONYMS: at a distance, far, apart, remote, isolated 4out of existence: the pillars rotted away 5indicating motion or distance from a normal or proper place: the girl shook her head and looked away 6continuously: he continued to scribble away ◇ SYNONYMS: continuously, repeatedly, relentlessly, incessantly, interminably, unremittingly, uninterruptedly ▸ adj 7not present: she had been away from home for years ◇ SYNONYMS: absent, out, gone, elsewhere, abroad, not here, not present, on vacation 8distant: the castle was farther away than he had thought 9(sport) played on an opponent's groundawe n 1wonder and respect mixed with dread ◇ SYNONYMS: wonder, fear, respect, reverence, horror, terror, dread, admiration ▸ vb awing, awed 2to inspire with reverence or dread ◇ SYNONYMS: impress, amaze, stun, frighten, terrify, astonish, horrify, intimidateawesome adj 1inspiring or displaying awe ◇ SYNONYMS: awe-inspiring, amazing, stunning (informal), impressive, astonishing, formidable, intimidating, breathtaking 2(slang) excellent or outstandingawestruck adj overcome or filled with aweawful adj 1very bad or unpleasant 2(informal) considerable or great: that's an awful lot of money, isn't it? 3(obsolete) inspiring reverence or dread ▸ adv 4(not standard) very: I'm working awful hard on my linesawfully adv 1in an unpleasant way ◇ SYNONYMS: badly, woefully, dreadfully, disgracefully, wretchedly, unforgivably, reprehensibly 2(informal) very: we were both awfully busy ◇ SYNONYMS: very, extremely, terribly, exceptionally, greatly, immensely, exceedingly, dreadfullyawhile adv for a brief periodawkward adj 1clumsy or ungainly ◇ SYNONYMS: clumsy, lumbering, bumbling, unwieldy, ponderous, ungainly, gauche, gawky, unco (Austral slang) 2embarrassed: he was awkward and nervous around girls 3difficult to deal with: the lawyer was in an awkward situation 4difficult to use or handle: it was small but heavy enough to make it awkward to carry ◇ SYNONYMS: inconvenient, difficult, troublesome, cumbersome, unwieldy, unmanageable, clunky (informal) 5embarrassing: there were several moments of awkward silence ◇ SYNONYMS: embarrassing, difficult, sensitive, delicate, uncomfortable, humiliating, disconcerting, inconvenient, barro (Austral slang) > awkwardly adv > awkwardness nawl n a pointed hand tool for piercing wood, leather, etc.awning n a canvas roof supported by a frame to give protection against the weatherawoke vb a past tense and (now rare or dialectal) past participle of awake awoken vb a past participle of awake AWOL ( eh-woll) adj (military) absent without leave but without intending to desertawry (a- rye) adv, adj 1with a twist to one side; askew: my neck was really awry after the journey 2amiss or faulty: if a gear gets stuck, the whole system goes awryaxe or (US) ax n, pl axes 1a hand tool with one side of its head sharpened to a cutting edge, used for felling trees and splitting timber ◇ SYNONYMS: hatchet, chopper, tomahawk, cleaver, adze 2 an axe to grinda favourite topic one wishes to promote 3(informal) a severe cut in spending or in the number of staff employed ▸ vb axing, axed 4(informal) to dismiss (employees), restrict (expenditure), or terminate (a project) ◇ SYNONYMS: abandon, end, eliminate, cancel, scrap, cut back, terminate, dispense withaxial adj 1forming or of an axis 2in, on, or along an axis > axially advaxil n the angle where the stalk of a leaf joins a stemaxiom n 1a generally accepted principle 2a self-evident statementaxiomatic adj 1containing axioms 2self-evident or obvious > axiomatically advaxis ( ax-iss) n, pl axes( ax-eez) 1a real or imaginary line about which a body can rotate or about which an object or geometrical construction is symmetrical ◇ SYNONYMS: pivot, shaft, axle, spindle, centre line 2one of two or three reference lines used in coordinate geometry to locate a point in a plane or in spaceaxle n a shaft on which a wheel or pair of wheels revolvesaxolotl n an aquatic salamander of N Americaayatollah n one of a class of Islamic religious leaders in Iranaye or ay interj 1(Brit & Austral & NZ) yes ▸ n 2an affirmative vote or voterazalea (az- zale-ya) n a garden shrub grown for its showy flowersazimuth n 1the arc of the sky between the zenith and the horizon 2(surveying) the horizontal angle of a bearing measured clockwise from the northAztec n 1a member of a Mexican Indian race who established a great empire, overthrown by the Spanish in the early 16th century 2the language of the Aztecs ▸ adj 3of the Aztecs or their languageazure n 1the deep blue colour of a clear blue sky 2(poetic) a clear blue sky ▸ adj 3deep blue