Collins Dictionaries - Collins First Dictionary

I fell and twisted my ankle.

annoy verb annoys, annoying, annoyed

If something annoys you, it makes you angry and upset.

It annoys me when people are rude.

another

You use another to mean one more.

She ate another cake.

answer verb answers, answering, answered

If you answer someone, you say something back to them.

She said hello, but he didn’t answer.

ant noun ants

Ants are small insects that live in large groups.

antelope noun antelopes

An antelope is an animal that looks like a deer.

any

1 You use any to mean some of a thing.

Is there any juice left?

2 You also use any to show that it does not matter which one.

Take any book you want.

anybody

You use anybody to talk about a person, when it does not matter which one.

Is there anybody there?

anyone

You use anyone to talk about a person, when it does not matter who.

Don’t tell anyone.

anything

You use anything to talk about a thing, when it does not matter which one.

I can’t see anything.

anywhere

You use anywhere to talk about a place, when it does not matter which one.

You can go anywhere you like.

apart

1 When things are apart, there is a space or a distance between them.

The desks are too far apart.

2 If you take something apart, you take it to pieces.

He took his bike apart.

ape noun apes

An ape is an animal like a large monkey with long, strong arms and no tail.

apologize or apologise verb apologizes, apologizing, apologized

When you apologize, you say that you are sorry for something you have said or done.

He apologized for breaking the window.

appear verb appears, appearing, appeared

When something appears, it becomes possible to see it.

The sun appeared from behind the clouds.

apple noun apples

An apple is a firm, round fruit with green, red, or yellow skin.

April noun

April is the month after March and before May. It has 30 days.

His birthday is in April.

apron noun aprons

An apron is a large piece of cloth that you wear over your other clothes to keep them clean when you are cooking or painting.

are

Look at be.

They are both in my class.

area noun areas

An area is a part of a place.

We live in an area near the park.

aren’t

Aren’t is short for are not.

My friends aren’t here today.

argue verb argues, arguing, argued

If you argue with someone, you talk about something that you do not agree about.

We argued about where to go.

argument noun arguments

If you have an argument with someone, you talk about something that you do not agree about.

She had an argument with another girl.

arm noun arms

Your arms are the two parts of your body between your shoulders and your hands.

She stretched her arms out.

armchair noun armchairs

An armchair is a big comfortable chair with parts on the sides for you to put your arms on.

army noun armies

An army is a large group of soldiers who fight in a war.

around

1 Around means in a circle.

There were lots of people around her.

2 You also use around to say that something is in every part of a place.

His toys lay around the room.

3 Around also means near to something.

We left around noon.

arrange verb arranges, arranging, arranged

1 If you arrange something, you make plans for it to happen.

We arranged a party for her birthday.

2 If you arrange things somewhere, you put them in a way that looks tidy or pretty.

He arranged the books in piles.

arrive verb arrives, arriving, arrived

When you arrive at a place, you get there.

We arrived ten minutes late.

arrow noun arrows

1 An arrow is a long, thin stick with a sharp point at one end.

The soldiers used bows and arrows.

2 An arrow is also a sign that shows you which way to go.

Follow the arrows along the path.

art noun

Art is something that someone has made for people to look at, for example a painting or drawing.

ask verb asks, asking, asked

1 If you ask someone a question, you say that you want to know something.

I asked him what his name was.

2 If you ask for something, you say that you want it.

She asked for some sweets.

asleep adjective

If you are asleep, you are sleeping.

The cat was asleep under the tree.

assembly noun assemblies

An assembly is a group of people who meet together.

We were late for school assembly.

assistant noun assistants

An assistant is someone who helps another person in their work.

astronaut noun astronauts

An astronaut is a person who travels in space.

ate

Look at eat.

He ate three apples.

atlas noun atlases

An atlas is a book of maps.

attack verb attacks, attacking, attacked

If someone attacks another person, they try to hurt them.

attention noun

If you pay attention, you watch and listen.

He always pays attention in class.

attract verb attracts, attracting, attracted

If something attracts things to it, it makes them move towards it.

Magnets attract anything made of iron.

audience noun audiences

An audience is all of the people who watch or listen to something, for example a film or a play.

August noun

August is the month after July and before September. It has 31 days.

We went on holiday in August.

aunt noun aunts

Your aunt is the sister of your mother or father, or the wife of your uncle.

author noun authors

An author is a person who writes books.

autumn noun autumns

Autumn is the season after summer and before winter. In the autumn the weather usually becomes cooler and the leaves fall off the trees.

awake adjective

Someone who is awake is not sleeping.

I stayed awake until midnight.

away

1 If someone moves away from a place, they move so that they are not there any more.

He walked away from the house.

2 If you put something away, you put it where it should be.

Put your books away before you go.

awful adjective

If something is awful, it is very bad.

There was an awful smell.

axe noun axes

An axe is a tool with a handle and a big, sharp blade. It is used to chop wood.