Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

2 If you assemble something, you fit the parts of it together. • It took us ages to assemble the model car.

assembly assemblies

NOUN a group of people who have gathered together for a meeting

assess assesses, assessing, assessed

VERB If you assess something, you consider it carefully and make a judgement about it. • She tried to assess how much further they had to walk.

SYNONYMS: judge, size up

asset assets

NOUN 1 If someone or something is an asset, they are useful or helpful. • He’s an asset to the school.

2 The assets of a person or a company are all the things they own that could be sold to raise money.

assignment assignments

NOUN a job you are given to do

assist assists, assisting, assisted

VERB If you assist someone, you help them to do something.

assistant assistants

NOUN someone who helps another person to do their job

associate associates, associating, associated

VERB 1 If you associate with someone, you spend time with them.

2 If you associate one thing with another, you make a connection between them.

association associations

NOUN 1 an organization for people who have similar interests, jobs or aims

2 An association between two things is a link you make in your mind between them.

assorted

ADJECTIVE Assorted things are a mixture of various sorts of something. They may be different colours, sizes and shapes.

assortment assortments

NOUN a group of similar things that are different sizes, shapes and colours • There was an amazing assortment of toys in the shop.

assume assumes, assuming, assumed

VERB 1 If you assume that something is true, you believe it, even if you have not thought carefully about it.

2 If you assume responsibility for something, you decide to do it. • I assumed responsibility for feeding the hamster.

assure assures, assuring, assured

VERB If you assure someone of something, you say something to make them less worried about it. • I assured him that I wouldn’t be late.

asterisk asterisks

NOUN a symbol (*) used in writing and printing to draw attention to something that is explained somewhere else, usually at the bottom of the page

asteroid asteroids

NOUN one of the large number of very small planets that move around the sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars

asthma

NOUN a disease of the chest that causes wheezing and difficulty in breathing

[from Greek azein meaning to breathe hard]

asthmatic ADJECTIVE

astonish astonishes, astonishing, astonished

VERB If something astonishes you, it surprises you very much.

astonished ADJECTIVE astonishing ADJECTIVE

astonishingly ADVERB astonishment NOUN

astrology

NOUN the study of the sun, moon and stars in the belief that their movements can influence people’s lives

astronaut astronauts

NOUN a person who operates a spacecraft

[from Greek astron meaning star and nautes meaning sailor]

astronomy

NOUN the scientific study of stars and planets

astronomer NOUN

at

PREPOSITION 1 where someone or something is • John waited for me at the bus stop.

2 the direction something is going in • I threw the snowball at my brother.

3 when something happens • The party starts at six o’clock.

ate

VERB the past tense of eat

atheist atheists

NOUN someone who does not believe in any form of God

athlete athletes

NOUN a person who is very good at sport and who takes part in sporting competitions

athletics

NOUN sporting events such as running, long jump and discus

Atlantic

NOUN the ocean that separates North and South America from Europe and Africa

atlas atlases

NOUN a book of maps

[from the giant Atlas in Greek mythology, who supported the sky on his shoulders]

atmosphere atmospheres

NOUN 1 gases that surround a planet

2 the general mood of a place • There was a friendly atmosphere at the party.

atom atoms

NOUN the smallest part of an element that can take part in a chemical reaction

atrocity atrocities

NOUN an extremely shocking and cruel act

attach attaches, attaching, attached

VERB If you attach something to something else, you join or fasten the two things together.

attachment attachments

NOUN 1 a feeling of love and affection for someone

2 a file attached to an e-mail

attack attacks, attacking, attacked

VERB 1 If someone attacks another person or animal, they use violence in order to hurt or kill them. • The lion attacked the zebra in order to kill it for food.

2 In a game such as football or hockey, players attack to get the ball into a position from which a goal can be scored.

NOUN 3 violent, physical action against someone

attempt attempts, attempting, attempted

VERB 1 If you attempt to do something, you try to do it.

NOUN 2 the act of trying to do something • He made a brave attempt to help.

attend attends, attending, attended

VERB 1 If you attend school, church or hospital, you go there regularly.

2 If you attend an event, you are present at it.

attend to

VERB If you attend to something, you deal with it. • We should attend to our homework before going to the park.

attendant attendants

NOUN someone whose job is to help people in a place such as a museum or shop

attention

NOUN the thought or care that you give to someone or something • I paid a lot of attention to my homework.

attentive

ADJECTIVE When you are attentive, you pay close attention.

attentively ADVERB

attic attics

NOUN a room at the top of a house immediately below the roof

attitude attitudes

NOUN the way you think about someone or something and behave towards them • I’m not going in that shop again. I don’t like their attitude.

attract attracts, attracting, attracted

VERB 1 If something attracts people, it interests them and makes them want to go to it.

2 If someone attracts you, you like them and are interested in them.

3 When magnetic materials are attracted to a magnet, they are pulled towards it.

attraction attractions

NOUN 1 If you feel an attraction for someone, you like them very much.

2 somewhere people like to visit for interest or pleasure, such as a fun fair or a stately home

3 A force of attraction pulls magnetic materials towards a magnet.

attractive

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is attractive is good-looking or has an exciting personality.

2 If something is attractive, it is interesting.

aubergine aubergines

NOUN a dark purple, pear-shaped vegetable. It is also called an eggplant.

auburn

ADJECTIVE a red-brown hair colour

auction auctions, auctioning, auctioned

NOUN 1 a public sale in which goods are sold to the person who offers the highest price

VERB 2 to sell something in an auction

audible

ADJECTIVE If something is audible, you can hear it.

audience audiences

NOUN 1 the group of people who are watching or listening to a performance

2 a private or formal meeting with an important person • The winners of the bravery awards had an audience with the Queen.

audition auditions

NOUN a short performance by an actor or musician, so that a director can decide whether they are suitable for a part in a play or a film, or for a place in an orchestra

auditorium auditoriums or auditoria

NOUN the part of a theatre or concert hall where the audience sits