| a1 |
a grade given for excellent schoolwork. [1/3 definitions] |
| a2 |
any one of a group or kind. [3 definitions] |
| a-1 |
a prefix that means "on," "at," "into," or "to." |
| a-2 |
a prefix that means "away," "from," or "off." [2 definitions] |
| aardvark |
a large mammal with a long snout, long ears, a long tail, and with long fur mostly around its legs. Aardvarks are active at night, when they use their powerful claws to dig open ant or termite nests. They catch their food with their long, sticky tongue. Aardvarks live in southern and central Africa. Although they are sometimes called anteaters, aardvarks are not closely related to any other kind of mammal. |
| abacus |
a device used for counting or calculating. An abacus has beads or other counters that slide along rods or in grooves. |
| abalone |
a large sea snail that has several shiny colors on the inside of its shell. Abalone are mollusks. People eat abalone meat and make decorations from the shells. |
| abandon |
When people abandon a place, they leave it because they have to. They are forced to give it up and go somewhere else. [2/3 definitions] |
| abbey |
a religious place or building where monks or nuns live. |
| abbreviate |
When you abbreviate a word, you use a shorter form of it, You often use just a few letters of the word to stand for the whole thing. We often abbreviate things like the names of months, names for the days of the week, and words in addresses like "Street" and "Road." [1/2 definitions] |
| abbreviation |
a shortened form of a word or phrase used in writing. |
| abdicate |
to officially give up a position of power or a right. |
| ability |
When you have ability for a certain kind of thing, it means that you are good at it. Some words that have a similar meaning to "ability" are "skill" and "talent." [1/2 definitions] |
| -able |
a suffix that means capable or worthy of being the object of a certain action. [3 definitions] |
| able |
having special skill or talent. [1/2 definitions] |
| aboard |
on or into a ship, plane, bus, or plane; on board. [1/2 definitions] |
| abolition |
When a government makes a law to completely end or get rid of something, it is called abolition. Abolition is the act of abolishing something, getting rid of it by passing a law against it. [2 definitions] |
| abolitionism |
a movement in the United States in the 1800s whose goal was to free the people who were slaves and make slavery against the law. |
| abolitionist |
a person who supported Abolition, or the ending of slavery, before the Civil War. |
| about |
If a book is about trains, it means that the book tells you many things on the subject of trains. It might tell you things like where the first trains were built, what fuel trains use, or how fast trains travel. [2/9 definitions] |
| about to |
When you are about to do something, you are ready to do it and almost starting to do it. If you are about to take a bite of a sandwich, you are holding up the sandwich and your mouth is open. |