| a1 |
the first letter of the English alphabet. [1/3 definitions] |
| aborigine |
one of the first people to live in an area. |
| 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. [1/9 definitions] |
| accent |
The accent on a word is the stress a speaker gives to one syllable in the word. We say GOLDfish, not goldFISH because the accent is on the first syllable of the word not the second. [1/3 definitions] |
| accompany |
When you accompany one thing with another thing, you add the second thing to make the first thing better or more complete. You might accompany your guitar playing with the beat of a drum to make your sound more complete. You might accompany your sandwich with a glass of juice to make your lunch better. [1/3 definitions] |
| acronym |
a word formed by putting together the first letters or parts of a series of words in a longer phrase. |
| A.D. |
A.D. is an abbreviation of the Latin words "anno domini." The abbreviation A.D. is used in dates when people are talking about things in history that happened after Jesus Christ was born. The year that Jesus Christ was born is called "1 A.D." The year after that is called "2 A.D." Jesus Christ is considered both God and man in the religion of Christianity, and he is an important figure in the history of the world. The calendar that most people use nowadays was created by Christians. That's why the year of Christ's birth was chosen as a way to divide older times from newer times. This calendar is not the first or only calendar that people in the world have created, but most people nowadays use this particular calendar. Instead of "A.D.," though, people often use "C.E." nowadays, which stands for "Common Era" or "Christian Era." |
| after |
We use "after" when we are talking about the order of things. When one thing comes first, the next thing comes after it. The letter B comes after the letter A in the alphabet. The number 2 comes after the number 1. [1/5 definitions] |
| aftershock |
a small earthquake that follows a larger one. Aftershocks start at or near the same place where the first earthquake started. There are often several aftershocks after the first earthquake. |
| airport |
An airport is a large area of land where airplanes come and go and get fuel for their engines. When you are going on a trip by airplane, you first go to an airport. |
| alpha |
the name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet. |
| alternate |
following each other in turns, first one then the other. [1/7 definitions] |
| antecedent |
the word or group of words that a pronoun refers to. In "The girls ate their dessert first," "girls" is the antecedent of "their." |
| apostle |
(sometimes capitalized) one of the first twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. |
| apparent |
seeming to be so at first, but not necessarily so. [1/3 definitions] |
| April Fools' Day |
the first day of April, when friendly tricks and jokes are played on people. |
| area code |
When a telephone number is made up of ten numbers, the first three of these numbers together is called an area code. People who don't live in the same states or towns usually have different area codes. |
| Aries |
the first sign of the zodiac, the Ram, which the sun enters about March 21. [1/3 definitions] |
| at first |
in the beginning, or on the first occasion. |
| baby tooth |
one of the first set of teeth in human babies and other mammals. Baby teeth fall out early in life to be replaced by adult teeth. |
| backward |
with the back part or back side first or leading. [1/4 definitions] |