| 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. |
| 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. |
| action verb |
a verb that shows its subject performing some action. "Run," "eat," "fly," and "sing" are examples of action verbs. |
| affix |
a word part, such as a prefix or suffix, that is added to a word to change its meaning or function. The prefix "un-" and the suffix "-ness" are both affixes. [1/2 definitions] |
| Afghan |
of or having to do with Afghanistan or with its people, culture, language, or the like. [1/3 definitions] |
| African |
of or having to do with Africa, or its people or languages. [1/2 definitions] |
| airplane |
a machine that can fly because of the force of air upon its wings; plane. An airplane is driven by propellers or a jet engine. |
| Alabama |
a state in the southeastern United States. Its capital is Montgomery. (abbreviated: AL) |
| Alaska |
a state of the United States on the northwestern coast of North America. Its capital is Juneau. (abbreviated: AK) |
| Albania |
a country in southeastern Europe. Albania borders on the Adriatic Sea, and Greece is one of its neighbors. Tirane is the capital of Albania. |
| Alberta |
a Canadian province located between Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Its capital is Edmonton. |
| alder |
a tree or shrub of the birch family that grows in mostly cool, damp areas and drops its leaves every year. |
| alto |
a musical instrument having the second highest range in its family of instruments. [1/4 definitions] |
| ambassador |
a person who is sent by the government of one country to be its official representative in another country. [1/3 definitions] |
| American |
of or having to do with the United States, or its people or language. [2/5 definitions] |
| amphibian |
a small animal that spends part of its life cycle in water and part of its life cycle on land. Amphibians hatch in water and breathe with gills. Then they develop lungs so the adults can breathe air. Amphibians are cold-blooded animals with skeletons inside their bodies. Frogs, toads, and salamanders are amphibians. [1/2 definitions] |
| anteater |
a mammal that uses its long, sticky tongue to eat ants and termites. True anteaters have no teeth, are furry, and live in Central or South America. They are related to armadillos and sloths. Other kinds of mammals that eat ants are also sometimes called anteaters, but they are not related to American anteaters. |
| Arabian |
of, having to do with, or characteristic of Arabia or its desert climate. [1/3 definitions] |
| Aral Sea |
formerly, a very large, single lake in Central Asia. Once one of the world's largest lakes, the Aral Sea has lost a great deal of its water in recent times and it has divided into separate parts. The southeastern part of the Aral Sea has become entirely dry and is called a desert now. |
| Arizona |
a state in the southwestern United States. Its capital is Phoenix. (abbreviated: AZ) |
| Arkansas |
a state in the south central United States. Its capital is Little Rock. (abbreviated: AR) |