| a2 |
"A" has a meaning like "any." When you use "a" before a word, you are talking about any one of some group or kind of thing. When you say "a cat," it means any cat of all the cats in the world, or it means any cat of a group of cats. [1/3 definitions] |
| 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] |
| absurd |
of, showing, or having to do with the belief that there is no meaning or order in life or in the universe. [1/2 definitions] |
| 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] |
| although |
"Although" is a word that we use to connect ideas in a sentence. We use "although" to join two ideas that are true but don't seem to agree with each other. "Although" is an important word, but we probably use "even though" more often when we talk. "Even though" is a little stronger, but it has the same meaning. |
| ambiguous |
having more than one possible meaning. |
| antonym |
a word that has the opposite meaning of another word. |
| apostrophe1 |
An apostrophe is a little mark that you see in certain words like "can't" and "I'm." It goes between letters to show that something is missing there. A word like "can't" is a short way of writing and saying "cannot." Using the apostrophe shows that the meaning is the same as "cannot" but that letters are missing and the sound is different. [1/3 definitions] |
| apprehend |
to understand the meaning of. [1/2 definitions] |
| art |
the creation of things whose purpose is to be beautiful or full of meaning. [1/4 definitions] |
| articulated lorry |
a British word for a very large truck that consists of a cab where the driver sits and a trailer that carries goods over long distances. "Articulated lorry" often has the same meaning as "tractor-trailer." |
| as1 |
We often use "as" to say that two things happen at the same time. If you say that you walked into your house as the telephone rang, it means these two things happened at the same time. For this meaning, we often say "just as" instead of only "as." [1/6 definitions] |
| auxiliary verb |
a verb used with a main verb to complete the main verb's meaning. Some examples of auxiliary verbs are "have" in "I have escaped" and "should" in "You should go." |
| be |
"Be" means to "exist" or "live." The word "be" has many different forms in a sentence. "Am," "is," "are," "was," "were," and "been" are all forms of the word "be" and have the same meaning. [1/4 definitions] |
| biscuit |
the British word for a small, thin, sweet cake baked from stiff dough. "Biscuit" often has the same meaning as "cookie." [2/3 definitions] |
| bluster |
noisy threats that are without meaning. [1/3 definitions] |
| bonnet |
the British word for the metal lid that covers a car's engine. "Bonnet" has the same meaning as "hood." [1/2 definitions] |
| boot |
the British word for the large compartment in the rear of an automobile used to store items such as packages and tools. "Boot" has the same meaning as "trunk." [1/4 definitions] |
| born |
past participle of "bear1" with meaning connected with birth. [1/3 definitions] |
| borne |
past participle of "bear1" with meaning connected with carrying, supporting, or enduring. |
| braces |
the British word for a pair of straps that hold trousers up. "Braces" has the same meaning as "suspenders." [1/2 definitions] |