| 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. [1/3 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. |
| aborigine |
one of the first people to live in an area. |
| above |
When you are above something, it means you will not do it because you think it is bad or stupid and it's something that good people or grown-up people don't do. [1/4 definitions] |
| abroad |
If we talk about places abroad, we mean places that are not in our own country. If we talk about people abroad, we mean people who live in other countries or who are in other countries just now. [1/2 definitions] |
| absence |
When there is an absence of something, it means that there is none of it. If there is an absence of conversation between people, it means that no one is talking to anyone else. [1/3 definitions] |
| abstract |
When a painting or sculpture is abstract, you can't tell what it is. It has shapes and maybe color, but it's not a clear picture of anything. The artist may be trying to suggest a feeling or idea or maybe even people and things, but the artist is not trying to show those people and things as they are in reality. [1/3 definitions] |
| abuse |
When you abuse something, you use it in a way that is wrong or bad. If people abuse pills, for example, they take them in a different way from how the doctor tells them to take them. This can be dangerous. [2/4 definitions] |
| academic |
Something that is academic has to do with school or what people learn in school. [1/2 definitions] |
| academy |
An academy is a school. Usually an academy is a private school. People have to pay to go to a private school. Some academies focus on a particular type of thing, such as art, music, military training, or science. Academies give special classes for these things. Some academies are regular schools for school children, and some academies give classes for adult students, especially in things like music, drama, or art. |
| accent |
a way of speaking a language that is typical of people from a particular area. [1/5 definitions] |
| acceptable |
When something is acceptable, people think it is completely OK. They think it is fine and they approve of it. When something is not acceptable, people think it is completely wrong or bad. [1/2 definitions] |
| accepted |
If something is accepted, most people think it is OK, correct, or normal. [2 definitions] |
| accommodate |
If a hotel room accommodates four people, it has room for four people. Four people can use the space comfortably. If an elevator can accommodate twelve people, it means that it can hold twelve people. [2/3 definitions] |
| accomplishment |
If you try to do something that is hard, it is an accomplishment when you finish it. An accomplishment is something that a person has done or finished in a successful way. People are often proud of their accomplishments or just happy that they were able to do them. |
| accord |
Accord is agreement or harmony. If things are in accord, they go well together. If something is in accord with another thing, it follows it. It doesn't go against it. If people are in accord, they agree about something or they have a similar opinion. |
| according to |
If you say that a certain movie is good according to your brother, it means that your brother says that the movie is good. You know that some people might not like the movie, but you are saying only what your brother thinks and not what other people might think. [1/2 definitions] |
| account |
If you have an account at a bank, it means that you can keep your money there. You can put more money into your account or take money out of your account when you need it. The bank sends a letter by mail each month to tell you how much money you have in your account. Some people don't get a letter but see their account on their computers. [2/5 definitions] |
| accountant |
An accountant is a person who keeps track of how a business spends its money, gives advice about spending money, and often makes sure the company is paying a correct amount of tax to the government each year. All businesses have to report to the government how much money they make and pay a correct amount of tax. Some companies only use an accountant when they are reporting their income to the government and need to figure out how much tax they have to pay. People who have regular jobs also use accountants sometimes if their money affairs are complicated. |
| achievement |
An achievement is something that is completed with success using hard work or skill. People usually feel good about their achievements. |