| a1 |
the first letter of the English alphabet. [1/3 definitions] |
| aborigine |
one of the first people to live in an area. |
| acronym |
a word formed by putting together the first letters or parts of a series of words in a longer phrase. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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] |
| basic |
necessary to know first, as a foundation; fundamental. [1/3 definitions] |
| begin |
to do the first step in a process; start. [2/3 definitions] |
| beginning |
the first part of something. [1/2 definitions] |
| bingo |
a game in which players try to match numbers on a card with numbers read out by a caller. Each player has a card with numbered squares. The player who is the first to cover a whole row of squares is the winner. |
| booster shot |
an injection of a vaccine given at some time after the first injection. A booster shot continues the protection against disease begun by the earlier injection. |
| boot |
to start up by loading the operating system of or giving the first instructions to a computer. [1/4 definitions] |
| Boxing Day |
a holiday in England, Canada, and some other countries, celebrated on the first weekday after Christmas. |