| a2 |
used to introduce one particular thing or person of a group or kind, but one which is not considered known to the listener. [1/3 definitions] |
| aardvark |
An aardvark is an animal with a long nose, long ears, short fur, and powerful claws for digging. Aardvarks dig so that they can find insects to eat. Aardvarks live in Africa and make their homes in burrows. |
| abandoned |
An abandoned thing is a thing that somebody has left behind without any plan to come back to it. |
| abbreviation |
An abbreviation is a short way of writing a word. "Mon." is an abbreviation for the word "Monday." |
| abdomen |
Your abdomen is the part of your body between your chest and your hips. Your abdomen contains your stomach and the other parts of your body that help you digest your food. [2 definitions] |
| ability |
An ability is something you are able to do. Humans have the ability to learn different languages. [1/2 definitions] |
| able |
When you are able to do something, it means that you can do it. If someone is able to walk, it means that they can walk. [1/2 definitions] |
| abolition |
When a government makes a law to completely end or get rid of something, it is called abolition. Abolition is the act of abolishing something, getting rid of it by passing a law against it. [1/2 definitions] |
| abolitionist |
An abolitionist is a person who supported the ending of slavery in the United States before and during the Civil War. Abolitionists fought hard in various ways to help the slaves become free and to make slavery against the law. The end of slavery finally came in 1865 near the end of the Civil War. |
| 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. [3/9 definitions] |
| about to |
When you are about to do something, you are ready to do it and almost starting to do it. If you are about to take a bite of a sandwich, you are holding up the sandwich and your mouth is open. |
| above |
When one thing is above another thing, it is higher than it. If a plane flies above the clouds, it means that the plane is flying higher than the clouds. [4 definitions] |
| abroad |
in or to a country that is not one's own. |
| abrupt |
When something is abrupt, it happens without anybody expecting it, and it often happens very quickly. [1/2 definitions] |
| abscess |
a sore that forms within the tissues of the body and is filled with pus. Abscesses can be caused by an infection. |
| absence |
Absence is being away from a place where you usually are. [3 definitions] |
| absent |
not present; away from where one usually is. |
| absentee |
a person who is absent from work, school, or other duty. |
| absent-minded |
tending to not pay attention to a task or event because one is thinking about other things. |
| absolute |
When something is absolute, it is complete or pure. It is just itself and not mixed with anything else. [4 definitions] |
| absolutely |
When something is absolutely right, it is exactly right. If something is absolutely beautiful, "beautiful" is the exact word to describe this thing, and there is nothing about this thing that isn't beautiful. [2 definitions] |