| alarm |
An alarm is a bell or other loud noise that tells you there is something that might hurt you. [1/4 definitions] |
| alien |
someone who lives in a country who is not a citizen of that country. [2/5 definitions] |
| all |
"All" means every one of some group, or it means the whole of something. If all children in a school are girls, then there are no boys in the school. If we say that it rained all day, it means that it never stopped raining the whole day. [1/7 definitions] |
| allow |
When you allow someone to do something, you let them do it. They can do it because you say it is OK. When something is allowed, it is OK to do. If swimming is allowed at a beach, it means that people can swim there. [2/3 definitions] |
| almost |
If you are almost ready, you are very close to being ready but you are not ready yet. Maybe you just have to put your shoes on. If there were twelve cookies and your brother ate almost all of them, then maybe there are only one or two cookies left. |
| alone |
When you are alone, there is no one with you. If you are the only person in the room, you are alone. [1/3 definitions] |
| already |
"Already" means before now. If you say that you have already washed your hands, you mean that you washed them sometime before now. Sometimes "already" means before some other time. When you get to the bus stop and the bus has already left, it means that the bus left before you got there. [2/3 definitions] |
| amount |
An amount of something is how much there is or how many there are. [1/3 definitions] |
| and so on |
"And so on" means "with more of the same type." It's used when you start a list of something and let your reader or listener imagine the type of things that might follow. If you say "In the closet, there are coats, jackets, and so on," you let your listener imagine other typical things that might be in the closet. They might imagine things like hats, boots, scarves. and umbrellas. |
| anybody |
If there isn't anybody in the house, it means that there isn't any person in the house. |
| apart |
If two things are not together anymore, we can say they are apart. They are separate. If your friend lived near you, but then she moved away, it means that the two of you are apart now. Also, when two things don't happen at the same time, but instead there is time between them, we say the two things happen apart. [1/2 definitions] |
| apartment building |
a building in which there are a number of individual apartments. |
| 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] |
| appeal |
When something has appeal, it means it can get people's interest and attention. There is something about it that people like. When a product has appeal, a lot of people will probably buy it. Appeal is a kind of power to attract. [1/6 definitions] |
| appear |
When something appears, we can see it now. It wasn't there before, but now it is there in front of our eyes. [1/3 definitions] |
| appetite |
If there is something you want or like to do very much, we sometimes say you have an appetite for it. [1/2 definitions] |
| application |
An application is a request to do something, especially a request for a job, or a request to get into a college or other special school, or a request for permission for something. There is usually a form people have to fill out or other things they have to write or do in order to make their application. The form that people fill out is also called an "application." [1/3 definitions] |
| apply |
If something doesn't apply to you, then it has no connection with you or it doesn't matter for you. Let's say children under six aren't allowed to play in the big playground. But, you're older than six, so that rule doesn't apply to you. It's OK for you to play there. [1/4 definitions] |
| approximately |
If you get home at approximately four o'clock, it means you get home around four o'clock. You might get there a few minutes before or after four, but the time you get there is near four. If it's approximately two miles from your home to your school, the distance from your home to your school is about two miles. It could be a little more or a little less. |
| Arctic Circle |
an imaginary line drawn around the earth parallel to the equator which marks the boundary of the Arctic. North of this line there are periods of continuous night in the winter and continuous day in the summer. |
| around |
in or to places within an area; here and there. [1/12 definitions] |