| actinium |
a radioactive chemical element of the rare-earth group that has eighty-nine protons in each nucleus. (symbol: Ac) |
| adder's-tongue |
any of various ferns with a single sporeless leaflike frond and a slender spore-bearing spike or stalk that suggests a snake's tongue. [1/2 definitions] |
| admiral |
any of a family of brightly colored, medium to large-sized butterflies, found worldwide. [1/2 definitions] |
| ageism |
discrimination on the basis of age, esp. against the elderly or middle-aged. |
| agribusiness |
large-scale industrial agriculture and related activities such as food-processing, equipment manufacture, and marketing. |
| ai2 |
a large three-toed sloth of Central and South America, whose coat has a greenish tinge from the algae that live in it. |
| alabaster |
a dense, fine-grained gypsum, often white and translucent, that is often carved for ornaments and figurines. [1/5 definitions] |
| alexandrine |
(sometimes cap.) in poetry, a twelve-syllable line with alternating unstressed and stressed syllables, usu. with a clear pause after six syllables. [1/2 definitions] |
| Alex Haley |
a U.S. author celebrated for his pulitzer prize-winning work of historical fiction, Roots: The Saga of an American Family (1976), a publication whose subsequent television broadcast adaptation spawned a national discussion about race and race relations (b.1921--d.1992). |
| altimeter |
an altitude-measuring device such as a specially calibrated barometer. |
| amanita |
any of various, mostly poisonous mushrooms having blade-shaped gills on the underside. |
| amaryllis |
any of a group of bulbous plants bearing a lilylike rose-colored blossom. |
| ammonium carbonate |
a white powder that is used in baking powder, smelling salts, and substances for fire-extinguishing. |
| amoeba |
a one-celled organism that changes its shape as it moves and engulfs food. |
| anabasis |
any large-scale military expedition or march, esp. one from a coast to the interior. |
| anise |
a plant with small clusters of flowers and licorice-flavored seeds. [1/2 definitions] |
| antibiotic |
any of various substances derived from fungi or other organisms and used to destroy or prevent the growth of bacteria or other disease-causing organisms. [1/2 definitions] |
| ant lion |
any of several lace-winged insects whose larvae dig holes in which they trap ants or other insects for food. |
| ao dai |
(Vietnamese) the costume traditionally worn by women in Vietnam, having loose-fitting trousers and a long tunic. |
| apricot |
a soft round fruit with fuzzy orange-pink or yellow skin. [1/3 definitions] |
| aqua |
a light greenish blue or blue-green color. [1/2 definitions] |