| Abscam |
in the United States, an FBI investigation in 1978-80, as a result of which several members of Congress were indicted for taking bribes from FBI agents posing as Arab businessmen. |
| acacia |
any of several tropical trees of the mimosa family, some of which produce the commercially useful gum arabic. [2 definitions] |
| Acremonium |
the genus of fungi, formerly known as Cephalosporium, from which the antibiotic cephalosporin was originally isolated. Several species may cause disease in humans, esp. pneumonia. |
| actinomycin |
any of several antibiotics derived from soil bacteria that work against certain other bacteria and fungi. |
| Adventist |
an adherent of any of several Christian denominations that believe in the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ. |
| African violet |
any of several related tropical plants, very popular as houseplants, that have fuzzy dark green leaves and bear violet, pink, or white flowers. |
| agouti |
any of several related nocturnal, burrowing rodents found in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere that are about the size of a rabbit but have short ears and grizzled fur. |
| agrimony |
any of several similar plants. [1/2 definitions] |
| albatross |
any of several of the largest seabirds, with webbed feet, long narrow wings, and hooked beaks, that are found chiefly in the Southern Hemisphere. |
| alder |
any of several deciduous trees and shrubs of the birch family that grow in cool, damp regions. |
| Algonquin |
any of several Algonquian Indian tribes formerly living in the region of southern Canada and the St. Lawrence River, or a member of one of these tribes. [1/3 definitions] |
| allele |
one of several forms of a gene responsible for hereditary variations, usu. produced by mutation. |
| allomorph |
any of several alternate structural forms of the same chemical compound; paramorph. [1/2 definitions] |
| allotrope |
one of several forms in which a chemical element may exist. |
| Anabaptist |
a member of any of several Protestant sects formed in the sixteenth century that baptized only adult believers, opposed military service, and advocated the separation of church and state. [1/2 definitions] |
| anaconda |
any of several large nonvenomous constrictor snakes, esp. a certain South American tree snake that can grow to over twenty feet in length. |
| anaphora |
the repeating of a word or phrase at the beginnings of several successive sentences, paragraphs, or the like. |
| ancestor |
a person from whom one is descended, esp. of several generations ago. [1/4 definitions] |
| angelfish |
any of several types of related tropical fishes having bright colors, winglike fins, and short, circular bodies. |
| angelica |
any of several types of related plants having clusters of small flowers and a distinctive aroma, often used in cookery and medicine. |
| anteater |
any of several toothless mammals such as the aardvark and pangolin that feed mainly on ants or termites by means of a long, sticky tongue. |