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22nd Amendment an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that ensures that no person can be elected to more than two four-year terms as President of the United States. The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, was passed in reaction to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office.
absolute temperature temperature measured on a scale in which zero equals the lowest temperature that can be obtained physically.
account an arrangement wherein a bank or other financial institution holds a customer's deposited funds so that the funds are safe but can be accessed at any time by the customer, or the conception of this arrangement as a container for the funds that are kept. [1/16 definitions]
actinic rays electromagnetic radiation, such as x-rays or ultraviolet light, that can produce an image on a photographic emulsion.
activation code a set of characters, consisting of numbers, letters, characters, or a combination of these, that is sent by a website to a user's email so that the website can verify the user's email address and comply with the user's request to begin a new service or change personal information. Once received, the user enters the code into the provided box on the website so that fulfillment of the user's request can begin.
addition table a table that can be used to find the sum of two numbers.
adenoid (usu. pl.) a mass of tissue between the nose and the throat that, when swollen, can hinder breathing. [1/2 definitions]
aflatoxin any of a group of toxic compounds produced by certain molds, esp. those in the genus Aspergillus. Consumption of food contaminated with these molds can cause liver disease and cancer.
agitator a machine, or part of a machine, that automatically shakes or stirs things together, as in a can of paint or a washing machine. [1/2 definitions]
aircraft any man-made vehicle that can fly through the air, such as an airplane, helicopter, glider, or balloon.
aircraft carrier a very large warship with a flat upper deck on which airplanes can take off and land.
air lock an airtight compartment in which the air pressure can be regulated, usu. situated between two areas that have different air pressures, as in underwater operations. [1/2 definitions]
air pocket a downward air current that can cause an abrupt change, usu. a drop, in an aircraft's altitude.
airport a large area of level land where airplanes can land and take off, usu. including a passenger terminal and cargo and repair facilities.
air shaft a narrow vertical passage through which fresh air can reach an otherwise enclosed area such as the interior of a building; ventilating shaft.
Aladdin in The Arabian Nights, a boy who finds a magic lamp and ring, each of which enables him to bring forth a powerful genie who can grant his every wish.
alarm clock a clock with a bell or buzzer that can be set to sound at a chosen time.
album a book or binder with blank pages or empty pockets in which a collection can be inserted, as of photographs, stamps, or mementos. [1/3 definitions]
alkali metal any of a group of highly reactive chemical elements, such as sodium and potassium, that are typically univalent cations forming various compounds, but that can be isolated as soft, low-density metals.
ambient a type of instrumental music characterized by patterns of sound rather than melodic form or rhythmic structure, and which can be explicitly listened to or serve as background or atmospheric sound. [1/3 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.