| 11th Amendment |
an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guarantees a level of sovereign immunity to states by forbidding federal courts from ruling on cases brought against a state by a citizen of another state. |
| 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. |
| a1 |
of the first rank or degree. [1/6 definitions] |
| aardvark |
a nocturnal mammal of southern Africa that has a long snout, long ears, and powerful claws for digging, and that feeds on ants using its extensile tongue. |
| abaca |
a Philippine plant of the banana family that yields a fiber used in making rope. |
| aback |
of a sail, positioned so that the wind pushes against the front side. [1/2 definitions] |
| abandon ship |
to extricate oneself from a situation where danger or failure seems imminent, often at the expense of loyalty to a group or cause. [1/2 definitions] |
| abate |
to become less in amount, degree, or intensity; subside. [1/3 definitions] |
| abatement |
the ending or suppression of a lawsuit, a nuisance, or the like. [1/2 definitions] |
| abatis |
an obstacle constructed by bending and sharpening the branches of trees or implanting sharpened limbs in a soil barricade, sometimes interlaced with barbed wire. |
| abattoir |
a place where animals are killed and cut up for food; slaughterhouse. |
| abbé |
a title of respect for any clergyman, esp. in France. |
| aberrant |
turning aside from what is natural, right, or true; perverse. [1/2 definitions] |
| abeyance |
in law, a condition of temporarily undetermined ownership, as of property or an estate. [1/2 definitions] |
| abhorrent |
causing feelings of extreme loathing or horror; abominable. [1/3 definitions] |
| abide |
to continue. [2/6 definitions] |
| ability |
the capacity or power to do something; quality of being able. [1/2 definitions] |
| abiotic |
characterized by an absence of living organisms; without life. |
| ablative1 |
the ablative case. [2/3 definitions] |
| ablaze |
fiery in color and brilliance. [1/2 definitions] |
| abnegate |
to surrender (a right or privilege); renounce. [1/2 definitions] |