| 4WD |
abbreviation of "four-wheel drive," a car that drives by means of all four wheels rather than the rear wheels only, or the drive system of such, in which both front and rear wheel axles are turned by the drive shaft. |
| abattoir |
a place where animals are killed and cut up for food; slaughterhouse. |
| abdomen |
in vertebrates, the part of the body between the chest and the pelvis, where most of the digestive organs are located. [1/2 definitions] |
| absurdist |
having or expressing the belief that human existence and behavior are meaningless or absurd. [2/3 definitions] |
| 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] |
| acetal |
any of a class of chemicals in which aldehydes are compounded with alcohol. [1/2 definitions] |
| achromatic |
able to give an image in which colors are reproduced with little or no distortion. [1/3 definitions] |
| acronym |
a type of abbreviation used as a word and pronounced as a word. An acronym is formed by combining the initial letters (or initial parts) of a string of words. The pronunciation of an acronym is based on the typical rules of pronouncing words in a language and is not made up of the sounds of the names of individual letters. The abbreviations "AIDS," "FICA," and "PIN" are acronyms, but the abbreviations "FBI," ATM," and "DVD" are not. |
| acrylic fiber |
any of a group of synthetic fibers that are made chiefly of acrylonitrile that has been formed into polymers. |
| acrylic resin |
any of a group of transparent synthetic resins that become pliable or set when heated and are used in acrylic fibers, plastics, and synthetic rubbers. |
| agave |
any of the tropical American plants, such as the century plant, that are related to the amaryllis and have tall, branched clusters of flowers and leaves with spiny edges. |
| agent |
a force or means by which something occurs or specific ends are reached; instrumentality; cause. [1/5 definitions] |
| 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. |
| aikido |
a system of self-defense, originating in Japan, in which an opponent's strength and weight are used against him or her by using specific throws and holds. |
| ain't |
(informal) contracted form of "am not," "is not," "are not," "have not," or "has not." |
| airlift |
the systematic transportation of people or supplies by air when ground routes are impossible or dangerous to use, esp. in a battle zone or during an emergency. [1/2 definitions] |
| airplane |
any of various aircraft that are heavier than air and are driven by propellers or jet engines. |
| alarmism |
the issuing of warnings or alarms that are often needless. |
| 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. |
| albedo |
in physics, the degree to which particles such as neutrons are reflected by a surface that they strike. [1/2 definitions] |
| album |
a collection of printed pictures, or a collection of musical or literary selections that are printed or recorded. [1/3 definitions] |