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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.
AB2 abbreviation of "Assembly Bill," in the U.S., a proposed law in consideration by a state assembly.
Abe Saperstein U.S. creator, owner, and promoter of the renowned basketball team the Harlem Globetrotters; born in London, England (b.1902--d.1966).
adjutant general (cap.) in the U.S. Army, the chief administrative officer, a major general who oversees personnel. [2/3 definitions]
affirmative action a policy or program, supported by U. S. government regulations, to give equal opportunity in employment, college admissions, and the like to those considered previously disadvantaged, such as women and certain racial minority groups.
Agent Orange an extremely toxic defoliant widely used by U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War and now believed to cause cancer and birth defects.
airman in the U.S. Air Force, an enlisted person of one of the four lowest ranks. [2/3 definitions]
AK abbreviation of "Alaska," a U.S. state on the northwestern coast of North America between the Bering Strait and Canada.
AL abbreviation of "Alabama," a southeastern U.S. state located between Georgia and Mississippi.
Alabama a southeastern U.S. state located between Georgia and Mississippi. (abbr.: AL)
à la carte with separate charges for each item as stated on the menu. (Cf. prix fixe, table d'hôte.)
Alan Shepard U.S. astronaut, who was the first American to journey into space (b.1923--d.1998).
Alaska a U.S. state on the northwestern coast of North America between the Bering Strait and Canada. (abbr.: AK)
Albert Einstein a German physicist, U.S. citizen after 1940, who formulated the theories of relativity (b.1879--d.1955).
Albuquerque the largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, located in the central region.
alcalde in Spain and the U.S. Southwest, a mayor who also acts as a judge.
Alexander Graham Bell U.S. inventor of the telephone (b.1847--d.1922).
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).
Alger Hiss a lawyer and U.S. public official accused in 1948 of having acted as a Communist spy in the 1930s. Convicted in 1950 on counts of perjury related to the investigation, Hiss was sentenced to five years in prison but maintained his innocence until his death (b.1904--d.1996).
Alice Marble U.S. tennis player who won the U.S. tennis championship singles titles four times (1936, 1938-40) prior to working as a spy for U.S. intelligence (b.1913--d.1990).