| academic freedom |
in educational institutions, the freedom of a teacher to teach, of a student to learn, and of both to discuss and hold opinions, esp. about social, political, and moral issues, without arbitrary interference or reprisals by school or public officials, organized groups, or the like. |
| achieve |
to bring about as a result of one's cumulative efforts. [1/3 definitions] |
| acquaint |
to tell about; inform (usu. fol. by "with"). [1/2 definitions] |
| agnostic |
one who believes it is impossible to know anything about the existence or nonexistence of God or about the essential nature of things beyond the material universe. [2/4 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. |
| agree |
to have the same opinion (often fol. by "with," "on," "as to," or "about"). [1/6 definitions] |
| air |
to speak about, usu. in public. [1/8 definitions] |
| air-minded |
enthusiastic about aviation. |
| air one's dirty linen in public |
to make public embarrassing or shameful private facts about oneself or others. |
| 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). |
| alienist |
a physician specializing in mental disorders, esp. one who testifies about mental competency in legal proceedings. |
| almanac |
a published collection of interesting and useful facts about many different subjects. [1/3 definitions] |
| ambulant |
moving about; shifting from place to place. |
| ambulate |
to walk or move about from place to place. |
| ambulatory |
able to walk about. [1/5 definitions] |
| anesthesia |
a drug or other agent used to bring about unconsciousness or absence of pain. [1/2 definitions] |
| angry |
feeling or showing anger (often fol. by "at," "with," or "about"). [1/3 definitions] |
| apocalypse |
any instance of terrible destruction and devastation, esp. on a scale that could bring about an end to the world. [1/3 definitions] |
| appraisal |
a judgment about the nature, quality, or value of someone or something. [1/2 definitions] |
| apprehend |
to be anxious or fearful about (a future event). [1/4 definitions] |
| apprehension |
anxiety about future events. [1/3 definitions] |