| 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. |
| 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. |
| AB2 |
abbreviation of "Assembly Bill," in the U.S., a proposed law in consideration by a state assembly. |
| abandon |
to give up (one's home, fort, ship, or the like) by leaving it. [2/3 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. |
| abbreviate |
to shorten by using fewer letters. [1/2 definitions] |
| abduct |
to carry off or lead away by force; kidnap. |
| Abel |
according to the Old Testament, the second son of Adam and Eve, who was murdered by his brother Cain. |
| aberration |
an imperfection in an optical lens, or the blurring caused by such an imperfection. [1/3 definitions] |
| abhorrent |
feeling extreme loathing or horror (usu. fol. by "of"). [2/3 definitions] |
| abiotic |
characterized by an absence of living organisms; without life. |
| ablate |
to wear away or otherwise remove (a surface), as by heat or erosion. [1/2 definitions] |
| ablation |
erosion, esp. by heat. [1/2 definitions] |
| abound |
to be full; teem (usu. fol. by "with" or "in"). [1/2 definitions] |
| abrade |
to rub away by friction; erode. [4 definitions] |
| abreast |
side by side. [4/2 definitions] |
| abrogate |
to abolish, repeal, or nullify by authority. [1/2 definitions] |
| abscess |
a sore that forms within the tissues of the body and is filled with pus. Abscesses can be caused by an infection. |
| absolute pitch |
the exact pitch of a single musical tone as determined by its rate of vibrations as measured on a standard scale. [1/2 definitions] |
| absolution |
in Christian theology, a declaration of forgiveness of one's sins by a priest after confession and penance. [1/3 definitions] |
| absolutist |
of or relating to government by total, unrestrained power. [2/3 definitions] |