| 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. |
| a bit |
somewhat; rather; to a small extent. |
| accentual |
having a rhythm based on the number of stresses rather than the number of syllables or length of sounds, as certain poetry. [1/2 definitions] |
| active |
in grammar, designating the voice or form of a verb whose subject acts through the verb, rather than being the object of the verb's action, such as "signed" in "Five petitioners signed the document". (Cf. passive.) [2/7 definitions] |
| ad hominem |
(Latin) to the man; appealing to a personal interest, emotion, or prejudice rather than to rationality. [2 definitions] |
| adolescent |
characteristic of adolescence rather than adulthood; immature. [1/3 definitions] |
| aerolite |
a meteorite of stone rather than iron. |
| affective |
pertaining to or caused by emotions rather than reason. |
| air-dry |
to allow to dry by the process of evaporation into the air rather than by the use of an appliance. [1/2 definitions] |
| airmail |
to send (mail, packages, or the like) by air rather than by land or sea. [1/5 definitions] |
| amateur |
one who pursues an activity or is devoted to a study purely for intrinsic reward rather than monetary gain. [1/5 definitions] |
| ambient |
of music, characterized by sound and pattern rather than distinct notes of melody or rhythmic structure. [2/3 definitions] |
| anecdotal |
consisting of or supported by anecdotes rather than confirmable or reproducible data. [1/2 definitions] |
| animal |
pertaining to the physical rather than the mental or spiritual aspect of humans. [1/5 definitions] |
| apogamy |
in botany, the development of a plant from a sporophyte, rather than from a union of gametophytes. |
| a posteriori |
based on experience or observation, rather than on theory or hypothesis. [1/2 definitions] |
| a priori |
based on hypothesis, theory, fixed rules, or established forms rather than on experience or experiment. [1/3 definitions] |
| aquiculture |
the growing of plants, often for their edible fruits, in nutrient water or water-soaked inert material rather than in soil; hydroponics. [1/2 definitions] |
| archiblast |
the formative rather than the nourishing part of an egg; egg protoplasm. [1/2 definitions] |
| arco |
played with a bow rather than by plucking the strings (used as a musical direction). (Cf. pizzicato.) |
| arpeggio |
the playing of each note in a musical chord rapidly, one after the other rather than simultaneously. [1/2 definitions] |