| absolute monarchy |
an authoritarian governing system in which a hereditary ruler holds complete power until death. |
| ace in the hole |
a resource that remains unrevealed or unused until a particular need arises. |
| ad nauseam |
until one is sick of the thing being done, told, or the like. |
| after-school |
occurring after school hours, esp. from the time school is over until the end of the work day. |
| 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). |
| a.m. |
abbreviation of "ante meridiem" (Latin); the period from midnight until noon. |
| apartheid |
a policy of racial segregation, esp. the official segregation of blacks and whites as it existed in the Republic of South Africa from 1948 until 1994. |
| applesauce |
a sweet and sometimes spiced sauce made by simmering apples until they are soft. |
| arm wrestling |
a contest in which each of two opponents places either the right or the left elbow on a table with the forearm vertical, clasps the opponent's hand, and tries to force the opponent's hand back until it touches the table; Indian wrestling. |
| arrivederci |
(Italian) until next time; good-bye (used to suggest that the separation will be brief). |
| as yet |
up until now; up to this point. |
| auf Wiedersehen |
(German) until we see each other again; good-bye for now (used at parting). |
| Augean |
of or suggesting Augeas, a king in Greek mythology, or his stables, which had not been cleaned for thirty years until Hercules changed the course of a river so that it swept through them. [1/2 definitions] |
| au gratin |
coated or covered with bread crumbs, and sometimes butter or cheese, and baked until brown. |
| au revoir |
(French) until we see each other again; good-bye for now. |
| baked Alaska |
a rich dessert made by piling ice cream on top of a layer of cake, covering the whole with meringue, and baking or broiling until the meringue begins to brown. |
| ball lightning |
a rare form of lightning manifested in the form of a glowing reddish ball, approximately six inches to a foot in diameter, that moves rapidly along the ground or in the air until it disintegrates. |
| Barack Obama |
the 44th President of the United States. Before his 2004 election to the U.S. Senate, in which he served until November 2008, Barack Obama worked as an attorney, a community organizer, and an Illinois state senator (1997-2004). He is the first African-American to be elected to the U.S. presidency (b.1961). |
| beat up |
to hit or kick (someone) until seriously injured. [1/2 definitions] |
| boil1 |
to heat until boiling occurs. [1/8 definitions] |
| bray2 |
to pound until fine, in or as if in a mortar. |