| A2 |
abbreviation of "ampere" or "amperes," a unit of electrical current that refers to the quantity of current that passes through a resistor of one ohm when a potential of one volt is applied, equal to one coulomb per second. |
| AA |
abbreviation of "Alcoholics Anonymous," a world-wide recovery program for alcoholics, administered through chapters. |
| abrasive |
causing or tending to cause offense or irritation through harshness or insensitivity. [1/3 definitions] |
| accelerator |
in nuclear physics, a device that creates high-energy particles by acceleration through electrostatic or electromagnetic means, used for research. [1/3 definitions] |
| accomplish |
to successfully reach or proceed through. [1/3 definitions] |
| accordion |
a portable musical instrument having a keyboard and a pleated bellows that forces air through metal reeds to produce tones. [1/2 definitions] |
| account |
an arrangement with a store or other business wherein a customer is given certain advantages or access to special services, typically in return for the customer supplying certain information and, often, permitting various forms of advertising through mail, email, or other form of communication. [1/16 definitions] |
| accustom |
to cause (oneself or another) to become used to something through use or experience. habituate. |
| achieve |
to reach or carry through successfully; accomplish. [1/3 definitions] |
| achievement |
something successfully carried through, esp. through bold or brave action or thought. [1/2 definitions] |
| acquire |
to gain, esp. through one's own efforts or dealings. [1/2 definitions] |
| acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
a serious viral disease of the body's immune system, transferred through blood, sexual contact, contaminated hypodermic needles, or the like; AIDS. |
| 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.) [1/7 definitions] |
| activism |
the belief in or practice of trying to make social or political changes through active, militant, or demonstrative involvement, esp. in particular issues. |
| Adar |
the sixth month of the Jewish lunisolar calendar, occurring from late February through early March in the Gregorian calendar. |
| adenosine |
an organic compound that is made up of adenine and ribose and found in nucleic acids, and that may be obtained as a white crystalline powder through the hydrolysis of yeast. |
| adventurer |
one who seeks fortune through risky or brave actions; soldier of fortune. [1/3 definitions] |
| aerodynamic |
of a contour or surface, offering the minimum of resistance when moving through air. [1/2 definitions] |
| aerodynamics |
(used with a sing. verb) a science that deals with the dynamics of air and other gases and with the forces acting on objects that move through them. |
| agitprop |
inflammatory political propaganda spread through literature, theater, music, and art, esp. as used in support of communism. |
| AIDS |
acronym of "acquired immune deficiency syndrome," a serious viral disease of the body's immune system, transferred through blood, sexual contact, contaminated hypodermic needles, or the like. |