| adiabatic |
of, relating to, or denoting a process that occurs without loss or gain of heat, such as a change in the volume or pressure of the contents of a container. |
| alexia |
the loss of reading ability, caused by lesions in the brain. |
| amends |
(used with a sing. or pl. verb) payment or compensation given to repair or satisfy damage, injury, or loss. |
| amnesia |
partial or complete loss of memory as a result of an injury to the brain, illness, or shock. |
| amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
a disease that causes loss of control in muscle movement because of the degeneration of nerve cells; Lou Gehrig's disease. |
| anesthetic |
a drug that causes numbness in the body or loss of consciousness. |
| anesthetist |
a person, usually a doctor or nurse, trained to give gas or drugs that cause lack of sensation or loss of consciousness. |
| aphasia |
partial or total loss of the ability to use or to understand spoken or written language, usu. as a result of damage to the brain. |
| aphesis |
the loss or dropping of an unstressed vowel at the beginning of a word, such as the "a" from "adobe". |
| apocope |
the loss or omission of the final letter, syllable, or sound of a word, as in "talkin'" for "talking". |
| apoplexy |
the sudden loss of the ability to feel or move, caused by a rupture or obstruction of an artery in the brain; stroke. |
| asthenia |
loss or lack of physical strength; weakness; debility. |
| ataxia |
loss or lack of ability to coordinate voluntary muscle movements. |
| attainder |
in law, the loss of civil rights following conviction for a major crime, esp. treason. |
| attaint |
to inflict the loss of civil rights on (someone) following conviction for a major crime. [2 definitions] |
| barratry |
in law, a breach of duty by a ship's captain or crew that results in loss to the ship's owner. [1/2 definitions] |
| blackout |
the loss or hiding of all the lights of a city or region. Cities may have blackouts because of power failures. [2 definitions] |
| bloodbath |
(informal) a period or instance of great loss, failure, or disappointment. [1/2 definitions] |
| bottom line |
(informal) the final figure or lowest line in a financial statement, showing net profit or loss. [1/2 definitions] |
| brain drain |
(informal) the loss of professional or intellectual persons from one country or company to another that offers better pay, opportunities, or advantages. |
| breakage |
in commerce, loss or damages allowed for things broken. [1/4 definitions] |