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a or A n, pl a's, A's or As 1 the first letter of the English alphabet 2 from A to B from one place to another: I just want a car that takes me from A to B 3 from A to Z from start to finisha adj (indefinite article) 1 used preceding a singular count noun that has not been mentioned before: a book; a great shame 2 used preceding a noun or adjective of quantity: a litre of wine; a great amount has been written; I swim a lot and walk much more 3 each or every; per: I saw him once a week for six weeksA 1 (music) the sixth note of the scale of C major 2 ampere(s) 3 atomic: an A-bombAA 1 Alcoholics Anonymous 2 (in Britain and South Africa) Automobile Associationaardvark n a S African anteater with long ears and snoutAB 1 able-bodied seaman 2 Albertaaback adv taken aback startled or disconcertedabacus (ab-a-cuss) n a counting device consisting of a frame holding beads on metal rodsabalone (ab-a-lone-ee) n an edible sea creature with a shell lined with mother-of-pearlabandon vb 1 to desert or leave: he had already abandoned his first wife ◇ SYNONYMS: leave, strand, ditch (slang), forsake, run out on, desert, dump 2 to give up completely: did you abandon all attempts at contact with the boy? ◇ SYNONYMS: stop, give up, halt, pack in (Brit informal), discontinue, leave off 3 to give oneself over completely to an emotion ▸ n 4 with abandon uninhibitedly and without restraint > abandonment nabandoned adj 1 no longer used or occupied: four people were found dead in an abandoned vehicle 2 wild and uninhibited: that fluffy abandoned laughabase vb abasing, abased > abase oneself to make oneself humble > abasement nabashed adj embarrassed and ashamedabate vb abating, abated to make or become less strong: the tension has abated in recent months > abatement nabattoir (ab-a-twahr) n a slaughterhouseabbess n the nun in charge of a conventabbey n 1 a church associated with a community of monks or nuns 2 a community of monks or nuns 3 a building inhabited by monks or nuns ◇ SYNONYMS: monastery, convent, priory, nunnery, friaryabbot n the head of an abbey of monksabbreviate vb -ating, -ated 1 to shorten a word by leaving out some letters 2 to cut short > abbreviation nABC1 n 1 the alphabet 2 an alphabetical guide 3 the basics of somethingABC2 Australian Broadcasting Corporationabdicate vb -cating, -cated 1 to give up the throne formally 2 to give up one's responsibilities > abdication nabdomen n the part of the body that contains the stomach and intestines > abdominal adjabduct vb to remove (a person) by force; kidnap ◇ SYNONYMS: kidnap, seize, carry off, snatch (slang) > abduction n > abductor naberrant adj not normal, accurate, or correct: aberrant behaviouraberration n 1 a sudden change from what is normal, accurate, or correct 2 a brief lapse in control of one's thoughts or feelings: he suddenly had a mental aberrationabet vb abetting, abetted to help or encourage in wrongdoingabeyance n in abeyance put aside temporarilyabhor vb -horring, -horred to detest utterlyabhorrent adj hateful or disgusting > abhorrence nabide vb 1 to tolerate: I can't abide stupid people ◇ SYNONYMS: tolerate, suffer, accept, bear, endure, put up with, take, stand 2 to last or exist for a long time: regions of the world where conflict abides 3 abide by to act in accordance with: we must abide by the findings of the report ◇ SYNONYMS abide by something: obey, follow, agree to, carry out, observe, fulfil, act on, comply with 4 (archaic) to liveabiding adj lasting for ever: an abiding interest in history ◇ SYNONYMS: enduring, lasting, continuing, permanent, persistent, everlastingability n, pl -ties 1 possession of the necessary skill or power to do something ◇ SYNONYMS: capability, potential, competence, proficiency 2 great skill or competence: his ability as a speaker was legendary ◇ SYNONYMS: skill, talent, expertise, competence, aptitude, proficiency, clevernessabject adj 1 utterly miserable: his mother grew up in abject poverty 2 lacking all self-respect > abjectly advabjure vb -juring, -jured to renounce or deny under oath > abjuration nablaze adj 1 on fire 2 brightly illuminated: the sky was ablaze with the stars shining bright 3 emotionally aroused: his eyes were ablaze with angerable adj 1 having the necessary power, skill, or opportunity to do something 2 capable or talented ◇ SYNONYMS: capable, qualified, efficient, accomplished, competent, skilful, proficientable-bodied adj strong and healthyablutions pl n the act of washing: after the nightly ablutions, I settled down to readably adv competently or skilfullyabnormal adj differing from the usual or typical ◇ SYNONYMS: unusual, different, odd, strange, extraordinary, remarkable, exceptional, peculiar > abnormality n > abnormally advaboard adv, adj, prep on, in, onto, or into (a ship, plane, or train)abode n one's homeabolish vb to do away with (laws, regulations, or customs) ◇ SYNONYMS: do away with, end, destroy, eliminate, cancel, get rid of, ditch (slang), throw outabolition n 1 the act of doing away with something: the abolition of the death penalty ◇ SYNONYMS: eradication, ending, end, destruction, wiping out, elimination, cancellation, termination 2 Abolition the ending of slavery > abolitionist n, adjabominable adj very bad or unpleasant: I think that what is being done here is utterly abominable > abominably advabominable snowman n a large creature, like a man or an ape, that is said to live in the Himalayasaboriginal adj existing in a place from the earliest known periodAboriginal adj of or relating to the peoples who inhabited Australia before the arrival of European settlersAborigine n (sometimes offensive) a member or descendant of any of the peoples who were already living in Australia before the arrival of European settlersabort vb 1 (of a pregnancy) to end before the fetus is viable ◇ SYNONYMS: terminate 2 to perform an abortion on a pregnant woman 3 to end a plan or process before completion ◇ SYNONYMS: stop, end, finish, check, arrest, halt, cease, axe (informal)abortion n 1 an operation to end pregnancy ◇ SYNONYMS: termination, deliberate miscarriage 2 the premature ending of a pregnancy when a fetus is expelled from the womb before it can live independently 3 the failure of a mission or project > abortionist nabortive adj failing to achieve its purposeabound vb 1 to exist in large numbers ◇ SYNONYMS: be plentiful, thrive, flourish, be numerous, proliferate, be abundant, be thick on the ground 2 abound in to have a large number ofabout prep 1 relating to or concerning ◇ SYNONYMS: regarding, on, concerning, dealing with, referring to, relating to, as regards 2 near to ◇ SYNONYMS: near, around, close to, nearby, beside, adjacent to, in the neighbourhood of 3 carried on: I haven't any money about me 4 on every side of ▸ adv 5 near in number, time, or degree; approximately ◇ SYNONYMS: approximately, around, almost, nearly, approaching, close to, roughly, just about 6 nearby 7 here and there: there were some fifteen other people scattered about on the first floor 8 all around; on every side 9 in or to the opposite direction 10 in rotation: turn and turn about 11 used to indicate understatement: it's about time somebody told the truth on that subject 12 about to on the point of; intending to: she was about to get in the car 13 not about to determined not to: we're not about to help her out ▸ adj 14 active: he was off the premises well before anyone was up and aboutabout-turn or (US) about-face n 1 a complete change of opinion or direction 2 a reversal of the direction in which one is facingabove prep 1 higher than; over ◇ SYNONYMS: over, upon, beyond, on top of, exceeding, higher than 2 greater than in quantity or degree: above average 3 superior to or higher than in quality, rank, or ability ◇ SYNONYMS: senior to, over, ahead of, in charge of, higher than, superior to, more powerful than 4 too high-minded for: she considered herself above the task of working 5 too respected for; beyond: his fleet was above suspicion 6 too difficult to be understood by: a discussion that was way above my head 7 louder or higher than (other noise) 8 in preference to 9 above all most of all; especially ▸ adv 10 in or to a higher place: the hills above 11 in a previous place (in something written or printed) 12 higher in rank or position ▸ n 13 the above something previously mentioned ▸ adj 14 appearing in a previous place (in something written or printed): for a copy of the free brochure write to the above addressabove board adj completely honest and openabracadabra n a word used by conjurors when performing a magic trickabrasion n 1 a scraped area on the skin; graze 2 (geog) the erosion of rock by rock fragments scratching and scraping itabrasive adj 1 rude and unpleasant in manner 2 tending to rub or scrape; rough ▸ n 3 a substance used for cleaning, smoothing, or polishingabreast adj 1 alongside each other and facing in the same direction: the two cars were abreast 2 abreast of up to date withabridge vb abridging, abridged to shorten a written work by taking out parts > abridgment or abridgement nabroad adv 1 to or in a foreign country ◇ SYNONYMS: overseas, out of the country, in foreign lands 2 generally known or felt: there is a new spirit abroadabrogate vb -gating, -gated to cancel (a law or an agreement) formally > abrogation nabrupt adj 1 sudden or unexpected: an abrupt departure ◇ SYNONYMS: sudden, unexpected, rapid, surprising, quick, rash, precipitate 2 rather rude in speech or manner ◇ SYNONYMS: curt, brief, short, rude, impatient, terse, gruff, succinct > abruptly adv > abruptness nabs pl n abdominal musclesabscess (ab-sess) n 1 a swelling containing pus as a result of inflammation ▸ vb 2 to form a swelling containing pus > abscessed adjabscond vb to run away unexpectedlyabseil (ab-sale) vb 1 to go down a steep drop by a rope fastened at the top and tied around one's body ▸ n 2 an instance of abseilingabsence n 1 the state of being away 2 the time during which a person or thing is away ◇ SYNONYMS: time off, leave, break, vacation, recess, truancy, absenteeism, nonattendance 3 the fact of being without something ◇ SYNONYMS: lack, deficiency, omission, scarcity, want, need, shortage, dearthabsent adj 1 not present in a place or situation ◇ SYNONYMS: away, missing, gone, elsewhere, unavailable, nonexistent 2 lacking 3 not paying attention ◇ SYNONYMS: absent-minded, blank, vague, distracted, vacant, preoccupied, oblivious, inattentive ▸ vb 4 absent oneself to stay away ◇ SYNONYMS absent yourself: stay away, withdraw, keep away, play truant > absently advabsentee n a person who should be present but is notabsenteeism n persistent absence from work or schoolabsent-minded adj inattentive or forgetful > absent-mindedly advabsinthe n a strong, green, alcoholic drink, originally containing wormwoodabsolute adj 1 total and complete: he ordered an immediate and absolute ceasefire ◇ SYNONYMS: complete, total, perfect, pure, sheer, utter, outright, thorough 2 with unrestricted power and authority: she has absolute control with fifty per cent of the shares ◇ SYNONYMS: supreme, sovereign, unlimited, ultimate, full, unconditional, unrestricted, pre-eminent 3 undoubted or certain: I was telling the absolute truth 4 not dependent on or relative to anything else 5 pure; unmixed: absolute alcohol ▸ n 6 a principle or rule believed to be unfailingly correct 7 the Absolute (philosophy) that which is totally unconditioned, perfect, or completeabsolutely adv 1 completely or perfectly ◇ SYNONYMS: completely, totally, perfectly, fully, entirely, altogether, wholly, utterly ▸ interj 2 yes indeed, certainlyabsolution n (Christianity) a formal forgiveness of sin pronounced by a priestabsolutism n a political system in which a monarch or dictator has unrestricted powerabsolve vb -solving, -solved to declare to be free from blame or sinabsorb vb 1 to soak up a liquid ◇ SYNONYMS: soak up, suck up, receive, digest, imbibe 2 to engage the interest of someone ◇ SYNONYMS: engross, involve, engage, fascinate, rivet, captivate 3 to receive the force of an impact 4 (physics) to take in radiant energy and retain it 5 to take in or incorporate: the country absorbed almost one million refugees > absorbent adj > absorbency n > absorbing adjabsorption n 1 the process of absorbing something or the state of being absorbed ◇ SYNONYMS: immersion, involvement, concentration, fascination, preoccupation, intentness 2 (physiol) the process by which nutrients enter the tissues of an animal or a plant ◇ SYNONYMS: soaking up, consumption, digestion, sucking up > absorptive adjabstain vb 1 (usually foll. by from) to choose not to do or partake of something: you will be asked to abstain from food prior to your general anaesthetic 2 to choose not to vote > abstainer nabstemious (ab-steem-ee-uss) adj taking very little alcohol or food > abstemiously adv > abstemiousness nabstention n 1 the formal act of not voting 2 the act of abstaining from something, such as drinking alcoholabstinence n the practice of choosing not to do something one would like > abstinent adjabstract adj 1 referring to ideas or qualities rather than material objects: an abstract noun 2 not applied or practical; theoretical: he was frustrated by the highly abstract mathematics being taught ◇ SYNONYMS: theoretical, general, academic, speculative, indefinite, hypothetical, notional, abstruse 3 of art in which the subject is represented by shapes and patterns rather than by a realistic likeness ▸ n 4 a summary ◇ SYNONYMS: summary, résumé, outline, digest, epitome, rundown, synopsis, précis 5 an abstract painting or sculpture 6 an abstract word or idea 7 in the abstract without referring to specific circumstances ▸ vb 8 to summarize 9 to remove or extract ◇ SYNONYMS: extract, draw, pull, remove, separate, withdraw, isolate, pull outabstracted adj lost in thought; preoccupied > abstractedly advabstraction n 1 a general idea rather than a specific example: these absurd philosophical abstractions continued to bother him 2 the quality of being abstract or abstractedabstruse adj not easy to understandabsurd adj obviously senseless or illogical; ridiculous ◇ SYNONYMS: ridiculous, crazy (informal), silly, foolish, ludicrous, unreasonable, irrational, senseless > absurdity n > absurdly advabundance n 1 a great amount ◇ SYNONYMS: plenty, bounty, exuberance, profusion, plethora, affluence, fullness, fruitfulness 2 degree of plentifulness 3 in abundance in great amounts: they had fish and fruit in abundance > abundant adjabundantly adv 1 very: he made his disagreement with the prime minister abundantly clear 2 plentifully; in abundanceabuse n 1 prolonged ill-treatment of or violence towards someone: child abuse ◇ SYNONYMS: maltreatment, damage, injury, hurt, harm, manhandling, ill-treatment 2 insulting comments ◇ SYNONYMS: insults, blame, slights, put-downs, censure, reproach, scolding, defamation 3 improper use: an abuse of power ◇ SYNONYMS: misuse, misapplication, exploitation ▸ vb abusing, abused 4 to take advantage of dishonestly: these two ministers had abused their position for financial gain 5 to ill-treat violently or sexually ◇ SYNONYMS: ill-treat, damage, hurt, injure, harm, molest, maltreat, knock about or around 6 to speak insultingly or cruelly to ◇ SYNONYMS: insult, offend, curse, put down, malign, scold, disparage, castigate > abuser nabusive adj 1 rude or insulting: he was alleged to have used abusive language towards spectators ◇ SYNONYMS: insulting, offensive, rude, degrading, scathing, contemptuous, disparaging, scurrilous 2 involving cruelty and ill-treatment: an abusive relationship > abusively advabut vb abutting, abutted to be next to or touchingabysmal adj (informal) extremely bad > abysmally advabyss n 1 a very deep hole in the ground 2 a frightening or threatening situation: the abyss of revolution and war aheadAC 1 alternating current 2 athletic cluba/c 1 account 2 account currentacacia (a-kay-sha) n a shrub or tree with small yellow or white flowersacademic adj 1 relating to a college or university ◇ SYNONYMS: scholastic, educational 2 (of pupils) having an aptitude for study 3 relating to studies such as languages and pure science rather than technical or professional studies 4 of theoretical interest only: the argument is academic ◇ SYNONYMS: theoretical, abstract, speculative, hypothetical, impractical, notional, conjectural ▸ n 5 a member of the teaching or research staff of a college or university ◇ SYNONYMS: scholar, intellectual, don, master, professor, fellow, lecturer, tutor, acca (Austral slang) > academically advacademy n, pl -mies 1 a society for the advancement of literature, art, or science 2 a school for training in a particular skill: sixteen hundred students would also spend their first year at the military academy 3 a secondary schoolacanthus n 1 a plant with large spiny leaves and spikes of white or purplish flowers 2 a carved ornament based on the leaves of the acanthus plantACAS (in Britain) Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration ServiceACC (in New Zealand) Accident Compensation Corporationaccede vb -ceding, -ceded > accede to 1 to agree to 2 to take up (an office or position): he acceded to the throne after his Irish exileaccelerate vb -ating, -ated 1 to move or cause to move more quickly ◇ SYNONYMS: increase, grow, advance, extend, expand, raise, swell, enlarge 2 to cause to happen sooner than expected ◇ SYNONYMS: expedite, further, speed up, hastenacceleration n 1 the act of increasing speed ◇ SYNONYMS: hastening, hurrying, stepping up (informal), speeding up, quickening 2 the rate of increase of speed or the rate of change of velocityaccelerator n 1 a pedal in a motor vehicle that is pressed to increase speed 2 (physics) a machine for increasing the speed and energy of charged particlesaccent n 1 the distinctive style of pronunciation of a person or group from a particular area, country, or social background ◇ SYNONYMS: pronunciation, tone, articulation, inflection, brogue, intonation, diction, modulation 2 a mark used in writing to indicate the prominence of a syllable or the way a vowel is pronounced 3 particular emphasis: there will be an accent on sport and many will enjoy rowing 4 the stress on a syllable or musical note ▸ vb 5 to lay particular emphasis on ◇ SYNONYMS: emphasize, stress, highlight, underline, underscore, accentuateaccentuate vb -ating, -ated to stress or emphasize > accentuation naccept vb 1 to take or receive something offered ◇ SYNONYMS: receive, take, gain, pick up, secure, collect, get, obtain 2 to agree to 3 to consider something as true ◇ SYNONYMS: acknowledge, believe, allow, admit, approve, recognize, yield, concede 4 to tolerate or resign oneself to 5 to take on the responsibilities of: he asked if I would become his assistant and I accepted that position 6 to receive someone into a community or group 7 to receive something as adequate or validacceptable adj 1 able to be endured; tolerable: in war killing is acceptable 2 good enough; adequate: he found the article acceptable ◇ SYNONYMS: satisfactory, fair, all right, suitable, sufficient, good enough, adequate, tolerable > acceptability n > acceptably advacceptance n 1 the act of accepting something ◇ SYNONYMS: accepting, taking, receiving, obtaining, acquiring, reception, receipt 2 favourable reception 3 belief or agreementaccess n 1 a means of approaching or entering a place ◇ SYNONYMS: entrance, road, approach, entry, path, gate, opening, passage 2 the condition of allowing entry, for example entry to a building by wheelchairs or prams 3 the right or opportunity to use something or enter a place: the bourgeoisie gained access to political power ◇ SYNONYMS: admission, entry, passage 4 the opportunity or right to see or approach someone: I have access to the children every second weekend ▸ vb 5 to obtain (information) from a computeraccessible adj 1 easy to approach, enter, or use ◇ SYNONYMS: handy, near, nearby, at hand, within reach, reachable, achievable 2 easy to understand: the most accessible opera by Wagner > accessibility naccession n the act of taking up an office or position: the 40th anniversary of her accession to the throneaccessory n, pl -ries 1 a supplementary part or object ◇ SYNONYMS: extra, addition, supplement, attachment, adjunct, appendage 2 a small item, such as a bag or belt, worn or carried by someone to complete his or her outfit 3 a person who is involved in a crime but who was not present when it took place ◇ SYNONYMS: accomplice, partner, ally, associate, assistant, helper, colleague, collaboratoraccident n 1 an unpleasant event that causes damage, injury, or death ◇ SYNONYMS: crash, smash, wreck, collision 2 an unforeseen event or one without apparent cause: they had met in town by accident ◇ SYNONYMS: chance, fortune, luck, fate, hazard, coincidence, fluke, fortuityaccidental adj 1 occurring by chance or unintentionally ◇ SYNONYMS: unintentional, unexpected, incidental, unforeseen, unplanned ▸ n 2 (music) a symbol denoting a sharp, flat, or natural that is not a part of the key signature > accidentally advacclaim vb 1 to applaud or praise: the highly acclaimed children's TV series ◇ SYNONYMS: praise, celebrate, honour, cheer, admire, hail, applaud, compliment 2 to acknowledge publicly: he was immediately acclaimed the new prime minister ▸ n 3 an enthusiastic expression of approval ◇ SYNONYMS: praise, honour, celebration, approval, tribute, applause, kudos, commendationacclamation n 1 an enthusiastic reception or display of approval 2 (Canad) an instance of being elected without opposition 3 by acclamation by a majority without a ballotacclimatize or -tise vb -tizing, -tized or -tising, -tised to adapt to a new climate or environment > acclimatization or -tisation naccolade n 1 an award, praise, or honour 2 a touch on the shoulder with a sword conferring a knighthoodaccommodate vb -dating, -dated 1 to provide with lodgings ◇ SYNONYMS: house, put up, take in, lodge, shelter, entertain, cater for 2 to have room for 3 to do a favour for ◇ SYNONYMS: help, support, aid, assist, cooperate with, abet, lend a hand to 4 to adjust or become adjusted; to adapt ◇ SYNONYMS: adapt, fit, settle, alter, adjust, modify, comply, reconcileaccommodating adj willing to help; obliging ◇ SYNONYMS: obliging, willing, kind, friendly, helpful, polite, cooperative, agreeableaccommodation n a place in which to sleep, live, or work ◇ SYNONYMS: housing, homes, houses, board, quarters, digs (Brit informal), shelter, lodging(s)accompaniment n 1 something that accompanies something else ◇ SYNONYMS: supplement, extra, addition, companion, accessory, complement, decoration, adjunct 2 (music) a supporting part for an instrument, a band, or an orchestra ◇ SYNONYMS: backing music, backing, support, obbligatoaccompanist n a person who plays a musical accompanimentaccompany vb -nies, -nying, -nied 1 to go with (someone) ◇ SYNONYMS: go with, lead, partner, guide, attend, conduct, escort, shepherd 2 to happen or exist at the same time as ◇ SYNONYMS: occur with, belong to, come with, supplement, go together with, follow 3 to provide a musical accompaniment foraccomplice n a person who helps someone else commit a crimeaccomplish vb 1 to manage to do; achieve: most infants accomplish it immediately ◇ SYNONYMS: realize, produce, effect, finish, complete, manage, achieve, perform 2 to complete ◇ SYNONYMS: realize, produce, effect, finish, complete, manage, achieve, performaccomplished adj 1 expert or proficient: an accomplished liar ◇ SYNONYMS: skilled, able, professional, expert, masterly, talented, gifted, polished 2 successfully completedaccomplishment n 1 the successful completion of something ◇ SYNONYMS: accomplishing, finishing, carrying out, conclusion, bringing about, execution, completion, fulfilment 2 something successfully completed ◇ SYNONYMS: achievement, feat, act, stroke, triumph, coup, exploit, deed 3 (often pl) personal abilities or skillsaccord n 1 agreement or harmony ◇ SYNONYMS: sympathy, agreement, harmony, unison, rapport, conformity 2 a formal agreement between groups or nations: the Paris peace accords ◇ SYNONYMS: treaty, contract, agreement, arrangement, settlement, pact, deal (informal) 3 of one's own accord voluntarily or willingly 4 with one accord unanimously ▸ vb 5 to grant: she was at last accorded her true status 6 accord with to fit in with or be consistent with ◇ SYNONYMS accord with something: agree with, match, coincide with, fit with, correspond with, conform with, tally with, harmonize withaccordance n in accordance with conforming to or according to: food is prepared in accordance with Jewish lawsaccording adv 1 according to A as stated by: according to her, they were once engaged B in conformity with: work hours varied according to the tides 2 according as depending on whetheraccordingly adv 1 in an appropriate manner ◇ SYNONYMS: appropriately, correspondingly, properly, suitably, fitly 2 consequently ◇ SYNONYMS: consequently, so, thus, therefore, hence, subsequently, in consequence, ergoaccordion n a box-shaped musical instrument played by moving the two sides apart and together, and pressing a keyboard or buttons to produce the notes > accordionist naccost vb to approach, stop, and speak to (someone) rudely or aggressivelyaccount n 1 a report or description ◇ SYNONYMS: description, report, story, statement, version, tale, explanation, narrative 2 an arrangement for a financial institution to look after one's money 3 a statement of financial transactions with the resulting balance 4 part or behalf: I am sorry that you suffered on my account 5 call someone to account to demand an explanation from someone 6 give a good or bad account of oneself to perform well or fail to perform well 7 of no account of little importance or value 8 on account of because of 9 take account of or take into account to take into consideration; allow for ▸ vb 10 to consider as: the evening was accounted a major step forward by all concerned ◇ SYNONYMS: consider, rate, value, judge, estimate, think, count, reckonaccountable adj responsible to someone or for some action ◇ SYNONYMS: answerable, subject, responsible, obliged, liable, amenable, obligated, chargeable > accountability naccountant n a person who maintains and audits business accounts ◇ SYNONYMS: auditor, book-keeper, bean counter (informal) > accountancy naccounting n the skill or practice of maintaining and auditing business accountsaccoutrements (ak-koo-tra-ments) or (US) accouterments (ak-koo-ter-ments) pl n clothing and equipment for a particular activityaccredit vb 1 to give official recognition to 2 to send (a diplomat) with official credentials to a particular country 3 to certify as meeting required standards 4 to attribute (a quality or an action) to (a person) > accreditation naccretion (ak-kree-shun) n 1 a gradual increase in size, through growth or addition 2 something added, such as an extra layeraccrue vb -cruing, -crued 1 (of money or interest) to increase gradually over a period of time 2 accrue to to fall naturally to: some advantage must accrue to the weaker party > accrual naccumulate vb -lating, -lated to gather together in an increasing quantity; collect ◇ SYNONYMS: build up, increase, be stored, collect, gather, pile up, amass, hoard > accumulative adjaccumulation n 1 something that has been collected ◇ SYNONYMS: collection, increase, stock, store, mass, build-up, pile, stack 2 the collecting together of things ◇ SYNONYMS: growth, collection, gathering, build-upaccumulator n 1 (Brit & Austral) a rechargeable device for storing electrical energy 2 (Brit, horse racing) a collective bet on successive races, with both stake and winnings being carried forward to accumulate progressivelyaccuracy n faithful representation of the truth: care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the content ◇ SYNONYMS: exactness, precision, fidelity, authenticity, correctness, closeness, veracity, truthfulnessaccurate adj faithfully representing the truth: all the information was accurate ◇ SYNONYMS: correct, true, exact, spot-on (Brit informal) > accurately advaccursed (a-curse-id) adj 1 under a curse 2 hateful or detestableaccusation n 1 an allegation that a person is guilty of some wrongdoing 2 a formal charge brought against a person ◇ SYNONYMS: charge, complaint, allegation, indictment, recrimination, denunciation, incrimination > accusatory adjaccusative n (grammar) a grammatical case in some languages that identifies the direct object of a verbaccuse vb -cusing, -cused to charge a person with wrongdoing ◇ SYNONYMS: charge with, indict for, impeach for, censure with, incriminate for > accuser n > accusing adj > accusingly advaccused n the accused (law) the defendant appearing on a criminal chargeaccustom vb accustom oneself to to become familiar with or used to from habit or experienceaccustomed adj 1 usual or customary: he parked his motorcycle in its accustomed place ◇ SYNONYMS: usual, established, expected, common, standard, traditional, normal, regular 2 accustomed to A used to B in the habit oface n 1 a playing card with one symbol on it 2 (informal) an expert: an American stock car ace ◇ SYNONYMS: expert, star, champion, authority, professional, master, specialist, guru 3 (tennis) a winning serve that the opponent fails to reach 4 a fighter pilot who has destroyed several enemy aircraft ▸ adj 5 (informal) superb or excellent: an ace skateboarder ◇ SYNONYMS: great (informal), brilliant, fine, wonderful, excellent, outstanding, superb, fantastic (informal), booshit (Austral slang), exo (Austral slang), sik (Austral slang), ka pai (NZ), rad (informal), phat (slang), schmick (Austral informal)acerbic (ass-sir-bik) adj harsh or bitter: an acerbic criticacerbity n, pl -ties 1 bitter speech or temper 2 bitterness of tasteacetate (ass-it-tate) n 1 (chem) any salt or ester of acetic acid 2 Also: acetate rayon a synthetic textile fibre made from cellulose acetateacetic (ass-see-tik) adj (chem) of, containing, or producing acetic acid or vinegaracetic acid n (chem) a strong-smelling colourless liquid used to make vinegaracetone (ass-it-tone) n (chem) a strong-smelling colourless liquid used as a solvent for paints and lacquersacetylene (ass-set-ill-een) n (chem) a colourless soluble flammable gas used in welding metalsache vb aching, ached 1 to feel or be the source of a continuous dull pain ◇ SYNONYMS: hurt, suffer, burn, pain, smart, sting, pound, throb 2 to suffer mental anguish ▸ n 3 a continuous dull pain ◇ SYNONYMS: pain, discomfort, suffering, hurt, throbbing, irritation, tenderness, poundingachieve vb achieving, achieved to gain by hard work or effort ◇ SYNONYMS: accomplish, fulfil, complete, gain, perform, do, get, carry out > achiever nachievement n 1 something that has been accomplished by hard work, ability, or heroism ◇ SYNONYMS: accomplishment, effort, feat, deed, stroke, triumph, coup, exploit 2 the successful completion of somethingAchilles heel (ak-kill-eez) n a small but fatal weaknessAchilles tendon n the fibrous cord that connects the muscles of the calf to the heel boneachromatic adj 1 without colour 2 refracting light without breaking it up into its component colours 3 (music) involving no sharps or flats > achromatically advacid n 1 (chem) one of a class of compounds, corrosive and sour when dissolved in water, that combine with a base to form a salt 2 (slang) LSD 3 a sour-tasting substance ▸ adj 4 (chem) of, from, or containing acid 5 sharp or sour in taste ◇ SYNONYMS: sour, tart, pungent, acerbic, acrid, vinegary 6 sharp in speech or manner ◇ SYNONYMS: sharp, cutting, biting, bitter, harsh, barbed, caustic, vitriolic > acidly advAcid House or Acid n a type of funk-based, electronically edited dance music of the late 1980s, which has hypnotic sound effects and which is associated with the use of the drug ecstasyacidic adj containing acidacidify vb -fies, -fying, -fied to convert into acid > acidification nacidity n 1 the quality of being acid 2 the amount of acid in a solutionacid rain n rain containing pollutants released into the atmosphere by burning coal or oilacid test n a rigorous and conclusive test of worth or valueacknowledge vb -edging, -edged 1 to recognize or admit the truth of a statement ◇ SYNONYMS: admit, own up to, allow, accept, reveal, grant, declare, recognize 2 to show recognition of a person by a greeting or glance ◇ SYNONYMS: greet, address, notice, recognize, salute, accost 3 to make known that a message or letter has been received ◇ SYNONYMS: reply to, answer, notice, recognize, respond to, react to, retort to 4 to express gratitude for (a favour or compliment)acknowledgment or acknowledgement n 1 the act of acknowledging something or someone 2 something done or given as an expression of gratitudeacme (ak-mee) n the highest point of achievement or excellenceacne (ak-nee) n a skin disease in which pus-filled spots form on the faceacolyte n 1 a follower or attendant 2 (Christianity) a person who assists a priestaconite n 1 a poisonous plant with hoodlike flowers 2 dried aconite root, used as a narcoticacorn n the fruit of the oak tree, consisting of a smooth nut in a cuplike baseacoustic adj 1 of sound, hearing, or acoustics 2 (of a musical instrument) without electronic amplification 3 designed to absorb sound: acoustic tiles > acoustically advacoustics n 1 the scientific study of sound ▸ pl n 2 the characteristics of a room or auditorium determining how well sound can be heard within itacquaint vb acquaint with to make (someone) familiar withacquaintance n 1 a person whom one knows slightly ◇ SYNONYMS: associate, contact, ally, colleague, comrade 2 slight knowledge of a person or subject ◇ SYNONYMS: relationship, connection, fellowship, familiarity 3 make the acquaintance of to come into social contact with 4 the people one knows: an actress of my acquaintanceacquainted adj 1 on terms of familiarity but not intimacy 2 acquainted with familiar with: she became acquainted with the classics of Chinese literatureacquiesce (ak-wee-ess) vb -escing, -esced to agree to what someone wants > acquiescence n > acquiescent adjacquire vb -quiring, -quired to get or develop (something such as an object, trait, or ability) ◇ SYNONYMS: get, win, buy, receive, gain, earn, secure, collect > acquirement nacquisition n 1 something acquired, often to add to a collection ◇ SYNONYMS: purchase, buy, investment, property, gain, prize, asset, possession 2 the act of acquiring something ◇ SYNONYMS: acquiring, gaining, procurement, attainmentacquisitive adj eager to gain material possessions > acquisitively adv > acquisitiveness nacquit vb -quitting, -quitted 1 to pronounce someone not guilty: he's been acquitted of negligence ◇ SYNONYMS: clear, free, release, excuse, discharge, liberate, vindicate 2 to behave in a particular way: she acquitted herself well in the meeting > acquittal nacre n 1 a unit of area equal to 4840 square yards (4046.86 square metres) 2 acres (informal) a large amount: acres of skinacreage (ake-er-rij) n land area in acresacrid (ak-rid) adj 1 unpleasantly strong-smelling 2 sharp in speech or manner > acridity n > acridly advacrimony n bitterness and resentment felt about something > acrimonious adjacrobat n an entertainer who performs gymnastic feats requiring skill, agility, and balance > acrobatic adj > acrobatically advacrobatics pl n the skills or feats of an acrobatacronym n a word made from the initial letters of other words, for example UNESCO for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organizationacross prep 1 from one side to the other side of 2 on or at the other side of ▸ adv 3 from one side to the other 4 on or to the other sideacrostic n a number of lines of writing, such as a poem, in which the first or last letters form a word or proverbacrylic adj 1 made of acrylic ▸ n 2 a man-made fibre used for clothes and blankets 3 a kind of paint made from acrylic acidacrylic acid n (chem) a strong-smelling colourless corrosive liquidact n 1 something done ◇ SYNONYMS: deed, action, performance, achievement, undertaking, exploit, feat, accomplishment 2 a formal decision reached or law passed by a law-making body: an act of parliament ◇ SYNONYMS: law, bill, measure, resolution, decree, statute, ordinance, enactment 3 a major division of a play or opera 4 a short performance, such as a sketch or dance ◇ SYNONYMS: performance, show, turn, production, routine (informal), presentation, gig (informal), sketch 5 a pretended attitude: she appeared calm but it was just an act ◇ SYNONYMS: pretence, show, front, performance, display, attitude, pose, posture 6 get in on the act (informal) to become involved in something in order to share the benefit 7 get one's act together (informal) to organize oneself ▸ vb 8 to do something ◇ SYNONYMS: do something, perform, function 9 to perform (a part or role) in a play, film, or broadcast ◇ SYNONYMS: perform, mimic 10 to present (a play) on stage 11 act for to be a substitute for: Mr Lewis was acting for the head of the department 12 act as to serve the function of: she is acting as my bodyguard 13 to behave: she acts as though she really hates you 14 to behave in an unnatural wayACT Australian Capital Territoryacting n 1 the art of an actor ◇ SYNONYMS: performance, playing, performing, theatre, portrayal, impersonation, characterization, stagecraft ▸ adj 2 temporarily performing the duties of: the acting president has declared a state of emergency ◇ SYNONYMS: temporary, substitute, interim, provisional, surrogate, stopgap, pro temactinium n (chem) a radioactive element of the actinide series, occurring as a decay product of uranium. SYMBOL: Acaction n 1 doing something for a particular purpose ◇ SYNONYMS: deed, act, performance, achievement, exploit, feat, accomplishment 2 something done on a particular occasion ◇ SYNONYMS: measure, act, manoeuvre 3 a lawsuit ◇ SYNONYMS: lawsuit, case, trial, suit, proceeding, dispute, prosecution, litigation 4 movement during some physical activity 5 the operating mechanism in a gun or machine 6 the way in which something operates or works 7 (slang) the main activity in a place 8 the events that form the plot of a story or play 9 activity, force, or energy ◇ SYNONYMS: energy, activity, spirit, force, vitality, vigour, liveliness, vim 10 a minor battle ◇ SYNONYMS: battle, fight, conflict, clash, contest, encounter, combat, engagement 11 actions behaviour 12 out of action not functioningactionable adj (law) giving grounds for legal actionaction replay n the rerunning of a small section of a television film or tape, for example of a sporting eventactivate vb -vating, -vated 1 to make something active ◇ SYNONYMS: start, move, initiate, rouse, mobilize, set in motion, galvanize 2 (physics) to make something radioactive 3 (chem) to increase the rate of a reaction > activation nactive adj 1 busy and energetic ◇ SYNONYMS: energetic, quick, alert, dynamic, lively, vigorous, animated, forceful 2 energetically involved in or working hard for: active in the peace movement 3 happening now and energetically: the plan is under active discussion 4 functioning or causing a reaction: the active ingredient is held within the capsule 5 (of a volcano) erupting periodically 6 (grammar) denoting a form of a verb used to indicate that the subject is performing the action, for example kicked in The boy kicked the football ▸ n 7 (grammar) the active form of a verb > actively advactivist n a person who works energetically to achieve political or social goals ◇ SYNONYMS: militant, partisan > activism nactivity n 1 the state of being active ◇ SYNONYMS: action, labour, movement, energy, exercise, spirit, motion, bustle 2 lively movement 3 pl -ties any specific action or pursuit: he was engaged in political activities abroad ◇ SYNONYMS: pursuit, project, scheme, pleasure, interest, hobby, pastimeact of God n (law) a sudden occurrence caused by natural forces, such as a floodactor n a person who acts in a play, film, or broadcast ◇ SYNONYMS: performer, player, Thespian, luvvie (informal)actress n a female actoractual adj existing in reality or as a matter of factactuality n, pl -ties realityactually adv as an actual fact; really ◇ SYNONYMS: really, in fact, indeed, truly, literally, genuinely, in reality, in truthactuary n, pl -aries a person qualified to calculate commercial risks and probabilities involving uncertain future events, esp. in such contexts as life assurance > actuarial adjactuate vb -ating, -ated 1 to start up a mechanical device 2 to motivate someoneacuity (ak-kew-it-ee) n keenness of vision or thoughtacumen (ak-yew-men) n the ability to make good decisionsacupuncture n a medical treatment involving the insertion of needles at various parts of the body to stimulate the nerve impulses > acupuncturist nacute adj 1 severe or intense: acute staff shortages 2 penetrating in perception or insight ◇ SYNONYMS: perceptive, sharp, keen, smart, sensitive, clever, astute, insightful 3 sensitive or keen: it was amazing how acute your hearing got in the bush 4 (of a disease) sudden and severe ◇ SYNONYMS: serious, important, dangerous, critical, crucial (informal), severe, grave, urgent 5 (maths) (of an angle) of less than 90° ▸ n 6 an acute accent > acutely adv > acuteness n