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aggrieve v. To give grief or sorrow to.
aghast adj. Struck with terror and amazement.
agile adj. Able to move or act quickly, physically, or mentally.
agitate v. To move or excite (the feelings or thoughts).
agrarian adj. Pertaining to land, especially agricultural land.
aide-de-camp n. An officer who receives and transmits the orders of
the general.
ailment n. Slight sickness.
airy adj. Delicate, ethereal.
akin adj. Of similar nature or qualities.
alabaster n. A white or delicately tinted fine-grained gypsum.
alacrity n. Cheerful willingness.
albeit conj. Even though.
albino n. A person with milky white skin and hair, and eyes with bright
red pupil and usually pink iris.
album n. A book whose leaves are so made to form paper frames for holding
photographs or the like.
alchemy n. Chemistry of the middle ages, characterized by the pursuit
of changing base metals to gold.
alcohol n. A volatile, inflammable, colorless liquid of a penetrating
odor and burning taste.
alcoholism n. A condition resulting from the inordinate or persistent
use of alcoholic beverages.
alcove n. A covered recess connected with or at the side of a larger
room.
alder n. Any shrub or small tree of the genus Alumnus, of the oak family.
alderman n. A member of a municipal legislative body, who usually exercises
also certain judicial functions.
aldermanship n. The dignity, condition, office, or term of office of
an alderman.
alias n. An assumed name.
alien n. One who owes allegiance to a foreign government.
alienable adj. Capable of being aliened or alienated, as lands.
alienate v. To cause to turn away.
alienation n. Estrangement.
aliment n. That which nourishes.
alkali n. Anything that will neutralize an acid, as lime, magnesia,
etc.
allay v. To calm the violence or reduce the intensity of; mitigate.
allege v. To assert to be true, especially in a formal manner, as in
court.
allegory n. The setting forth of a subject under the guise of another
subject of aptly suggestive likeness.
alleviate v. To make less burdensome or less hard to bear.
alley n. A narrow street, garden path, walk, or the like.
alliance n. Any combination or union for some common purpose.
allot v. To assign a definite thing or part to a certain person.
allotment n. Portion.
allude v. To refer incidentally, or by suggestion.
allusion n. An indirect and incidental reference to something without
definite mention of it.
alluvion n. Flood.
ally n. A person or thing connected with another, usually in some relation
of helpfulness.
almanac n. A series of tables giving the days of the week together
with certain astronomical information.
aloof adv. Not in sympathy with or desiring to associate with others.
altar n. Any raised place or structure on which sacrifices may be offered
or incense burned.
alter v. To make change in.
alteration n. Change or modification.
altercate v. To contend angrily or zealously in words.
alternate n. One chosen to act in place of another, in case of the
absence or incapacity of that other.
alternative n. Something that may or must exist, be taken or chosen,
or done instead of something else.
altitude n. Vertical distance or elevation above any point or base-level,
as the sea.
alto n. The lowest or deepest female voice or part.
altruism n. Benevolence to others on subordination to self-interest.
altruist n. One who advocates or practices altruism.
amalgam n. An alloy or union of mercury with another metal.
amalgamate v. To mix or blend together in a homogeneous body.
amateur adj. Practicing an art or occupation for the love of it, but
not as a profession.
amatory adj. Designed to excite love.
ambidextrous adj. Having the ability of using both hands with equal
skill or ease.
ambiguous adj. Having a double meaning.
ambitious adj. Eagerly desirous and aspiring.
ambrosial adj. Divinely sweet, fragrant, or delicious.
ambulance n. A vehicle fitted for conveying the sick and wounded.
ambulate v. To walk about
ambush n. The act or state of lying concealed for the purpose of surprising
or attacking the enemy.
ameliorate v. To relieve, as from pain or hardship
amenable adj. Willing and ready to submit.
Americanism n. A peculiar sense in which an English word or phrase
is used in the United States.
amicable adj. Done in a friendly spirit.
amity n. Friendship.
amorous adj. Having a propensity for falling in love.
amorphous adj. Without determinate shape.
amour n. A love-affair, especially one of an illicit nature.
ampere n. The practical unit of electric-current strength.
ampersand n. The character &; and.
amphibious adj. Living both on land and in water.
amphitheater n. An edifice of elliptical shape, constructed about a
central open space or arena.
amplitude n. Largeness.
amply adv. Sufficiently.
amputate v. To remove by cutting, as a limb or some portion of the
body.
amusement n. Diversion.
anachronism n. Anything occurring or existing out of its proper time.
anagram n. The letters of a word or phrase so transposed as to make
a different word or phrase.
analogous adj. Corresponding (to some other) in certain respects, as
in form, proportion, relations.
analogy n. Reasoning in which from certain and known relations or resemblance
others are formed.
analyst n. One who analyzes or makes use of the analytical method.
analyze v. To examine minutely or critically.
anarchy n. Absence or utter disregard of government.
anathema n. Anything forbidden, as by social usage.
anatomy n. That branch of morphology which treats of the structure
of organisms.
ancestry n. One's ancestors collectively.
anecdote n. A brief account of some interesting event or incident.
anemia n. Deficiency of blood or red corpuscles.
anemic adj. Affected with anemia.
anemometer n. An instrument for measuring the force or velocity of
wind.
anesthetic adj. Pertaining to or producing loss of sensation.
anew adv. Once more.
angelic adj. Saintly.
Anglophobia n. Hatred or dread of England or of what is English.
Anglo-Saxon n. The entire English race wherever found, as in Europe,
the United States, or India.
angular adj. Sharp-cornered.
anhydrous adj. Withered.
animadversion n. The utterance of criticism or censure.
animadvert v. To pass criticism or censure.
animalcule n. An animal of microscopic smallness.
animate v. To make alive.
animosity n. Hatred.
annalist n. Historian.
annals n. A record of events in their chronological order, year by
year.
annex v. To add or affix at the end.
annihilate v. To destroy absolutely.
annotate v. To make explanatory or critical notes on or upon.
annual adj. Occurring every year.
annuity n. An annual allowance, payment, or income.
annunciation n. Proclamation.
anode n. The point where or path by which a voltaic current enters
an electrolyte or the like.
anonymous adj. Of unknown authorship.
antagonism n. Mutual opposition or resistance of counteracting forces,
principles, or persons.
Antarctic adj. Pertaining to the south pole or the regions near it.
ante v. In the game of poker, to put up a stake before the cards are
dealt.
antecede v. To precede.
antecedent n. One who or that which precedes or goes before, as in
time, place, rank, order, or causality.
antechamber n. A waiting room for those who seek audience.
antedate v. To assign or affix a date to earlier than the actual one.
antediluvian adj. Of or pertaining to the times, things, events before
the great flood in the days of Noah.
antemeridian adj. Before noon.
antemundane adj. Pertaining to time before the world's creation.
antenatal adj. Occurring or existing before birth.
anterior adj. Prior.
anteroom n. A room situated before and opening into another, usually
larger.
anthology n. A collection of extracts from the writings of various
authors.
anthracite n. Hard coal.
anthropology n. The science of man in general.
anthropomorphous adj. Having or resembling human form.
antic n. A grotesque, ludicrous, or fantastic action.
Antichrist n. Any opponent or enemy of Christ, whether a person or
a power.
anticlimax n. A gradual or sudden decrease in the importance or impressiveness
of what is said.
anticyclone n. An atmospheric condition of high central pressure, with
currents flowing outward.
antidote n. Anything that will counteract or remove the effects of
poison, disease, or the like.
antilogy n. Inconsistency or contradiction in terms or ideas.
antipathize v. To show or feel a feeling of antagonism, aversion, or
dislike.
antiphon n. A response or alteration of responses, generally musical.
antiphony n. An anthem or other composition sung responsively.
antipodes n. A place or region on the opposite side of the earth.
antiquary n. One who collects and examines old things, as coins, books,
medals, weapons, etc.
antiquate v. To make old or out of date.
antique adj. Pertaining to ancient times.
antiseptic n. Anything that destroys or restrains the growth of putrefactive
micro-organisms.
antislavery adj. Opposed to human slavery.
antispasmodic adj. Tending to prevent or relieve non-inflammatory spasmodic
affections.
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