| Term | Definition |
|---|
| apothegm(apophthegm) | pithy, compact saying |
| n apotheosis | elevation to godhood; an ideal example of something; OP Denigration;Decadence |
| appall | dismay; shock deeply |
| apparition | ghost; phantom; specter; wraith |
| appease | pacify or soothe; Ex. appease a crying baby; N. appeasement |
| n appellation | name; title |
| append | attach |
| n application | diligent attention; diligence; V. apply oneself |
| apposite | appropriate; fitting; germane;apropose;apt |
| appraise | estimate value of; N. appraisal |
| appreciate | be thankful for; increase in worth; be thoroughly conscious of; ADJ. appreciable: enough to be felt; Ex. appreciable difference |
| apprehend | arrest (a criminal); dread; perceive; N. apprehension |
| n apprehensive | fearful; discerning |
| apprise | inform |
| approbation | approval |
| appropriate | acquire; take possession of for one's own use without permission; set aside for a particular purpose; allocate; CF. misappropriate |
| n appurtenances | subordinate possessions; something added to a more important thing; amenities |
| n apropos | with reference to; regarding; Ex. remarks apropos (of) the present situation; ADJ. ADV. |
| aptitude | fitness; talent |
| n aquiline | curved; hooked; of or like an eagle; Ex. aquiline nose |
| n arable | fit for growing crops; Ex. arable land |
| arbiter | person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge who is in a position ot make influential judgments; Ex. supreme arbiter of fashion in beachware |
| arbitrary | unreasonable or capricious; random; tyrannical; Ex. arbitrary ruler |
| arbitrate | act as judge (at the request of both sides) |
| n arboretum | place where different trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited |
| s arboreal | of or living in trees |
| arcade | a covered passageway usually lined with shops |
| arcane | esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener |
| archaeology | study of artifacts and relics of early mankind |
| n archaic | antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N. |
| n archetype | prototype; primitive pattern |
| arch- | chief; first; Ex. archbishop |
| n archipelago | group of closely located islands |
| n archives | public records; place where public records are kept |
| ardor | heat; passion; zeal; ADJ. ardent |
| n arduous | hard; strenuous; Ex. arduous work |
| n argot | slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people |
| aria | operatic solo; a song sung by one person in an opera or oratorio |
| n arid | (of land) dry; barren; unproductive |
| aristocracy | hereditary nobility; privileged class; government by nobility; N. aristocrat |
| armada | fleet of warships |
| aromatic | fragrant; having a sweet smell; N. aroma: strong pleasant smell |
| arraign | charge in court; indict |
| n array | marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; SYN-PANOPLY=collection of things; ordered group; Ex. in battle array |
| arrears | being in debt; money that should have been paid; work that should have been done |
| n arrhythmic | lacking rhythm or regularity; N. arrhythmia |
| arrogance | pride; haughtiness; ADJ. arrogant: unpleasantly self-important (with a strong confidence in one's own importance and a lack of respect for other people) |
| n arroyo | gully; narrow channel formed by rainwater |
| s artery | blood-vessel; CF. vein |
| articulate | effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; Ex. articulate speech; V: express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints |
| arsenal | storage place for military equipment |
| artifacts | object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced |
| n artifice | deception; trickery |
| artisan | a manually skilled worker |
| n artless | without guile; open and honest |
| ascendancy | controlling influence; position of controlling influence; CF. in the ascendant |
| ascertain | find out for certain; make certain |
| ascetic | practicing self-denial; avoiding physical pleasures and comforts; austere; Ex. ascetic life of Buddhist monks; N. asceticism |
| ascribe | refer; attribute; assign |
| aseptic | preventing infection; having a cleansing effect |
| n ashen | ash-colored; deadly pale;PALLID,SALLOW,WAN,SICKLY; OP-RUDDY |
| n asinine | stupid; Ex. asinine remarks; ASS |
| n askance | with a sideways or indirect look (with disapproval or distruct); Ex. look askance at |
| n askew | crookedly; slanted; at an angle |
| asperity | sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); Ex. asperities of a Russian winter |
| aspersion | slanderous remark; Ex. cast aspersions on |
| aspirant | seeker after position or status |
| aspire | seek to attain (position or status); long for; Ex. aspire to become president; Ex. aspire to/after the leadership |
| assail | assault |
| n assay | analyze (to discover what materials are present); evaluate (soil or ore) |
| assent | agree; accept; N. assessment |
| n assert | state strongly or positively; demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc.); make a claim to (by forceful action); Ex. assert one's independence |
| assiduous | diligent |
| assimilate | absorb; take (food) into the body and digest it; understand (knowledge) completely and be able to use properly; cause to become homogeneous (the people of a country or race in the wasy of behaving or thinking) |
| assuage | mak less severe; ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger) |
| assumption | something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of; Ex. her assumption of power; V. assume |
| s regent | a person who governs in place of a ruler who is ill, absent, or still a child; ADJ. Ex. the Prince regent |
| assurance | firm statement that something is certainly true; promise or pledge; certainty; confidence in one's own ability; self-confidence; Ex. In spite of all his assurances, he did not come back; Ex. assurance of his loyalty; Ex. The teacher lacked assurance in fron of his class; V. assure; tell firmly with confidence; ensure; make (something) certain to heappen; make (someone) feel sure; give confidence to; ADJ. assured: self-assured; confident in one's own ability; showing certainty |
| asteroid | small planet |
| n astigmatism | eye defect which prevents proper focus; OP. stigmatism X |
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