Words starting with A — 1,142 entries

The 1,142 dictionary words that begin with the letter A, in alphabetical order, each with its first definition. Accents do not affect filing: an accented initial is shelved under its base letter.

• architecture7 sensesThe art and science of designing and managing the construction of buildings and other structures, particularly if they are well proportioned and…
• archive6 sensesChiefly in the form archives. A repository or other place for storing material (such as documents and records) no longer in current use, and usually…
• Arctic8 sensesPertaining to the celestial north pole, or to the pole star.
• are1 senseAn accepted (but deprecated and rarely used) metric unit of area equal to 100 square metres, or a former unit of approximately the same extent.…
• Are1 senseA village in Saaremaa, Saare County, Estonia.
• area7 sensesA measure of the extent of a surface; it is measured in square units.
• arena4 sensesAn enclosed area, often outdoor, for the presentation of sporting events (sports arena) or other spectacular events; earthen area, often oval,…
• Arena7 sensesA township in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, United States.
• Ares1 senseThe Greek god of war, usually described as a son of Zeus and Hera, companion of Eris and Enyo, and by Aphrodite father of Deimos and Phobos.
• Argentina1 senseA country in South America. Official name: Argentine Republic. Capital: Buenos Aires.
• argh2 sensesExpressing annoyance, dismay, embarrassment or frustration.
• argue6 sensesTo show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply.
• Argue1 senseA surname.
• arguing1 senseargument
• argument17 sensesA fact or statement used to support a proposition; a reason.
• Ari7 sensesA male given name from Hebrew, of Jewish usage, variant of Arieh (also transcribed as Aryeh, Arye).
• aria1 senseA musical piece written typically for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment in an opera or cantata.
• Aria2 sensesA female given name from English.
• ariel1 senseA kind of mountain gazelle, native to Arabia.
• Ariel5 sensesA name for the city of Jerusalem, the claimed (and de-facto) capital city of modern Israel, and the claimed capital city of modern Palestine.
• arise4 sensesTo come up from a lower to a higher position.
• aristotle1 senseA bottle.
• Aristotle2 sensesA male given name.
• arithmetic5 sensesThe mathematics of numbers (integers, rational numbers, real numbers, or complex numbers) under the operations of addition, subtraction,…
• Arizona12 sensesA state in the southwestern United States, established 1912. Capital: Phoenix.
• Arjun1 senseA male given name from Sanskrit used in India.
• ark7 sensesA large box with a flat lid.
• Ark2 sensesThe boat built by the Biblical Noah to carry himself and the animals of the planet during the Flood.
• Arkansas3 sensesA state in the South Central region of the United States. Capital and largest city: Little Rock.
• Arlene1 senseA female given name originating as a coinage.
• Arlo1 senseA male given name.
• arm25 sensesThe portion of the upper human appendage, from the shoulder to the wrist and sometimes including the hand.
• armageddon3 sensesThe scene of a decisive conflict on a great scale.
• Armageddon3 sensesMount Megiddo, the site of a prophesied final battle between the forces of good and evil.
• Armand1 senseA surname.
• Armando1 senseA surname.
• armed8 sensesEquipped, especially with a weapon.
• Armenian4 sensesOf, from, or pertaining to Armenia, the Armenian people, the Armenian language, or the Armenian alphabet.
• armor8 sensesA protective layer over a body, vehicle, or other object intended to deflect or diffuse damaging forces.
• Armor1 senseA surname.
• armored2 sensesClad or equipped with arms or armor.
• armory1 senseAmerican standard spelling of armoury.
• armour2 sensesBritish standard spelling of armor.
• Armour3 sensesA surname.
• armpit2 sensesThe cavity beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder.
• arms2 sensesWeaponry, weapons.
• Armstrong20 sensesAn English surname transferred from the nickname, originally a nickname for someone with strong arms.
• army8 sensesA large, highly organized military force, concerned mainly with ground (rather than air or naval) operations.
• Army2 sensesA sports team representing the US Military Academy at West Point.
• ARMY2 sensesThe fandom of the K-pop boy band BTS.
• Arne4 sensesA male given name from the Germanic languages occasionally used in English.
• Arnie1 senseA diminutive of the male given name Arnold.
• Arnold24 sensesA male given name from the Germanic languages brought to England by Normans.
• aroma1 senseA smell; especially a pleasant, spicy or fragrant one.
• around17 sensesForming a circle or closed curve containing (something).
• arouse4 sensesTo stimulate or induce (feelings); pique.
• aroused2 sensesSexually excited; randy, lustful.
• arraignment1 senseThe formal charging of a defendant with an offense; in many jurisdictions it includes their response in the form of a plea, typically as guilty, not…
• arrange4 sensesTo set up; to organize; to put into an orderly sequence or arrangement.
• arranged1 senseHaving the match decided by someone other than the couple being married.
• arrangement7 sensesThe act of arranging.
• arranging1 senseArrangement.
• array14 sensesClothing and ornamentation; raiment.
• arrest14 sensesA check; a stop; an act or instance of arresting something.
• arrested2 sensesHaving been stopped or prevented from developing; terminated prematurely.
• arresting1 senseStriking, gripping.
• arrival5 sensesThe act of arriving (reaching a certain place).
• arrive7 sensesTo reach; to get to a certain place.
• arriving1 sensethat arrives
• arrogance1 senseThe state of being arrogant; a type of extreme or foolish pride in which someone feels much superior to another.
• arrogant1 senseHaving excessive pride in oneself, often with contempt or disrespect for others.
• arrow12 sensesA projectile consisting of a shaft, a point and a tail with stabilizing fins that is shot from a bow.
• Arrow6 sensesA surname.
• arrows1 senseShort darts feathered at the ends.
• arse6 sensesA person's buttocks; the bottom, the backside. Also: the anus; the rectum.
• arsehole4 sensesThe anus.
• arsenal4 sensesA military establishment for the storing, development, manufacturing, testing, or repairing of arms, ammunition, and other war materiel; an armoury.
• Arsenal1 senseThe Arsenal Football Club.
• arsenic4 sensesA toxic grey brittle nonmetallic chemical element (symbol As) with an atomic number of 33.
• arson3 sensesThe crime of deliberately starting a fire with intent to cause damage.
• art10 sensesThe conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colours, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the senses and emotions,…
• Art1 senseA diminutive of the male given name Arthur, from the Celtic languages.
• artery2 sensesAny of the muscular- and elastic-walled blood vessels forming part of the circulation system by which blood is conveyed away from the heart…
• arthritis1 senseInflammation of a joint or joints causing pain and/or disability, swelling and stiffness, and due to various causes such as infection, trauma,…
• Arthur17 sensesA male given name from the Celtic languages.
• article13 sensesA piece of nonfiction writing such as a story, report, opinion piece, or entry in a newspaper, magazine, journal, encyclopedia, etc.
• articles2 sensesBreeches; coat and waistcoat.
• articulate15 sensesTo make clear or effective.
• Artie1 senseA diminutive of the male given name Arthur, from the Celtic languages.
• artifact8 sensesAn object made or shaped by human hand or labor.
• artificial5 sensesMan-made; made by humans; of artifice.
• artillery5 sensesLarge projectile weapons, in modern usage usually large guns, but also rocket artillery.
• artist6 sensesA person who creates art.
• Artist1 senseA surname.
• artistic4 sensesHaving or revealing creative skill.
• arts3 sensesThe humanities. The study of languages and literature.
• Arts1 senseA surname.
• artwork3 sensesA painting, drawing, sculpture or other piece of creative, visual art.
• Arun4 sensesA local government district of West Sussex, England.
• Aryan13 sensesIn reference to a pseudoscientific historical race theory: A person of Caucasian (white / Northern European) ethnicity; A white non-Jew, in the…
• as21 sensesTo such an extent or degree; to the same extent or degree.
• Asa2 sensesThe third king of Judah mentioned in the Books of Kings who succeeded his father Abijah; the father of King Jehoshaphat. (Matthew calls him "Asaph"…
• ascend8 sensesTo move upward, to fly, to soar.
• Asgard2 sensesThe realm of the Æsir gods.
• ash16 sensesThe solid remains of a fire.
• Ash21 sensesThe Egyptian god of oases.
• ashamed1 senseFeeling shame or guilt.
• asher1 senseA member of the alt.suicide.holiday newsgroup, which deals with the topics of suicide and depression.
• Asher6 sensesThe eighth son of Jacob, by his wife's handmaid Zilpah.
• Ashes1 sensethe Ashes
• Ashley25 sensesA number of villages and hamlets in England: A village and civil parish in East Cambridgeshire district, Cambridgeshire (OS grid ref TL6961).
• Ashok1 senseA male given name from Hindi.
• ashore2 sensesOn the land as opposed to onboard.
• Ashton28 sensesA common placename in England: A hamlet in Bainton parish, City of Peterborough district, Cambridgeshire (OS grid ref TF1005).
• ashtray2 sensesA receptacle for ash and butts from cigarettes and cigars.
• Asia7 sensesThe largest continent, located east of Europe (typically delimited by the Urals), west of the Pacific Ocean, north of Oceania and south of the Arctic…
• Asian4 sensesA person from the continent of Asia, or a descendant thereof - especially: A person from or with ancestry in East or Southeast Asia, occasionally…
• aside6 sensesTo or on one side so as to be out of the way.
• ask17 sensesTo request or petition. To request (information, or an answer to a question).
• Ask2 sensesThe first male human, according to the Poetic Edda.
• asked1 senseArsed (bothered; willing to make an effort).
• Askin1 senseA surname.
• asking4 sensesThat asks; that expresses a question or request.
• asleep4 sensesIn a state of sleep; also, broadly, resting.
• asparagus3 sensesAny of various perennial plants of the genus Asparagus having leaflike stems, scalelike leaves, and small flowers.
• aspect17 sensesAny specific feature, part, or element of something.
• aspen6 sensesPertaining to the aspen tree.
• Aspen4 sensesA ski-resort town, the county seat of Pitkin County, Colorado.
• aspirin2 sensesan analgesic drug, acetylsalicylic acid
• Aspirin1 senseA marketed variety of acetylsalicylic acid.
• aspiring2 sensesHoping to become.
• ass11 sensesAny of several species of horse-like animals, especially Equus asinus, the domesticated of which are used as beasts of burden.
• assailant3 sensesSomeone who attacks or assails another violently, or criminally.
• assassin5 sensesSomeone who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public or political figure.
• assassinate4 sensesTo murder someone, especially an important person, by a sudden or obscure attack, especially for ideological or political reasons.
• assassination1 senseThe murder of a person, especially for political reasons or for personal gain.
• assault9 sensesA violent onset or attack with physical means, for example blows, weapons, etc.
• assemble3 sensesTo put together.
• assembly6 sensesA set of pieces that work together in unison as a mechanism or device.
• Assembly1 senseThe lower legislative body of each of a number of states of the United States.
• assess3 sensesTo determine, estimate or judge the value of; to evaluate; to estimate.
• assessment2 sensesThe act of assessing or an amount (of tax, levy or duty etc) assessed.
• asset5 sensesA thing or quality that has value, especially one that generates cash flows.
• assets5 sensesAny property or object of value that one possesses, usually considered as applicable to the payment of one's debts.
• asshole4 sensesThe anus.
• assign11 sensesTo designate or set apart (something) for some purpose.
• assigned1 senseWhich has been assigned or designated for some purpose.
• assignment9 sensesThe act of assigning; the allocation of a job or a set of tasks.
• assist8 sensesTo help.
• assistance1 senseAid; help; the act or result of assisting.
• assistant6 sensesHaving a subordinate or auxiliary position.
• assisting2 sensesassistance; help given
• associate19 sensesJoined with another or others and having lower status.
• Associate1 senseAn associate's degree.
• associated2 sensesConnected with something or another person.
• association6 sensesThe act of associating.
• assume5 sensesTo authenticate by means of belief; to surmise; to suppose to be true, especially without proof.
• assumed2 sensesUsed in a manner intended to deceive; pretended; simulated.
• assuming2 sensesAn assumption.
• assumption7 sensesThe act of assuming, or taking to or upon oneself; the act of taking up or adopting.
• Assumption2 sensesThe Assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus, into heaven, a Catholic dogma.
• assurance8 sensesThe act of assuring; a declaration intended to inspire full confidence; something designed to give confidence to someone.
• assure4 sensesTo make sure and secure; ensure.
• assured4 sensesGuaranteed; secure.
• asteroid3 sensesA naturally occurring solid object, which is smaller than a planet and a dwarf planet, larger than a meteoroid and not a comet, that orbits a star…
• asthma1 senseA long-term respiratory condition, in which the airways may unexpectedly and suddenly narrow, often in response to an allergen, cold air, exercise,…
• aston2 sensesA lower third.
• Aston19 sensesA common placename: A number of places in England: A hamlet in Remenham parish, Wokingham borough, Berkshire (OS grid ref SU7884).
• astonished1 senseAmazed; surprised.
• astonishing1 senseCausing astonishment.
• astounding1 senseThat astounds or astound.
• astray2 sensesAway from the proper path; in a wrong or unknown direction.
• Astrid1 senseA female given name from the Germanic languages.
• astronaut3 sensesA member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose.
• astronomer1 senseOne who studies astronomy, the stars or the physical universe; a scientist whose area of research is astronomy or astrophysics.
• astronomical2 sensesOf or relating to astronomy.
• astronomy2 sensesThe study of the physical universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere, including the process of mapping locations and properties of the matter and…
• asylum5 sensesA place of safety or refuge.
• at22 sensesIn, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).
• AT1 senseUkrainian initialism of акціонерне товариство (akcionerne tovarystvo, “JSC”)
• ate2 sensesAn elder sister
• ATF1 senseAs Trustee For
• atheist8 sensesA person who does not believe in deities or gods.
• Athena4 sensesThe goddess of wisdom, especially strategic warfare, the arts, and especially crafts, in particular, weaving; daughter of Zeus and Metis. Her Roman…
• Athens25 sensesThe capital city of Greece.
• athlete3 sensesA participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
• athletic6 sensesHaving to do with athletes.
• Athletic1 senseA player on the team Oakland Athletics.
• Atkins7 sensesA surname transferred from the given name meaning "son of Atkin (Adam)".
• Atlanta20 sensesThe capital and largest city of Georgia, United States and the county seat of Fulton County, Georgia.
• atlantic1 senseOf or pertaining to the atlas, the uppermost vertebra in the spinal columns of humans and some other animals.
• Atlantic10 sensesThe Atlantic Ocean.
• Atlantis1 senseA mythical country said to have sunk into the Atlantic Ocean.
• atlas10 sensesA bound collection of maps often including tables, illustrations or other text.
• Atlas13 sensesThe son of Iapetus and Clymene, war leader of the Titans ordered by the god Zeus to support the sky on his shoulders; father to the Hesperides, the…
• ATLAS1 senseA comet, an interstellar object visiting the Solar System, on a hyperbolic orbit. Named after the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System.
• ATM1 senseAny source of a large amount of money.
• atmosphere6 sensesThe gases surrounding the Earth or any astronomical body.
• ATmosphere1 senseThe distributed social media network of federated services using the AT Protocol.
• atmospheric3 sensesOf, relating to, produced by, or coming from the atmosphere.