The first letter of the English and of many other alphabets. The capital A of the alphabets of Middle and Western Europe, as also the small letter (a), besides the forms in Italic, black letter, etc., ...
A:
The name of the sixth tone in the model major scale (that in C), or the first tone of the minor scale, which is named after it the scale in A minor. The second string of the violin is tuned to the A i ...
A:
An adjective, commonly called the indefinite article, and signifying one or any, but less emphatically.
A:
In each; to or for each; as, “twenty leagues a day“, “a hundred pounds a year“, “a dollar a yard“, etc.
A:
In; on; at; by.
A:
In process of; in the act of; into; to; -- used with verbal substantives in -ing which begin with a consonant. This is a shortened form of the preposition an (which was used before the vowel sound); a ...
A:
Of.
A:
A barbarous corruption of have, of he, and sometimes of it and of they.
A:
An expletive, void of sense, to fill up the meter
A-:
A, as a prefix to English words, is derived from various sources. (1) It frequently signifies on or in (from an, a forms of AS. on), denoting a state, as in afoot, on foot, abed, amiss, asleep, agroun ...
A 1:
A registry mark given by underwriters (as at Lloyd's) to ships in first-class condition. Inferior grades are indicated by A 2 and A 3.
Aam:
A Dutch and German measure of liquids, varying in different cities, being at Amsterdam about 41 wine gallons, at Antwerp 36 1/2, at Hamburg 38 1/4.
Aard-vark:
An edentate mammal, of the genus Orycteropus, somewhat resembling a pig, common in some parts of Southern Africa. It burrows in the ground, and feeds entirely on ants, which it catches with its long, ...
Aard-wolf:
A carnivorous quadruped (Proteles Lalandii), of South Africa, resembling the fox and hyena. See Proteles.
Aaronic:
Alt. of Aaronical
Aaronical:
Pertaining to Aaron, the first high priest of the Jews.
Aaron's rod:
A rod with one serpent twined around it, thus differing from the caduceus of Mercury, which has two.
Aaron's rod:
A plant with a tall flowering stem; esp. the great mullein, or hag-taper, and the golden-rod.
Ab-:
A prefix in many words of Latin origin. It signifies from, away , separating, or departure, as in abduct, abstract, abscond. See A-(6).
Ab:
The fifth month of the Jewish year according to the ecclesiastical reckoning, the eleventh by the civil computation, coinciding nearly with August.
Abaca:
The Manila-hemp plant (Musa textilis); also, its fiber. See Manila hemp under Manila.
Abacinate:
To blind by a red-hot metal plate held before the eyes.
Abacination:
The act of abacinating.
Abaciscus:
One of the tiles or squares of a tessellated pavement; an abaculus.
Abacist:
One who uses an abacus in casting accounts; a calculator.
Aback:
Toward the back or rear; backward.
Aback:
Behind; in the rear.
Aback:
Backward against the mast; -- said of the sails when pressed by the wind.
Aback:
An abacus.
Abactinal:
Pertaining to the surface or end opposite to the mouth in a radiate animal; -- opposed to actinal.
Abaction:
Stealing cattle on a large scale.
Abactor:
One who steals and drives away cattle or beasts by herds or droves.
Abaculi:
of Abaculus
Abaculus:
A small tile of glass, marble, or other substance, of various colors, used in making ornamental patterns in mosaic pavements.
Abacuses:
of Abacus
Abaci:
of Abacus
Abacus:
A table or tray strewn with sand, anciently used for drawing, calculating, etc.
Abacus:
A calculating table or frame; an instrument for performing arithmetical calculations by balls sliding on wires, or counters in grooves, the lowest line representing units, the second line, tens, etc. ...
Abacus:
The uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave. See Column.
Abacus:
A tablet, panel, or compartment in ornamented or mosaic work.