1 If you ask someone something, you put a question to them.
2 If you ask someone to do something, you tell them you want them to do it. • We asked him to do his card trick.
3 If you ask for something, you say you would like to have it. • She asked for a drink of water.
4 If you ask someone to come or go somewhere, you invite them there.
asleep
ADJECTIVE If you are asleep, your eyes are closed and your whole body is resting.
aspect aspects
NOUN one of many ways of seeing or thinking about something
aspirin aspirins
NOUN 1 a white drug used to relieve pain, fever and colds
2 a small white tablet of this drug
ass asses
NOUN another word for donkey
assassinate assassinates, assassinating, assassinated
VERB If someone assassinates an important person, they murder them.
assassination NOUN
assault assaults
NOUN a violent attack on someone
[from Latin assalire meaning to leap upon]
assemble assembles, assembling, assembled
VERB 1 If people assemble, they gather together. • We assembled in the playground to watch the display.
2 If you assemble something, you fit the parts of it together. • It took us ages to assemble the model car.
assembly assemblies
NOUN a group of people who have gathered together for a meeting
assess assesses, assessing, assessed
VERB If you assess something, you consider it carefully and make a judgement about it. • She tried to assess how much further they had to walk.
SYNONYMS: judge, size up
asset assets
NOUN 1 If someone or something is an asset, they are useful or helpful. • He’s an asset to the school.
2 The assets of a person or a company are all the things they own that could be sold to raise money.
assignment assignments
NOUN a job you are given to do
assist assists, assisting, assisted
VERB If you assist someone, you help them to do something.
assistant assistants
NOUN someone who helps another person to do their job
associate associates, associating, associated
VERB 1 If you associate with someone, you spend time with them.
2 If you associate one thing with another, you make a connection between them.
association associations
NOUN 1 an organization for people who have similar interests, jobs or aims
2 An association between two things is a link you make in your mind between them.
assorted
ADJECTIVE Assorted things are a mixture of various sorts of something. They may be different colours, sizes and shapes.
assortment assortments
NOUN a group of similar things that are different sizes, shapes and colours • There was an amazing assortment of toys in the shop.
assume assumes, assuming, assumed
VERB 1 If you assume that something is true, you believe it, even if you have not thought carefully about it.
2 If you assume responsibility for something, you decide to do it. • I assumed responsibility for feeding the hamster.
assure assures, assuring, assured
VERB If you assure someone of something, you say something to make them less worried about it. • I assured him that I wouldn’t be late.
asterisk asterisks
NOUN a symbol (*) used in writing and printing to draw attention to something that is explained somewhere else, usually at the bottom of the page
asteroid asteroids
NOUN one of the large number of very small planets that move around the sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars
asthma
NOUN a disease of the chest that causes wheezing and difficulty in breathing
[from Greek azein meaning to breathe hard]
asthmatic ADJECTIVE
astonish astonishes, astonishing, astonished
VERB If something astonishes you, it surprises you very much.
astonished ADJECTIVE astonishing ADJECTIVE
astonishingly ADVERB astonishment NOUN
astrology
NOUN the study of the sun, moon and stars in the belief that their movements can influence people’s lives
astronaut astronauts
NOUN a person who operates a spacecraft
[from Greek astron meaning star and nautes meaning sailor]
astronomy
NOUN the scientific study of stars and planets
astronomer NOUN
at
PREPOSITION 1 where someone or something is • John waited for me at the bus stop.
2 the direction something is going in • I threw the snowball at my brother.
3 when something happens • The party starts at six o’clock.
ate
VERB the past tense of eat
atheist atheists
NOUN someone who does not believe in any form of God
athlete
