athletes
NOUN a person who is very good at sport and who takes part in sporting competitions
athletics
NOUN sporting events such as running, long jump and discus
Atlantic
NOUN the ocean that separates North and South America from Europe and Africa
atlas atlases
NOUN a book of maps
[from the giant Atlas in Greek mythology, who supported the sky on his shoulders]
atmosphere atmospheres
NOUN 1 gases that surround a planet
2 the general mood of a place • There was a friendly atmosphere at the party.
atom atoms
NOUN the smallest part of an element that can take part in a chemical reaction
atrocity atrocities
NOUN an extremely shocking and cruel act
attach attaches, attaching, attached
VERB If you attach something to something else, you join or fasten the two things together.
attachment attachments
NOUN 1 a feeling of love and affection for someone
2 a file attached to an e-mail
attack attacks, attacking, attacked
VERB 1 If someone attacks another person or animal, they use violence in order to hurt or kill them. • The lion attacked the zebra in order to kill it for food.
2 In a game such as football or hockey, players attack to get the ball into a position from which a goal can be scored.
NOUN 3 violent, physical action against someone
attempt attempts, attempting, attempted
VERB 1 If you attempt to do something, you try to do it.
NOUN 2 the act of trying to do something • He made a brave attempt to help.
attend attends, attending, attended
VERB 1 If you attend school, church or hospital, you go there regularly.
2 If you attend an event, you are present at it.
attend to
VERB If you attend to something, you deal with it. • We should attend to our homework before going to the park.
attendant attendants
NOUN someone whose job is to help people in a place such as a museum or shop
attention
NOUN the thought or care that you give to someone or something • I paid a lot of attention to my homework.
attentive
ADJECTIVE When you are attentive, you pay close attention.
attentively ADVERB
attic attics
NOUN a room at the top of a house immediately below the roof
attitude attitudes
NOUN the way you think about someone or something and behave towards them • I’m not going in that shop again. I don’t like their attitude.
attract attracts, attracting, attracted
VERB 1 If something attracts people, it interests them and makes them want to go to it.
2 If someone attracts you, you like them and are interested in them.
3 When magnetic materials are attracted to a magnet, they are pulled towards it.
attraction attractions
NOUN 1 If you feel an attraction for someone, you like them very much.
2 somewhere people like to visit for interest or pleasure, such as a fun fair or a stately home
3 A force of attraction pulls magnetic materials towards a magnet.
attractive
ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is attractive is good-looking or has an exciting personality.
2 If something is attractive, it is interesting.
aubergine aubergines
NOUN a dark purple, pear-shaped vegetable. It is also called an eggplant.
auburn
ADJECTIVE a red-brown hair colour
auction auctions, auctioning, auctioned
NOUN 1 a public sale in which goods are sold to the person who offers the highest price
VERB 2 to sell something in an auction
audible
ADJECTIVE If something is audible, you can hear it.
audience audiences
NOUN 1 the group of people who are watching or listening to a performance
2 a private or formal meeting with an important person • The winners of the bravery awards had an audience with the Queen.
audition auditions
NOUN a short performance by an actor or musician, so that a director can decide whether they are suitable for a part in a play or a film, or for a place in an orchestra
auditorium auditoriums or auditoria
NOUN the part of a theatre or concert hall where the audience sits
August
NOUN the eighth month of the year. August has 31 days.
aunt aunts
NOUN Your aunt is the sister of your mother or father, or the wife of your uncle.
author authors
NOUN The author of a book is the person who wrote it.
authority authorities
NOUN 1 the power to tell other people what to do • The teacher had the authority to give me detention.
2 an organization that controls public interests • the local
