PLURAL NOUN
acronym acronyms
NOUN a word made up of the initial letters of a phrase • NATO is an acronym, and stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
across
PREPOSITION OR ADVERB 1 If you go across a place, you go from one side of it to the other. • We walked across Hyde Park.
2 Something that is situated across a road or river is on the other side of it.
act acts, acting, acted
VERB 1 If you act, you do something. • We have to act quickly in an emergency.
2 If you act in a particular way, you behave in that way. • You’re acting like a baby.
3 If you act in a play or film, you play a role in it.
NOUN 4 a single thing someone does • The rescue was a brave act.
5 An Act of Parliament is a law passed by the government.
6 Stage plays are divided into parts called acts.
action actions
NOUN 1 something you do for a particular purpose
2 a physical movement, such as jumping
active
ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is active moves around a lot or does a lot of things.
2 In grammar the active, or the active voice, is the form of the verb in which the subject of the sentence is the person or thing doing the action, rather than having it done to them. For example, the sentence The dog bit Ben is in the active voice. In the passive voice the subject is acted upon: Ben was bitten by the dog.
ANTONYM: passive
activity activities
NOUN 1 a situation in which a lot of things are happening at the same time • There was a great deal of activity in the hall as we got ready for the school play.
2 something you do for pleasure, such as gymnastics or music
actor actors
NOUN a man or woman whose job is performing in plays or films
actress actresses
NOUN a woman whose profession is acting
actual
ADJECTIVE real, rather than imaginary or guessed at • You guessed I was eleven – my actual age is twelve.
actually ADVERB
acute
ADJECTIVE 1 severe or intense • She had an acute pain in her arm.
2 In mathematics, an acute angle measures less than 90 degrees.
3 Someone who is acute is intelligent.
AD
ADJECTIVE You use AD in dates to show the number of years after the birth of Jesus Christ.
[an abbreviation of the Latin Anno Domini meaning the year of Our Lord]
adapt adapts, adapting, adapted
VERB 1 If you adapt to something, you get used to it.
2 If you adapt something, you change it so that it can be used in a new way.
adaptable
ADJECTIVE If you are adaptable, you change easily in a new situation or to suit new circumstances.
add adds, adding, added
VERB 1 If you add something to a number of things, you put it with those things. • Each girl added more wood to the pile.
2 If you add numbers together, or add them up, you work out the total. • Two and three added together are five (2 + 3 = 5).
adder adders
NOUN a small, poisonous snake
addiction addictions
NOUN If you have an addiction to something, you cannot stop doing it or wanting it.
addition additions
NOUN 1 the process of adding two or more numbers together
2 something that is added to something else • The addition of sugar would improve the taste of these plums.
additional
ADJECTIVE extra or more
additive additives
NOUN something that is added to something else, such as food
address addresses, addressing, addressed
NOUN 1 Your address is the number of the house where you live, together with the name of the street and the town or village.
VERB 2 If someone addresses a letter to you, they write your name and address on it.
3 If you address a group of people, you speak to them formally.
adenoids
PLURAL NOUN small lumps of flesh at the back of the throat
adequate
ADJECTIVE just enough for what is needed
SYNONYMS: enough, satisfactory, sufficient
adhesive adhesives
NOUN 1 a substance used to stick things together, such as glue
ADJECTIVE 2 If something is adhesive, it sticks to other things.
adjective adjectives
NOUN a word that adds to the description of a noun. For example, large and old are both adjectives.
adjust adjusts, adjusting, adjusted
VERB 1 If you adjust something, you change its position or alter it in some other way. • She adjusted her pillow to make herself more comfortable.
2 If you adjust to a new situation, you get used to it.
adjustment NOUN
administration administrations
NOUN
