1. The first letter of the alphabet.
2. The highest class or grade.

From Greek alpha, from Phoenician aleph, ox.

1. A nocturnal burrowing mammal of Africa that feeds on ants and termites.

From Afrikaans aarde, earth, and vark, pig.

1. A frame with rows of sliding beads, used for counting.

From Greek abax, slab, drawing board.

1. To leave behind for good.
2. To give up an action or practice entirely.

From Old French abandoner, to put under control.

1. To become less intense or widespread.

From Old French abatre, to fell.

1. A building occupied by a community of monks or nuns.

From Latin abbatia, from abbas, father.

1. To renounce a throne.
2. To fail to fulfil a duty.

From Latin abdicare, to renounce.

1. A departure from what is normal or expected.

From Latin aberrare, to stray.

1. To act in accordance with a rule.
2. To tolerate.

From Old English ābīdan, to wait.

1. The capacity to do something.
2. Talent or skill.

From Latin habilitas, aptitude.

1. Burning fiercely.
2. Brightly lit, or full of feeling.

From a- and blaze.

1. A place of residence; a house or home.

From Old English ābīdan, to wait.

1. To formally put an end to a system or practice.

From Latin abolere, to destroy.

1. To exist in large numbers or amounts.

From Latin abundare, to overflow.

1. Sudden and unexpected.
2. Curt in manner.

From Latin abruptus, broken off.

1. Not qualified or diminished in any way; total.
2. Not relative or comparative.

From Latin absolutus, freed.

1. To take in or soak up energy or liquid.
2. To engross the attention of.

From Latin absorbere, to swallow up.

1. Existing in thought or as an idea, without physical existence.

From Latin abstractus, drawn away.

1. Existing in large quantities; plentiful.

From Latin abundare, to overflow.

1. A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm.

From Greek abussos, bottomless.

1. A place of study or training in a special field.

From Greek Akadēmeia, the garden where Plato taught.

1. To begin to move more quickly.
2. To increase in rate or amount.

From Latin accelerare, to hasten.

1. A distinctive way of pronouncing a language.
2. A mark on a letter indicating pronunciation.

From Latin accentus, tone, signal.

1. To consent to receive something offered.
2. To recognise as valid or true.

From Latin acceptare, to take to oneself.

1. A means of approaching or entering a place.
2. The right or opportunity to use something.

From Latin accessus, approach.

1. Agreement or harmony.
2. An official agreement or treaty.

From Latin ad, to, and cor, heart.

1. A report or description of an event.
2. A record of financial transactions.

From Old French acont.

1. To accumulate or be received over time.

From Latin accrescere, to grow.

1. Correct in all details; exact.

From Latin accuratus, done with care.

1. To bring about by effort, skill or courage.

From Old French achever, to bring to a head.

1. A substance that reacts with a base to form a salt.

From Latin acidus, sour.

1. To accept or admit the existence or truth of.

From Middle English knowledge.

1. The fruit of the oak, a smooth oval nut in a cup.

From Old English æcern.

1. Relating to sound or the sense of hearing.

From Greek akouein, to hear.

1. To buy or obtain an asset or object.
2. To learn or develop a skill or quality.

From Latin acquirere, to get in addition.

1. A unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards.

From Old English æcer, field.

1. A thing done; a deed.
2. A law passed by a legislature.

From Latin actus, a doing.

1. The ability to make good judgements and quick decisions.

From Latin acumen, sharpness.

1. Present or experienced to a severe degree.
2. Showing a perceptive understanding.

From Latin acutus, sharpened.

1. To make suitable for a new use or purpose.
2. To become adjusted to new conditions.

From Latin adaptare, to fit.

1. Very skilled or proficient.

From Latin adeptus, achieved.

1. To stick fast to a surface.
2. To follow a practice or belief.

From Latin adhaerere, to stick to.

1. To alter slightly to achieve the desired result.

From Old French ajoster, to bring close.

1. To regard with respect or warm approval.

From Latin admirari, to wonder at.

1. To take up or start to use.
2. To legally take another’s child as one’s own.

From Latin adoptare, to choose for oneself.

1. Floating without being moored or steered.

From a- and drift.

1. To move forwards purposefully.
2. To make progress.

From Old French avancer.

1. The arrival of a notable person or thing.

From Latin adventus, arrival.

1. An unusual, exciting or daring experience.

From Latin adventurus, about to happen.

1. Existing or happening in the air.

From Greek aēr, air.

1. Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

From Greek aisthētikos, of perception.

1. A natural liking or sympathy for something.
2. A close relationship based on a common origin.

From Latin affinitas, relationship by marriage.

1. To state as a fact; to assert strongly.

From Latin affirmare, to make firm.

1. Floating in water.
2. Out of debt or difficulty.

From Old English on flote.

1. In the time following an event.
2. Behind.

From Old English æfter.

1. A list of items to be discussed at a meeting.

From Latin agenda, things to be done.

1. A person who acts on behalf of another.
2. A substance that brings about an effect.

From Latin agere, to do.

1. Able to move quickly and easily.

From Latin agilis, from agere, to do.

1. To have the same opinion.
2. To consent to do something.

From Old French agreer, to make agreeable.

1. A purpose or intention.
2. The directing of a weapon at a target.

From Old French esmer, to estimate.

1. The invisible mixture of gases surrounding the earth.
2. An impression or manner.

From Greek aēr.

1. The medieval forerunner of chemistry, seeking to turn base metals into gold.
2. A seemingly magical process of transformation.

From Arabic al-kīmiyā.

1. A recess, typically in the wall of a room.

From Arabic al-qubba, the vault.

1. Quick to notice unusual circumstances; watchful.

From Italian all’erta, to the watchtower.

1. The part of mathematics in which letters stand for numbers.

From Arabic al-jabr, the reunion of broken parts.

1. A false or assumed identity.

From Latin alias, at another time.

1. To place in a straight line.
2. To bring into agreement.

From French à ligne, into line.

1. Living; not dead.
2. Alert and active.

From Old English on līfe.

1. A union formed for mutual benefit.

From Old French aliance.

1. A metal made by combining two or more metallic elements.

From Latin alligare, to bind.

1. To suggest or call attention to indirectly.

From Latin alludere, to play with.

1. An annual calendar of events, tides and astronomical data.

From medieval Latin almanac.

1. Up in or into the air; overhead.

From Old Norse á lopt, in the air.

1. A set of letters in a fixed order, used to write a language.

From Greek alpha and bēta.

1. The height of an object above sea level.

From Latin altus, high.

1. To gather together a large amount of something.

From French amasser.

1. Hard translucent fossilised resin, yellow-orange in colour.
2. A honey-yellow colour.

From Arabic ʿanbar, ambergris.

1. Relating to the immediate surroundings.

From Latin ambire, to go round.

1. A strong desire to achieve something.

From Latin ambitio, going round canvassing.

1. To make minor changes to a text in order to improve it.

From Latin emendare, to correct.

1. Surrounded by; in the middle of.

From Old English on middan.

1. The base unit of electric current.

Named after André-Marie Ampère, 1775–1836.

1. To increase the volume or strength of a signal.

From Latin amplificare, to enlarge.

1. A comparison between things for the purpose of explanation.

From Greek analogia, proportion.

1. The bodily structure of an organism.
2. A detailed examination of anything.

From Greek anatomia, dissection.

1. A person from whom one is descended.
2. Something from which a later thing has developed.

From Latin antecessor, forerunner.

1. A heavy object used to moor a ship to the sea bottom.
2. A source of stability.

From Greek ankura.

1. Belonging to the very distant past.

From Old French ancien.

1. The space between two intersecting lines.
2. A particular way of approaching a subject.

From Latin angulus, corner.

1. To bring to life.
2. To give movement to.

From Latin anima, breath, life.

1. The positively charged electrode by which current enters a device.

From Greek anodos, way up.

1. Something that deviates from what is standard or expected.

From Greek anōmalia, unevenness.

1. A thing said or written in reply to a question.

From Old English andswaru.

1. A rod or wire for transmitting or receiving signals.
2. A sensory appendage on the head of an insect.

From Latin antenna, sail yard.

1. A rousing song identified with a group or cause.

From Greek antiphōna.

1. A published collection of poems or other pieces.

From Greek anthologia, a gathering of flowers.

1. To regard as probable; to expect.
2. To act in advance of.

From Latin anticipare, to take before.

1. A heavy iron block on which metal is hammered and shaped.

From Old English anfilt.

1. The top or highest point of something.

From Latin apex, peak, tip.

1. A concise statement of a general truth.

From Greek aphorismos, definition.

1. The equipment needed for a particular activity.

From Latin apparare, to make ready.

1. To come into sight; to become visible.
2. To seem.

From Latin apparere, to come in sight.

1. A person learning a trade from a skilled employer.

From Old French aprendre, to learn.

1. To come near or nearer to.
2. To start to deal with in a certain way.

From Latin appropiare, to draw near.

1. Appropriate or suitable in the circumstances.

From Latin aptus, fitted.

1. A bridge or channel built to convey water.

From Latin aquae ductus, conveyance of water.

1. A person who settles a dispute.
2. A person whose views are decisive.

From Latin arbiter, judge.

1. Part of the circumference of a circle or other curve.
2. A luminous discharge of electricity between two electrodes.

From Latin arcus, bow.

1. A covered passage with arches along one or both sides.

From Italian arcata.

1. The original pattern from which copies are made.
2. A recurrent symbol or motif.

From Greek arkhetupon, a first-moulded thing.

1. A person who designs buildings and supervises their construction.
2. The person responsible for inventing or realising an idea.

From Greek arkhitektōn, chief builder.

1. A collection of historical documents or records.
2. The place where such records are kept.

From Greek arkheia, public records.

1. Involving strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.

From Latin arduus, steep, difficult.

1. A region or part of a town, country or the world.
2. The extent of a surface.

From Latin area, vacant piece of level ground.

1. A level area surrounded by seating, for sports or entertainment.
2. A sphere of activity or conflict.

From Latin harena, sand.

1. Silver; in heraldry, the silver or white tincture.

From Latin argentum, silver.

1. An inert gaseous element present in the atmosphere.

From Greek argos, idle.

1. To give reasons in support of an idea or theory.
2. To exchange opposing views heatedly.

From Latin arguere, to make clear, prove.

1. A set of reasons intended to persuade.
2. A heated exchange of opposing views.

From Latin argumentum, proof.

1. Having little or no rain; too dry to support vegetation.
2. Lacking in interest or life.

From Latin aridus, dry.

1. To emerge; to become apparent.
2. To get up from sitting or lying.

From Old English ārīsan.

1. A member of the aristocracy.

From Greek aristokratia, rule of the best.

1. The branch of mathematics dealing with numbers.
2. Calculation involving numbers.

From Greek arithmētikē tekhnē, the art of counting.

1. The ship built by Noah to save his family and the animals from the flood.
2. A chest or box.

From Latin arca, chest.

1. A coarse sandstone rich in feldspar, formed from the breakdown of granite.

From French arkose.

1. Money given to seal a bargain; earnest money.

From Old French erles, of Latin origin.

1. Each of the two upper limbs of the human body.
2. A branch or division of an organisation.

From Old English arm, earm.

1. A fleet of warships.
2. A large group of moving things.

From Spanish armada, from Latin armata, armed.

1. A burrowing mammal of the Americas with a body encased in bony plates.

From Spanish, diminutive of armado, armed man.

1. Military weapons and equipment.
2. The process of equipping forces for war.

From Latin armamentum.

1. The rotating coil of a dynamo or electric motor.
2. A framework on which a sculpture is moulded.

From Latin armatura, armour.

1. An agreement to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.

From modern Latin armistitium.

1. The metal coverings formerly worn to protect the body in battle.
2. A tough protective layer.

From Old French armure.

1. An organised military force equipped for fighting on land.
2. A large number of people or things.

From Old French armee.

1. A distinctive, typically pleasant smell.
2. A subtle, pervasive quality.

From Greek arōma, spice.

1. Located or situated on every side.
2. So as to face in the opposite direction.

From a- and round.

1. To put in a neat or required order.
2. To organise or plan.

From Old French arangier.

1. An impressive display or range of things.
2. An ordered arrangement.

From Old French arei.

1. To reach a place at the end of a journey.
2. To reach a conclusion or decision.

From Latin ad ripam, to the shore.

1. A collection of weapons and military equipment.
2. A place where weapons are made or stored.

From Arabic dār aṣ-ṣināʿa, house of manufacture.

1. The expression of human creative skill and imagination.
2. A skill at doing a specified thing.

From Latin ars, art.

1. A vessel carrying blood from the heart.
2. A main road or channel.

From Greek artēria.

1. A piece of writing in a newspaper or magazine.
2. A particular item or object.

From Latin articulus, small joint.

1. Clever devices or expedients.

From Latin artificium, craftsmanship.

1. To go up or climb.

From Latin ascendere.

1. A particular part or feature of something.

From Latin aspectus, a look.

1. To direct one’s hopes towards achieving something.

From Latin aspirare, to breathe upon.

1. To gather together in one place.
2. To fit together the parts of.

From Old French asembler.

1. A useful or valuable thing or quality.
2. Property owned by a person or company.

From Old French asez, enough.

1. To surprise or impress greatly.

From Old French estoner, to stun.

1. The science of celestial objects and the universe.

From Greek astronomia.

1. A book of maps or charts.

From Greek Atlas, the Titan who held up the heavens.

1. The envelope of gases surrounding the earth.
2. The pervading tone or mood of a place.

From Greek atmos, vapour, and sphaira, ball.

1. The smallest particle of a chemical element.

From Greek atomos, indivisible.

1. To succeed in achieving.

From Latin attingere, to touch.

1. Notice taken of someone or something.

From Latin attendere, to stretch towards.

1. To draw to oneself by some quality.
2. To exert a force that draws objects together.

From Latin attrahere, to draw near.

1. Showing a willingness to take bold risks.

From Latin audax, bold.

1. The assembled spectators or listeners at an event.

From Latin audire, to hear.

1. To make greater by adding to it.

From Latin augmentare, to increase.

1. The distinctive atmosphere surrounding a person or place.

From Greek aura, breeze, breath.

1. A natural display of light in the polar sky, caused by charged particles.

From Latin aurora, dawn.

1. Severe or strict in manner.
2. Having no comforts or adornment.

From Greek austēros, severe.

1. A writer of a book.
2. The originator of a plan or idea.

From Latin auctor, originator.

1. The power to give orders and make decisions.

From Latin auctoritas.

1. The season after summer and before winter.

From Latin autumnus.

1. A mass of snow falling rapidly down a mountainside.

From Swiss French lavanche.

1. A broad road in a town.
2. A means of approach.

From French avenir, to arrive.

1. The flying or operating of aircraft.

From Latin avis, bird.

1. Having a keen interest in something.

From Latin avidus, eager.

1. To wait for an event.

From Old French awaitier.

1. Not asleep.

From Old English āwacan.

1. Having knowledge or perception of a fact.

From Old English gewær.

1. A feeling of reverence mixed with fear or wonder.

From Old Norse agi, fright.

1. A statement regarded as self-evidently true.

From Greek axiōma, what is thought fitting.

1. An imaginary line about which a body rotates.
2. A fixed reference line.

From Latin axis, axle, pivot.

1. Bright blue, like a cloudless sky.

From Persian lāzward, lapis lazuli.