| abstract |
When something is abstract, it doesn't have any physical form. Feelings and ideas are abstract things. They are things, but you can't see them or touch them or even smell them! They exist in people's minds only. [1/3 definitions] |
| accessible |
If a place is accessible, you can get to it, or you can get into it. Some places are accessible only by certain means. |
| according to |
If you say that a certain movie is good according to your brother, it means that your brother says that the movie is good. You know that some people might not like the movie, but you are saying only what your brother thinks and not what other people might think. [1/2 definitions] |
| accountant |
An accountant is a person who keeps track of how a business spends its money, gives advice about spending money, and often makes sure the company is paying a correct amount of tax to the government each year. All businesses have to report to the government how much money they make and pay a correct amount of tax. Some companies only use an accountant when they are reporting their income to the government and need to figure out how much tax they have to pay. People who have regular jobs also use accountants sometimes if their money affairs are complicated. |
| ace |
a playing card that has only one mark. In card games, an ace has either the highest value of all the cards or the lowest. [1/5 definitions] |
| A.D. |
A.D. is an abbreviation of the Latin words "anno domini." The abbreviation A.D. is used in dates when people are talking about things in history that happened after Jesus Christ was born. The year that Jesus Christ was born is called "1 A.D." The year after that is called "2 A.D." Jesus Christ is considered both God and man in the religion of Christianity, and he is an important figure in the history of the world. The calendar that most people use nowadays was created by Christians. That's why the year of Christ's birth was chosen as a way to divide older times from newer times. This calendar is not the first or only calendar that people in the world have created, but most people nowadays use this particular calendar. Instead of "A.D.," though, people often use "C.E." nowadays, which stands for "Common Era" or "Christian Era." |
| additional |
If you have an additional thing, you have one more thing than what you had before. If you had two chairs before and somebody gives you an additional chair, it means you have three chairs now. Let's say your dad got only one small pizza for your birthday party but twenty kids came. You would probably need a lot of additional pizza! |
| address |
When you address someone, you say something to them and only them. [1/6 definitions] |
| affair |
private matter; something that relates to or concerns only oneself. [1/5 definitions] |
| Africa |
Africa is one of the seven largest areas of land on the earth. These areas of land are called continents. Africa is the second largest continent on our planet. Only Asia is bigger than Africa. Africa is made up of more than fifty different countries, and people speak many different languages in these countries. Some of the languages are Swahili, Hausa, and Arabic. |
| all-American |
made up only of Americans or of parts made in America. [1/2 definitions] |
| almost |
If you are almost ready, you are very close to being ready but you are not ready yet. Maybe you just have to put your shoes on. If there were twelve cookies and your brother ate almost all of them, then maybe there are only one or two cookies left. |
| alone |
When you are alone, there is no one with you. If you are the only person in the room, you are alone. [1/3 definitions] |
| amateur |
one who does something only for enjoyment rather than for money. [1/3 definitions] |
| amoeba |
a tiny living thing made of only one cell. Amoebas move by changing their shape. They eat by wrapping their bodies around their food. Amoebas live in fresh and salt water, soil, and in animals. Most kinds of amoebas can only be seen through a microscope. |
| animate |
When people animate a figure in a cartoon, they make it look as if it is moving. They do this by creating many, many pictures that are only slightly different from each other. When a person looks from one picture to the next picture very quickly, it looks as if the figure in the pictures is moving. [1/3 definitions] |
| annual |
a plant that grows for only one year or one season. [1/3 definitions] |
| antelope |
an animal with horns, a long neck, long legs, and hooves. Antelopes are known for their fast running. Antelopes are mammals that eat plants and chew their cud. The smallest kind of antelope is only one foot tall; the largest antelope is six feet tall at the shoulder. Gazelles, gnus, and impalas are all antelopes. Most antelopes live in Africa; some also live in Asia. [1/2 definitions] |
| antler |
one of a pair of bony growths on the head of most kinds of deer. Male elk, moose, and white-tailed deer all grow antlers with branches or prongs. Deer grow new antlers every year. Caribou and reindeer are the only deer that have antlers on both the males and the females. |
| armadillo |
a mammal whose body is protected by hard, bony plates. Armadillos live in Central and South America, and the southern United States. Some kinds of armadillos are only six inches long; other kinds grow up to four feet in length. They eat mostly insects and are related to sloths and anteaters. |
| as1 |
We often use "as" to say that two things happen at the same time. If you say that you walked into your house as the telephone rang, it means these two things happened at the same time. For this meaning, we often say "just as" instead of only "as." [1/6 definitions] |