Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

amused /əmjuː zd/

1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ , ADJ to-inf] If you are amused by something, it makes you want to laugh or smile. □ [+ by/at ] Sara was not amused by Franklin's teasing.

2 PHRASE If you keep someone amused , you find things to do which stop them getting bored. □  Having pictures to colour will keep children amused for hours.

amuse|ment /əmjuː zmənt/ (amusements )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Amusement is the feeling that you have when you think that something is funny or amusing. □  He stopped and watched with amusement to see the child so absorbed. □  Steamers tooted at us as sailors on deck waved in amusement.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Amusement is the pleasure that you get from being entertained or from doing something interesting. □  I fell flat on my back, much to the amusement of the rest of the lads.

3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Amusements are ways of passing the time pleasantly. □  People had very few amusements to choose from. There was no radio, or television.

4 N‑PLURAL Amusements are games, rides, and other things that you can enjoy, for example at a fairground or at the seaside.

amu se|ment ar|cade (amusement arcades ) N‑COUNT An amusement arcade is a place where you can play games on machines which work when you put money in them.

amu se|ment park (amusement parks ) N‑COUNT An amusement park is the same as a funfair . [mainly AM ]

amus|ing /əmjuː z I ŋ/ ADJ Someone or something that is amusing makes you laugh or smile. □  He had a terrific sense of humour and could be very amusing. ●  amus|ing|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □  It must be amusingly written.

an /ən, STRONG æn/

1 DET An is used instead of 'a', the indefinite article, in front of words that begin with vowel sounds.

2 → see also a

SUFFIX -an

is added to the names of some places in order to form adjectives or nouns that refer to people or things which come from that place. For example, the Australian foreign minister is the foreign minister for Australia.

ana|bol|ic ster|oid /æ nəbɒl I k ste rɔ I d, st I ə r-/ (anabolic steroids ) N‑COUNT Anabolic steroids are drugs which people, especially athletes, take to make their muscles bigger and to give them more strength.

anach|ro|nism /ənæ krən I zəm/ (anachronisms )

1 N‑COUNT You say that something is an anachronism when you think that it is out of date or old-fashioned. □  The President tended to regard the Church as an anachronism.

2 N‑COUNT An anachronism is something in a book, play, or film that is wrong because it did not exist at the time the book, play, or film is set. □  I noticed repeated linguistic anachronisms, which occur in every episode.

anach|ro|nis|tic /ənæ krən I st I k/ ADJ You say that something is anachronistic when you think that it is out of date or old-fashioned. □  Many of its practices seem anachronistic.

anaemia /əniː miə/ in AM, use anemia N‑UNCOUNT Anaemia is a medical condition in which there are too few red cells in your blood, causing you to feel tired and look pale.

anaemic /əniː m I k/ in AM, use anemic 1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Someone who is anaemic suffers from anaemia.

2 ADJ If you describe something as anaemic , you mean that it is not as strong or effective as you think it should be. □  We will see some economic recovery, but it will be very anaemic.

an|aero|bic /æneəroʊ b I k/

1 ADJ Anaerobic creatures or processes do not need oxygen in order to function or survive.

2 ADJ Anaerobic exercise is exercise such as weight training that improves your strength but does not raise your heart rate.

an|aes|the|sia /æ n I sθiː ziə, -ʒə/ also anesthesia N‑UNCOUNT Anaesthesia is the use of anaesthetics in medicine and surgery.