Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

anti|quar|ian /æ nt I kweə riən/ (antiquarians )

1 ADJ [ADJ n] Antiquarian means concerned with old and rare objects. □  …an antiquarian bookseller. □  …antiquarian and second-hand books.

2 N‑COUNT An antiquarian is the same as an antiquary .

anti|quary /æ nt I kwəri, [AM ] -kweri/ (antiquaries ) N‑COUNT An antiquary is a person who studies the past, or who collects or buys and sells old and valuable objects.

anti|quat|ed /æ nt I kwe I t I d/ ADJ If you describe something as antiquated , you are criticizing it because it is very old or old-fashioned. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  Many factories are so antiquated they are not worth saving.

an|tique ◆◇◇ /æntiː k/ (antiques ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] An antique is an old object such as a piece of china or furniture which is valuable because of its beauty or rarity. □  …a genuine antique. □  …antique silver jewellery.

an|tiqued /æntiː kt/ ADJ An antiqued object is modern but has been made to look like an antique. □  Both rooms have antiqued pine furniture.

an|tiq|uity /ænt I kw I ti/ (antiquities )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Antiquity is the distant past, especially the time of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. □  …famous monuments of classical antiquity.

2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Antiquities are things such as buildings, statues, or coins that were made in ancient times and have survived to the present day. □  …collectors of Roman antiquities.

3 N‑UNCOUNT The antiquity of something is its great age. □  …a town of great antiquity.

anti-Semite /æ nti siː ma I t, [AM ] - se m-/ (anti-Semites ) N‑COUNT An anti-Semite is someone who strongly dislikes and is prejudiced against Jewish people.

a nti-Semi tic also antisemitic ADJ Someone or something that is anti-Semitic is hostile to or prejudiced against Jewish people.

anti-Semitism /æ nti se m I t I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Anti-Semitism is hostility to and prejudice against Jewish people.

anti|sep|tic /æ ntise pt I k/ (antiseptics )

1 N‑VAR Antiseptic is a substance that kills germs and harmful bacteria. □  She bathed the cut with antiseptic.

2 ADJ Something that is antiseptic kills germs and harmful bacteria. □  These vegetables and herbs have strong antiseptic qualities.

a nti-so cial also antisocial

1 ADJ Someone who is anti-social is unwilling to meet and be friendly with other people. □  …teenagers who will become aggressive and anti-social.

2 ADJ Anti-social behaviour is annoying or upsetting to other people.

an|tith|esis /ænt I θəs I s/ (antitheses /ænt I θəsiːz/) N‑COUNT The antithesis of something is its exact opposite. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] The little black dress is the antithesis of fussy dressing.

anti|theti|cal /æ nt I θe t I k ^ə l/ ADJ Something that is antithetical to something else is the opposite of it and is unable to exist with it. [WRITTEN ] □ [+ to ] Their priorities are antithetical to those of environmentalists.

anti|trust /æ ntitrʌ st/ ADJ [ADJ n] In the United States, antitrust laws are intended to stop large firms taking over their competitors, fixing prices with their competitors, or interfering with free competition in any way.

a nti-vi rus also antivirus ADJ [ADJ n] Anti-virus software is software that protects a computer against viruses.

ant|ler /æ ntlə ^r / (antlers ) N‑COUNT A male deer's antlers are the branched horns on its head.

an|to|nym /æ ntən I m/ (antonyms ) N‑COUNT The antonym of a word is a word which means the opposite. [FORMAL ]

antsy /æ ntsi/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is antsy , they are nervous or impatient. [AM , INFORMAL ] □  This is the end of a tour so I'm a little antsy, I guess.

anus /e I nəs/ (anuses ) N‑COUNT A person's anus is the hole from which faeces leaves their body.

an|vil /æ nv I l/ (anvils ) N‑COUNT An anvil is a heavy iron block on which hot metals are beaten into shape.