Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

ac|ri|mo|ni|ous /æ kr I moʊ niəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Acrimonious words or quarrels are bitter and angry. [FORMAL ] □  There followed an acrimonious debate. ●  ac|ri|mo|ni|ous|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  Our relationship ended acrimoniously.

ac|ri|mo|ny /æ kr I məni, [AM ] -moʊni/ N‑UNCOUNT Acrimony is bitter and angry words or quarrels. [FORMAL ] □  The council's first meeting ended in acrimony.

ac|ro|bat /æ krəbæt/ (acrobats ) N‑COUNT An acrobat is an entertainer who performs difficult physical acts such as jumping and balancing, especially in a circus.

ac|ro|bat|ic /æ krəbæ t I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] An acrobatic movement or display involves difficult physical acts such as jumping and balancing, especially in a circus.

ac|ro|bat|ics /æ krəbæ t I ks/ N‑PLURAL Acrobatics are acrobatic movements.

ac|ro|nym /æ krən I m/ (acronyms ) N‑COUNT An acronym is a word composed of the first letters of the words in a phrase, especially when this is used as a name. An example of an acronym is 'NATO', which is made up of the first letters of the 'North Atlantic Treaty Organization'.

across ◆◆◆ /əkrɒ s, [AM ] əkrɔː s/ In addition to the uses shown below, across is used in phrasal verbs such as 'come across', 'get across', and 'put across'. 1 PREP If someone or something goes across a place or a boundary, they go from one side of it to the other. □  She walked across the floor and lay down on the bed. □  He watched Karl run across the street to Tommy. □  …an expedition across Africa. ● ADV [ADV after v] Across is also an adverb. □  Richard stood up and walked across to the window.

2 PREP If something is situated or stretched across something else, it is situated or stretched from one side of it to the other. □  …the floating bridge across Lake Washington in Seattle. □  He scrawled his name across the bill. ● ADV [ADV after v] Across is also an adverb. □  Trim toenails straight across using nail clippers.

3 PREP If something is lying across an object or place, it is resting on it and partly covering it. □  She found her clothes lying across the chair. □  The wind pushed his hair across his face.

4 PREP Something that is across something such as a street, river, or area is on the other side of it. □  Anyone from the houses across the road could see him. □  When I saw you across the room I knew I'd met you before. ● ADV [ADV after v] Across is also an adverb. □ [+ from ] They parked across from the Castro Theatre.

5 ADV [ADV after v] If you look across at a place, person, or thing, you look towards them. □  He glanced across at his sleeping wife. □  …breathtaking views across to the hills.

6 PREP You use across to say that a particular expression is shown on someone's face. □  An enormous grin spread across his face.

7 PREP If someone hits you across the face or head, they hit you on that part. □  Graham hit him across the face with the gun.

8 PREP When something happens across a place or organization, it happens equally everywhere within it. □  The film opens across America in December.

9 PREP When something happens across a political, religious, or social barrier, it involves people in different groups. □  …parties competing across the political spectrum.

10across the board → see board

11 ADV Across is used in measurements to show the width of something. □  This hand-decorated plate measures 30cm across.

acryl|ic /ækr I l I k/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Acrylic material is artificial and is manufactured by a chemical process.

act ◆◆◆ /æ kt/ (acts , acting , acted )