Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

6 ADV [ADV after v] If you prepare or plan something ahead , you do it some time before a future event so that everything is ready for that event to take place. □  The government wants figures that help it to plan ahead. □  Summer weddings need to be arranged months ahead.

7 ADV [ADV after v] If you go ahead , or if you go on ahead , you go in front of someone who is going to the same place so that you arrive there some time before they do. □  I went ahead and waited with Sean.

➋ ahea d of ◆◇◇

→ Please look at categories 7 and 8 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.

1 PHRASE If someone is ahead of you, they are directly in front of you. If someone is moving ahead of you, they are in front of you and moving in the same direction. □  I saw a man in a blue jacket thirty metres ahead of me. □  She walked ahead of Helene up the steps into the hotel.

2 PHRASE If an event or period of time lies ahead of you, it is going to happen or take place soon or in the future. □  I tried to think about all the problems that were ahead of me tomorrow. □  She spent all night thinking about the future that lay ahead of her. □  We have a very busy day ahead of us today.

3 PHRASE In a competition, if a person or team does something ahead of someone else, they do it before the second person or team. □  Robertson's team crossed five metres ahead of their rivals.

4 PHRASE If something happens ahead of schedule or ahead of time, it happens earlier than was planned. □  This dish may be prepared a day ahead of time and refrigerated.

5 PHRASE If someone is ahead of someone else, they have made more progress and are more advanced in what they are doing. □  Henry generally stayed ahead of the others in the academic subjects.

6one step ahead of someone or something → see step

7ahead of your time → see time

ahem /əhe m/ CONVENTION In writing, ahem is used to show that someone is being ironic. Ahem is also used to show that someone wants to get another person's attention. □  It is not unknown for valuable display items to go, ahem, missing.

ahold /əhoʊ ld/

1 PHRASE If you get ahold of someone or something, you manage to contact, find, or get them. [AM , INFORMAL ] □  I tried again to get ahold of my cousin Joan.

2 PHRASE If you get ahold of yourself , you force yourself to become calm and sensible after a shock or in a difficult situation. [AM , INFORMAL ] □  I'm going to have to get ahold of myself.

ahoy /əhɔ I / EXCLAM Ahoy is something that people in boats shout in order to attract attention. □  Ahoy there! □  Ship ahoy!

AI /e I a I / N‑UNCOUNT AI is an abbreviation for artificial intelligence , or artificial insemination .

aid ◆◆◆ /e I d/ (aids , aiding , aided )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Aid is money, equipment, or services that are provided for people, countries, or organizations who need them but cannot provide them for themselves. □ [+ to ] …convoys delivering humanitarian aid to besieged or isolated communities. □  They have already pledged billions of dollars in aid. □  …food aid convoys.

2 VERB To aid a country, organization, or person means to provide them with money, equipment, or services that they need. □ [V n] The ministry is working through international associations to aid the refugees. ●  -aided COMB □  …grant-aided factories. □  …state-aided schools.