Oxford Basic American Dictionary

Aa

A / ei / noun

[ count, noncount ] ( plural A's, a's / eiz / )

the first letter of the English alphabet "Apple" begins with an "A."

A the highest grade given for a test or piece of work I got an A on my chemistry exam.

а Ф / э ; ei / ( also an / эп ; жп / ) article

one or any

Would you like a drink? A dog has four legs. He's a teacher.

each, or for each

She calls her mother three times a week. The salary is $45,000 a year. Which word?

( a.ban dons , a.ban . don . ing , a ban doned )

to leave someone or something completely He abandoned his car in the snow.

to stop doing something before it is finished When the rain started, we abandoned our game.

ab • bey / 'rebi / noun

[ count ] ( plural ab . beys )

( religion ) a building where religious men or women (called monks and nuns ) live or lived

ab • bre • vi • ate / э^ы^ / verb

( ab . bre . vi . ates , ab . bre . vi . at . ing , ab . bre . vi . at . ed )

to make a word shorter by not saying or writing some of the letters

The word "telephone" is often abbreviated to "phone."

ab • bre • vi • a • tion / э^т^ / noun

[ count ]

( english language arts ) a short form of a word TV is an abbreviation for "television."

ABCs ( also ABC's ) / ,ei bi 'siz / noun [ plural ]

the letters of the English alphabet We learned our ABC's in preschool.

ab • do • men / 'жbdэmэn / noun

[count] ( formal )

( biology ) the front middle part of your body, which contains your stomach

a . bil . i .ty Ф/ o'biloti / noun [count, noncount] ( plural a . bil . i . ties )

the power and knowledge to do something

She has the ability to pass the test, but she needs to work

harder.

a . Ые О / 'eibl / adjective

having the power, knowledge, time, etc. to do something Will you be able to come to the party? Is Sue able to swim?

^ANTONYM unable , ^Look at can 1 . Suffix

-able

( in adjectives )

possible to accept able ador able cur able

unpredict able (= that you cannot predict )

having a particular quality comfort able

fashion able

ab • nor • mal aw / reb'norml /

different from what is normal or usual, in a way that

worries you or that is unpleasant

They thought the boy's behavior was abnormal.

abnormal behavior ^ANTONYM normal

ab • nor • mal • lyAWL / жb'nэrmэli / adverb abnormally high temperatures

a•board / эЪэй / adverb, preposition

on or onto a ship, train, bus, or airplane Are all the passengers aboard the ship? Welcome aboard Flight 603 to Miami.

a • bol • ish / э'ЬаЬТ / verb

( a . bol . ish . es , a bol . ish . ing , a . bol . ished )

to stop or end something by law

The senator has promised to abolish the tax if he is elected president.

ab • o • li • tion / ^ЬэЪ/п / noun [ noncount ]

the abolition of slavery

a•bout Ч ? / o'baot / adverb

1 ( also a . round ) a little more or less than; a little before or after

She's about 30 years old.

There were about 2,000 people at the concert.

got there at about two o'clock.

almost; nearly Dinner is just about ready.

be about to do something to be going to do something very soon The movie is about to start.

a•bout 2® / o'baot/ preposition

of; on the subject of a book about cats We talked about the problem. What are you thinking about?

a.bove О / эЪм? / adverb, preposition

1 in a higher place; higher than someone or something