Online dictionary — Definitions & meanings of English words

approaching

adj

Coming closer in time or place; happening soon.

approbate

verb

To give official sanction, consent or authorization to.

approbation

noun

The act of approving; an assenting to the propriety of a thing with some degree of pleasure or satisfaction; approval, sanction, commendation or official recognition.

appropriate

adj

Suitable or correct for a particular situation.

appropriated

adj

Set aside or claimed for a specific purpose or use.

appropriately

adv

In a fitting or suitable way.

appropriation

noun

Money or resources officially set aside for a particular purpose, especially by a government.

appropriator

noun

A person who appropriates something.

approval

noun

Official permission or agreement that something is acceptable.

approve

verb

To officially agree to or accept something as satisfactory.

approved

adj

Officially accepted or given permission.

approvement

noun

Improvement of common lands by converting them for advantage of the landlord.

approving

adj

Showing that you think something is good or acceptable.

approximate

adj

Close to the exact number or amount, but not precise.

approximately

adv

Roughly; close to a particular amount or figure, but not exact.

approximation

noun

A rough estimate or figure that is close to, but not exactly, correct.

appurtenance

noun

That which appertains to something else; a belonging, accompaniment, adjunct, appendage, attribute, or accessory ; an addition.

appurtenances

noun

The smaller items, accessories or equipment that go along with something larger and are needed to use it properly.

appy

noun

A small dish served before the main course; a casual short form of "appetizer."

apr

name

Alternative letter-case form of Apr (“April”).

apricot

noun

A small round fruit with soft orange skin and flesh, related to the peach and plum.

April

noun

The fourth month of the year, between March and May.

April Fools' Day

noun

1 April, a day on which people traditionally play tricks and tell invented stories, with the custom in many countries that the joking stops at noon.

apron

noun

A piece of clothing worn over the front of the body to protect clothes, especially while cooking.

apropos

adj

Fitting or relevant to the situation at hand.

apt

adj

Suitable or fitting for the situation.

aptitude

noun

A natural talent or ability for learning or doing something.

aptly

adv

In a fitting or suitable way.

aptness

noun

Suitability; the quality of being apt or suitable.

aqua

noun

A greenish-blue colour, similar to turquoise.

aquacultural

adj

Of or pertaining to aquaculture.

aqualung

noun

A piece of equipment consisting of an oxygen tank and breathing apparatus used by divers to allow them to breathe underwater.

aquamarine

noun

The bluish-green colour of the sea.

aquarium

noun

A glass tank for keeping fish or other water animals.

Aquarius

noun

A constellation and zodiac sign, symbolised by a person pouring water, covering roughly late January to mid-February.

aquatic

adj

Living in, related to, or taking place in water.

aqueduct

noun

A channel or structure, often a bridge-like construction, built to carry water over long distances.

aquilegia

noun

A columbine; any member of the genus Aquilegia.

ar

noun

The name of the letter R.

ara

noun

The great blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna).

Arab

noun

A member of an ethnic group native to the Arabian Peninsula and the wider Arabic-speaking world.

Arabela

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Arabella.

Arabella

name

A feminine given name, likely derived from Latin meaning "yielding to prayer".

Arabia

name

A peninsula in southwest Asia, home to Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries.

Arabian

adj

Relating to Arabia or its people and culture.

Arabic

name

A major Semitic language spoken across the Middle East and North Africa, with many regional dialects and a shared formal written form.

arachnid

noun

Any of the eight-legged creatures, including spiders, mites, and scorpions, of the class Arachnida.

arachnophobia

noun

An intense and persistent fear of spiders, strong enough to cause panic, avoidance or physical symptoms that go well beyond ordinary dislike.

Arafat

name

An Arabic surname, notably borne by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and the name of a hill near Mecca.

Aragon

name

An autonomous region in northeastern Spain, whose capital is Zaragoza; historically an independent medieval kingdom.

Arai

name

A Japanese surname meaning "new well".

Araki

name

A Japanese surname.

Aram

name

An ancient region roughly corresponding to modern Syria, home to the Aramean people, mentioned repeatedly in the Bible.

Aramaic

name

An ancient family of Semitic languages once used across the Near East, including the everyday language spoken by Jesus of Nazareth.

Aramis

name

One of the title characters in Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers", alongside Athos and Porthos.

Arapaho

noun

A member of a Native American people historically associated with the Great Plains, now living mainly in Wyoming and Oklahoma.

arational

adj

Not within the domain of what can be understood or analyzed by reason; not rational, outside the competence of the rules of reason.

arbalest

noun

A steel crossbow.

arbitary

adj

Of or pertaining to arbitration; possessing the authority of an arbiter.

arbiter

noun

Someone chosen by two sides to settle a dispute between them.

arbitrable

adj

Able to be arbitrated; subject to arbitration.

arbitrage

noun

A market activity in which a security, commodity, currency or other tradable item is bought in one market and sold simultaneously in another, in order to profit from price differences between the markets.

arbitrarily

adv

In a way that is based on random choice or personal whim rather than any clear reason or system.

arbitrariness

noun

The quality or state of being arbitrary; the extent to which something is arbitrary.

arbitrary

adj

Based on personal choice or chance rather than any clear reason, rule, or system.

arbitrate

verb

To make a judgment (on a dispute) as an arbitrator or arbiter

arbitration

noun

A process for settling a dispute in which both sides agree to accept the decision of a neutral third party, instead of going to court.

arbitrator

noun

A person to whom the authority to settle or judge a dispute is delegated.

arbor

noun

A shaded garden structure covered with climbing plants, used as a place to sit.

arboreal

adj

Of, relating to, or resembling a tree.

arboreous

adj

Having the characteristics of a tree. (of a plant)

arborescent

adj

Like a tree; having a structure or appearance similar to that of a tree; branching.

arboretum

noun

A place where many varieties of tree are grown for research, educational, and ornamental purposes.

arboriculture

noun

The branch of horticulture concerned with the planting, growth, and maintenance of trees.

arbour

noun

UK standard spelling of arbor.

arc

noun

A curved line, especially part of the edge of a circle.

arcade

noun

A covered passage or row of shops, often lined with arches, or a venue with coin-operated games.

Arcadia

name

A mountainous region of ancient Greece, later used in literature as a symbol of unspoiled rural happiness.

arcady

name

Arcadia, an ancient region of Greece with a tradition of rural, bucolic innocence.

arcane

adj

Understood by very few people; mysterious and difficult to grasp because of how obscure or specialized it is.

arch

noun

A curved structure that spans an opening, typically supporting the weight above it.

archaeological

adj

Relating to the study of past human life through excavated remains and artifacts.

archaeologist

noun

Someone who studies past human life by excavating and analyzing physical remains such as buildings, tools, and bones.

archaeology

noun

The study of past human societies through the excavation and analysis of buildings, tools, and other physical remains.

archaic

adj

Old-fashioned or belonging to an earlier time; no longer in common use.

Archana

name

A female given name of Sanskrit origin, popular in India, meaning roughly "worship" or "homage".

archangel

noun

An angel of high rank believed to lead other angels, such as Gabriel or Michael in Judeo-Christian tradition.

archangelic

adj

Of, relating to, resembling, or characteristic of archangels.

archangelical

adj

Of, relating to, resembling, or characteristic of archangels.

archangelically

adv

In an archangelical manner.

archbishop

noun

A senior bishop who leads an archdiocese and oversees several other dioceses.

archdeacon

noun

A senior church official ranking just below a bishop, usually responsible for administering part of a diocese.

archdiocesan

adj

Of or relating to an archdiocese.

archdiocese

noun

A diocese, or church district, that is led by an archbishop.

archduchess

noun

A daughter or granddaughter of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, or the wife of a son or grandson of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary

archduke

noun

A prince of the former Austrian imperial family, ranking above an ordinary duke.

archenemy

noun

Someone's main or most powerful enemy.

archer

noun

A person who shoots arrows from a bow.

archery

noun

The sport or skill of shooting arrows with a bow.

Arches

name

Arches National Park, a U.S. national park in Utah famous for its natural rock arches.

archetype

noun

An original pattern or model that other similar things are based on or compared to.

archfiend

noun

A chief fiend (devil, demon or monster).

Archibald

name

A male given name of Germanic origin, often shortened to "Archie".

Archie

name

A shortened, informal form of the given name Archibald, also used on its own.

archimandrite

noun

The superior of a large monastery, or group of monasteries, in the Orthodox Church.

Archimedes

name

An ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, and engineer, famous for his work on levers, buoyancy, and geometry.

archipelago

noun

A group or chain of many islands scattered across a stretch of water.

architect

noun

A professional who designs buildings and oversees their construction.

architectonic

adj

Relating to or characteristic of architecture, design and construction.

architectural

adjective

Relating to architecture or the design of buildings.

architecture

noun

The art and practice of designing and constructing buildings.

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