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| ACE | | —n. - playing-card etc. With a single spot and generally signifying ‘one’.
- a person who excels in some activity. B pilot who has shot down many enemy aircraft.
- (in tennis) unreturnable stroke (esp. A service). —adj. Slang excellent. within an ace of on the verge of. [latin as unity] | |
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| ACT | | —n. - something done; a deed.
- process of doing (caught in the act).
- item of entertainment.
- pretence (all an act).
- main division of a play etc.
- a decree of a legislative body. B document attesting a legal transaction. —v. - behave (acted wisely).
- perform an action or function; take action (act as referee; brakes failed to act; he acted quickly).
- (also foll. By on) have an effect (alcohol acts on the brain).
- a perform a part in a play, film, etc. B pretend.
- a play the part of (acted othello; acts the fool). B perform (a play etc.). C portray (an incident) by actions. act for be the (esp. Legal) representative of. Act of god natural event, e.g. An earthquake. Act up colloq. Misbehave; give trouble (car is acting up). Get one's act together slang become properly organized; prepare. Put on an act colloq. Make a pretence. [latin ago act- do] | |
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| ACY | | suffix forming nouns of state or quality (accuracy; piracy), or an instance of it (conspiracy; fallacy). [french -acie, latin -acia, -atia, greek -ateia] | |
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| ADD | | v. - join (one thing to another) as an increase or supplement.
- put together (numbers) to find their total.
- say further. add in include. Add up 1 find the total of.
- (foll. By to) amount to.
- colloq. Make sense. [latin addo] | |
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| ADO | | n. Fuss, busy activity; trouble. [from *at, *do1: originally in much ado = much to do] | |
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| ADZ | | n. (brit adze) tool like an axe, with an arched blade at right angles to the handle. [old english] | |
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| AFT | | adv. Naut. & aeron. At or towards the stern or tail. [earlier baft] | |
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| AGE | | of consent n. Age at which consent to sexual intercourse is valid in law.
- suffix forming nouns denoting: 1 action (breakage).
- condition (bondage).
- aggregate or number (coverage; acreage).
- cost (postage).
- result (wreckage).
- place or abode (anchorage; orphanage). [latin -aticus]
- —n. - length of time that a person or thing has existed.
- a colloq. (often in pl.) A long time (waited for ages). B distinct historical period (bronze age).
- old age. —v. (ageing) 1 show or cause to show signs of advancing age.
- grow old.
- mature. come of age reach adult status (esp. Law at 18, formerly 21). [latin aetas] | |
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| AGM | | abbr. Annual general meeting. | |
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| AGO | | adv. (prec. By duration) earlier, in the past. [originally agone = gone by] | |
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