| arbiter | person with power to decide a matter in dispute; judge who is in a position ot make influential judgments; Ex. supreme arbiter of fashion in beachware |
| arbitrary | unreasonable or capricious; random; tyrannical; Ex. arbitrary ruler |
| arbitrate | act as judge (at the request of both sides) |
| arboreal | of or living in trees |
| arboretum | place where different trees and shrubs are studied and exhibited |
| arcade | a covered passageway usually lined with shops |
| arcane | esoteric; secret; mysterious; known only to the initiated; Ex. arcane ritual; Ex. arcane process closed to the uninitiated listener |
| arch- | chief; first; Ex. archbishop |
| archaeology | study of artifacts and relics of early mankind |
| archaic | antiquated; no longer used; belonging to the past; N. |
| archetype | prototype; primitive pattern |
| archipelago | group of closely located islands |
| archives | public records; place where public records are kept |
| ardor | heat; passion; zeal; ADJ. ardent |
| arduous | hard; strenuous; Ex. arduous work |
| argot | slang; speech spoken by only a small group of people |
| aria | operatic solo; a song sung by one person in an opera or oratorio |
| arid | (of land) dry; barren; unproductive |
| aristocracy | hereditary nobility; privileged class; government by nobility; N. aristocrat |
| armada | fleet of warships |
| aromatic | fragrant; having a sweet smell; N. aroma: strong pleasant smell |
| arraign | charge in court; indict |
| array | marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array |
| arrears | being in debt; money that should have been paid; work that should have been done |
| arrhythmic | lacking rhythm or regularity; N. arrhythmia |
| arrogance | pride; haughtiness; ADJ. arrogant: unpleasantly self-important (with a strong confidence in one's own importance and a lack of respect for other people) |
| arroyo | gully; narrow channel formed by rainwater |
| arsenal | storage place for military equipment |
| artery | blood-vessel; CF. vein |
| artful | exhibiting art or skill; deceitful; cunning; CF. artifice |
| articulate | effective; distinct; expressing ideas clearly; having clear sounds; having joints; Ex. articulate speech; V: express thoughts and feeling clearly; pronounce clearly; unite by joints |
| artifacts | object made by human beings, either hand-made or mass-produced |
| artifice | deception; trickery |
| artisan | a manually skilled worker |
| artless | without guile; open and honest |
| ascendancy | controlling influence; position of controlling influence; CF. in the ascendant |
| ascertain | find out for certain; make certain |
| ascetic | practicing self-denial; avoiding physical pleasures and comforts; austere; Ex. ascetic life of Buddhist monks; N. asceticism |
| ascribe | refer; attribute; assign |
| aseptic | preventing infection; having a cleansing effect |
| ashen | ash-colored; deadly pale |
| asinine | stupid; Ex. asinine remarks |
| askance | with a sideways or indirect look (with disapproval or distruct); Ex. look askance at |
| askew | crookedly; slanted; at an angle |
| asperity | sharpness; roughness; severity (of temper or weather); Ex. asperities of a Russian winter |
| aspersion | slanderous remark; Ex. cast aspersions on |
| aspirant | seeker after position or status |
| aspire | seek to attain (position or status); long for; Ex. aspire to become president; Ex. aspire to/after the leadership |
| assail | assault |
| assay | analyze (to discover what materials are present); evaluate (soil or ore) |
| assent | agree; accept; N. assessment |
| assert | state strongly or positively; demand recognition of (rights, claims, etc.); make a claim to (by forceful action); Ex. assert one's independence |
| assiduous | diligent |
| assimilate | absorb; take (food) into the body and digest it; understand (knowledge) completely and be able to use properly; cause to become homogeneous (the people of a country or race in the wasy of behaving or thinking) |
| assuage | mak less severe; ease or lessen (pain); satisfy (hunger); soothe (anger) |
| assumption | something taken for granted; the taking over or taking possession of; Ex. her assumption of power; V. assume |
| assurance | firm statement that something is certainly true; promise or pledge; certainty; confidence in one's own ability; self-confidence; Ex. In spite of all his assurances, he did not come back; Ex. assurance of his loyalty; Ex. The teacher lacked assuranc |
| asteroid | small planet |
| astigmatism | eye defect which prevents proper focus; OP. stigmatism |
| astral | relating to the stars |
| astringent | binding; causing contraction (stopping bleeding); harsh or severe; stringent; Ex. astringent criticism |
| astronomical | enormously large or extensive |
| astute | wise; shrewd; keen; seeing quickly something that is to one's advantage |
| asunder | into parts; apart; V. sunder |
| asylum | place of refuge or shelter; protection (religious or political) |
| asymmetric | not identical on both sides of a dividing central line |
| atavism | resemblance to remote ancestors rather than to parents; reversion to an earlier type; throwback; ADJ. atavistic |
| atheistic | denying the existence of God; N. atheism |
| atone | make amends for; pay for; Ex. atone for |
| atrocity | brutal deed; ADJ. atrocious |
| atrophy | wasting away; V: weaken and lose flesh and muscle (through lack of blood or lack of use) |
| attentive | alert and watchful; listening carefully; paying attention; considerate; thoughtful; politely helpful; Ex. attentive audience; Ex. He was attentive to the old lady; N. attentions: act of courtesy and consideration |
| attenuate | make thin; weaken |
| attest | testify; bear witness |
| attire | clothe; N: clothing; array; apparel |
| attribute | essential quality; V: ascribe; explain |
| attrition | rubbing away by friction; gradual decrease in numbers or strength; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment; Ex. a war of attrition |
| atypical | not normal; not typical |
| audacious | daring; bold; N. audacity |
| audit | examination of accounts of a business; official examination; V. |
| augment | increase; add to |
| augury | omen; prophecy; sign of coming events; V. augur: predict; foretell; be a sign of (something in future) |
| august | impressive; majestic |
| aureole | sun's corona; halo; bright circle of light |
| auroral | pertaining to the aurora borealis; CF. aurora australis |
| auspicious | favoring success; giving signs of future success; Cf. auspices |
| austere | forbiddingly stern; ascetic; without comfort or enjoyment; severely simple and unornamented; Ex. a monk's austere life; Ex. austere grandeur of the cathedral; N. austerity |
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