a fortiori - ANS-For a still stronger reason; all the more.
ab initio - ANS-From the beginning.
abscission - ANS-1. The act of cutting off.
2. Botany
... [Show More] The shedding of leaves, flowers, or fruits following the formation of the
abscission zone.
acquittal - ANS-1. Judgment, as by a jury or judge, that a defendant is not guilty of a
crime as charged.
2. The state of being found or proved not guilty.
acrodont - ANS-Having teeth attached to the edge of the jawbone without sockets.
ad valorem - ANS-In proportion to the value.
adipocere - ANS-A brown, fatty, waxlike substance that forms on dead animal tissues in
response to moisture.
aiguille - ANS-1. A sharply pointed mountain peak, especially one of several on a larger
massif.
2. A needle-shaped drill for boring holes in rock or masonry.
akimbo - ANS-1. Placed in such a way as to have the hands on the hips and the elbows
bowed outward: children standing with arms akimbo.
2. Being in a bent, bowed, or arched position:
alcazar - ANS-A Spanish palace or fortress, originally one built by the Moors.
alpha privative - ANS-The prefix a- or an- before vowels, used in Greek and in English
words borrowed from Greek to express absence or negation.
amalgamation - ANS-1. The act of amalgamating or the condition resulting from this act.
2. A consolidation or merger, as of several corporations.
3. The production of a metal alloy of mercury.
ametropia - ANS-An eye abnormality, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or
astigmatism, resulting from faulty refractive ability of the eye.
anaglyph - ANS-1. An ornament carved in low relief.
2. A moving or still picture consisting of two slightly different perspectives of the same
subject in contrasting colors that are superimposed on each other, producing a threedimensional effect when viewed through two correspondingly colored filters.anaphylactic shock - ANS-Anaphylaxis in which systemic vasodilation results in shock.
anecdotal - ANS-1. also an·ec·dot·ic (-dŏtĭk) or an·ec·dot·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) Of, characterized
by, or full of anecdotes.
2. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific
analysis.
anemochory - ANS-Dispersal of seeds, fruits, or other plant parts by wind.
animadvert - ANS-To remark or comment critically, usually with strong disapproval or
censure.
anosmic - ANS-Loss of the sense of smell.
anthrax - ANS-1. A serious infectious disease of mammals caused by the bacterium
Bacillus anthracis, most commonly affecting grazing animals. The disease can be
transmitted to humans by handling infected animals or contaminated animal products
(resulting in cutaneous lesions), by ingesting contaminated meat, or by inhaling
bacterial spores.
2. pl. an·thra·ces (-thrə-sēz′) Archaic A lesion caused by anthrax.
ao dai - ANS-A long-sleeved, usually full-length garment with sides slit up to the hips,
traditionally worn by Vietnamese women over loose trousers.
aphonia - ANS-Loss of the voice resulting from disease, injury to the vocal cords, or
various psychological causes, such as hysteria. [Show Less]