English Vocabulary

Front 1

abaft

Back 1

adv.
Toward the stern.

Front 2

abase

Back 2

tr.v. a·based, a·bas·ing, a·bas·es
To lower in rank, prestige, or esteem. See Synonyms at degrade.
v : cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of; "He humiliated his colleague by criticising him in front of the boss" [syn: humiliate, mortify, chagrin,

Front 3

abash

Back 3

tr.v. a·bashed, a·bash·ing, a·bash·es
To make ashamed or uneasy; disconcert. See Synonyms at embarrass.
v : cause to be embarrassed; cause to feel self-conscious [syn: embarrass]

Front 4

abate

Back 4

v. a·bat·ed, a·bat·ing, a·bates
v. tr.
To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. See Synonyms at decrease.
To deduct from an amount; subtract.
Law.
To put an end to.
To make void.

v. intr.
To fall off in degree or intensity; subside.
Law. To become void.

Front 5

abattoir

Back 5

n.
A slaughterhouse.
Something likened to a slaughterhouse: “The hand of God and mankind's self-inflicted blows seem equally heavy... giving a strong cumulative impression of the world as an abattoir” (Manchester Guardian Weekly).
n : a building where animals are butchered [syn: butchery, shambles, slaughterhouse]

Front 6

abbe

Back 6

n : a French abbot

Front 7

abbess

Back 7

n.
The superior of a monastery.
Abbr. Abb. Used as a title for such a person.
n : the superior of a group of nuns [syn: mother superior, prioress]

Front 8

abbey

Back 8

n. pl. ab·beys
A monastery supervised by an abbot.
A convent supervised by an abbess.
A church that is or once was part of a monastery or convent.
n 1: a church associated with a monastery or convent 2: a convent ruled by an abbess 3: a monastery ruled by an abbot

Front 9

abbot

Back 9

n.
The superior of a monastery.
Abbr. Abb. Used as a title for such a person.
n : the superior of an abbey of monks [syn: archimandrite]

Front 10

abbreviate

Back 10

tr.v. ab·bre·vi·at·ed, ab·bre·vi·at·ing, ab·bre·vi·ates
To make shorter. See Synonyms at shorten.
To reduce (a word or phrase) to a shorter form intended to represent the full form.
v 1: shorten; "Abbreviate `New York' and write `NY'" 2: reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened" [syn: abridge, foreshorten, shorten, cut, contract, reduce] [ant: elaborate]

Front 11

abbreviation

Back 11

n.
The act or product of shortening.
A shortened form of a word or phrase used chiefly in writing to represent the complete form, such as Mass. for Massachusetts or USMC for United States Marine Corps.
n 1: a shortened form of a word or phrase 2: shortening something by omitting parts of it

Front 12

abdicate

Back 12

v. ab·di·cat·ed, ab·di·cat·ing, ab·di·cates
v. tr.
To relinquish (power or responsibility) formally.

v. intr.
To relinquish formally a high office or responsibility.
v : give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations; "The King abdicated when he married a divorcee" [syn: renounce]

Front 13

abdomen

Back 13

n.

The part of the body that lies between the chest and the pelvis and encloses the stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, and pancreas. Also called belly, venter.

Front 14

abduct

Back 14

tr.v. ab·duct·ed, ab·duct·ing, ab·ducts
To carry off by force; kidnap.
Physiology. To draw away from the midline of the body or from an adjacent part or limb.
To draw away from the midline of the body or from an adjacent part or limb.

Front 15

abed

Back 15

adv.
In bed.