the first letter of the alphabet. There are two a’s in afraid.
any sound represented by this letter.
used as a symbol for: a the first (of an actual or possible series): stateroom A on a ship,company A in an infantry battalion.b the best (of its kind or class): Grade A milk.c a known quantity (used especially in algebraic equations, along with b, c, etc.; x, y, and z most commonly represent unknown quantities).
the highest grade (in schools and colleges): to get an A in English.
Music.a the sixth tone in the scale of C major.
b a symbol representing this tone.
c a key, string, valve, or finger hole, that produces this tone.
d the scale or key that has A as its keynote: a symphony in A.
from A to Z,
from beginning to end: The African countries need everything from A to Z in medicine (London Times).
A2
«ay», noun,pluralA’s.
anything shaped like the letter A.
a2
«unstressed uh; stressed ay», adjective or indefinite article.
a any: Is there a pencil in the box?A tree has leaves.Call a doctor.b one like; another (before proper names or nouns used as the type of a class): a Daniel come to judgment... (Shakespeare). She is a saint among women.
one: My mother wants a pound of butter.
a the same: two at a time.b a particular: too high a price.c one kind of: Chemistry is a science.d a certain; some: a matter of doubt,a great many friends.
a single: not a chance,not a one.
[variant of an1]
–Usage.See an1 for usage note. Though a regularly precedes other modifiers, it follows many, such, what, and any adjective preceded by as, how, so, or too, as in many a man,what a bore,as great a bore.
a3
«unstressed uh; stressed ay», adjective or indefinite article (originally a preposition.).
to or for each; every: Thanksgiving comes once a year.He earns ten dollars a day.
[Old English on on]
a4
«uh», pronoun.British Dialect.
he.
she.
it.
they.
[Middle English a]
a5
«uh», transitive verb. Dialect.
have: I should a thought of it.
[Middle English a, contraction of have]
–Usage. Now often written solid (I shoulda thought of it) and, in representations of English speech, of «uhv». See of for another usage note.
a6
«uh», preposition. Obsolete or Dialect.
of: John a Gaunt,cup a tea.
[Middle English a, for of]
a’
«ah, aw», adjective. Scottish.
all: A man’s a man for a’ that... (Robert Burns).
a-1,
prefix.
on _____; in _____; into _____: Abed = in bed.
in the act of _____: Aflutter = in the act of fluttering.
in a _____ condition: Aweary = in a weary condition.
to _____; toward _____: Aside = to one side.
[Middle English a, Old English an, on]
–Usage.a-1. There is a strong tendency to avoid placing adjectives originally formed with a- + noun (such as asleep, alive) before a noun which they qualify. We say a man who is asleep and a man asleep, but usually not an asleep man.
a-2,
prefix.
the form of ab-1 before m, p, and v, as in amentia, aperture, avert. a-3,
prefix.
the form of ad- before sc, sp, and st, as in ascribe, aspire, astringent. a-4,
prefix.
not _____: Apolitical = not political.
without _____: Atonal = without tone.
–Usage. The prefix a- is the form of an-1 before consonants except h.A-, meaning “not,” “without,” or “lacking,” is of Greek origin and is found in words taken directly, or through Latin, from Greek, as in apathetic, meaning “without feeling.” As a naturalized English prefix, it is also used in new formations, as in asocial, areligious. It is called “alpha privative” from alpha, the name of the Greek letter corresponding to our letter a, and privative, meaning “taking away, depriving.” A- corresponds to English un- and Latin in-. a (no period),
an abbreviation or symbol for the following:
ampere or amperes.
are (100 square meters).
(in scoring baseball, basketball, hockey, and other team games) assist or assists.
atto-.
before (Latin, ante): a 1600 = before 1600.
Astronomy.
a semimajor axis, defining a planet’s mean distance from the sun (one of the five orbital elements describing any planet).
a.,
an abbreviation or symbol for the following:
about.
Commerce.a accepted.
b approved.
acre or acres.
adjective.
alto.
Heraldry.
argent.
before (Latin, ante): a. 1600 = before 1600.
A (no period),
an abbreviation or symbol for the following:
absolute (temperature).
adenine.
a America.
b American.
ampere or amperes.
angstrom unit or units.
anode.
April.
(formerly) argon (chemical element). Now, Ar (no period).
(in scoring baseball, basketball, hockey, and other team games) assist or assists.
a atomic fission.
b atomic weight. Odd and even A are denoted by o and + respectively.
Australian (used with the symbol for dollar or (formerly) pound): $A250.
one of the four major blood factors or groups widely used to determine blood compatibility in transfusions. A person with A type blood can receive blood of either the A or O group.
(in financial rating) the third highest rank.
the first in a series of narrow shoe widths (followed in degree of narrowness by AA, etc.).
A or A°,
angstrom unit or units.
A.,
acre or acres.
adult.
answer.
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