ADVERB
If you do something again, you do it once more.
against
PREPOSITION 1 If you play against someone, you are not on their side.
PREPOSITION 2 If you are against something, you are touching it and leaning on it. She felt tired and leaned against the tree.
age ages
NOUN 1 Your age is how old you are.
NOUN 2 An age is a special period in history, like the Stone Age.
ago ADVERB
If something happened four days ago, it is four days since it happened.
agree agrees, agreeing, agreed
VERB 1 If you agree with someone, you think the same about something.
VERB 2 If you agree to do something, you say you will do it.
agreement NOUN
ahead ADVERB
Something or someone who is ahead of you is in front of you.
My brother ran ahead of us.
aim aims, aiming, aimed
VERB 1 If you aim at something, you point a weapon at it.
VERB 2 If you aim to do something, you plan to do it.
air NOUN
Air is the mixture of gases that we breathe.
aircraft NOUN
An aircraft is a vehicle that flies. Helicopters and aeroplanes are aircraft.
airport airports NOUN
An airport is a place where aircraft land and take off.
alarm alarms
NOUN 1 An alarm is something like a bell or flashing light that warns you of something.
NOUN 2 Alarm is a feeling of fear.
He looked at the hungry bear in alarm.
album albums NOUN
An album is a book that you put things like stamps or photographs in.
alien aliens NOUN
In science fiction, an alien is a creature from outer space.
alight ADJECTIVE
If something is alight, it is burning.
alike ADJECTIVE
If two or more things are alike, they are the same in some way.
alive ADJECTIVE
If a person, animal or plant is alive, they are living now.
all ADJECTIVE
You say all when you mean the whole of a particular group or thing. Put all your toys away.
Allah NOUN
Allah is the Muslim name for God.
allergy allergies NOUN
If you have an allergy to something, it makes you ill. Tom has an allergy to nuts, so he must not eat them.
alley alleys NOUN
An alley is a narrow path with buildings or walls on both sides.
alligator alligators NOUN
An alligator is a reptile. It is of the same family as a crocodile, but smaller.
See Reptiles on page 264
alliteration NOUN
Alliteration is the use of words close together which begin with the same sound, for example “hundreds of huge hairy horses”.
allow allows, allowing, allowed VERB
If someone allows you to do something, they let you do it.
all right
ADJECTIVE 1 If someone is all right, they are well or safe. See if the baby’s all right.
INTERJECTION 2 You say all right if you agree to something.
almost ADVERB
Almost means very nearly, but not quite.
He tripped and almost fell.
alone ADJECTIVE
If you are alone, there is nobody with you.
along PREPOSITION
If you go along something, you move towards the end of it.
aloud ADVERB
If you read something aloud, you read it so that people can hear you.
alphabet alphabets NOUN
An alphabet is all the letters used to write words, written in a special order.
alphabetical ADJECTIVE
Alphabetical means arranged in the order of the letters of the alphabet. She read out the names on the register in alphabetical order.
already ADVERB
If you have done something already, you did it earlier.
also ADVERB
You say also when you want to add to something you have just said.
alter alters, altering, altered VERB
When you alter something, you change it in some way.
alternate alternates, alternating, alternated VERB
When two things alternate, they regularly happen one after the other. He alternates between being friendly and completely ignoring me.
although CONJUNCTION
You say although when you expected something different. Although my dad was cross, he still gave me my pocket money.
altogether ADVERB
If you say there are a number of things altogether, you are counting all of them. I’ve picked four apples and you’ve picked two, so that’s six altogether.
aluminium NOUN
Aluminium is a light, silver-coloured metal. It is used for making rolls of foil and containers like cans and pie dishes.
always
ADVERB 1 If you always do something, you do it every time. He always puts his things away when he has used them.
ADVERB 2 If something has always been so, it has been that way at all times. They have always been good friends.
a.m. ADVERB
a.m. is the time between midnight and noon. I get up at 7 a.m.
See p.m.
am VERB
Am is a present tense form of be used when you are talking about yourself. I am six years old.
See be
amaze amazes, amazing, amazed VERB
If something amazes you, it surprises you very much.
amazement NOUN
amazing ADJECTIVE
Something that is amazing is very surprising or