Based on Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate’ Dictionary, Eleventh Edition
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`The
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`Copyright © 2005 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
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`Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
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`The Merriam-Webster dictionary.
`p. cm.
`ISBN-13: 978-0-87779-636-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)
`ISBN-10: 0-87779-636-X (pbk. : alk. paper)
`1. English language—Dictionaries.
`I. Merriam-Webster, Inc.
`PE1628.M353 2005
`423—dc22
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`2005001286
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`

`ambitious « amp
`
`16
`
`am-bi-tious \-shes\ adj ; characterized by ambition — am-
`amid \o-'mid\ or amidst \-'midst\prep : in or into the mid-
`dle of : AMONG
`bi-tious-ly adv — am-bi-tious-ness n
`am-biv-a-lence \am-'bi-vo-lons\ 1 : simultaneous attrac-
`amid-ships \o-'mid-,ships\ ady : in or near the middle ofa
`ship
`tion toward and repulsion from a person, object, or ac-
`tion — am-biv.a-lent \-lont\ adj
`ami-no acid \o-'mé-nd-\ 2 : any of numerous nitrogen
`tam-ble \'am-bal\ vb am-bled; am-bling \-b(0-)lin\ : to go
`containing acids that include some which are used by
`at an amble
`cells to build proteins
`2amble n : an easy gait esp. of a horse
`amir var of EMIR
`am-bro-sia \am-'br6-zh(€-)a\ n : the food of the Greek and
`tamiss \o-'mis\ adv 1: WRONGLY 2: ASTRAY <something
`Roman gods — am-bro-sial \-zh(@-)ol\ adj
`had gone ~)> 3: IMPERFECTLY
`am-buelance \'am-bys-lons\ n : a vehicle equipped forcar-
`2amiss adj 1: WRONG 2: outofplace
`rying the injured or sick
`amity \'a-mo-té\ 1, pl -ties : FRIENDSHIP; esp : friendly
`relations between nations
`am-bu-lant \'am-byo-lont\ adj : AMBULATORY
`tam-bu-la-to-ry \'am-byo-lo-,tor-é\ adj 1: of, relating to,
`am-me-ter \!a-ymé-tor\ m : an instrument for measuring
`or adapted to walking 2: able to walk or move about
`electric current esp. in amperes
`am-mo \!a-m6\ 7 : AMMUNITION
`2ambulatory 7, pl -ries : a sheltered place(as in a cloister)
`for walking
`am-moenia \o-'m6-nya\ n [NL, fr. L sal ammoniacus sal
`am-bus.-cade \'am-bo-,skad\ m : AMBUSH
`ammoniac (ammonium chloride),lit., salt of Ammon,fr
`am-bush \!am-,bush\ 7 : a trap in which concealed per-
`Gk ammoéniakos of Ammon, fr. Ammén Ammon, an
`sons wait to attack by surprise — ambush vb
`Egyptian god near one of whose temples it was ex-
`amdt abbr amendment
`tracted] 1: a colorless gaseous compound of nitrogen
`ameba, ameboid var ofAMOEBA, AMOEBOID
`and hydrogen used in refrigeration and in the making of
`ame-lio-rate \o-'mél-yo-,rat\ vb -rat-ed; -rat-ing : to make
`fertilizers and explosives
`2 : a solution (ammonia
`water) of ammonia in water
`or grow better : IMPROVE — ame-lio-ra-tion \-,mél-yo-
`'ra-shon\ 7
`am-mo-ni-um \9-'m6-né-am\ 7 : an ion or chemical group
`amen \(,)4-'men,(,)4-\ imterj — used esp. at the end of
`derived from ammonia by combination with hydrogen
`prayers to affirm or express approval
`ammonium chloride 7 : a white crystalline volatile salt
`: ANSWERABLE
`ame-na-ble \o-'mé-no-bal, -'me-\ adj
`1
`used in batteries and as an expectorant
`<~ to the law> 2: COMPLIANT
`: projectiles fired
`am-mu-ni-tion \,am-yo-'ni-shon\ 2
`1
`amend \s-'mend\ vb 1: to change for the better : IM-
`from guns 2: explosive items used in war 3: material
`for use in attack or defense
`PROVE 2: to alter formally in phraseology — amend-
`Amn abbr airman
`able \-'men-da-bal\ adj
`amend-ment\o-'mend-mont\ 1: correction of faults 2
`am-ne-sia \am-'né-zho\ n 1: abnormal loss of memory
`: the process of amending a parliamentary motion or a
`2: the selective overlooking of events or acts not favor-
`constitution; also : the alteration so proposed or made
`able to one’s purpose — amene-si-ac \-zhé-,ak, -zé-\ or
`amene-sic \-zik, -sik\ adj orn
`amends\o-'mendz\ 7 sing or pl : compensation for injury
`or loss
`amsnesety \'am-no-sté\ 7, pi -ties : an act granting a par-
`ame-ni-ty \o-'me-no-té, -'mé-\ 7, pl -ties 1: AGREEABLE-
`donto a group of individuals — amnesty vb
`NESS 2: a gesture observed in social relationships 3
`am-nio-cen-te-sis \,am-né-6-,sen-'té-sos\ n, pi -te-ses
`: something that serves as a comfort or convenience
`\-186z\ : the surgical insertion of a hollow needle through
`Amer abbr America; American
`the abdominal wall and uterus of a pregnant female esp.
`to obtain fluid used to check the fetus for chromosomal
`amerce \o-'mors\ vb amerced; amerc-ing 1 : to penalize
`by a fine determined by the court
`2 : PUNISH —
`abnormality and to determine sex
`amerce-ment 7
`am-ni-ot-ic fluid \,am-né-'a-tik-\ m : the watery fluid in
`Amer-i-ca-na \o-ymer-o-'kKa-na, -'ka-\ 7 p/ : materials con-
`which the embryoorfetus is immersed
`cerning or characteristic of America,its civilization,orits
`amoe-ba also ame-ba \s-'mé-ba\ n, pi -basor -bae \-(,)bé\
`culture
`: any of various tiny one-celled protozoans that lack per-
`American Indian 1 : a memberof any of the aboriginal
`manentcell organs and occur esp. in water and soil —
`peoples of No. and So. America except the Eskimos
`amoe-bic \-bik\ adj
`Amer-i-can-ism \s-'mer-a-ko-yni-zom\ n 1: a characteris-
`amoe-boid also ame-boid \-,boid\ adj : resembling an
`tic feature of English as used in the U.S. 2 : attachment
`amoebaesp. in moving or readily changing shape
`or loyalty to the traditions, interests, or ideals of the U.S.
`amok\o-'mak, -'mak\ or amuck\-'mok\ adv : in a violent,
`3: a custom ortrait peculiar to the U.S. or to Americans
`frenzied, or uncontrolled manner <run ~>
`Amer-i-can-ize \a-'mer-o-ka-,niz\ vb : to make or become
`among \s-'mon\ also amongst \-'monst\ prep 1: in or
`American — Amer.i-can.-i-za-tion \o-;mer-9-ko-no-'za-
`through the midst of 2: in the number,class, or compa-
`shon\ 7
`ny of 3: inshares to each of 4: by commonaction of
`Amer-i-can-eness \o-'mer-o-kon-nos\ 7
`:
`the quality or
`amon-til-la-do \o-yman-to-"la-d6\ n, pl -dos [Sp] : a medi-
`state of being American
`um dry sherry
`American plan 7 : a hotel plan whereby the daily rates
`amor-al \a-"mor-ol\ adj 1: neither moral nor immoral;
`cover the cost of room and three meals
`esp : being outside the sphere to which moral judgments
`American Sign Languagen:a sign languagefor the deaf
`apply 2: lacking moral sensibility — amor.al-ly adv
`in which meaning is conveyed by a system of hand ges-
`am-o-rous\'a-mo-ros\ adj 1: inclined to love 2: being
`tures and placement
`in love 3: of or indicative of love — am-o-rous-ly adv
`— am-o-rous-ness n
`am-er-iecieum \,am-o-'rish-é-om, -'ris-\ 7 : a radioactive
`metallic chemical element producedartificially from plu-
`amor-phous\o-'mor-fos\ adj 1: SHAPELESS, FORMLESS
`tonium
`2 : not crystallized
`Amerind abbr American Indian
`am-or-tize \'a-mor-,tiz, o-'mor-\ vb -tized; -tiz-ing : to ex-
`Am-er-in-di-an \,a-mo-'rin-dé-on\ 7 :
`tinguish (as a mortgage) usu. by paymentonthe principal
`— Amerindian adj
`at the time of each periodic interest payment — amor.ti-
`am-e-thyst \'a-mo-thast\ 1 [ME amatiste, fr. AF & L; AF,
`za-tion \,a-mor-to-'za-shon, 9-;mor-\ 2
`Amos\'4-mos\ — see BIBLE table
`fr. L_amethystus, fr. Gk amethystos, lit., remedy against
`drunkenness, fr. a- not + methyein to be drunk, fr. methy
`Ttamount \o-'matnt\ vb 1: tobe equivalent 2: to reacha
`wine] : a gemstone consisting of clear purple or bluish-vi-
`total : add up
`olet quartz
`2amountn 1: the total number or quantity 2: a princi-
`pal sum plusthe interest on it
`ami-a-ble \'4-mé-o-bal\ adj 1: AGREEABLE <an ~ com-
`edy> 2: having a friendly and sociable disposition —
`amour\o-'mur, 4-, a-\n 1: a love affair esp. whenillicit
`2: LOVER
`ami-a-bil-i-ty \,4-mé-9-'bi-lo-té\ n — ami-aebleeness n —
`amieaebly \'a-mé-o-blé\ adv
`amourpro-pre\,a-,mur-'propr®,,a-, -‘propr°\ 7 [F] : SELF-
`ESTEEM
`am-i-ca-ble \'a-mi-ko-bol\ adj : FRIENDLY, PEACEABLE
`Tamp \'lamp\7 1: AMPERE 2 : AMPLIFIER; also ; a unit
`<an ~ settlement of differences) — am-i-ca-bil-i-ty
`\a-mi-ko-'bi-lo-té\ n — am-i-ca-bly \'a-mi-ko-blé\ adv
`
`consisting of an electronic amplifier and a loudspeaker
`
`AMERICAN INDIAN
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