Based on Merriam—Webster’s Collegiate“ Dictionary, Eleventh Edition
`
`3
`
`
`
`Webster
`,~ Dictionary _-‘
`
` Merriam-
`
`
`I Over 75,000 definitions
`
`\ 11"?in
`
`*'
`
`‘ I Helpful guidance on word usage
`
`

`

`The
`
`Merriam-Webster
`
`Dictionary
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`A GENUINE NIERRIAM-WEBSTER
`
`The name Webster alone is no guarantee of excellence. It is used by
`
`
`
`a number of publishers and may serve mainly to mislead an un-
`wary buyer.
`
`Merriam-WebsterTM is the name you should look for when you con-
`
`sider the purchase of dictionaries or other fine reference books. It
`carries the reputation of a company that has been publishing since
`1831 and is your assurance of quality and authority.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Copyright © 2005 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
`
`Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
`
`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—ch2
`
`2005001286
`
`All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyrights
`hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means—
`graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, record-
`ing, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems—without
`written permission of the publisher.
`
`Made in the United States of America
`
`

`

`ambitious - amp
`
`amcbi-tious \-shas\ adj : characterized by ambition —— am-
`bi-tious-ly adv — am-bi-tious-ness n
`am-biv-aulence \am-‘bi-ve-lons\ n : simultaneous attrac—
`tion toward and repulsion from a person, object, or ac-
`tion — am-biV-a-leni \-lant\ adj
`1am.ble \'am-bol\ vb ambled; am-bling \-b(9-)lilj\ : to go
`at an amble
`2amble n : an easy gait esp. of a horse
`am-bro-sia \am-‘bro-zh(e-)o\ n z the food of the Greek and
`Roman gods — am-bro-sial \-zh(é-)el\ adj
`am-bu-lance \‘am-byo—lans\ n : a vehicle equipped for car-
`rying the injured or sick
`ambu-lant \'am-byo-lont\ adj : AMBULATORY
`1am-bu-la-to-ry \'am-bya-ls-.tor—é\ adj
`1 : of, relating to,
`or adapted to walking 2 : able to walk or move about
`2ambulatory n, pl -ries : a sheltered place (as in a Cloister)
`for walking
`am-bus-cade \'am-ba-.skad\ n : AMBUSH
`am-bush \'am-.bush\ n : a trap in which concealed per-
`sons wait to attack by surprise — ambush vb
`amdt abbr amendment
`ameba, ameboid var ofAMOEBA, AMOEBOID
`ame-limrate \a-‘mél-ys-.rit\ vb -rat-ed; -rat-ing : to make
`or grow better : IMPROVE — ame-liowadion \-.mél-yo-
`'ra-shon\ n
`amen \(.)a-'men, (.)éi—\ interj — used esp. at the end of
`prayers to affirm or express approval
`: ANSW'ERABLE
`ame-nable \o-‘me-nc-bel, -'me-\ adj
`1
`<~ to the law) 2 : COMPLIANT
`amend \a-‘mend\ vb
`1
`: to change for the better : IM-
`PROVE 2 : to alter formally in phraseology — amend-
`able \-'men-da-bal\ adj
`amend-ment \o—‘mend-mont\ n 1 : correction of faults 2
`z the process of amending a parliamentary motion or a
`constitution; also : the alteration so proposed or made
`amends \9-‘mendz\ n sing or pl : compensation for injury
`or loss
`ame-ni-ty \a-‘me-no—té, -'mé-\ n, pl -ties 1 : AGREEABLE-
`NESS
`2 : a gesture observed in social relationships 3
`: something that serves as a comfort or convenience
`Amer abbr America; American
`amerce \a~'mars\ vb amerced; amerc-ing 1 : to penalize
`by a fine determined by the court
`2 : PUNISH —
`amerce-ment n
`Amer-i-cama \a-.mer-s-'ka-ne, -'ka-\ n pl : materials con-
`cerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its
`culture
`American Indian n : a member of any of the aboriginal
`peoples of No. and So. America except the Eskimos
`Amer-i-candsm \9-‘mer-o-ke-.ni—zom\ n 1 : a characteris-
`tic feature of English as used in the U.S. 2 : attachment
`or loyalty to the traditions, interests, or ideals of the U.S.
`3 : a custom or trait peculiar to the U.S. or to Americans
`Amer-i-can-ize \e-‘mer-o-ko-.niz\ vb : to make or become
`American —— Amenhcan-i-za-tion \e-.mer-s-ke—na-'za-
`shsn\ n
`Amer-i-canmess \a-‘rner~c~kon-nos\ n
`:
`the quality or
`state of being American
`American plan 11
`: a hotel plan whereby the daily rates
`cover the cost of room and three meals
`American Sign Language n : a sign language for the deaf
`in which meaning is conveyed by a system of hand ges-
`tures and placement
`am-er-i-ci-um \.am-e-'Iish—é-sm, -'ris-\ n : a radioactive
`metallic chemical element produced artificially from plu-
`tonium
`Amerlnd abbr American Indian
`Am-er-in-di-an \.a—mo—'rin-de-on\ n :
`— Amerindian adj
`am-e-thyst \'a-ma-thost\ n [ME amaa’ste, fr. AF & L; AF,
`fr. L amethystus, fr. Gk amethystos, lit., remedy against
`drunkenness, fr. a- not + methyein to be drunk, fr. methy
`Wine] : a gemstone consisting of clear purple or bluish-vi-
`olet quartz
`1 : AGREEABLE (an ~ com-
`amiable \'fi-mé-o-bol\ adj
`edy)
`2 : having a friendly and sociable disposition —
`ami-a«bil-i-ty \.a-me-s-'bi-la-té\ n — ami-a-ble-ness n -—
`ami-a-bly \'a-me-o-blé\ adv
`am-ioca-ble \‘a-mi-ko—bel\ adj : FRIENDLY, PEACEABLE
`(an ~ settlement of differences) — am-i-ca-bil-i-ty
`\.a—mi-ke-'bi—lo-té\ n — am-i-ca-bly \'a-mi-ko—blé\ adv
`
`AMERICAN INDIAN
`
`16
`
`amid \o—‘mid\ 0r amidst \-'midst\prep : in or into the mid-
`dle of : AMONG
`amid-ships \9-‘mid-.ships\ adv : in or near the middle of a
`ship
`ami-no acid \e—‘mé—n6-\ n : any of numerous nitrogen:
`containing acids that include some which are used by
`cells to build proteins
`amir var of EMIR
`1amiss \9-‘mis\ adv 1 : WRONGLY 2 : ASTRAY (something
`had gone ~> 3 : IMPERFECTLY
`2amiss adj
`1 : WRONG 2 : out of place
`am.i.ty \'a-ma-te\ n, pl -ties : FRIENDSHIP; esp : friendly
`relations between nations
`am~me-ter \'a-.mé-ter\ n : an instrument for measuring
`electric current esp. in amperes
`am-mo \‘a-mo\ n : AMMUNITION
`am-momla \e-‘mo-ny9\ 11 [NL, fr. L sal ammoniacus sal
`ammoniac (ammonium chloride), lit., salt of Ammon, fr.
`Gk ammo'm'akos of Ammon, fr. Ammo‘n Ammon, an
`Egyptian god near one of whose temples it was ex—
`tracted]
`1 : a colorless gaseous compound of nitrogen
`and hydrogen used in refrigeration and in the making of
`fertilizers and explosives
`2 : a solution (ammonia
`water) of ammonia in water
`am-mo-ni-um \e—‘mo-ne-9m\ n : an ion or chemical group
`derived from ammonia by combination with hydrogen
`ammonium chloride n : a white crystalline volatile salt
`used in batteries and as an expectorant
`: projectiles fired
`am-mumiotion \.am-ya-'ni-sh9n\ n
`1
`from guns 2 : explosive items used in war 3 : material
`for use in attack or defense
`Amn abbr airman
`: abnormal loss of memory
`am-ne-sia \am~'né-zhe\ n 1
`2 : the selective overlooking of events or acts not favor-
`able to one’s purpose — am-ne-si-ac \-zhé-.ak, -ze-\ or
`amme-sic \-zik, -sik\ adj or n
`am-nes-ty \‘am-n9~sté\ n, pl -ties : an act granting a par-
`don to a group of individuals — amnesty vb
`amenio-cen-te-sis \.am-né—6—.sen-'té-sas\ n, pl -te-ses
`\-.séz\ : the surgical insertion of a hollow needle through
`the abdominal wall and uterus of a pregnant female esp.
`to obtain fluid used to check the fetus for chromosomal
`abnormality and to determine sex
`am-nhot-ic fluid \.am-ne—'a-tik-\ n : the watery fluid in
`which the embryo or fetus is immersed
`amoe-ba also ame-ba \o-‘me-ba\ n, pl -bas or -bae \-(.)bé\
`: any of various tiny one-celled protozoans that lack per-
`manent cell organs and occur esp. in water and soil —
`amoebic \-bik\ adj
`amoe-boid also ame-boid \-.boid\ adj : resembling an
`amoeba esp. in moving or readily changing shape
`amok \o-‘mak, -'m5.k\ or amuck \~'m9k\ adv : in a violent.
`frenzied, or uncontrolled manner (run ~>
`: in or
`among \a-‘mam also amongst \-'monst\ prep 1
`through the midst of 2 : in the number, class, or compa-
`ny of 3 : in shares to each of 4 : by common action of
`amon-til-lado \o—.man-t9-'la-do\ n, pl -dos [Sp] : a medi-
`um dry sherry
`amor-al \a—'mor-sl\ adj
`1
`: neither moral nor immoral:
`esp : being outside the sphere to which moral judgments
`apply 2 : lacking moral sensibility —— amor-al-ly adv
`am-o-rous \'a-me—ros\ adj
`1 : inclined to love 2 : being
`in love
`3 : of or indicative of love — am-mrous-Iy adv
`—— amm-rous-ness n
`amor-phous \9-‘mor-fes\ adj
`1
`: SHAPELESS, FORMLESS
`2 : not crystallized
`am-or-tize \'a-mar-.tiz, o—‘rnor-\ vb -tized; -tiz-ing : to ex-
`tinguish (as a mortgage) usu. by payment on the principal
`at the time of each periodic interest payment —— amonti-
`za-tion \.a-msr-to-'za-shsn, 9-.Inor-\ n
`Amos \'a-m9s\ — see BIBLE table
`‘amount \o-‘maunt\ vb 1 : to be equivalent 2 : to reach a
`total : add up
`2amount n 1 : the total number or quantity 2 : a princi-
`pal sum plus the interest on it
`amour \c-‘mur, 5-, a-\ n 1 : a love affair esp. when illicit
`2 : LOVER
`amour pro-pre \.a-.mur-'pr6pr9, .a-, -'prépra\ n [F] : SELF-
`ESTEEM
`1amp \‘amp\ n 1 : AMPERE 2 : AMPLIFIER; also : a unit
`
`consisting of an electronic amplifier and a loudspeaker
`
`