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Glossary · Nouns · A

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TermTypeDefinitionClassificationsUpdated
Actor's AssistantnounMWEa wardrobe assistant for an actorverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actor's LinenounMWEwords making up the dialogue of a playverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actressnouna female actorverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actual DamagesnounMWE(law) compensation for losses that can readily be proven to have occurred and for which the injured party has the right to be compensatedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actual EvictionnounMWEthe physical ouster of a tenant from the leased premisesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actual PossessionnounMWE(law) immediate and direct physical control over propertyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actual SinnounMWEa sin committed of your own free will (as contrasted with original sin)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Actualisationnounmaking real or giving the appearance of realityverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actualitynounthe state of actually existing objectivelyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actualizationnounmaking real or giving the appearance of realityverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actuarial TablenounMWEa table of statistical dataverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actuarynounsomeone versed in the collection and interpretation of numerical data (especially someone who uses statistics to calculate insurance premiums)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Actuationnounthe act of propellingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actuatornouna mechanism that puts something into automatic actionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Actus ReusnounMWEactivity that transgresses moral or civil lawverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acuitynouna quick and penetrating intelligenceverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aculeanounsmall spiny outgrowth on the wings of certain insectsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Aculeusnouna sharp-pointed process especially a sting of a hymenopterous insectverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acumennounshrewdness shown by keen insightverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acuminate LeafnounMWEa leaf narrowing to a slender pointverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acupressurenountreatment of symptoms by applying pressure with the fingers to specific pressure points on the bodyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acupuncturenountreatment of pain or disease by inserting the tips of needles at specific points on the skinverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute AccentnounMWEa mark (') placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute AnglenounMWEan angle less than 90 degrees but more than 0 degreesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Anterior PoliomyelitisnounMWEan acute viral disease marked by inflammation of nerve cells of the brain stem and spinal cordverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Brain DisordernounMWEany disorder (as sudden confusion or disorientation) in an otherwise normal person that is due to reversible (temporary) impairment of brain tissues (as by head injuries or drugs or infection)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute GastritisnounMWEgastritis caused by ingesting an irritant (as too much aspirin)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute GlaucomanounMWEglaucoma in which the iris blocks the outflow of aqueous humorverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute GlossitisnounMWEglossitis resulting from injury or infection and characterized by swelling and painverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Hemorrhagic EncephalitisnounMWEencephalitis that resembles apoplexy due to blood extravasationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Inclusion Body EncephalitisnounMWEcommon form of acute encephalitis caused by herpes simplex 1verifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Kidney FailurenounMWErenal failure associated with burns or other trauma or with acute infection or obstruction of the urinary tractverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute LeukemianounMWErapidly progressing leukemiaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Lymphoblastic LeukemianounMWEacute leukemia characterized by proliferation of immature lymphoblast-like cells in bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, and bloodverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Lymphocytic LeukemianounMWEacute leukemia characterized by proliferation of immature lymphoblast-like cells in bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen, and bloodverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Myelocytic LeukemianounMWEacute leukemia characterized by proliferation of granular leukocytesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Myeloid LeukemianounMWEacute leukemia characterized by proliferation of granular leukocytesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Organic Brain SyndromenounMWEany disorder (as sudden confusion or disorientation) in an otherwise normal person that is due to reversible (temporary) impairment of brain tissues (as by head injuries or drugs or infection)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute PyelonephritisnounMWEpyelonephritis resulting from the spread of a bladder infectionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Renal FailurenounMWErenal failure associated with burns or other trauma or with acute infection or obstruction of the urinary tractverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute Schizophrenic EpisodenounMWEschizophrenia of abrupt onset and relatively short duration (a few weeks or months)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute TrianglenounMWEa triangle whose interior angles are all acuteverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acute-Angled TrianglenounMWEa triangle whose interior angles are all acuteverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acutenessnouna sensitivity that is keen and highly developedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acyclovirnounan oral antiviral drug (trade name Zovirax) used to treat genital herpesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acylnounany group or radical of the form RCO- where R is an organic groupverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acyl AnhydridesnounMWEorganic compounds that react with water to form an acidverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acyl GroupnounMWEany group or radical of the form RCO- where R is an organic groupverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acyl HalidenounMWEorganic compounds containing the group -COX where X is a halogen atomverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acylationnounthe process of introducing an acyl group into a compoundverifiedMay 18, 2026
Acylglycerolnounan ester of glycerol and fatty acids that occurs naturally as fats and fatty oilsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adnouna public promotion of some product or serviceverifiedMay 18, 2026
Ad AgencynounMWEan agency that designs advertisement to call public attention to its clientsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Ad BlitznounMWEan organized program of advertisementsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Ad CampaignnounMWEan organized program of advertisementsverifiedMay 18, 2026
Ad Hoc NetworknounMWEA wireless network that dynamically connects wireless client devices to each other without the use of an infrastructure device, such as an access point or a base station.NetworkMay 9, 2026
Ad Valorem TaxnounMWEa tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes and its cost of productionverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adactylianouncongenital absence of fingers and/or toesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adactylismnouncongenital absence of fingers and/or toesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adactylynouncongenital absence of fingers and/or toesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adagenouna condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many peopleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adamnounstreet names for methylenedioxymethamphetamineverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adam-And-EvenounNorth American orchid bearing a single leaf and yellowish-brown flowersverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adam's ApplenounMWEthe largest cartilage of the larynxverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adamancenounresoluteness by virtue of being unyielding and inflexibleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adams-Stokes SyndromenounMWErecurrent sudden attacks of unconsciousness caused by impaired conduction of the impulse that regulates the heartbeatverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adaptabilitynounthe ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstancesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adaptationnoun(physiology) the responsive adjustment of a sense organ (as the eye) to varying conditions (as of light)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Adapternoundevice that enables something to be used in a way different from that for which it was intended or makes different pieces of apparatus compatibleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adaptionnounthe process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Adaptive Dynamic ProgrammingnounMWEA means of learning a model and a reward function from observations that then uses value or policy iteration to obtain the utilities or an optimal policy; makes optimal use of the local constraints on utilities of states imposed through the neighborhood structure of the environment.SystemMay 18, 2026
Adaptive LearningnounMWEUpdating predictive models online during their operation to react to concept driftsProcessMay 18, 2026
Adaptive RadiationnounMWEthe development of many different forms from an originally homogeneous group of organisms as they fill different ecological nichesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adaptornoundevice that enables something to be used in a way different from that for which it was intended or makes different pieces of apparatus compatibleverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adarnounthe sixth month of the civil yearverifiedMay 18, 2026
Add-Innouna printed circuit that can be inserted into expansion slots in a computer to increase the computer's capabilitiesverifiedMay 18, 2026
Add-Onnouna component that is added to something to improve itverifiedMay 18, 2026
Add-on SecuritynounMWEIncorporation of new hardware, software, or firmware safeguards in an operational information system.ControlMay 9, 2026
Addaxnounlarge antelope with lightly spiraled horns of desert regions of northern AfricaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Addendnouna number that is added to another number (the augend)verifiedMay 18, 2026
Addendumnountextual matter that is added onto a publicationverifiedMay 18, 2026
Addernounsmall terrestrial viper common in northern EurasiaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adder's FernnounMWEmat-forming lithophytic or terrestrial fern with creeping rootstocks and large pinnatifid fronds found throughout North America and Europe and Africa and east AsiaverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adder's TonguenounMWEferns with fertile spikes shaped like a snake's tongueverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adder's Tongue FernnounMWEferns with fertile spikes shaped like a snake's tongueverifiedMay 18, 2026
AddictionnounverifiedMay 15, 2026
Adding MachinenounMWEa calculator that performs simple arithmetic functionsverifiedMay 18, 2026
additionnounMaterials added to an existing collection; an accretion; an accrual.ArtifactMay 9, 2026
Addition ReactionnounMWEa chemical reaction in which one molecule is added to anotherverifiedMay 18, 2026
Additive InversenounMWE(mathematics) one of a pair of numbers whose sum is zeroverifiedMay 18, 2026
Addle-Headnouna person with confused ideasverifiedMay 18, 2026
Address Resolution ProtocolnounMWEAddress Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a protocol for mapping an Internet Protocol address to a physical machine address that is recognized in the local network. A table, usually called the ARP cache, is used to maintain a correlation between each MAC address and its corresponding IP address. ARP provides the protocol rules for making this correlation and providing address conversion in both directions.NetworkMay 12, 2026
Address Verification Service (AVS)nounMWEBankcard company service that verifies the customer-provided billing address matches the billing address on their credit card account. The bankcard companies will not support merchants that opt for not using AVS if those transactions are disputed and will charge the merchant an additional 1.25% on those sales.CapabilityRegulatedPCIMay 9, 2026
Addresseenounone to whom something is addressedverifiedMay 18, 2026
Addressing MachinenounMWEa printer that automatically prints addresses on letters for mailingverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adducernouna discussant who offers an example or a reason or a proofverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adducingnounciting as evidence or proofverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adductionnoun(physiology) moving of a body part toward the central axis of the bodyverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adductornouna muscle that draws a body part toward the median lineverifiedMay 18, 2026
Adductor MusclenounMWEa muscle that draws a body part toward the median lineverifiedMay 18, 2026