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English Words Starting With A

8,734 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.

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Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Plural noun Combining form Verb (transitive)Verb (intransitive)Verb (ambitransitive)

alchemist, the
nounC1
/ˈalkəmɪst/A historical practitioner of alchemy, a medieval forerunner of chemistry concerned primarily with attempting to transmute base metals into gold and discover a universal elixir of life.
alchemize
verbverb-transitivelow
/ˈælkɪmaɪz/to transform or transmute something, especially in a seemingly magical or mysterious way, as if by alchemy.
alchemy
nounC1-C2
/ˈælkəmi/The medieval forerunner of chemistry, concerned with the transmutation of base metals (like lead) into gold and the search for a universal elixir of life.
alcheringa
nounVery Low
/ˌæltʃəˈrɪŋɡə/In Australian Aboriginal mythology, a distant, sacred time of creation at the beginning of the world when ancestral beings formed the landscape and established laws and ceremonies.
alchevsk
nounVery Low (Geographic proper noun, rarely used outside specific contexts)
/ˈæltʃɛfsk/A proper noun referring to a city in eastern Ukraine, specifically in the Luhansk Oblast.
alcibiades
nounLow
/ˌalsɪˈbʌɪədiːz/A proper noun referring to a prominent Athenian statesman, orator, and general (c. 450–404 BC) during the Peloponnesian War, famous for his brilliance, political ambition, and shifting allegiances.
alcid
adjectivenounVery Low
/ˈalsɪd/A bird of the family Alcidae, which includes auks, puffins, and murres.
alcides
nounC2
/ælˈsaɪdiːz/A legendary Greek hero, renowned for his immense strength and Twelve Labours.
alcimede
nounRare / Archaic
/ˌælsɪˈmiːdi/ or /ælˈsɪmɪdi/A minor character in Greek mythology, mother of Jason.
alcimedes
noununknown
alcimedon
nounExtremely Low
/ælˈsɪmɪdɒn/A proper name of a character in Greek mythology, specifically a warrior and charioteer in Homer's Iliad.
alcindor
nounVery low
/ælˈsɪndɔː/Proper noun referring to the family name of American basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, originally born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.
alcinous
nounC1/C2 (Very low frequency outside classical/literary/academic contexts)
/alˈsɪnəʊəs/A legendary king of the Phaeacians in Greek mythology, most famously appearing in Homer's Odyssey as the benevolent ruler who hosts Odysseus and facilitates his journey home.
alcithoe
nounVery Low
/ælˈsɪθ.əʊ.iː/A proper noun referring to a figure in Greek mythology, specifically one of the daughters of Minyas.
alcmaeon
nounC2+
/ælkˈmiːən/A figure in Greek mythology, son of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle, known for killing his mother to avenge his father and for his subsequent madness.
alcman
nounRare / Specialized
/ˈælkmən/A poetic term referring to a type of lyric poetry, specifically the work or style of the ancient Greek poet Alcman, or the metre he used.
alcmanic verse
nounVery low
/ælkˈmæn.ɪk vɜːs/A specific verse form from ancient Greek poetry, consisting of two dactylic tetrameters, traditionally attributed to the lyric poet Alcman.
alcmene
nounLow
/ælkˈmiːniː/In Greek mythology, the mortal mother of the hero Heracles (Hercules).
alcock
nounVery low
/ˈɔːlkɒk/An English surname of medieval origin, derived from the given name "Alcock", which itself is a diminutive of "Alan" or "Alexander".
alcohol
nounC1
/ˈælkəhɒl/A colourless, volatile liquid present in drinks such as beer, wine, and spirits, produced by fermentation, which causes intoxication when consumed.

Showing 2841–2860 of 8734 words.