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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)

aperture card
nounVery low (highly specialised, historical term)
/ˈæp.ə.tʃə kɑːd/A punched card with one or more rectangular openings into which frames of microfilm can be mounted, used for storing and retrieving technical drawings or documents.
aperture synthesis
nounC2
/ˈæp.ə.tʃə ˈsɪn.θə.sɪs/a technique in radio astronomy where signals from multiple radio telescopes are combined to create a single image with a resolution equivalent to that of a telescope as large as the maximum distance between the individual dishes.
aperture-priority
adjectivenounC1
/ˈæp.ə.tʃə praɪˈɒr.ə.ti/A semi-automatic camera exposure mode where the user sets the aperture (f-stop) and the camera automatically selects the appropriate shutter speed for correct exposure.
apery
nounC2 / Extremely Rare
/ˈeɪpəri/The act or practice of imitating or mimicking others.
apex
nounC1
/ˈeɪ.peks/The highest or culminating point of something.
apex club
nounLow (technical/professional jargon)
/ˈeɪ.peks klʌb/A prestigious or exclusive membership group within an organization, often signifying the highest tier or most elite level.
apex predator
nounC1-C2
/ˌeɪ.peks ˈpred.ə.tər/A predator at the very top of a food chain, with no natural predators of its own.
apgar
nounLow
/ˈæp.ɡɑː/A standardized assessment of a newborn infant's health immediately after birth, scored on five criteria (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration) to quickly identify babies needing emergency medical care.
apgar score
nounLow in general discourse; Medium-High in medical/healthcare contexts.
/ˈæp.ɡɑː skɔː/A quick medical test given to newborns at one and five minutes after birth to assess their physical health, based on five criteria: appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration.
aphaeresis
nounC2
/əˈfɪərɪsɪs/The omission of a sound or syllable at the beginning of a word, as in the development of 'round' from 'around'.
aphagia
nounVery Low Frequency
/eɪˈfeɪdʒə/The inability or refusal to swallow.
aphakia
nounVery low frequency / Specialised
/eɪˈfeɪ.kɪ.ə/A medical condition characterised by the absence of the eye's natural crystalline lens.
aphanite
nounVery Low
/ˈæfənaɪt/A fine-grained igneous rock whose individual mineral components are too small to be distinguished by the naked eye.
aphasia
nounC1-C2 (Low-frequency, specialised term)
/əˈfeɪzɪə/A medical condition involving the loss or impairment of the ability to understand or produce language due to brain damage.
aphasic
adjectivenounC2
/əˈfeɪzɪk/Relating to, affected by, or exhibiting aphasia; specifically, experiencing an impairment in the ability to understand or produce language due to brain damage.
aphelandra
nounRare
/ˌæfɪˈlændrə/A genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, known for their large, showy leaves and bright bracts.
aphelion
nounLow
/əˈfiːlɪən/The point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is farthest from the Sun.
apheliotropism
nounVery Rare
/əˌfiːlɪˈɒtrəpɪzəm/The tendency of a plant or plant part to grow or orient away from sunlight.
aphemia
nounVery Low (Medical/Specialist Term)
/əˈfiːmɪə/Loss of the ability to speak or articulate words properly, despite intact comprehension and ability to form ideas, resulting from a brain lesion.
apheresis
nounC2
/ˌæf.əˈriː.sɪs/The removal of blood from a donor or patient, the separation and retention of certain components (e.g., plasma, platelets, white blood cells), and the return of the remaining components to the individual.

Showing 5801–5820 of 8734 words.