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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)

assamese
adjectivenounLow Frequency
/ˌæs.əˈmiːz/The official language of Assam, a state in northeastern India.
assassin
nounB2
/əˈsæs.ɪn/A person who murders someone important, especially a political or religious leader, often for payment or ideological reasons.
assassin bug
nounLow
/əˈsæs.ɪn ˌbʌɡ/A type of predatory insect (family Reduviidae) that stabs and injects venom into its prey, often other insects.
assassin fly
nounLow
/əˌsæs.ɪn ˈflaɪ/A predatory fly of the family Asilidae that hunts and kills other insects in flight.
assassinate
verbverb-transitiveC1
/əˈsasɪneɪt/To murder (especially a prominent person) by sudden or secret attack, often for political or religious reasons.
assassination
nounC1/C2
/əˌsæs.ɪˈneɪ.ʃən/The murder of a prominent or important person, typically a political or public figure, in a planned, secretive, and treacherous manner.
assateague island
nounC2
/ˈæs.ə.tiːɡ ˈaɪ.lənd/A 37-mile-long (60 km) barrier island located off the eastern coast of the Delmarva Peninsula facing the Atlantic Ocean, divided between the U.S. states of Maryland and Virginia.
assault
nounverbverb-transitiveB2
/əˈsɔːlt/A violent physical or verbal attack.
assault and battery
nounMedium
/əˌsɔːlt ən ˈbætəri/A criminal offense involving both the threat of immediate harm (assault) and the actual physical contact or harm (battery).
assault boat
nounLow / Very Low
/əˈsɔːlt bəʊt/A small, lightweight, flat-bottomed boat, often inflatable or made of rigid materials, designed for quickly transporting troops, especially infantry, across bodies of water during military operations.
assault course
nounC1
/əˈsɔːlt kɔːs/A challenging outdoor training circuit with various obstacles, designed to test physical fitness, agility and endurance, typically used by the military or in adventure sports training.
assault jacket
nounC1
/əˈsɔːlt ˈdʒækɪt/A durable, practical jacket originally designed for military use, typically featuring multiple pockets, a belt, and a rugged construction.
assault rifle
nounC1-C2
/əˈsɔːlt ˌraɪf(ə)l/A lightweight, selective-fire (capable of semi-automatic or fully automatic fire) rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine.
assault weapon
nounC2
/əˈsɔːlt ˌwiːpən/A military-style semi-automatic firearm designed for rapid fire and combat use.
assay
nounverbverb-intransitive+1C2
/əˈseɪ/to test or analyze the composition or quality of something, especially a metal or ore
assay cup
nounC2
/əˈseɪ kʌp/A small, shallow container, typically made of bone ash (cupel) or ceramic, used in metallurgy to test the purity or composition of precious metals like gold and silver by cupellation.
assay groove
nounVery Low
/əˈseɪ ɡruːv/A small, narrow channel or indentation cut into a metal surface, typically on a precious metal item like a coin or bullion bar, from which a sample is taken to test the purity of the metal.
assay office
nounC2
/ˈæseɪ ˌɒfɪs/A government-authorized establishment responsible for testing, verifying, and hallmarking the purity of precious metals (especially gold and silver).
assay ton
nounC2
/əˈseɪ tʌn/A unit of weight (29.1667 grams, or 450 grains) used in assaying precious metals like gold and silver, representing the proportion of a ton of ore.
assegai
nounverb-transitiveC2
/ˈæsɪˌɡaɪ/A slender wooden spear or javelin with an iron tip, traditionally used by indigenous peoples of Southern Africa.

Showing 7381–7400 of 8734 words.