A-Word Definitions
| aba. | tightly-woven camel-hair fabric or tunic, worn by Arabs ("Arabs hafta' have an aba.") |
| abaca. | manila hemp plant (Hemp abaca) |
| abapical. | away from the apex |
| abasia. | loss of coordination |
| Abbevillian. | Earliest Paleolithic |
| abducens. | nerve controlling the eye |
| abele. | the white poplar |
| abelmosk. | hairy Asiatic plant used in perfumery |
| Abies. | pine |
| abigail. | A lady’s waiting-maid |
| ablative absolute. | syntactically independent adverbial phrase containing two main ablative elements |
| ablaut. | ring, rang, rung |
| Abnaki. | Maine Indians |
| abomasum. | 4th stomach of ruminant |
| aboral. | end away from mouth |
| ab ovo. | ab initio |
| abrachia. | no arms |
| abranchiate. | no gills |
| abrosia. | no food. wasting away (marescent) |
| abscissic acid | inhibits plant growth |
| abulia. | loss of will |
| abutilon. | flowering maple |
| abuttals. | property boundaries |
| acajou. | mahogany ("The carcajou chased the kinkajou up the acajou.") |
| acanthocephalan | . mean worm |
| acanthoid. | thorny |
| acanthus. | Corinthian |
| acapnia. | no CO2 |
| acarid. | mites and ticks |
| acarology. | study of same |
| acarus. | mite |
| acatalectic. | complete |
| accaulescent. | stemless |
| acciacatura. | dissonant note |
| accommodation paper. | co-signature |
| accouchement. | parturition |
| accumbent. | resting against another part |
| acedia. | ennui |
| acequia. | irrigation canal (barranca, nullah) |
| acetabulum. | hip socket |
| achalasia. | inability of a sphincter to relax |
| Achates. | Aeneas’ loyal friend |
| achene. | thin, dry-walled fruit (dandelion, buttercup) |
| acervate. | Heaped or growing in heaps |
| achlamydeous. | no calyx or corolla |
| achilia. | no bile |
| achondroplasia. | improper cartilage at joints |
| acicula. | needle-like bristle or spine |
| acidemia. | pH below normal |
| acinus. | raspberry seed-sac |
| acrasia. | loss of self-control - a, not + krasia, strength. |
| acriflavine. | antiseptic |
| acrocarpous. | spore-bearer on top (mosses) |
| acromion. | outer extremity of scapula |
| acrospire. | first sprout |
| actin. | muscle protein, with myosin |
| actinal. | sea anemone body - Lat.: actus, motion from agere, to impel. |
| actinea. | sea anemone - Gr.: aktis, ray. |
| actinolite. | Greenish amphibole. |
| actinomere. | part of radially-symmetric animal’s body |
| actinometer. | radiometer – e.g., pyrheliometer |
| actinomorphic. | radially symmetric |
| actinomycete. | filamentous micro-organism like both bacteria and fungi |
| actinomycosis. | resulting disease |
| actinozoan. | anthozoan (coral and sea anemone) |
| actomyosin. | muscle fiber |
| acuate. | pointed at one end - Lat.: acuatus, needle. |
| aculeate. | having a sting or prickles - |
| adamant. | legendary impenetrable stone |
| adamantine. | hardness or luster of diamond |
| Adam’s needle. | Spanish bayonet (plant) |
| adaptive radiation. | evolution |
| adaxial. | toward axis |
| adder’s mouth. | orchid |
| adder’s tongue. | fern |
| Addison’s disease. | adrenal cortex |
| Adelie penguin. | Antarctica |
| -adelphous. | having one or more groups of stamens |
| ademption. - | Testator’s disposal of his willed property in a way that invalidates the bequest. |
| ad hominem. | appealing to emotions |
| adit. | mine entrance |
| adjuration. | plea |
| adnexa. | accessory anatomical parts, such as ovaries |
| adnoun. | adjective used as a noun: "The bold and the brave." |
| Adonai. | Yahweh |
| adscititious. | not essential. Derived from something outside. |
| adularia. | an orthoclase |
| adumbrate. | to foreshadow, predict |
| advect. | to flow along a gradient |
| adventitia. | outer covering of an organ |
| adventitious. | acquired by accident |
| adversative. | expressing antithesis or opposition |
| advert. | call attention to |
| adzuki bean. | Oriental food plant |
| aeciospore. | rust spore in a chainlike series in an aecium |
| aecium. | cup-like structure |
| aedile. | magistrate in charge of public works, police, granaries |
| Aegean. | bronze-age Greece |
| Aegeus. | Theseus’ father |
| Aegir. | Norse god of the sea |
| aepyornis. | flightless birds of Madagascar |
| aequorin. | jellyfish: chemoluminescense |
| aerophagia. | swallowing air.. hyperventilation |
| aerophore. | air generator |
| Aesclepius. | Asclepius |
| affenpinscher. | dark, wiry, shaggy doggie, tufted muzzle |
| afflatus. | inspiration (breath) |
| affray. | noisy brawl |
| affricate. | tch in "clutch", j in "judge" |
| affusion. | A pouring on of liquid, as in baptism |
| a fortiori. | "all the more" |
| afterclap. | unpleasant sequel to a "closed" matter |
| afterdamp. | asphyxiating gases after a mine explosion |
| agalactia. | loss of mother’s milk |
| agama. | lizard |
| agamete. | asexual reproductive cell that grows up |
| Agememnon. | King of Mycenae, husband of Clytemnestra, father of Electra |
| agapanthus. | African lily |
| agaric. | mushroom family |
| agate. | banded |
| agave. | century plant |
| agenesis. | failure of an organ to develop |
| ageretum. | common flower |
| aggiornamento. | updating |
| Aglaia. | one of the three Graces |
| aglet. | shoelace tip |
| agminate. | clustered |
| agnail. | sore spot around a nail |
| agnate. | related on father’s side |
| agnomen. | honorary title |
| agnosia - | Loss of sensory comprehension |
| Agnus Dei. | "Lamb of God" |
| agonic. | having no angle |
| agonic line. | line of constant magnetic declination |
| agonist. | muscle (vs. antagonist) |
| agonistic. | 1. Striving to out-argue 2. Straining to achieve effect 3. pertaining to contests |
| agouti . | burrowing S.A. rodent |
| agraffe. | hook-and-loop arrangement for armor and clothing/cramp iron for holding stones together |
| agranulocytis . | low granulocyte count |
| Agrapha. | un-Biblical words of Jesus |
| agrestal. | 1. growing wild in cultivated areas |
| agrestic. | rustic; crude |
| agria. | skin eruption |
| agrimony. | plant: hemp agrimony |
| agriology. | study of peoples at early cultural stages |
| agrobiology. | plant and animal nutrition related to soil variation and crop yield |
| agrology. | soils vs. crops |
| agronomy. | scientific agriculture |
| agrostology. | grasses |
| agrypnia. | insomnia |
| agueweed. | boneset |
| ahimsa. | Buddhist & Hindu non-violence. Sacredness of all living creatures. |
| aide-memoire. | mnemonic |
| aigrette. | tuft of egret feathers |
| aiguille. | needle drill/mountain peak |
| aiguillette. | military braid (fourragere) |
| allanthus. | tree |
| ailurophile. | cat-lover |
| alforja. | saddlebag (alparejo) |
| aloli. | spicy mayonnaise |
| air layering. | plant twig is wrapped in sphagnum moss and polyethylene so that it will sprout roots |
| airl. | cardinal point on a compass |
| aitchbone. | rump bone in cattle |
| akaryocyte. | cell without a nucleus |
| akee. | African food tree |
| ala/alae. | wing-like structure such as earlobe |
| alameda. | shaded walkway |
| alar. | wing-shaped/armpit |
| alary. | wing-shaped |
| alaska. | overshoe/fabric/yarn |
| Alastor. | personification of Nemesis |
| alate. | winged |
| alb. | long white robe worn at mass over surplice |
| albite. | white feldspar |
| alburnum. | sapwood |
| Alcaic. | verse form consisting of strophes with four tetrametric lines |
| alcalde. | mayor or judge or fortress commander |
| alcazar. | fortress or palace |
| Alcestis. | agreed to die in her husband’s place; was rescued from Hades by Hercules |
| aleatory. | depending on chance |
| alfresco. | outdoors |
| algarroba. | mesquite, carob |
| algid. | cold |
| algolagnia. | sexual pleasure from inflicting pain |
| algophobia. | fear of pain |
| alible. | nourishing |
| alidade. | surveying instrument |
| alienable. | transferrable ownership |
| alienist. | court psychiatrist |
| aliform. | wing-shaped |
| aliment. | food |
| aliquot. | factorable |
| aliyah. | immigration of Jews to Israel |
| alkahest. | the universal solvent |
| alkalosis. | pathologically high alkaline blood levels |
| alkanet. | henna family |
| alla brave. | in duple or quadruple meter (music) |
| allamande. | woody vines |
| allemand. | lively late-18th century dance |
| allantoid. | sausage-shaped |
| allantois. | embryonic sac |
| Allegheny vine. | the climbing fumitory |
| allegretto. | adagio, andante, allegretto, allegro, presto |
| allele. | any of the possible mutational forms of a gene |
| alliaceous. | onions, garlic, leeks, chives and shallot |
| allium. | same |
| allo-.: | different, other, isomeric |
| allocution. | authoritative speech that advises or informs |
| allogamy. | cross-fertilization |
| allograft. | a homograft |
| allograph. | shape of a character/ letter combination for one phoneme/ one signing another’s signature |
| allomerism. | same crystalline form, chemically different |
| allometry. | study of changes in proportion during growth |
| allomorph. | s of cats, z of dogs, and iz of horses are allomorphs of "s" |
| allonym. | "Adam Smith" - assumed name of historical figure |
| allopathy. | A therapy whose remedies produce effects differing from those of the disease being treated. |
| allopatric. | occurring in widely separated geographical areas |
| allophane. | translucent, colored aluminum silicate |
| allophone. | any of the variant forms of a phoneme |
| almandine. | deep violet-red garnet |
| aloin. | laxative |
| alpestrine. | growing at high altitudes |
| althea. | Rose of Sharon |
| altiplano. | high plateau in Andes |
| alto relievo. | high relief |
| altricial. | helpless and naked when hatched |
| alula. | feathers attached to bird’s "thumb" |
| alunite. | alum and fertilizer |
| alveolar. | lung alveoli/upper jaw/"t", "d", "s", pronounced with the tongue touching the alveolus |
| alveolate. | deeply pitted, honeycombed |
| alveolus. | honeycomb cell/tooth socket/air sac |
| amah. | Oriental maidservant, wet nurse |
| amanita. | poisonous mushrooms |
| amaranth. | reddish-purple flower that never fades |
| amaranthine. | beautiful, flowery |
| amative. | amorous |
| amatol. | ammonium nitrate and TNT |
| amaurosis. | blindness |
| ambages. | roundabout ways, winding passageway |
| ambagiousness. | circumlocuitousness |
| amblygonite. | lithium ore |
| amblyopia. | dim vision without apparent cause |
| ambo. | one of two pulpits from which early Christian services were sung or read |
| amboyna. | reddish-brown, curly-grained Moluccan wood |
| ambrotype. | early glass photograph |
| ambry. | cupboard, storage near alter for church vessels |
| ambsace. | snake eyes/bad luck/most worthless thing possible |
| amenorrhea. | suppression of menstruation |
| ament. | mentally deficient/ament |
| amentaceous. | having aments or catkins |
| amentiferous. | same thing |
| Amesian. | American sign language |
| ametropia. | eye abnormality |
| Amharic. | Ethiopian language |
| amice. | liturgical neckpiece |
| amitosis. | simple nuclear cleavage without chromosomes |
| amoebocyte. | cell, like leukocyte, having amoeboid form |
| amour propre. | self-respect |
| ampelopsis. | woody vine (grapevine?) |
| amphiarthritis. | relatively immobile, bony joint connected by ligaments |
| amphibole. | hydrated double-silicate minerals |
| amphibolous. | ambiguity |
| amphibrach. | trisyllabic metrical foot with middle accent, flanked by 2 unstressed syllables: "remember" |
| amphictyony. | group of states sharing common shrine (Delphi) |
| amphimacer. | short-long-short: "prodomo" |
| amphimixia. | true sexual reproduction |
| Amphion. | Zeus’ son, who built Thebes’ wall by charming the stones into place with his lyre |
| amphioxus. | lancelet marine organisms |
| amphipod. | beach fleas |
| amphiprostyle. | Columns along ends but not sides - Gr.: amphi (on both sides) + pro (front) + stylus (pillar). |
| amphistylar. | front and back or on each side |
| amphisbaena. | serpent with head on both ends - Gr.: amphi, (on both sides) + bainen, (to go). |
| amphithecium. | moss Outer layer of the cells of a the spore-bearing capsule of a moss. - Gr.: amphi, (on both sides) + theke, (case). |
| Amphitrite. | Poseidon’s wife, nereid |
| amphitropous. | point of attachment in the middle |
| Amphitryon. | Alcmene’s husband |
| amphoteric. | can be base or acid |
| amplexicaul. | base encircles the stem |
| ampulla. | round wine bottle for wine, oil, or perfume. Used for consecrated wine. Dilation in ear canal |
| amrita. | ambrosia that bestows immortality |
| amygdala. | almond-shaped, in temporal lobe |
| amygdula. | gas bubble in lava |
| amylaceous. | starchy |
| amyloid. | starchy; hard substance resulting from tissue degeneration |
| amylum. | starch |
| amyotonia. | no muscle tone |
| ana. | collection of personal artifacts |
| ana. | "both in the same quantity" |
| ana-. | Upward, backward. |
| anabaena. | bad-tasting bacteria in drinking water. (Yc-c-c-ch!) |
| anabas. | fish (anabasis) |
| anabatic. | rising wind currents ("an anabatic day.") |
| anabiosis. | revivefication (analeptic) |
| anaclisis. | psychological dependency on others |
| anacoluthon. | Abrupt change in grammatical form: "I warned him if he continues to drink, what will become of him?" |
| Anacreontic. | convivial or amatory. |
| anacrusis. | unstressed syllable(s) at the beginning of a verse line before the meter kicks in |
| anadem. | wreath or garland for the head (diadem) |
| anadiplosis. | rhetorical repetition of one phrase at the beginning of another phrase. ("For want of a nail…") |
| anadromous. | swimming upstream |
| anaglyph. | 3-D pictures; ornament carved in low relief |
| anagogic. | mystical |
| analcime. | light-colored light colored zeolite |
| analectics. | miscellaneous excerpts (as in "How to Win Friends and Influence people.") |
| analemma. | The figure-8 on a map showing the sun’s seasonal course. |
| analeptic. | restorative (cataleptic). |
| anamnesia. | remembering |
| anamorphic. | different magnifications along different axes |
| anandrous. | no stamens |
| anapest. | two short syllables followed by one long one |
| anaphase. | stage of meiosis when daughter chromosomes move toward nuclear spindle |
| anaphora. | repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses |
| anaplasia. | reversion of cells to a less differentiated form |
| anaplastic. | surgical restoration of an absent part |
| anarthria. | loss of ability to speak (aphonia) |
| anarthrous. | unjointed |
| anasarca. | accumulation of serum in various body cavities |
| anastomosis. | union of branches |
| anatase. | rare blue to brown titanium dioxide |
| anatropous. | inverted, so that the micropile is next to the hilum |
| Anchises. | father of Aeneus, rescued by his son from Troy |
| ancipital. | two-edged |
| ancon. | projecting cornice bracket |
| andalucite. | aluminum silicate found in prisms |
| andantino. | slightly faster than andante |
| andradite. | green-to-black garnet |
| androecium. | stamens of a flower considered collectively |
| anele. | to anoint: extreme unction |
| anemophilous. | wind-pollinated |
| anestrus. | sexual dormancy between estrus |
| angary. | right of a belligerent state to seize surrounding property if full compensation is made |
| angelica. | white flower. Used in medicine |
| Angevin. | Anjou: Plantagenet kings |
| angle-pod. | plant |
| Anglian. | an Angle |
| angostura bark . | tonic (Angostura Bitters) |
| anguilliform. | eel-shaped |
| anguine. | snake-like |
| anhinga. | water turkey |
| ani. | S.A. bird |
| anil. | indigo or blue dye |
| anile. | like and old woman |
| anilingus. | oral stimulation of the anus |
| animadversion. | hostility, strong criticism |
| animato. | in animated or lively manner |
| anise. | Aniseed |
| aniseikonia. | image, shape, and size differ in each eye |
| anisette. | anise-flavored liquor |
| anisogamy. | union between markedly different gametes |
| anisomerous. | floral whorls that have unequal numbers of parts |
| anisotropia | difference in refractive power of the eyes |
| anlace. | .two-edged Medieval dagger |
| anlage. | primordium |
| anna. | coppery Indian/Pakistani coin |
| annatto. | S.A. tree, red dye |
| Annie Oakley. | free ticket ("Tommie got us Annie Oakleys to the Big Spring Jam.") |
| annulate. | rings or ring-like structure |
| annus mirabilis. | year of wonders or disasters |
| anoa. | small buffalo (tamereu) |
| anole. | throat flap chameleon |
| anomie. | social collapse; personal disorganization |
| anonym. | anonymous |
| anorthite. | rare igneous plagioclase |
| anorthosite. | plutonic plagioclase |
| ansate. | having a handle. |
| ansorine. | geese |
| anta. | thickening of projecting end of lateral wall of Greek temple |
| antechoir. | place in front of choir reserved for clergy and choir members (iconostasis) |
| antefix. | tiled roof ornaments concealing the eaves joints |
| antependium. | pulpit/altar cloth |
| antepenult. | next to next-to-last |
| anthelion. | luminous white halo-like area opposite the sun on the parhelic circle |
| anthelmintic. | acting to destroy intestinal worms |
| antheridium. | produces male cells in mosses, ferns, algae and fungi |
| anthesis. | the time of full bloom of a flower |
| anthodium. | flower-head of goldenrod, aster, thistle |
| anthophore. | stalk-like part supporting stamen and pistels |
| anthotaxy. | arrangement of flower parts |
| anthozoans. | coral and sea anemones |
| anthropometry | . human body measurements |
| anthropophagus. | cannibal; man-eater |
| anthurium. | showy tropical flowers |
| anticlinal. | sloping downward in both directions |
| anticline. | fold with strata sloping downward on both sides |
| antimere. | part or division corresponding to an opposite or similar part in a bilateral or radial animal |
| antinomian. | Christian sect holding that faith alone is necessary for salvation |
| antinomy. | opposition between principles |
| antiphlogistic. | antipyretic |
| antiphon. | choral response; responsive chant before a psalm or a canticle |
| antiphonary. | bound collection of responsive readings |
| antirhinium. | snapdragon |
| antistrophe. | chorus moves in opposite direction to strophe |
| antonomasia. | "Don Juan", "Peter Pan" |
| antre. | cave |
| antrorse. | "onward and upward" |
| antrum. | sinus cavity |
| anuran. | batrachian |
| anurous. | acaudate |
| aorist. | past action without indicating completion ("I was going to the store.") |
| aoudad. | wild sheep of North Africa |
| aparejo. | packsaddle made of a stuffed leather pad |
| arapaima. | S.A. fish that can get 15’ long (Wow! Let’s go fishing! You go first.) |
| apatetic. | camouflage colors |
| apatite. | calcium fluoride phosphate (fertilizer) |
| aperient. | mild laxative |
| aphaeresis. | most for almost (see diaeresis) |
| aphagia. | can’t swallow |
| aphanite. | can’t see particles with naked eye |
| aphasia. | speechlessness |
| aphesis. | squire for esquire |
| aphonia. | can’t talk |
| Apis. . | sacred bull |
| aplastic. | unable to regenerate tissue |
| aplite. | orthoclase & quartz |
| apocarp. | fruitless |
| apocope. | goin’ |
| apodal. | limbless |
| apodictic. | necessarily true |
| apolaustic. | devoted to enjoyment |
| aposiopesis. | sentence left unfinished |
| apodosis. | The clause stating the consequences of a conditional statement. (THEN) |
| apogamy. | reproduces by budding |
| apologue. | moral fable |
| apomixis. | rare reproduction from an unfertilized ovum (apomict) |
| aponeurosis. | sheet that connects muscle to tendon |
| apophyge. | curvature at top and bottom of a column |
| apophysis. | a swelling projection of an organ / a branch from a geological dike or vein |
| aposiopesis. | having second thoughts |
| apothecium. | Disk or cup-shaped fruiting body in fungi. |
| apotropaic. | intended to ward off evil |
| appel. | foot-stamp feint in fencing |
| apodictic. | incontestable |
| appanage. | appanage |
| natural attribute | |
| appetency. | craving |
| apres ski. | after-skiing fun and games |
| apsis. | syzygy |
| apraxia. | coordination compromised (stroke) |
| aqua fortis. | HNO3 |
| apterous. | wingless |
| aquarelle. | painted in transparent water colors |
| aquilegia. | columbine |
| aragonite. | form of calcite (orthorhombic) |
| aroid. | arum plants, whatever they are. (calla lily) |
| araroba. | medicinal tree (S.A.) |
| araucaria. | evergreen (Norfolk Pine) |
| arcboutant. | flying buttress |
| Archean. | oldest Pre-Cambrian |
| archigonium. | female sex organ of a moss |
| archenteron. | embryonic digestive tract |
| archespore. | spore-bearing cells |
| archimage. | Grand Wizard |
| archimandrite. | Chief High Mucky-Monk |
| architrave. | bottom of entablature just above the capitals; door molding |
| archivolt. | decorative molding around an arch |
| archon. | One of Athens nine principal magistrates |
| areca. | palm |
| arenaceous. | sandy |
| areole. | around a nipple |
| Areopagus. | Athens’ ruling council |
| Arethusa. | poor girl was turned into a fountain by Artemis; orchid |
| argil. | white clay |
| argillaceous. | pertaining to clay |
| argillite. | between shale and slate |
| Argive. | pertaining to Argos |
| argol. | potassium bitartrate from winemaking |
| argonaut. | 49er; paper nautilus |
| argufy. | wrangle stubbornly |
| Argus-eyed. | eternally watchful |
| arhat. | has attained enlightenment |
| Ariadne. | gave Theseus the thread |
| arietta. | short aria |
| aril. | seed covering |
| arioso. | "as in an aria" |
| arista. | bristle-like part or process |
| armet. | light helmet |
| aroid. | arums |
| arrant. | being completely such |
| arriere ban. | draft notice |
| arriere pensee. | ulterior motive |
| arris. | sharp ridge formed where two surfaces meet |
| arriviste. | social climber, upstart |
| arroba. | 25 lbs. |
| arrondissement. | departmental subdivision. Found in cities |
| arsis. | accented part of a foot of verse |
| Artemis. | The virgin (Greek) goddess of the hunt and the moon; Apollo's twin. |
| artemisia. | sagebrush, wormwood |
| arthralgia. | joint pain |
| arthromere. | arthropod body segment |
| arthroscopy. | joint examination instrument |
| arthrosis. | joint degeneration |
| artiodactyl. | two-toed. hippo, camel, cattle, deer |
| arum. | calla |
| aruspex. | reads the entrails |
| arytenoid. | two laryngeal cartilages or three muscles. Ladle-shaped |
| asarum. | wild ginger roots |
| ascariasis. | nematode invasion |
| ascarid. | nematodes ("I'm ascarid of nematodes.") |
| ascidians. | sac-like sea animals: sea squirt ("There squirts an ascidian.") |
| Asclepius. | Apollo’s son, god of medicine |
| ascocarp. | spore sacs of fungi |
| ascogonium. | female reproductive structure of fungi |
| ashlar. | squared stone corner block |
| ashram. | dwelling of a Hindu religious philosopher |
| Ashtoreth. | goddess of sexual love and fertility |
| Ashur. | Assyrian god of war and empire |
| aspertate. | roughen ("My asperity aspertated them.") |
| asperges. | short Catholic rite of sprinkling the altar, etc. with holy water |
| aspergillosis. | fungus infection |
| aspidistra. | house plant |
| assai. | palm ("I palmed off my tres very assai tree as a palm.") |
| assai. | (Mus.) very |
| assentation. | Ill-considered agreement with another’s position |
| Assiniboin. | Montana Indians |
| assize. | legislative session; weights, measures, and prices; judicial request, jurors’ verdict |
| assoil. | absolve or pardon; to atone for [as21] |
| assonance. | partial rhyme: vowels rhyme but consonants don’t: vain, brave |
| assumpsit. | contract, legal action to recover damages for breach of assumpsit |
| Astarte. | Phoenician Ashtoreth |
| astatine. | accumulates in thyroid (like iodine) |
| asterism. | pointing toward; star-like figure in crystals |
| asthenia. | weakness |
| asthenic. | weak |
| asthenopia. | eyestrain |
| asthenosphere. | under lithosphere - Gr.: a, (not)-thenic, (strong). |
| Astolat. | town in King Arthur’s tales, possibly in modern Surrey. |
| Astrachan. | A tart red or yellow apple from Astrakhan. |
| Astrakhan. | 1. Curly fur young Astrakhan lambs. 2. A cloth imitation. |
| Astraea. | goddess of justice - Gr.: astraios, (starry). |
| astragal. | 1. The astragalus (tarsus or anklebone). 2. A narrow convex molding, like beading (cavetto) |
| astragalus. | Talus - a tarsal bone that articulates with the tibia and fibula to form the anklebone - thought to be the fusion of the united tibial and the intermedium - astragolos. |
| astraphobia. | abnormal fear of thunder and lightning (Princess) |
| astrictive. | astringent |
| astrobleme. | asteroid strike - astron, (star) + blema, (to throw). |
| astrocycloma. | malignancy of the astroglia cells. |
| Astyanax. | Hector and Andromache’s son, killed by Greeks |
| asyndeton. | omission of conjunctions - a, (not) + sun, (together) + dein, (to bind). |
| ataman. | Cossack chief Pol.: hetman, (captain) |
| ataraxia. | peace and calm - a, (not) + taraktos, (disturbed). |
| atavism. | recessive gene - atta, (father) + avus, (grandfather) |
| ataxia. | loss of muscular coordination - "a-/taktos/tassein" (not arranged). |
| atheling. | Anglo-Saxon nobleman or prince Old Eng.: "aetheling" (prince). |
| athenium. | scientific academy or library - "Athens". |
| atheroma. | atherosclerosis - "athera-skleros" (hard gruel). |
| Atlas. | A column in the shape of a man. |
| Atlantes. | Plural of "Atlas". |
| Atlantean. | like Atlas/Atlantis |
| atman. | the universal soul from which all individual souls arise - breath, spirit:. |
| atmometer. | water evaporation meter - Gr.: atmos, vapor. |
| atomy. | skeleton or gaunt person - "anatomy" |
| atonic. | unaccented - "a-tonos" (stretching, tone). |
| atony. | lack of muscle tone |
| atrabilious. | melancholy - Lat.: "atra bilis" (black bile), Gr.: "melankolia" |
| Atreus. | father of Agamamnon and Menelaus |
| Atropis. | carded the thread? |
| attainder. | loss of all civil rights Old Fr.: "ataindre" (to convict). |
| Atticism. | Emily Dickenson – elegant and concise |
| attorn. | to acknowledge a new owner as landlord - Lat.: "torner" (to turn). |
| auctorial. | pertaining to an author Lat.: "auctor" (author). |
| audient. | listening |
| audile. | Oriented toward auditory learning "audient" |
| auding. | hearing and understanding language Lat.: "audire". |
| auditive. | auditory |
| au fait. | acknowledged expert "to the point". (compleat) |
| aubergine. | eggplant Pers.: "badingan" |
| au gratin. | covered with bread crumbs |
| auk. | Northern sea bird |
| auklet. | A small auk. |
| aulic. | pertaining to royal court "aulicus" court. |
| auricle. | ear, pinna; an atrium of the heart |
| auricula. | primrose |
| auricular. | Hearing. Ear-shaped. Pertaining to heart |
| auriculate. | having ears |
| auriform. | ear-shaped |
| Aurignacian. | Cro-Magnon era, between Mousterian and Solutrean |
| ausform. | deform, quench, and temper a metal (austenite-deform). |
| auspex. | entrail-reader |
| auspicate. | inaugurate with a good luck ceremony |
| austenite. | solid solution of carbon in iron for corrosion-resistance (Sir William Roberts-Austen). |
| Auster. | South Wind |
| autocoid. | Hormone secreted into blood, lymph, or sap "auto-cure". |
| autarchy. | total dictatorship -"autarkos" (self governing). |
| autarky. | national self-sufficiency - "autos" + "arkein" (to suffice). |
| autecology. | The ecology of a species in relation to the environment. |
| autochthon. | earliest inhabitants of region - "self" + "earth". |
| autoecious. | all stages of life cycle occur with host - "auto" + "oikos" (house). |
| auto-da-fe. | public pronouncement of Inquisition sentences - "act of the faith". |
| autodidact. | self-taught |
| autogenesis. | abiogenesis |
| autolysate. | end product of autolysis |
| autoplasty. | grafts using body’s own tissue |
| autosome. | chromosome that is not a sex chromosome |
| autostrada. | autobahn, " auto-street". |
| autotroph. | green plant - auto (self) troph (nourishing). |
| autunite. | fluorescent minor ore of uranium (after Autun, France). |
| auxesis. | cell size increase without fission - auxesis, to grow |
| auxin. | Growth-stimulating hormone, like colchicine, after auxesis "to grow". |
| avens. | evergreen: "avence". |
| aventurine. | crystal/glass flecked with other particles "aventure" (Fr. accidental discovery). |
| Avesta. | sacred Persian writings Pers.: "apastak" (text). |
| avidin. | bacteriostasis in eggs "avid + in" (because of its affinity for biotin). |
| avocet . | shore bird |
| avulsion. | 1. Eviction; forcible separation 2. Law: Transfer of title: e. g., when a stream shifts its streambed. ("Avult thee, witch!") |
| awlwort. | Aquatic, awl-shaped leaves. |
| axiology. | study of values and value judgements |
| axilla. | armpit or analogous part |
| axillar. | feather in the axilla of a bird’s wing |
| axenic. | free of parasites "xeno-": alien. |
| ayah. | native maid or nurse "avia": grandmother. |
| Aymara. | Bolivia and Peru ("The Three Suns of Aymara.") |
| Ayrshire. | dairy cattle (Ayrshire, Scotland). |
| Azazel. | rebel angel leader who seduced mankind |
| Azilian. | following Magdelenean and preceding neolithic |
| azotemia. | uremia "nitrogen in the urine". |
| azoth. | mercury |
| azotobacter. | nitrogen-fixing bacteria |
| azoturia. | increase in urinal nitrogen |
| Azrael. | receives the soul from the body |
| azygous. | occurring singly, unpaired. |
| arbiter eleganterium. | arbiter of good taste |
| artemisia. | sagebrush and wormwood "wormwood", after Artemis, to whom it was sacred. |
| au courante | up to date (courante: 17th century dance) |
| autodidact | self-taught |