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American Civil War, the
am·bit /'æmbɪt/ n [C usually sing.] fml range or limit of power or
influence
am·bi·tion /æm'bɪʃən/ n 1 [U] strong desire, especially over
a long period, for success, power, wealth etc: She's clever but
she lacks ambition. | political ambition | his single-minded
ambition 2 [C] something that is desired in this way: A big
house in the country is my ambition. | One of her ambitions is
to become a doctor. | He has at last achieved his lifetime
ambition of launching a newspaper.
am·bi·tious /æm'bɪʃəs/ adj 1 having a strong desire for
success, power, wealth etc: an ambitious woman/
politician 2 showing or resulting from a desire to do some-
thing difficult or something that demands great effort, great
skill etc: His next production was a very ambitious musical. |
We cooked nothing more ambitious than boiled eggs. —ly adv
—ness n [U]
am·biv·a·lent /æm'bɪvələnt/ adj [(towards, about)] having
opposing feelings towards, or opinions about, a person or
thing: an ambivalent attitude towards private enterprise →
compare AMBIGUOUS —ly adv —lence n [U]
am·ble /'æmbəl/ v. [(about, around)] 1 to walk at an easy
unhurried rate 2 (of a horse) to move at an easy unhurried
rate by lifting the two legs on one side and then the two on
the other → compare CANTER, GALLOP, TROT —amble n [S]
Am·bridge /'æmbrɪdʒ/ an imaginary village in the English
countryside where the characters of The Archers, a British
radio programme, live and work
am·bro·sia /æm'brəʊziəl-ʒə/ n {U} lit something with a
delightful taste or smell (from CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY where
ambrosia was the food of the gods)
am·bu·lance /'æmbjʊləns/ n a motor vehicle for carrying
sick or wounded people, especially to a hospital: They were
taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital.
'ambulance chaser n AmE infml derog a lawyer who tells
people who have been in accidents that he or she will
represent them if they want to SUE (=try to obtain money in
court) the person who caused the accident
am·bu·lance·man /'æmbjʊləns,mæn/ n pl. -men /men/ BrE
a man whose job is to drive an ambulance or to look after
sick or wounded people during their journey to hospital in
an ambulance
am·bu·lance·wom·an /'æmbjʊləns,wʊmən/ n pl. -women
/,wɪmɪn/ BrE a woman whose job is to drive an ambulance or
to look after sick or wounded people during their journey to
hospital in an ambulance
am·bush¹ /'æmbʊʃ/ v [T] to attack from a place where one
has hidden and waited
ambush² n 1 [C] a surprise attack from a place of hid-
ing 2 [C;U] the place where the attackers hide: waiting in
ambush
a·me·ba /ə'mi:bə/ n AmE for AMOEBA —bic adj
Am·ec /'æmek/ a British engineering company that operates
in many different countries. In 2003 it was given a contract to
improve railway tracks in parts of East and West England. In
2004 the US Defense Department gave it a contract to rebuild
POWER PLANTS in Iraq which had been destroyed during the
war.
a·me·li·o·rate /ə'mi:liəreɪt/ v [I;T] fml or pomp to make or
become better or less bad; improve: Hiring an extra teacher
will ameliorate the situation, but we still need more books and
desks. —ration /ə,mi:liə'reɪʃən/ n [U]
a·men /ɑ:'men, eɪ-/ interj (used at the end of a prayer or HYMN)
may this be true
a·me·na·ble /ə'mi:nəbəl/ adj 1 [(to)] ready to be guided or
influenced (by): I'm sure she'll be amenable to any sensible
suggestions. | He's very amenable. 2 [F+to] fml able to be
tested by: My scientific discoveries are amenable to the usual
tests.
a·mend /ə'mend/ v 1 [T] to make changes in the words of (a
rule or law): to amend the constitution → compare
EMEND 2 [I;T] fml to make or become better by getting rid of
faults; improve; RECTIFY
a·mend·ment /ə'mendmənt/ n [C(to);U] 1 (the act of mak-
ing) a change to improve a rule, law, statement etc: Your
plan needs some amendment. | So many amendments were
made to the law that its original meaning was completely
changed. | The opposition parties moved (=suggested) an
amendment to the bill. | to debate/pass an amend-
ment 2 (often cap.) one of the list of rights included in the US
Constitution → see also FIRST AMENDMENT
a·mends /ə'mendz/ n make amends (for) to pay for or show
one is sorry for some harm, unkindness, damage etc; make
REPARATION: I'm sorry I forgot about your birthday. How can I
make amends?
a·me·ni·ty /ə'mi:nɪtilə'me-/ n [often pl.] something in a
town, hotel, or other place, that helps to make life pleasant
and provide enjoyment: Parks and swimming pools are just
some of the town's local amenities.
Am·er·a·sian /,æmərəɪʒən -ʃən/ n a person who has an
American parent and an Asian parent. Many Amerasians
were born in Vietnam and Korea when Americans were
fighting in wars there.
A·mer·i·ca /ə'merɪkə/ a name commonly used for the US
CULTURAL NOTE Although most English speakers
understand that the US is often called America, many
people from other countries in North and South America
think it is unfair and wrong to use this word to mean only
the US.
A·mer·i·can¹ /ə'merɪkən/ adj 1 coming from or connected
with the US: the American writer William Burroughs → see
Cultural Note at AMERICA 2 coming from or connected with
the AMERICAS: a type of fish that is only found in American
rivers 3 as American as apple pie very typically American
CULTURAL NOTE The population of the US is made up of
people of many different races, whose families were
originally from many different parts of the world. Many
Americans say that they are Irish or Chinese, for example,
if their parents or grandparents came from Ireland or
China, even if they have never visited that country and
cannot speak its language. In writing, people are more
likely to say that they are Irish-American or
Chinese-American. If someone is asked about their
background, they might describe themselves as Irish,
Chinese etc if they are in the US. However, if they are in
another country and someone asks about their
background, they would describe themselves as
American. The people who lived in America before
Europeans arrived there are called 'Native Americans'.
American² n someone from the US
A·mer·i·ca·na /ə,merɪ'kɑ:nə/ n [U] objects, styles, stories
etc that are considered to be typical of the US and of its
history or CULTURE: The movie is a slice of Americana, with
its scenes of motels, gas stations, waffle houses, and old Ford
pick-ups.
American A,cademy of Dra,matic 'Arts, the a
school in New York City for training actors, where many
famous actors have studied
A,merican Asso,ciation of Re,tired 'Persons, the
abbrev. AARP an organization in the US for people who are
50 or older, especially people who have stopped working. It
has an important influence on the US government when
laws are being made that affect older people, and it also
gives information and help to its members.
A,merican 'Bandstand a television programme in the US
that was especially popular in the 1950s and 1960s, which
showed popular music bands and singers perform while
people danced to the music. Dick CLARK introduced the
bands and singers.
A,merican 'Bar Asso,ciation, the a large national
organization for lawyers in the US
A,merican 'Cancer So,ciety, the abbrev. ACS an
organization in the US that provides money for scientists
who are studying the causes of cancer and trying to find
cures for it. It also gives information to help prevent people
getting cancer.
A,merican 'cheese n [U] AmE a yellowish-orange, mild
PROCESSED cheese, not strong in taste, often bought in thin
pieces wrapped in plastic
A,merican ,Civil 'Liberties ,Union, the → see ACLU
A,merican ,Civil 'War, the → see CIVIL WAR