awry
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without leave; absent from your army group without permission 2 go AWOL infml if someone or something goes AWOL, they have disappeared and you do not know where they are: The drummer went AWOL in the middle of the tour.
a·wry /əˈraɪ/ adj, adv [F] 1 not in the way that was planned or intended; wrong: a police operation that went badly awry 2 not in the correct position or shape; twisted; bent
axe BrE/ax AmE
axe/hatchet
chopper/cleaver
axe/
tomahawk
pickaxe BrE/pickax AmE
ice axe BrE/ice ax AmE
axe¹ also ax AmE /æks/ n pl. axes /ˈæksɪz/ 1 a tool with a heavy metal blade on the end of a long handle, used to cut down trees or split logs → see also HATCHET 2 get the axe infml a) to be dismissed from one's job b) (of a plan) to be ended because of lack of money or official support: Several of our plans got the axe when the new government came in. 3 have an axe to grind infml to have personal and often selfish reasons for one's actions or statements: The judge's criticisms of this policy must be taken seriously because he has no political axe to grind. (=he does not have political reasons for finding fault)
axe² also ax AmE — v [T] infml to put an end suddenly and usually without warning to (a job, plans etc): 750 jobs were axed as a result of government spending cuts.
ax·i·om /ˈæksiəm/ n a rule, principle etc that is generally accepted as true
ax·i·o·mat·ic /ˌæksiəˈmætk/ adj fml not needing to be proved; SELF-EVIDENT —~ally /kli/ adv
ax·is /ˈæksɪs/ n pl. axes /ˈæksiːz/ tech 1 the usually imaginary line around which a spinning body moves: The Earth rotates about an axis between the North Pole and the South Pole. → see picture at GLOBE 2 a line (for example across the middle of a circle) that divides a regular shape into two equal parts 3 a fixed line against which the positions of points are measured, especially the HORIZONTAL (=flat) and VERTICAL (=upright) lines around a GRAPH
Axis, the also 'Axis ,powers, the 'Axis ,countries n the countries, including Germany, Italy, and Japan, who fought together during World War II against the ALLIES.
,axis of 'evil n [S] a phrase used by US President George W. Bush in a speech in April 2002 to describe countries that he claimed supported TERRORISM (=use of violence to obtain political demands) and wanted to obtain chemical, BIOLOGICAL, or NUCLEAR weapons. The three countries mentioned by Bush in the speech were Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.
ax·le /ˈæksəl/ n a bar with a wheel on either end, around which the wheels turn or which turns with the wheels, as on a car → see picture at BICYCLE
Ax·min·ster /ˈæksmɪnstə/ trademark a type of CARPET made in the town of Axminster in Devon, southwest England, by a special machine process which produces high-quality carpets which look as if they have been made by hand
ay·ah /ˈaɪə/ n IndE & PakE an Indian nurse who looks after children
a·ya·tol·lah /ˌaɪəˈtɒləl-ˈtɔː-/ n a religious leader among the Shiite Muslims: Ayatollah Khomeini
Ayatollah Khomeini → see KHOMEINI
Ayck·bourn, Al·an /ˈeɪkbɔːn||-bɔːrn, ˈælən/ (1939–) a British writer of humorous plays such as The Norman Conquests (1974), A Chorus of Disapproval (1985), and Virtual Reality (2000).
aye¹ /eɪ, aɪ/ adv ScotE, especially old use or poet always; continually
aye² /aɪ/ adv dial or lit (often used when voting or by sailors) yes: Aye, aye, sir; I'll do that at once. | All in favour say 'Aye'.
aye³ /aɪ/ n a vote or voter in favour of an idea, plan, law etc → opposite NAY
Ayer, A.J. /eɪə/ (1910–89) a British PHILOSOPHER who wrote Language, Truth, and Logic (1936)
Ayers Rock /ˌeəz ˈrɒk||ˌeərz ˈrɑːk/ → see ULURU
Ay·ia Nap·a /ˌaɪə ˈnæpə||-ˈnɑː-/ a town in Cyprus where many tourists, especially young people, like to go. There are many bars and NIGHTCLUBS, good beaches, and some historical places to visit. It can also be spelled Agia Napa.
Ayk·royd, Dan /ˈækrɔɪd/ (1952–) a Canadian film and television actor, known for appearing in humorous films such as The Blues Brothers (1980) and Ghostbusters (1984). He also appeared in the US television programme Saturday Night Live.
Ayr·shire /ˈeəʃə||ˈeər-/ 1 a former COUNTY in southwest Scotland, now part of Strathclyde REGION 2 a brown and white type of cow that is used for producing milk
A-Z /ˌeɪ tə ˈzed||-ˈziː/ n in the UK, a book of street maps of a town or city, with an alphabetical list of all the street names at the end of the book: The office is easy to find if you have an A-Z.
AZ written abbrev. for ARIZONA
A·zer·bai·jan /ˌæzəbaɪˈdʒɑːn||ˌɑːzər-/ a country in the extreme southeast of Europe, west of the Caspian Sea and north of Iran. Population: 7,830,764 (2003). Capital: Baku. Azerbaijan became independent of the former Soviet Union in 1991. —Azerbaijani n, adj
az·i·muth /ˈæzməθ/ n the angle on the Earth's surface between a north-south line and the position or direction of something, especially a star, seen from a place on the Earth
A·zores, the /əˈzɔːz||eɪˈzɔːrz/ a group of islands in the north Atlantic Ocean, west of Portugal, which belong to Portugal
AZT /ˌeɪ zed ˈtiː||-ˈziː-/ trademark abbrev. for azidothymidine; a drug used to treat AIDS
Az·tec /ˈæztek/ n [P] a people who lived in Mexico until their CIVILIZATION was destroyed in the 16th century by Hernán Cortés and the Spanish army. The Aztecs are known for their impressive buildings, gold jewellery, and complicated social and religious customs, which included human SACRIFICE (=killing humans for religious reasons). Their language was Nahautl —Aztec adj: Aztec jewellery
az·ure /ˈæʒər, ˈæʒjʊər, ˈæʒuər||ˈæʒər/ adj having a bright blue colour, like the sky —azure n [U]