66
ASLEF /'æzlef/ abbrev. for the Associated Society for Locomotive Engineers and Firemen; a TRADE UNION in the UK for people whose job is driving or operating trains
A/S lev·el /ˌeɪ 'es ˌlevəl/ n 1 an examination in a particular subject, which students in England and Wales can take, usually a year after they have taken their GCSEs. Students usually continue with three or four of the same subjects after A/S level for another year in order to complete their A LEVELS. 2 the course that students study in order to prepare for this examination. They usually start this when they are 16 and study for two years.
asp /æsp/ n a small poisonous snake of N Africa. CLEOPATRA is believed to have killed herself with an asp.
ASP /ˌeɪ es 'pi:/ n tech abbrev. for application service provider; a company that supplies organized sets of computer software to other companies so that they can do business on the Internet
as·par·a·gus /ə'spærəɡəs/ n [U] a plant whose young green stems are eaten as a vegetable and thought of as a DELICACY
ASPCA, the /ˌeɪ es ˌpi si: 'eɪ/ abbrev. for American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; a CHARITY organization that takes care of animals, especially pets whose owners treated them badly or did not want them, and tries to find new homes for them. There is a similar organization in the UK called the RSPCA.
as·pect /'æspekt/ n 1 [C(of)] a particular side of a many-sided situation, idea, plan etc: The training programme covers every aspect of the job. | The rise in violent crime is one of the more worrying aspects of the current situation. 2 [C] the direction in which a window, room, front of a building etc faces: The house has a south-facing aspect. 3 [C;U] lit appearance: a man melancholy in aspect 4 [C;U] tech (in grammar) the particular form of a verb which shows whether the action that is described is a continuing action or an action that happens always, repeatedly, or for a moment: 'He sings' differs from 'He is singing' in aspect.
as·pen /'æspən/ n a kind of tree which is common in the American southwest
as·per·i·ty /æ'sperɪti, ǝ-/ n [C;U] fml (an example of) roughness or severity, especially in speech, manner, or weather: He answered our questions with some asperity. | the asperities of a Russian winter
as·per·sion /ə'spɜ:ʃən, -ʃən||-ɜ:r-/ n fml or humor an unkind remark or unfavourable judgment: Are you casting aspersions on (=raising doubts about) my ability to drive?
as·phalt /'æsfælt||'æsfɔ:lt/ n [U] a black sticky material that is firm when it hardens, used for the surface of roads —asphalt v [T]
as·phyx·i·ate /æs'fɪksiˌeɪt, ǝs-/ v [I;T] fml to (cause to) be unable to breathe air; especially to die or kill someone in this way; SUFFOCATE —ation /æsˌfɪksi'eɪʃən, ǝs-/ n [U]
as·pic /'æspɪk/ n [U] a clear brownish jelly made from meat bones: chicken in aspic
as·pi·dis·tra /ˌæspɪ'dɪstrə/ n a plant with broad green pointed leaves, often grown in houses
as·pi·rant /ə'spaɪərənt, 'æspɪrənt/ n [(to, for)] fml a person who hopes for and tries to get a position of importance or honour: one of the aspirants to the vice-presidency
as·pi·rate¹ /'æspɪreɪt/ v [T] tech to pronounce (a word or letter) with the sound of the letter H (as in (a) human but not in (an) honour) or with ASPIRATION
as·pi·rate² /'æspɪrət/ n tech the sound of the letter H, or the letter itself
as·pi·ra·tion /ˌæspɪ'reɪʃən/ n 1 [C;U] (a) strong desire to do something or have something, especially something great or important: The colonial government could no longer ignore the political aspirations of the local people. | [+to-v] She has aspirations to become a great writer. 2 [U] tech the blowing out of air that follows when some consonants are pronounced, such as the /p/ in pin
as·pire /ə'spaɪər/ v [I] to direct one's hopes and efforts to some important aim: an aspiring young actress | [+to, after] He aspired after a political career/to the leadership of the party. | [+to-v] She aspires to become president.
as·pi·rin /'æspərɪn/ n pl. aspirin or aspirins [C;U] (a TABLET of) a medicine that reduces pain, INFLAMMATION, and fever: Take a couple of aspirins for your headache.
As·pro /'æsprəʊ/ trademark a widely used brand (=type) of aspirin sold in the UK
As·quith, Herbert Henry /'æskwɪθ/ (1852–1928) a British LIBERAL politician and Prime Minister from 1908 to 1916
ass¹ /æs/ n 1 an animal like a horse but smaller and with longer ears, e.g. the DONKEY 2 infml a stupid foolish person: a pompous ass
ass² n AmE for ARSE
As·sad, Ha·fez al- /'æsæd, 'hɑ:fez æl/ (1930–2000) a former general and the president of Syria from 1971 until his death
as·sail /ə'seɪl/ v [T(with, by)] fml to attack violently: The police were assailed with rocks and petrol bombs. | I was assailed by doubts/worries.
as·sai·lant /ə'seɪlənt/ n fml an attacker
As·sam /ə'sæm/ n [U] a type of tea from the Assam state in northeast India
as·sas·sin /ə'sæsɪn/ n a person who murders someone important, such as a ruler or politician: Kennedy's assassin
as·sas·sin·ate /ə'sæsɪneɪt||-səneɪt/ v [T] to murder (a ruler, politician, or other important person): a plot to assassinate the President → see KILL (USAGE) —ator /əˌsæs'neɪʃən||-sən'eɪ-/ n [C;U] a spate of assassinations an assassination attempt
as·sault¹ /ə'sɔ:lt/ n [C;U(on)] (a) violent attack, especially a sudden one: The army launched a major assault against the rebel town. | (fig.) They made an assault on (=an attempt to climb) Mount Everest. | He was sent to prison for assault. (=an attack on another person) → see also INDECENT ASSAULT
assault² v [T] to make an assault on, often an INDECENT ASSAULT: She was too shaken after being assaulted to report the incident to the police. | The minister was assaulted by a barrage of abuse from the angry strikers.
as·sault and 'battery n [U] law an attack which includes not only threats but the actual use of violence
as'sault ˌcourse BrE || obstacle course AmE — n an area of land on which soldiers and other people train by climbing or jumping over objects, through water etc, in order to develop their fitness and courage
as·say /ə'seɪ/ v [T] 1 to test (metal-bearing soil, a gold ring etc) to discover what materials are present 2 lit to attempt (something difficult): to assay the impossible —assay /ə'seɪ||'æsei, ǝ'seɪ/ n
as·se·gai /'æsɡaɪ/ n a long thin wooden spear with an iron point, used in southern Africa
as·sem·blage /ə'semblɪdʒ/ n fml 1 [C+sing./pl. v] a group of people or a collection of articles 2 [U] the act of coming or putting together
as·sem·ble /ə'sembəl/ v 1 [I;T] to gather or collect together into a group or into one place: At the beginning of the day we all assemble in the main hall to be addressed by the head teacher. | He called us all together, and told the assemble company (=the group that had assembled) that the exam had been cancelled. | to assemble a vast collection of old books 2 [T] to put (something) together: This bookcase is very easy to assemble. | to assemble cars/radios/a model aeroplane
as·sem·bly /ə'sembli/ n 1 [C+sing./pl. v] a group of people, especially one gathered together for a special purpose, such as worship 2 [U] a meeting together of people: to deny citizens the right of assembly 3 [C;U] a meeting of all the teachers and pupils of a school. Many schools in Britain have assembly every morning before classes begin for the day. In American schools, assemblies are less frequent an