21
Agency for International Development
and Radio Artists; a TRADE UNION in the US for actors and
actresses who perform on television and radio programmes
→ compare EQUITY, SAG
A·ga /'ɑːgə/ trademark a type of
cooker made of solid iron,
which is similar in design to
the types of cooker that
people used to have in the
past. Agas now usually work
by electricity, oil, or gas, and
they are expensive. They are
popular with MIDDLE-CLASS
people who live (or would
like to live) in the country,
and have large kitchens.
Aga
an Aga cooker
a·gain /ə'gen, ə'geɪn||ə'gen/
adv 1 once more; one more
time: Please say that again. |
Let's start again from the
beginning. | Never do that
again. | He told the story once
again/yet again. | The com-
mittee will meet again next
Thursday. 2 back to the place, condition etc as before: She
was ill but now she is well again. | He's home again
now. 3 besides; further: I could eat as much (=the same
amount) again. 4 however; on the other hand: She might
agree, and then again she might not. 5 again and again also
time and (time) again, over and over again — very often;
repeatedly: I've told them again and again not to play there.
→ see also now and again (NOW)
a·gainst /ə'genst, ə'genst||ə'genst/ prep 1 in opposition
to: We will fight against the enemy. | There were 20 votes for
her and 12 against her. | They are strongly against the idea. |
Against all probability, she won a place in the finals. | Steal-
ing is against the law. (=illegal) | They went ahead with the
plan against my wishes. (=although I did not want them
to) 2 in the direction of and touching or meeting: The rain
beat against the windows. 3 touching, especially for support:
She was leaning against the wall. 4 in an opposite direction
to: We sailed against the wind. 5 as a defence or protection
from: They were vaccinated against cholera. 6 having as a
background: The picture looks good against that light
wall. 7 causing disadvantage to; having an unfavourable
effect on: The present economic climate works against the
smaller companies. | His prison record will count against
him. 8 fml in preparation for: They have saved some money
against their old age. → see also over against (OVER²) 9 He
that is not with me is against me quote from the Bible any
person who does not openly support me is opposed to me
A·ga Khan, the /ˌɑːgə 'kɑːn/ (1936–) the Arab religious
leader of a Muslim group called the Ismailis. He is very rich
and owns many RACEHORSES.
Ag·a·mem·non /ˌægə'memnɒn -nɒn||-nɑːn/ in ancient
Greek stories, the king of MYCENAE and leader of the Greeks
in the TROJAN WAR. When he came home after the war, he
was murdered by his wife, CLYTEMNESTRA and her lover
Aegisthus. → see also ILIAD
a·gape /ə'geɪp/ adj, adv [F] 1 wide open: They watched with
their mouths agape. → see also GAPE 2 [(with)] in a state of
wonder: The children were agape (with excitement) as they
watched the programme.
Aga saga n humor an expression used to describe any NOVEL
about the lives of rich MIDDLE-CLASS British people, espe-
cially those living in country areas. Aga sagas are considered
to be not very good novels but easy to read.
Ag·as·si, An·dre /'ægəsi, 'ɒndre||'ɑːn-/ (1970–) an Ameri-
can tennis player who is one of the few players to have won
all four major tennis TOURNAMENTS: the Australian Open
(1995, 2000, 2001, 2003), the French Open (1999), Wimble-
don (1992), and the US Open (1993, 1999). He is married to
the former tennis player Steffi Graf.
ag·ate /'ægət/ n [C,U] a hard stone with bands of colour, used
in jewellery
age¹ /eɪdʒ/ n 1 [C] the period of time a person has lived or a
thing has existed: She entered Parliament at the age of 26. |
He doesn't look his age. (=he looks younger than he actually
is) | At your age you should know better. | What ages are (not
have) your children? | She married a man who was twice her
age. (=twice as old as she was) 2 [U] one of the periods of a
person's life: Who is going to look after them in their old age?
(=when they are old) | A person of 40 has reached middle
age. | retirement age | men of military age (=within the age
range considered acceptable for soldiers) → see also TEEN-
AGE 3 [U] the state of being old: His back was bent with
age. 4 [U] the particular time of life at which a person
becomes able or not able to do something: You can't drive a
car yet – you're still under age. (=you're too young) | He
won't be called up for military service – he's over age. → see
also AGE OF CONSENT 5 [C usually sing.] (often cap.) a particular
period of history: The period in which people learnt to make
tools of iron is called the Iron Age. | We are living in the
nuclear age/the space age. → see also GOLDEN AGE 6 [C] also
ages pl. — infml a long time: It's been ages/an age since we
met. 7 come of age a) to reach the particular age, usually
18 or 21, at which one becomes responsible in law for one's
own actions, and one is allowed to vote, own property
etc b) to reach a stage of full development: The company
has now been successfully established for ten years, and has
really come of age. → see also COMING OF AGE 8 age before
beauty a phrase used humorously by someone letting
another person go through a door first
age² v aged or ageing or aging [I,T] 1 to (cause to) become
old or seem old: After his illness he aged quickly. | His illness
seems to have aged him quite noticeably. → see also AGE-
ING¹ 2 to improve, especially in taste, as time passes: This
cheese has aged for nearly two years.
'Age Concern a British CHARITY organization that helps old
people. Many towns in the UK have Age Concern shops,
where they sell SECOND-HAND clothes, books, kitchen equip-
ment etc to earn money for the charity.
aged¹ /eɪdʒd/ adj 1 [F] being of the stated number of years:
They've got two children, aged 3 and 7. 2 (of cheese or wine)
fully developed, especially in taste
ag·ed² /'eɪdʒɪd/ adj very old: an aged man | [also n, the+P]
special arrangements for the aged and infirm
'age dis·crim·i·na·tion n [U] AGEISM
'age group also 'age bracket n [C+sing./pl. v] the people
between two particular ages considered as a group: a book
written for children in the 12–14 age group
age·ing¹ BrE || usually aging AmE /'eɪdʒɪŋ/ adj [A] becoming
old; rather old, especially older than is considered desirable
or suitable: We need to replace some of this ageing office
equipment. | an ageing playboy/hippie
ageing² BrE || usually aging AmE – n [U] 1 the process of
getting old: a healthy diet which retards ageing | the ageing
process 2 the changes that happen (e.g. to wine or cheese)
as time passes
age·ism, agism /'eɪdʒɪzəm/ BrE || age discrimination
–n [U] the making of unfair differences between people
because of their age, especially treating young people more
favourably than old people: He didn't get the job because he's
over 40 – that's pure ageism.
age·ist /'eɪdʒɪst/ adj treating older people unfairly because
of a belief that they are less important than younger people:
The article seemed somewhat ageist to me. —ageist n
age·less /'eɪdʒləs/ adj never growing old or never showing
signs of growing old: an ageless song | ageless beauty
—ness n [U]
'age limit n an upper or lower age beyond which one is not
allowed to do something
a·gen·cy /'eɪdʒənsi/ n 1 [C] a business that makes its money
by bringing people into touch with others or the products of
others: I got this job through an employment agency. | an
advertising agency | The company has agencies (=offices repre-
senting it) all over the world. → see also DATING AGENCY, NEWS
AGENCY 2 [C] especially AmE a department of a government or
of an international body: a United Nations agency responsible
for helping refugees 3 [S(of)] the power or force which causes a
result: Iron is melted by the agency of heat.
Agency for International De'velopment abbrev. AID
a US government department that provides money to help
poorer countries. The money is used for buying food and
medicines, building homes and schools, and developing
farms and industries.