We're late already. | If you get your arse in gear, we might actually get done tonight. 4 cover your ass AmE also cover your butt slang a rude expression, meaning to do something now to protect yourself from criticism or blame if something goes wrong in the future: *I'm going to give you some advice, Danny – you have to learn to cover your ass.* | *I knew I'd get blamed if things went wrong, so I tried to cover my ass.* 5 someone is talking out of their arse/ass infml a rude expression used in order to say that someone is talking as if they know something when they do not: *'He says the account report will be ready tomorrow.' 'He's talking out of his ass – he hasn't even started it yet.'* | *Stop talking out of your arse. You've never even been to Greece, so how do you know what the weather's like?* 6 kick/whip (someone's) ass AmE also kick/whip someone's butt slang a rude expression, meaning to beat someone easily in a fight, game, competition etc: *You just try telling him he's stupid to his face. He'll kick your ass. I mean, how many times do we have to whip their asses before he admits we're the best team in the conference?* | *Oh come on, in a soccer game England would kick some American asss. You know it's true.* 7 something kicks ass AmE also someone kicks ass at (doing) something slang a rude expression used in order to say that you think something is very good, or that someone is very good at doing something: *Jamie's new board really kicks ass. I want one of those.* | *'You know that game where you're in the car – Kit's the best at that.' 'Yeah, she really kicks ass at driving games.'* 8 kick-ass slang Mitsubishi makes a kick ass sports car: *My friend Joe's got one.* 9 kiss someone's arse/ass a rude expression, meaning to try very hard to please or impress someone, especially someone who is more powerful than you, in a way that other people find very annoying: *Frank'll kiss your arse when he's talking to you, but he won't do you any favours.* | *You know she gets good grades because she kisses the teacher's ass.* 10 be a pain in the arse BrE || be a pain in the ass AmE infml a rude expression used about someone who is very annoying, or something that you do not like to do, or that is difficult to do: *Irene can be a real pain in the arse, she always wants to know exactly what you're doing, and why.* | *Getting people to fill in forms properly is a pain in the arse – no one wants to do it.* | *I hate to be a pain in the ass about this, but if you don't hand your work in on time we won't grade it.*
**arse²** *v*
**arse about/around** *phr v* [I] BrE taboo slang to waste time
**ar·se·nal** /'ɑ:sənəl||'ɑ:r-/ *n* **1** a government building where weapons and explosives are made or stored **2** a store of weapons: *The police found an arsenal of knives and guns in the terrorists' hideout.*
**Arsenal** a very successful English football team from North London. They play at Highbury STADIUM, but plan to move to a new stadium in Ashburton Grove, Islington, in 2005. They have won the League Championship many times and have 'done the Double' (=won the League Championship and the FA Cup in the same year) three times, in 1971, 1998, and 2002. In 1994 they won the Cup Winners' Cup.
**ar·se·nic** /'ɑ:sənɪk||'ɑ:r-/ *n* [U] a very poisonous substance, of which one chemical form is used in medicine and for killing rats
**ar·son** /'ɑ:sən||'ɑ:r-/ *n* [U] the crime of setting fire to property: *The police suspect arson.* —**-ist** *n*
**art¹** /ɑ:t||ɑ:rt/ *n* **1** [U] the making or expression of what is beautiful, e.g. in music, literature, or especially painting: *The museum contains some priceless works of art.* | *Dance is an exciting art form.* **2** [U] things produced by art, especially paintings and SCULPTURE: *an exhibition of African art* **3** [C;U] skill in the making or doing of anything: *Driving a car in Central London is quite an art!* (=needs great skill) | *Television is ruining the art of conversation.* **4** art for art's sake art is important simply because it is art, and not because it makes money or has any practical use → see also ARTS, BLACK ART, FINE ART, FINE ARTS, PLASTIC ART, POP ART
**art²** *v* thou *art* old use or bibl (when talking to one person) you are
**art dec·o** /ˌɑ: ˈdekəʊ ,ˌɑ:t-||ˌɑ:r ˈdeɪkoʊ ,ˌɑ:rt-/ *n* [U] a style of art and decoration popular in the 1920s and 1930s in Europe and America, using especially simple shapes and man-made materials
**'art di,rector** *n* the person who arranges the clothes, lighting, and scenery for a film
**ar·te·fact** /'ɑ:tɪfækt||'ɑ:r-/ *n* an ARTIFACT
**Ar·te·mis** /'ɑ:tɪmɪs||'ɑ:r-/ in Greek MYTHOLOGY, the goddess of hunting and the Moon. In Roman mythology her name is DIANA.
**ar·te·ri·al** /ɑ:'tɪəriəl||ɑ:r-/ *adj* [A] **1** (of blood) sent from the heart in the arteries: *Arterial blood is bright red.* → compare VENOUS **2** (of a road, railway etc) main; forming one of the chief parts of a large system: *arterial roads leading into London*
**ar·ter·i·o·scle·ro·sis** /ˌɑ:tɪəriəʊsklɪə'rəʊsɪs||ɑ:r-/ *n* [U] a diseased condition in which the walls of the arteries become thick and hard and so prevent the easy flow of blood through the body. The condition is often called hardening of the arteries. → see also ATHEROSCLEROSIS
**ar·te·ry** /'ɑ:təri||'ɑ:r-/ *n* **1** one of the tubes that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body → compare VEIN **2** a main road, railway, river etc
**ar·te·si·an well** /ˌɑ:tɪ:zɪən 'wel||ɑ:rˌti:ʒən-/ *n* a well in which the water is forced to the surface by natural pressure
**Ar·tex** /'ɑ:teks||'ɑ:r-/ *trademark* a type of substance like thick paint with lots of small hard pieces in it, sold in the UK and used for covering CEILINGS and walls inside a house
**art·ful** /'ɑ:tfl||'ɑ:r-/ *adj* cleverly deceitful; CUNNING: *He's very artful and usually succeeds in getting what he wants.* —**-ly** *adv* —**-ness** *n* [U]
**Artful Dodger, the** a character in the book OLIVER TWIST by Charles DICKENS. The Artful Dodger is a young PICKPOCKET (=someone who steals things from people's pockets) who belongs to a group of thieves led by FAGIN.
**'art ,gallery** *n* a building in which works of art are put on show to the public, either for sale or purely for them to be admired or studied
**'art house** *n* a cinema that shows mainly foreign films or films made by small film companies
**ar·thri·tis** /ɑ:'θraɪtɪs||ɑ:r-/ *n* [U] a serious, often long-lasting, disease causing pain and swelling in the joints of the body —**-tic** /ɑ:'θrɪtɪk||-tɪk/ *adj, n*
**Ar·thur** /'ɑ:θə||'ɑ:r-/ in old stories, a king of Britain → see ARTHURIAN LEGEND —**Arthurian** /ɑ:'θjʊəriən||ɑ:r'θʊr-/ *adj*
**Arthur 'Andersen** *trademark* a large international company that provides services for businesses especially ACCOUNTANCY and financial advice
**Ar·thu·ri·an Le·gend** /ˌɑːθjəriən ˈledənd||ɑːrˌθʊr-/ old stories about King Arthur, which were first told more than 1000 years ago, and are found in Welsh, English, French, and German literature. Arthur became King of Britain when he succeeded in pulling a sword called Excalibur out of a stone – something that only the person who would be king could do. Arthur is known for being brave, fair, and morally good. His court at CAMELOT was famous for bravery, CHIVALRY, and magic which was practised by the MAGICIAN MERLIN, and the SORCERESS MORGAN LE FAY. There, at the ROUND TABLE, sat the bravest KNIGHTS in the land, the KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE. These knights included Sir GALAHAD, Sir LANCELOT and Sir Bedivere. Arthur's power began to fail when he discovered the love between his wife, Guinevere, and his best friend, Lancelot, and the knights began the long search for the HOLY GRAIL (=the cup used by Jesus Christ at his last meal) which was finally found and brought back by Galahad. Arthur's strength then returned and he went into battle to save Britain from MORDRED, an evil knight. Arthur killed Mordred, but he was seriously wounded. He gave Excalibur to Bedivere and ordered him to throw it into a lake. When he did this, the hand of the LADY OF THE LAKE appeared from under the water, caught the sword, and disappeared under the water with it. Then three women arrived on a boat and took Arthur to the island of AVALON to die. It is said that Arthur will return if Britain is ever in danger again.
**ar·tic** /ɑ:'tɪk||ɑ:r-/ *n* BrE infml an articulated (ARTICULATE) lorry
**ar·ti·choke** /'ɑ:tɪtʃəʊk||'ɑ:r-/ *n* [C;U] **1** also globe artichoke — a plant whose leafy flower is eaten as a vegetable. It is thought of as a DELICACY and is quite difficult to eat because of its shape **2** also Jerusalem artichoke — a plant whose potato-like root is eaten as a vegetable
**ar·ti·cle¹** /'ɑ:tɪkəl||'ɑ:r-/ *n* **1** a particular or separate thing or object, especially one of a group: *an article of clothing* |