anticlockwise
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ordinary, or disappointing coming after something important or exciting: To be back in the office after climbing mountains for a week was a bit of an anticlimax. 2 a sudden often funny change from something noble, serious, exciting etc to something foolish, unimportant, or uninteresting, especially in a speech or piece of formal writing → see also CLIMAX
an·ti·clock·wise /ˌæntɪˈklɒkwaɪz||-ˈklɑːk-/ BrE || counterclockwise AmE — adj, adv in the opposite direction to the movement of the hands of a clock: To remove the lid, turn it anticlockwise. → opposite CLOCKWISE
Anti-’Corn Law League, the a group of people, led by Richard Cobden and John Bright, who protested against the corn laws in Britain in the 1840s
an·tics /ˈæntɪks/ n [P] strange or foolish behaviour that is usually regarded with disapproval: The public eventually grew tired of his antics on the tennis court.
an·ti·cy·clone /ˌæntˈsaɪkləʊn/ n tech a mass of air that is heavy, causing calm weather, either hot or cold, in the area over which it moves → see also CYCLONE
an·ti·de·pres·sant /ˌæntɪdɪˈpresənt/ n a type of drug used in the treatment of DEPRESSION
an·ti·dote /ˈæntɪdəʊt/ n [(to)] a substance that stops a poison working inside a person or prevents the bad effects of a disease: a dangerous poison for which there is no known antidote | (fig.) Do you think there is any antidote to the nation's economic troubles?
an·ti·freeze /ˈæntfriːz/ n [U] a chemical substance put in water to stop it from freezing in very cold weather, used especially in car engines
an·ti·gen /ˈæntɪdʒən/ n a harmful substance such as a bacterium or VIRUS which causes the body to produce antibodies (ANTIBODY) to fight it
anti-glob·al·i·za·tion also -isation BrE— n [U] a belief shared by various political groups that people must oppose GLOBALIZATION (=the process of making something such as a business operate in different countries around the world) because of the negative effects it has on people, especially in developing countries, and because of the damage it does to the environment
CULTURAL NOTE The anti-globalization MOVEMENT is a WORLDWIDE political movement, consisting of various LEFT-WING groups, including ANARCHISTS, who are against globalization because they believe that it harms the environment and gives advantages to rich Western countries, but is unfair to local people. It often arranges for DEMONSTRATIONS (=large protests) to happen at the same time as the meetings of international organizations that encourage globalization, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and especially the Group of Eight (G8). There are usually thousands of protesters at these demonstrations and they have received a lot of attention in the MEDIA. There is often violence and demonstrators are often ARRESTED. The police have been criticized for using more force than is necessary in order to control protesters, especially at the demonstrations in Seattle in the US, and in Genoa, Italy, at which three demonstrators died and several hundred were injured and arrested.
An·tig·o·ne /ænˈtɪɡəni/ in ancient Greek stories, a daughter of OEDIPUS who is told by King Creon that she cannot bury her dead brother. She cannot decide whether she should obey the king or do what she believes to be morally and religiously right. She finally decides to disobey the king, and kills herself before he can punish her. Her story is the subject of the play Antigone by SOPHOCLES.
An·ti·gua /ænˈtiːɡə/ an island in the Caribbean Sea, which is part of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Population: 67,897 (2003). Capital: St. John's. Antigua and Barbuda includes the islands of Antigua, Barbuda, and Redonda.
—Antiguan n, adj
an·ti·her·o /ˈæntɪˌhɪərəʊ/ n pl. -oes the main character in a work of literature, who is represented as being no braver, stronger, or cleverer than ordinary people → compare HERO
an·ti·his·ta·mine /ˌæntɪˈhɪstəmiːn, -mɪn/ n [C;U] a chemical substance that is used in the treatment of colds and allergies (ALLERGY)
an·ti·knock /ˌæntɪˈnɒk||-ˈnɑːk/ n [U] a chemical substance that is added to petrol to make car engines run smoothly, without knocking (KNOCK)
anti-lock braking sys·tem n → see ABS
an·ti·log·a·rithm /ˌæntɪˈlɒɡərɪðəm||-ˈlɑː-, -ˈlɔː-/ also an·ti·log /ˈæntlɒɡ||-lɑːɡ, -lɔːɡ/ n infml the number whose LOGARITHM is a stated number: The antilogarithm of 2 is 100 because 10² =100.
an·ti·ma·cas·sar /ˌæntməˈkæsə/ n a piece of cloth put on the back of a chair, as a decoration and to protect it from marks left by hair oil. Antimacassars were widely used in the past, but are now considered old-fashioned.
an·ti·mat·ter /ˈæntɪˌmætə/ n [U] matter which is made up of antiparticles
an·ti·nu·cle·ar /ˌæntɪˈnjuːkliə||-ˈnuː-/ adj opposing the use of atomic power (for producing electricity) and the production and use of atomic weapons: an antinuclear demonstration | the antinuclear movement
an·ti·ox·i·dant /ˌæntɪˈɒksɪdənt||-ˈɑːk-/ n a substance in some foods that cleans the body and protects it from getting CANCER
an·ti·par·ti·cle /ˈæntɪˌpɑtɪkəl||pɑːr-/ n an ELEMENTARY PARTICLE (=very small unit of matter in an atom) that carries the opposite electrical charge of the matter usually found in atoms. Antiparticles are very rare in the known parts of the universe but they can be made in special scientific tests.
an·ti·pas·to /ˌæntɪpæstəʊlˌæntɪˈpɑː-/ n pl. -tos or -ti -/ti:/ n a dish of usually cold food, eaten before the main dish of a meal
an·ti·pa·thet·ic /ˌæntɪpəˈθetɪk/ adj [(to)] feeling, causing, or showing antipathy: He has always been strongly antipathetic to the views of the women's movement. —~ally /-kli/ adv
an·tip·a·thy /ænˈtɪpəθi/ n [C;U(to, towards)] (an example of) a fixed and strong dislike or opposition; AVERSION: the President's well-known antipathy towards trade unions
an·ti·per·son·nel /ˌæntɪpɜːsənel||-ɜr-/ adj euph (of bombs) intended to hurt people, not destroy property, by exploding into small pieces
an·ti·per·spi·rant /ˌæntˈpɜːspɪrənt||-ˈpɜːr-/ n a chemical substance that helps to stop the skin from sweating (SWEAT) → compare DEODORANT
An·tip·o·des, the /ænˈtɪpədiːz/ n lit or humorous Australia and New Zealand —Antipodean /ænˌtɪpədiːən/ n, adj: antipodean culture
an·ti·quar·i·an¹ /ˌæntɪˈkwɛəriən/ also an·ti·quar·y /ˈæntɪkwəri||-kweri/ n a person who studies, collects, or sells antiquities or antiques
antiquarian² adj of or concerning antiquities or antiques or people who study, collect, or sell such things: an antiquarian bookseller
an·ti·quat·ed /ˈæntkweɪtɪd/ adj old and not suited to modern needs or conditions; old-fashioned; OUTDATED: antiquated laws/machinery
an·tique¹ /ænˈtiːk/ adj 1 made in an earlier period and usually valuable: an antique vase 2 [A] fml of or connected with ancient times, especially ancient Rome or Greece
antique² n a piece of furniture, decorative object, jewellery etc that was made in an earlier period and that is rare or valuable: The palace is full of priceless antiques. | an antique dealer
Antiques 'Roadshow, the a British television programme which is filmed in a different British city every week, where local people bring ANTIQUES such as old jewellery, furniture, or paintings in order to find out how much they are worth
an·tiq·ui·ty /ænˈtɪkwɪti/ n 1 [U] the state of being very old —great age: a building of great antiquity 2 [C;U] (a building, work of art etc remaining from) ancient times, especially before the Middle Ages: to photograph the antiquities in the museum | one of the great writers of antiquity
an·tir·rhi·num /ˌæntˈraɪnəm/ n a SNAPPDRAGON