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**a·loft** /ə'lɒft || ə'lɔ:ft/ *adv fml* high up, especially in the air or among the sails of a ship: *The flag was flying aloft.*
**a·lo·ha** /ə'ləʊhɑ:-ha:/ *interj, n AmE* used as a greeting or to say goodbye, especially in Hawaii
**a·lone** /ə'ləʊn/ *adj, adv* **1** [F] without or separated from others: *She lives alone. | The house stands alone on the hill. | I was (all) alone in the house. | I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking (=not the only person who thinks) that this is a mistake.* **2** [after *n*] only: *You alone can do it. (=you are the only person who can do it) | The grant was awarded on merit alone. | Time alone will show who was right. | The price alone should have made you realize it was a trick. (=without even considering other factors) | She, alone of all the applicants (=she was the only one) had the qualifications we were looking for.* **3 leave/let someone or something alone a)** to allow one to be by oneself **b)** to allow someone or something to remain untouched or unchanged: *Leave that alone: it's mine.* $\rightarrow$ see also **go it alone** (GO), **let alone** (LET) **4 I want to be alone** a phrase which is believed to have been used by Greta Garbo, now often used humorously, and usually said in a way that is meant to sound like the voice of Greta Garbo
> [USAGE] **1** If someone is **alone**, there is no one else there and they can either like being alone or not like it: *She was alone in the house.* If you are or feel **lonely** or **lonesome** (*AmE*), you feel sad because you are alone: *Her best friend moved away, and she's lonely.* If someone is **forlorn**, they are very sad because of being left alone, and **desolate** means extremely sad and lonely: *The death of his wife left him completely forlorn/desolate.* **2** You can use **solitary** or **lone** to show that there is only one thing or person in a place: *a solitary/lone tree in the garden | A solitary figure walked across the plaza.* You cannot say an **alone** person.
**a·long$^1$** /ə'lɒŋ || ə'lɔ:ŋ/ *prep* **1** from one end of to the other; in a line in the direction of the length of: *We walked along the road.* **2** in a line next to the length of: *Trees grew along the river bank.* **3** at a point on the length of: *His room is along this passage.*
**along$^2$** *adv* **1** forward; on: *She cycled along, singing happily.* **2** with others or oneself: *When we went to Paris we took my sister along (with us).* **3** to that place or this place: *I'll be along soon. | There's a meeting at the Town Hall and I'm thinking of going along. | She was just about to go home when along he came. / Along came her boyfriend, full of apologies.* (note word order) **4 along with** together with: *There was a bill along with the parcel.* $\rightarrow$ see also **all along** (ALL$^2$)
**a·long·side** /ə,lɒŋ'saɪd || ə,lɔ:ŋ-/ *adv, prep* close to and in line with the edge of (something); along the side (of): *We brought our boat alongside (their boat). | (fig.) videos, recordings, and other learning aids to be used alongside (=together with or at the same time as) the books*
**Alon·so, Fer·nan·do** /ə'lɒnsəʊ || ə'lɑ:n- fɜ:'nændəʊ || fɜ:r'nɑ:n-/ (1981-) a Spanish Formula One RACING DRIVER who has driven for the Minardi and Renault racing teams. In 2003 he became the youngest person to win a Grand Prix when he won in Hungary.
**a·loof$^1$** /ə'lu:f/ *adv* [(from)] apart; distant, especially in feeling or interest: *He kept himself aloof/remained aloof from the other students.*
**aloof$^2$** *adj* not very open or friendly in one's relations with other people; RESERVED: *I find her rather aloof/rather an aloof character. —ly* adv *—ness n* [U(from)]
**a·loud** /ə'laʊd/ *adv* **1** in a usual speaking voice; not silently: *The teacher asked me to read the poem aloud. | Party members are wondering aloud (=openly asking) whether he will resign.* **2** in a loud voice; so as to be heard at a distance: *The pain made him cry aloud.*
**al·pac·a** /æl'pækə/ *n* **1** [C] a sheeplike animal of Peru, related to the LLAMA **2** [U] cloth made from the wool of the alpaca
**Al·pen** /'ælpən/ *trademark* a type of breakfast food made with grains, fruit, and nuts, and eaten with milk, and considered to be a healthy food
**al·pha** /'ælfə/ *n* the first letter (A, $\alpha$) of the Greek alphabet, sometimes used as a mark for excellent work by a student
**"alpha and 'omega** /|| ,... -'../ *n* [the+S(of)] *lit* **1** the beginning and the end **2** the most necessary or important part
**al·pha·bet** /'ælfəbet/ *n* the set of letters used in writing any language, especially when arranged in order: *the Greek/Russian alphabet*
**al·pha·bet·i·cal** /,ælfə'betɪkəl/ also **al·pha·bet·ic** /,ælfə'betɪk/ *rare adj* of, belonging to, or in the order of the alphabet: *In a dictionary the words are arranged in alphabetical order. —ly* /kli/ *adv*
**al·pha·bet·ize** also **-ise** *BrE* /'ælfəbetaɪz/ *v* [T] to arrange things in order according to the letters of the alphabet
**'alphabet ,soup** *n* [U] *especially AmE infml* speech or writing that is full of ABBREVIATIONS and ACRONYMS: *Education is all alphabet soup these days.*
**'alpha 'male** *n* [C usually sing.] **1** the male with the highest rank in a group of animals such as CHIMPANZEES **2** *humor* the man who has the most power and influence and the highest social position in a particular group
**al·pha·nu·mer·ic** /,ælfənju:'merɪk || -nu:-/ *adj tech* using or consisting of both letters and numbers: *an alphanumeric character set/code*
**'alpha ,version** *n* software that is being tested by the company who are making it, to see if it works properly $\rightarrow$ compare BETA VERSION
**al·pine** /'ælpaɪn/ *adj* **1** of the Alps or other high mountains **2** (of plants) growing on parts of mountains that are too high for trees to grow on
**Al·po** /'ælpəʊ/ *trademark* a type of DOG FOOD sold in the US
**Alps, the** /ælps/ a RANGE of mountains which go through France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Austria. Many people visit the Alps to SKI.
**al-Qa·e·da, al-Qaida** /æl ka:'i:də, -'kaɪdə/ an Islamic organization formed in the 1980s by Arab men and women who were fighting in Afghanistan against the former Soviet Union, and led by Osama Bin Laden. After the Soviet soldiers left Afghanistan, al-Qaeda started a campaign of attacks against western countries, including the attack on New York City on September 11, 2001 when two planes flew into the World Trade Center and destroyed it. The US government announced a 'war on terror' and sent soldiers to Afghanistan to try and destroy al-Qaeda's secret TRAINING CAMPS (=places where they teach people how to use guns and bombs etc) and to kill or catch its leaders.
**al·read·y** /ɔ:l'redi/ *adv* **1** by or before now or a particular time: *It's too late to give him any advice – he's already made up his mind. | By the time we got there, it was already getting dark. | He had already gone (when I arrived). | The new restaurant is unlikely to do well; there are too many restaurants here already.* **2** even before the time expected: *Are you leaving already? | She's here already; she must have come on the early train.* **3** on another occasion in the past; before: *I'm not going to watch that programme; I've seen it already.*
> [USAGE] Compare **already** and **yet**. **Yet** is used in negatives and questions: *I haven't finished yet | Have you finished yet?* **Already** is not used in negatives, and when it is used in questions it expresses surprise that something has happened before it was expected to happen. For example, if you ask someone *Have you had lunch yet?* you are asking whether they have eaten, but if you say *Have you had your lunch already?* you are expressing surprise that they have eaten early or quickly.
**al-right** /ɔ:l'raɪt/ *adj, adv* another spelling of ALL RIGHT that some people think is incorrect
**al-Sah·haf, Mo·ham·med Sa·eed** /æl sə'hɑ:f məʊ'hæməd sɑ:'i:d/ (1940-) an Iraqi politician and DIPLOMAT who was information minister during Saddam Hussein's government. During the 2003 war in Iraq, he became famous for making statements about the war that were not true. For example, he said that there were no US soldiers in Baghdad just before the US took control of the city. People outside Iraq began calling him 'Comical Ali'.
**Al·sa·tian** /æl'seɪʃən/ *especially BrE*, **German shepherd** *especially AmE* — *n* a large dog with brown and grey fur, similar to a WOLF, which is often used by the police or used for guarding property