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armband
'beətrɒ̃ːn beər'trɑːn/ (1953– ) a Roman Catholic priest from Haiti who was elected President in 1990 but was forced by the army to leave the country in 1991. He was also President from 1994 to 1996, and was elected President again in 2001, but was forced to leave the country in 2004 after violent demonstrations against him.
**ar·is·toc·ra·cy** /ˌærɪˈstɒkrəsi||ˈstɑː-/ *n* **1** [C+sing./pl. *v*] the people of the highest social class, especially people from noble families who have titles of rank ➔ see also UPPER CLASS **2** [C(*of*)] the finest, best, or most powerful members of any group or class: *the drivers are the aristocracy of the railwaymen's union.* **3** [U] government by people of the highest social class, especially a class depending on birth or wealth ➔ compare DEMOCRACY
**CULTURAL NOTE** The UK has an official aristocracy of people who have special titles. There are five different ranks, which are, from highest to lowest; duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. Anyone who has one of these titles is called a PEER. Many people with these titles INHERITED the title from their father, and they are called HEREDITARY PEERS. Others are given the title and are not allowed to pass it on to their children, and they are called LIFE PEERS. All life peers are members of the House of Lords. Until 1999, all hereditary peers were members of the House of Lords. Since then, only 92 hereditary peers are allowed to be in the House of Lords, and they are chosen by a vote among all the hereditary peers.
**ar·is·to·crat** /ˈærɪstəkræt, əˈrɪs-||əˈrɪs-/ *n* a member of an aristocracy
**ar·is·to·crat·ic** /ˌærɪstəkrætɪk  əˌrɪs-||əˌrɪs-/ *adj* of, like, or typical of an aristocrat: *an aristocratic family* | *her aristocratic manners*
**Ar·is·toph·a·nes** /ˌærɪˈstɒfəniːz||-ˈstɑː-/ (?457-?385 BC) an ancient Greek writer of humorous plays, considered to be the greatest writer of Greek COMEDY. His many plays include *The Frogs* and LYSISTRATA.
**Ar·is·tot·le** /ˈærɪstɒtll||-tɑːtl/ (384-322 BC) a Greek PHILOSOPHER and scientist who has had great influence on Western thought. He was a student of PLATO and the teacher of ALEXANDER THE GREAT. His many works deal with subjects such as science, politics, morality, and literature.
—**Aris·to·te·li·an** /ˌærɪstəˈtiːliən/ *adj*
**a·rith·me·tic¹** /əˈrɪθmətɪk/ *n* [U] the science of numbers; the adding, subtracting, multiplying etc of numbers; calculation by numbers ➔ compare MATHEMATICS
**ar·ith·met·ic²** /ˌærɪθˈmetɪk ▸ also **-i·cal** /ɪkəl/ *adj* of or concerning arithmetic —**-ally** /kli/ *adv*
**a·rith·me·ti·cian** /əˌrɪθmətɪʃən/ *n* a person who studies and understands arithmetic
**arith·me·tic pro·gres·sion** also **arith·met·i·cal pro·gres·sion** *n* a set of numbers in order, in which a fixed number is added to each to produce the next (as in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, ...) ➔ compare GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION
**Ar·i·zo·na** /ˌærɪˈzəʊnə/ *written abbrev.* **AZ** a state in the southwest of the US, north of Mexico, that has a large area of desert. Arizona is popular with tourists, many of whom come to see the Grand Canyon.
**ark** /ɑːk||ɑːrk/ *n* a large ship
**Ark, the** **1** also **Noah's Ark** in the Old Testament of the Bible, the large boat that Noah built for his family and for two members of every type of animal in the world, so that they would be safe from the great FLOOD that covered the world **2** out of the Ark *infml* very old or old-fashioned: *Some of the school's computer equipment is out of the Ark.*
**Ar·kan·sas** /ˈɑːkənsɔː||ˈɑːr-/ *written abbrev.* **AR** a state in the south central part of the US, west of the Mississippi River
**Ark of the 'Covenant** in the Old Testament of the Bible, the ancient box that contained two stone TABLETS (=flat pieces of stone) on which were written the Hebrew laws known as the TEN COMMANDMENTS. This word is now used for a box or cupboard in a Jewish SYNAGOGUE that contains holy writings.
**Ark 'Royal, the** a British Royal Navy AIRCRAFT CARRIER built in 1936 and sunk in 1941 off Gibraltar
**Ark·wright, Sir Richard** /ˈɑːkraɪt||ˈɑːrk-/ (1732-92) a British factory owner who invented a machine for making cotton into thread, a job that was formerly done by hand. This made him and other factory owners very rich, but it also caused many workers to lose their jobs. ➔ see also INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
**Ar·ling·ton Na·tion·al Cem·e·tery** /ˌɑːrlɪŋtən ˌnæənəl ˈsemətri||ˌɑːr- -ˈsemɪteri/ a CEMETERY in Arlington, Virginia, where people who were in the US army, navy, air force, or government are sometimes buried. John F. KENNEDY is buried there, and it also contains the tomb of the unknown soldier.
**Ar·lott, John** /ˈɑːlət||ˈɑːr-/ (1914-91) a British broadcaster who for many years was a COMMENTATOR (=someone who describes a sports event) on CRICKET for BBC radio
**arm¹** /ɑːm||ɑːrm/ *n* **1** either of the two upper limbs of a human being or other animal that stands on two legs: *She carried the box under her arm.* | *The soldier was wounded in the right arm.* | *He put his arm round his elderly mother and walked her to the car.* | *He took her in his arms* (=held her closely) *and kissed her.* | *They walked down the road arm in arm.* (=with arms joined) | *He's still only a babe in arms.* (=a small child needing to be carried) **2** something that is shaped like or moves like an arm: *the arm of my coat/of the chair/of a record player* | *a long narrow arm of the sea* **3** a part or division of a group, especially of the military forces: *the Fleet Air Arm* (=the branch of the British Navy that uses aircraft) | *the UK arm of an international corporation* | *the company's research arm* **4** keep someone at **arm's length** to keep a safe distance away from; avoid being friendly with someone ➔ see also ARMS, cost an arm and a leg (COST²), a shot in the arm (SHOT¹), twist someone's arm (TWIST¹)
—**-less** *adj*
**arm²** *v* [I;T(with)] to supply (oneself or others) with weapons or armour: *The crowd armed themselves with broken bottles.* | *The country armed (itself) in preparation for war.* ➔ opposite DISARM; see also ARMED, UNARMED
**Ar·ma·da, the** /ɑːˈmɑːdə||ɑːr-/ a collection of armed ships sent by Spain in 1588 against England but defeated by the English navy. The word is sometimes used to describe any large group of ships. ➔ see also DRAKE, Sir Francis; see picture on page A47
**ar·ma·dil·lo** /ˌɑːməˈdɪləʊ||ˌɑːr-/ *n* *pl.* **-los** a small animal which comes from the warm parts of the Americas, covered in hard bands of bonelike shell
**Ar·ma·ge·don** /ˌɑːməˈgedn||ˌɑːr-/ a great battle or war causing terrible destruction and bringing the end of the world (from the place, Armageddon, in the Bible, where it is said that a great battle will take place): *Millions of dollars were spent on bomb shelters ready for a nuclear Armageddon.*
**Ar·ma·gnac** /ˈɑːmənˌjæk||ˌɑːrmənˈjæk/ *trademark* a type of BRANDY (=a strong alcoholic drink) made in southwest France and usually drunk from a small glass after a meal
**Ar·ma·Lite** /ˈɑːməlaɪt||ˈɑːr-/ *trademark* a type of RIFLE (=a long gun) made by a US company and known in the UK for being used by the IRA, although ArmaLite did not supply the IRA. Members of the IRA sometimes used to say that their method of achieving their aims was 'the Armalite and the ballot box', meaning a combination of violent methods and normal political methods.
**ar·ma·ment** /ˈɑːməmənt||ˈɑːr-/ *n* **1** [C often pl.] the arms and other fighting equipment of an army, navy etc, or on a warship or military aircraft: *chemical armaments* | *the armaments industry* **2** [C often pl.] an armed force or the total armed forces of a country **3** [U] the act of preparing for war ➔ compare DISARMAMENT
**Ar·ma·ni, Gior·gio** /ɑːˈmɑni||ɑːr-, ˈdʒɔːdʒəʊ||ˈdʒɔːr-/ (1935–) an Italian fashion DESIGNER whose suits are expensive and very fashionable
**ar·ma·ture** /ˈɑːmətə||ˈɑr-/ *n* **1** the part of a GENERATOR (=a machine producing electricity) consisting of a piece of metal with wire wound around it, that goes round and round so as to produce electricity **2** a similar part in an electric motor that goes round and round so as to produce movement **3** a frame on which clay or other soft material can be put to make a figure or model
**arm·band** /ˈɑːmbænd||ˈɑːrm-/ *n* **1** a band of material worn