I. ˈā noun
( plural a's or as also aes ˈāz)
Usage: often capitalized, often attributive
1.
a. : the first letter of the English alphabet
b. : an instance of this letter printed, written, or otherwise represented
c. : a speech counterpart of orthographic a (as the different a sounds in ape, pat, part )
mouthing out his hollow oes and aes — Alfred Tennyson
2.
a. : the keynote of A major or A minor
b. : the tone A
3. : a printer's type, a stamp, or some other instrument for reproducing the letter a
4. : someone or something arbitrarily or conveniently designated a, especially as the first in order or class
A deeded land to B
5.
a. : a grade assigned by a teacher or examiner rating a student's work as excellent, best, first, or superior in quality
receiving an A in a science course
b. : one graded or rated with an A
an A student
those student papers are A's
the movie was an A
6. : something having the shape of the capital letter A
•
- from A to Z
II. ə, esp emphatic or hesitating or after a pause (|)ā indefinite article
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ān one — more at one
1. — used as a function word before most singular nouns other than proper and mass nouns when the individual in question is undetermined, unidentified, or unspecified, especially when the individual is being first mentioned or called to notice
there was a tree in the field
a man walked past him
he bought a house, but this is not the house he bought
— used before words beginning with a consonant sound
a man
a union
a one
a heroic effort
and in some dialects also before words beginning with a vowel sound
a oak
a apron
— used with a plural noun only if few, very few, good many, or great many is interposed
a few hours
— used before adjectives modifying a noun to which it refers except that it follows many, such, what and any adjective or adjectives preceded by as or how, and usually follows any adjective or adjectives preceded by so or too
a long time
such a day
how good and brave a deed
too long a time
— compare an I
2.
a. — used as a function word before noun and adjective uses of such number collectives as dozen and score and before such words as hundred, thousand, and million
a gross of candles
a hundred and twenty men
a hundred and fifty thousand
b. — used as a function word before attributive adjectives expressing number to imply indefiniteness or approximation
a twenty men
a twelve hours
— now dialect except in constructions given in note following sense 1
a great many men
3.
a. : one
swords all of a length
men all of a sort
b. — used as a function word to suggest limitation in number
with only a brigade to defend the fort
c. : the same
birds of a feather
4.
a. : a particular illustration of : an example of (a named class)
he is a man
b. — used as a function word before a singular noun followed by a restrictive clause or other identifying modifier
a man who was here yesterday
c. : any , each — used with a following restrictive modifier
a man guilty of kidnaping wins scant sympathy
a man who is sick can't work well
d. — used as a function word before proper nouns to indicate lack of full knowledge concerning what is indicated by them
a Mr. Smith called you yesterday
among the towns of the area there is a Smithville, I believe
e. — used as a function word before proper nouns as a step in commonization, often to designate another having qualities like those of the person or thing named
a Shakespeare in his dramatic skill
a new Rome controlling the world
f. — used as a function word before a mass noun to suggest that a kind or type is under consideration
a tobacco that grows well in cold areas
a bronze made in ancient times
g. : an instance or case of
the patient later developed a tonsillitis
: a kind of
copper is a metal
h. — used as a function word with form plurals to suggest a unifying notion
a falls in the river
a glassworks
III. ə preposition
Etymology: Middle English a, o, from Old English a-, an, on — more at on
1. chiefly dialect : on I, in I, at I, to I
might get married a Christmas — J.H.Stuart
he that died a Wednesday — Shakespeare
2. : in, to, or for each : for every — used before words with an initial consonant sound
twice a week
two dollars a pound
IV. pronoun
or 'a in senses 1-3 ə, in sense 4 ə or (ˌ)ȧ
Etymology: in sense 1, from Middle English a, ha he, unstressed variant of he, from Old English hē; in sense 2, from Middle English a, ha, unstressed variant of heo, hie, hi, from Old English hēo, hīo, hī, feminine of hē; in sense 3, from Middle English a, ha, unstressed variant of hie, hi, from Old English hīe, hī, plural of hē; in sense 4, from Middle English a, ha, unstressed vars. of he, heo, used to refer to inanimate objects of masculine or feminine gender; in sense 5, variant of I — more at he , i
1. chiefly dialect : he ; sometimes : him — usually used in spoken English in unemphatic positions
2. dialect chiefly Britain : she ; sometimes : her
3. chiefly dialect : they ; sometimes : them
4. chiefly dialect : it
5. chiefly dialect : i
V. verb
also 'a or 'a' ə, (|)a ; or ha or ha' hə, (|)ha
Etymology: Middle English a, ha, contraction of have (imperative & present subjunctive), haven (infin.)
: have
God 'a' mercy on his soul — Shakespeare
I'd a done it if I could
— now usually used as an unstressed auxiliary; often attached without hyphen to the preceding word
could a
might a
would a
— not often in formal use
VI. ə preposition
Etymology: Middle English, contraction of of
: of
passing the time a day
get it out a my locker — James Jones
— often attached without hyphen to the preceding word
kind a
sort a
coupl a
lott a
— not often now in formal use
VII. adverb (or adjective)
or a' |ȯ
Etymology: Middle English (northern dialect) aw, alteration of all
chiefly Scotland : all
VIII. abbreviation
Usage: often capitalized
1. about
2. absent
3. absolute
4. academician; academy
5. acceleration
6. accepted
7. accommodation
8. ace
9. acre
10. act; acting; active; activity
11. adjective
12. adjutant
13. administration
14. adult
15. after
16. afternoon
17. age; aged
18. air
19. aircraft
20. airman
21. airplane
22. alto
23. amateur
24. American
25. ampere
26. amphibian; amphibious
27. amplitude
28. ana
29. angstrom unit
30. anna
31.
a.
[Latin anno, abl. of annus ]
in the year
b.
[Latin annus — more at annual ]
year
32. anode
33. anonymous
34. answer
35. ante
36. anterior
37. approved
38. aqua
39. arctic
40. are
41. area
42. army
43. article
44. artillery
45. asked
46. assist
47. associate; association
48. asymmetric
49. at
50. atom; atomic
51. atomic weight
52. Australian
53. author
54. automobile
55.
[French avancé, past participle of avancer to advance, be fast (used of a clock), from Old French avancier — more at advance ]
fast
IX. symbol
1. capitalized argon
2.
[Latin ad — more at at ]
at, to — often enclosed in an encircling loop
3. capitalized mass number
X. abbreviation
1. capitalized adenine
2. atto- herein