active adj. 1 doing things; able to do things; in the habit of doing things; energetic; characterized by activity: He's over 90 and not very active. | A boy with an active brain will be more successful than a dull doy. | Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano,is one that erupts.展开全文
accompaniment / n. [C] 1 sth that naturally or often goes with another thing: Disease is often an accompaniment of famine. 2 (music) (usu) instrumental part to support a voice, choir or solo instrument: a song with a piano accompaniment.展开全文
accessary / n. (pl -ries) pred adj. (US accessory(1)) (legal) person who helps in any acts, esp a crime: an accessary to a crime | He was made accessary to the crime. ~~ accessary before / after the fact, >> fact (1)展开全文
absolutely / adv. 1 completely: absolutely impossible | absolutely right. 2 unconditionally: He refused absolutely. 3 (colloq, in answer to a question, or as a comment) quite so; certainly. ~~ absolutism / n. (pol) absolute (2) government; despotism.展开全文
abnormal / adj. different, often in an undesirable way, from what is normal, ordinary or expected. ~~abnormally / adv. ~~abnormality / n. [U] quality of being abnormal; [C] (pl -ties) sth that is abnormal.展开全文
ablution / n (usu pl) (formal) ceremonial washing of the hands or the body, esp as an act of religion: perform one's ablutions, (often joc or fac) wash oneself.展开全文
abbey /n. (pl -beys) 1. building(s) in which men(monks) or women(nuns) live as a community in the service of God. 2. the whole number of monks or nuns in an abbey. 3. church or house which was once an abbey or part of an abbey. ~the Abbey, often used of Westminster Abbey, London.展开全文
