3 DET You use a or an in front of an uncount noun when that noun follows an adjective, or when the noun is followed by words that describe it more fully. □ There was a terrible sadness in her eyes.
4 DET You use a or an in front of a mass noun when you want to refer to a single type or make of something. □ Bollinger 'RD' is a rare, highly prized wine.
5 DET You use a in quantifiers such as a lot , a little , and a bit . □ I spend a lot on expensive jewelry and clothing. □ I've come looking for a bit of advice.
6 DET You use a or an to refer to someone or something as a typical member of a group, class, or type. □ Some parents believe a boy must learn to stand up and fight like a man.
7 DET You use a or an in front of the names of days, months, or festivals when you are referring to one particular instance of that day, month, or festival. □ The interview took place on a Friday afternoon.
8 DET You use a or an when you are saying what someone is or what job they have. □ I explained that I was an artist. □ He was now a teacher and a respectable member of the community.
9 DET You use a or an in front of the names of artists to refer to one individual painting or sculpture created by them. □ Most people have very little difficulty in seeing why a Van Gogh is a work of genius.
10 DET You use a or an instead of the number 'one', especially with words of measurement such as 'hundred', 'hour', and 'metre', and with fractions such as 'half', 'quarter', and 'third'. □ …more than a thousand acres of land. □ …a quarter of an hour.
11 DET You use a or an in expressions such as eight hours a day to express a rate or ratio. □ Prices start at £13.95 a metre for printed cotton. □ The helicopter can zip along at about 150 kilometres an hour.
PREFIX a-
is added to the beginning of some adjectives in order to form adjectives that describe someone or something that does not have the feature or quality indicated by the original word. For example, an apolitical person is someone who is not interested in politics or who does not support any political party.
aah /ɑː / → see ah
A & E /e I ən iː / N‑UNCOUNT In Britain, A & E is the part of a hospital that deals with accidents and emergencies. A & E is an abbreviation for 'accident and emergency'. [BRIT ] in AM, use ER
AB /e I biː / (ABs ) N‑COUNT In some American universities, an AB is the same as a BA .
aback /əbæ k/ PHRASE If you are taken aback by something, you are surprised or shocked by it and you cannot respond at once. □ [+ by ] Roland was taken aback by our strength of feeling.
aba|cus /æ bəkəs/ (abacuses ) N‑COUNT An abacus is a frame used for counting. It has rods with sliding beads on them.
aba|lo|ne /æbəloʊ ni/ (abalones ) N‑VAR Abalone is a shellfish that you can eat and that has a shiny substance called mother-of-pearl inside its shell.
aban|don ◆◇◇ /əbæ ndən/ (abandons , abandoning , abandoned )
1 VERB If you abandon a place, thing, or person, you leave the place, thing, or person permanently or for a long time, especially when you should not do so. □ [V n] He claimed that his parents had abandoned him. □ [V -ed] The road is strewn with abandoned vehicles.
2 VERB If you abandon an activity or piece of work, you stop doing it before it is finished. □ [V n] The authorities have abandoned any attempt to distribute food.
3 VERB If you abandon an idea or way of thinking, you stop having that idea or thinking in that way. □ [V n] Logic had prevailed and he had abandoned the idea.
4 N‑UNCOUNT [usu with N ] If you say that someone does something with abandon , you mean that they behave in a wild, uncontrolled way and do not think or care about how they should behave. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He has spent money with gay abandon.
5 → see also abandoned
6 PHRASE If people abandon ship , they get off a ship because it is sinking.
aban|doned ◆◇◇ /əbæ ndənd/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] An abandoned place or building is no longer used or occupied. □ All that digging had left a network of abandoned mines and tunnels.
aban|don|ment /əbæ ndənmənt/
1 N‑UNCOUNT The abandonment of a place, thing, or person is the act of leaving it permanently or for a long time, especially when you should not do so. □ [+ of ] …memories of her father's complete abandonment of her.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The abandonment of a piece of work or activity is the act of stopping doing it before it is finished. □ [+ of ] Constant rain forced the abandonment of the next day's competitions.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The abandonment of an idea or way of thinking is the act of stopping having the idea or of stopping thinking in that way.
abashed /əbæ ʃt/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are abashed , you feel embarrassed and ashamed. [WRITTEN ] □ He looked abashed, uncomfortable.
abate /əbe I t/ (abates , abating , abated ) VERB If something bad or undesirable abates , it becomes much less strong or severe. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] The storms had abated by the time they rounded Cape Horn.
abate|ment /əbe I tmənt/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] Abatement means a reduction in the strength or power of something or the reduction of it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the abatement of carbon dioxide emissions. □ …noise abatement.