n. 1. a class mail comprising letters, postcards, and other mail sealed against inspection, having a higher priority than second, third, or fourth-class mail; -- it is the highest class of mail not handled in a special manner, as is registered or priority mail.
Syn. -- first-class, first-class mail, 1st-class mail [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an organization with headquarters in Washington, D.C. Its goal is to advance the physical and social sciences, and it publishes a weekly journal Science, with original research articles as well as reviews and commentary. [ Acronym. ]
Syn. -- American Association for the Advancement of Science. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. an associate degree conferred for successful studies in applied science. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. a loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth; worn by Arabs. overgarment, outer garment [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abased p. pr. & vb. n. Abasing. ] [ F. abaisser, LL. abassare, abbassare ; ad + bassare, fr. bassus low. See Base, a. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To lower or depress; to throw or cast down; as, to abase the eye. [ Archaic ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Saying so, he abased his lance. Shelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cast down or reduce low or lower, as in rank, office, condition in life, or estimation of worthiness; to depress; to humble; to degrade. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased. Luke xiv. ll. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To Abase, Debase, Degrade. These words agree in the idea of bringing down from a higher to a lower state. Abase has reference to a bringing down in condition or feelings; as, to abase the proud, to abase one's self before God. Debase has reference to the bringing down of a thing in purity, or making it base. It is, therefore, always used in a bad sense, as, to debase the coin of the kingdom, to debase the mind by vicious indulgence, to debase one's style by coarse or vulgar expressions. Degrade has reference to a bringing down from some higher grade or from some standard. Thus, a priest is degraded from the clerical office. When used in a moral sense, it denotes a bringing down in character and just estimation; as, degraded by intemperance, a degrading employment, etc. “Art is degraded when it is regarded only as a trade.” [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Lowered; humbled. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) [ F. abaissé. ] Borne lower than usual, as a fess; also, having the ends of the wings turned downward towards the point of the shield. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Abjectly; downcastly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. abaissement. ] The act of abasing, humbling, or bringing low; the state of being abased or humbled; humiliation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. He who, or that which, abases. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abashed p. pr. & vb. n. Abashing. ] [ OE. abaissen, abaisshen, abashen, OF. esbahir, F. ébahir, to astonish, fr. L. ex + the interjection bah, expressing astonishment. In OE. somewhat confused with abase. Cf. Finish. ] To destroy the self-possession of; to confuse or confound, as by exciting suddenly a consciousness of guilt, mistake, or inferiority; to put to shame; to disconcert; to discomfit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abashed, the devil stood,
And felt how awful goodness is. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was a man whom no check could abash. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To confuse; confound; disconcert; shame. -- To Abash, Confuse, Confound. Abash is a stronger word than confuse, but not so strong as confound. We are abashed when struck either with sudden shame or with a humbling sense of inferiority; as, Peter was abashed by the look of his Master. So a modest youth is abashed in the presence of those who are greatly his superiors. We are confused when, from some unexpected or startling occurrence, we lose clearness of thought and self-possession. Thus, a witness is often confused by a severe cross-examination; a timid person is apt to be confused in entering a room full of strangers. We are confounded when our minds are overwhelmed, as it were, by something wholly unexpected, amazing, dreadful, etc., so that we have nothing to say. Thus, a criminal is usually confounded at the discovery of his guilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Satan stood
Awhile as mute, confounded what to say. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an abashed manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. ébahissement. ] The state of being abashed; confusion from shame. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL.; Gr. 'a- not + ba`sis a step. ] (Med.) Inability to coordinate muscular actions properly in walking. AS [ archaic ] -- A*ba"sic a. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

{ ‖‖ } n. [ Ar. & Per. abāsī, belonging to Abas (a king of Persia). ] A silver coin of Persia, worth about twenty cents. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; growth. ] (Biol.) Non-germinal. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖‖ } n. [ NL., fr. L. ab + omasum (a Celtic word). ] (Anat.) The fourth or digestive stomach of a ruminant, which leads from the third stomach omasum. See Ruminantia. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abrasus, p. p. of abradere. See Abrade. ] Rubbed smooth. [ Obs. ] “An abrase table.” B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abrasio, fr. abradere. See Abrade. ] 1. The act of abrading, wearing, or rubbing off; the wearing away by friction; as, the abrasion of coins. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The substance rubbed off. Berkeley. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Med.) (a) A superficial excoriation of skin or mucous membranes. AS (b) Erosion of the tooth substance AS [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Producing abrasion. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ A name adopted by the Egyptian Gnostic Basilides, containing the Greek letters α, β, ρ, α, ξ, α, σ, which, as numerals, amounted to 365. It was used to signify the supreme deity as ruler of the 365 heavens of his system. ] A mystical word used as a charm and engraved on gems among the ancients; also, a gem stone thus engraved. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + breast. ] 1. Side by side, with breasts in a line; as, “Two men could hardly walk abreast.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) Side by side; also, opposite; over against; on a line with the vessel's beam; -- with of. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Up to a certain level or line; equally advanced; as, to keep abreast of [ or with ] the present state of science. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. At the same time; simultaneously. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Abreast therewith began a convocation. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ See Accost, Coast. ] To lie or sail along the coast or side of; to accost. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Whether high towering or accoasting low. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. an enzyme which exists in nerve cells and hydrolyses acetylcholine into choline and acetic acid. It is essential for neurotransmission at autonomous synapses and neuromuscular junctions, and its inhibition by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can paralyze or kill an animal.
Syn. -- ACE [ PJC ]

n. (Med.) A skeletal disorder beginning before birth; cartilage is converted to bone resulting in dwarfism. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. (Med.) of or pertaining to achondroplasia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

prop. n. A genus of tropical trees having papery leaves and large fruit.
Syn. -- genus Achras [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. 1. to wash (blue jeans) in acid, so as to cause the color to fade. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_;, dim. &unr_; dart. ] (Zool.) Anciently, a snake, called dart snake; now, one of a genus of reptiles closely allied to the lizards. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; border. ] (Zool.) A group of acalephs, including most of the larger jellyfishes; the Discophora. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ n. [ Gr. akrasia. ] Excess; intemperance. [ Obs. except in Med. ] Farindon. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } v. t. [ Pref. a- + crase; or cf. F. écraser to crush. See Crase, Craze. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To craze. [ Obs. ] Grafton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To impair; to destroy. [ Obs. ] Hacket. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 luna moths.
Syn. -- genus Actias [ WordNet 1.5 ]

[ Named from Thomas Addison, M. D., of London, who first described it. ] (Med.) A morbid condition causing a peculiar brownish discoloration of the skin, hypotension, and loss of weight; it is due to insufficient secretion of adrenocortical hormones. Untreated disease is usually fatal. Called also chronic adrenocortical insufficiency [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

‖n. [ Gr. &unr_; not manifest + &unr_; a star. ] (Bot.) A provisional name for a plant which has not had its flowers botanically examined, and therefore has not been referred to its proper genus. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. OF. amesurer, LL. admensurare. See Measure. ] 1. To measure. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) To determine the proper share of, or the proper apportionment; as, to admeasure dower; to admeasure common of pasture. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The measure of a thing; dimensions; size. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) Formerly, the adjustment of proportion, or ascertainment of shares, as of dower or pasture held in common. This was by writ of admeasurement, directed to the sheriff. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who admeasures. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. adnascens, p. pr. of adnasci to be born, grow. ] Growing to or on something else. “An adnascent plant.” Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. of or relating to the nations of Africa and Asia or their peoples. Afro-Asian population [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A throw of dice after the game in ended; hence, anything done too late. Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The grass that grows after the first crop has been mown; aftermath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A taste which remains in the mouth after eating or drinking. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. [ . a- + gasp. ] In a state of gasping. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. p. & a. See Aghast. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 giant hyssop; Mexican hyssop.
Syn. -- genus Agastache. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + gasth'r stomach. ] (Physiol.) Having to stomach, or distinct digestive canal, as the tapeworm. [ 1913 Webster ]

or v. t. To affright; to terrify. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. See Agast, v. t. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & p. p. [ OE. agast, agasted, p. p. of agasten to terrify, fr. AS. pref. ā- (cf. Goth. us-, G. er-, orig. meaning out) + g&unr_;stan to terrify, torment: cf. Goth. usgaisjan to terrify, primitively to fix, to root to the spot with terror; akin to L. haerere to stick fast, cling. See Gaze, Hesitate. ] Terrified; struck with amazement; showing signs of terror or horror. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aghast he waked; and, starting from his bed,
Cold sweat in clammy drops his limbs o'erspread. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

The commissioners read and stood aghast. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ Gr. &unr_; a willowlike tree, used at a religious festival; confused with &unr_; holy, chaste. ] (Bot.) A species of Vitex (Vitex agnus castus); the chaste tree. Loudon. [ 1913 Webster ]

And wreaths of agnus castus others bore. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

See under Gas. [ 1913 Webster ]