A

Ace. (including in card games)

Adjective

  1. Atom; atomic.

Origin

* (highest rank, grade, music): From the initial position of the letter A in the English alphabet. * (blood type): From A antigen

Derived

A-bomb

Character

  1. The first letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.
    • Apple starts with A.
    • Boxer could not get beyond the letter D. He would trace out A, B, C, D, in the dust with his great hoof […] - 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur...

Origin

From Middle English and Old English upper case letter A and split of Middle English and Old English upper case letter Æ. * The Old English letters A and Æ replaced the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letters ᚪ (a, “āc”) and ᚫ (æ, “æsc”), derived from the Runic letter ᚫ (a, “Ansuz”), in the 7th century.

Forms

a As A's ·

Related

A-frame ABC A.B.C. A to Z A wave letter A a B b C c D d E e F f G g H h I i

Derived

A-back A-B power A-B powering absey A-DNA A factor A final A formation A-League A-line A-Log antihemophilic factor A A number A number 1 Area A A-RNA A-road A road A-site A-tier ciclosporin A cluster A personality disorder diptoindonesin A double-A

Noun

  1. Ace. (including in card games)
  2. Acre.
  3. Adult; as used in film rating.
  4. Ammeter.
  5. Angstrom.
  6. Answer.
  7. An assist.
  8. Asexual.
  9. Arsehole.
  10. Atom.
    • A-bomb

Synonyms

Å

Numeral

  1. The first numeral symbol of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.
    • Item A is "foods", item B is "drinks".

Forms

a As A's ·

Symbol

  1. A rank, normally the highest rank, on any of various scales that assign letters.
    • We assign each item inspected a rating from A through G, depending on various factors.
    • In the UK, the highest social grade is A – upper middle class.
    • The only standard brassiere cup size smaller than the A cup is the AA cup.
  2. The highest letter grade assigned (disregarding plusses and minuses).
    • I was so happy to get an A on that test.
    • Darcy's pretty sharp. She pulls A's. - 1999, W. Peter Iliff, Varsity Blues, spoken by Mox (James Van Der Beek):
  3. A tone three fifths above C in the cycle of fifths; the sixth tone of the C major scale; the first note of the minor scale of A minor; the reference tone that occurs at exactly 440 Hz; the printed or written note A; the scale with A as its keynote.
    • Orchestras traditionally tune to a concert A.
  4. A blood type that has a specific antigen that aggravates the immune response in people with type B antigen in their blood. People with this blood type may receive blood from type A or type O but cannot receive blood from AB or B.
    • My blood type is A negative.
  5. Mass number.
  6. A universal affirmative suggestion.
  7. Abbreviation of adulterer or adulteress, used as a human brand.
    • Hester Prynne, the historical character in The Scarlet Letter, was exposed and convicted by neighborhood gossip. [...] Gossip continues to brand some young ladies in small towns with this symbolic letter, but in our...
  8. Allele dominant.
  9. Alternative spelling of A.M. and AM (“ante meridiem”).

Derived

A1 AA AAA A cup A game A-game A level A-list A team double A grade A triple A A minus A plus straight A's A-flat A major A-minor A-sharp concert A AB A negative A positive