arcane
(adj.) obscure; secret; mysterious
With an arcane expression, the young boy left the family wondering what sort of mischief he had committed.
The wizard's description of his magic was purposefully arcane so that others would be unable to copy it.
archetype
(n.) original pattern or model; prototype
This man was the archetype for scores of fictional characters.
The scientist was careful with the archetype of her invention so that once manufacturing began, it would be easy to reproduce it.
ardent
(adj.) with passionate or intense feelings
The fans' ardent love of the game kept them returning to watch the terrible team.
arduous
(adj.) laborious, difficult; strenuous
Completing the plans for the new building proved to be an arduous affair.
Building a house is arduous work, but the result is well worth the labor.
arid
(adj.) extremely dry, parched; barren, unimaginative
The terrain was so arid that not one species of plant could survive.
Their thirst became worse due to the arid condition of the desert.
aromatic
(adj.) having a smell which is sweet or spicy
The aromatic smell coming from the oven made the man's mouth water.
arrogant
(adj.) acting superior to others; conceited
After purchasing his new, expensive sports car, the arrogant doctor refused to allow anyone to ride with him to the country club.
arrogate
(v.) to claim or demand unduly
The teenager arrogated that he should be able to use his parent's car whenever he desired.
articulate
(v.; adj.) to utter clearly and distinctly; clear, distinct; expressed with clarity; skillful with words
It's even more important to articulate your words when you're on the phone.
You didn't have to vote for him to agree that Adlai Stevenson was articulate.
A salesperson must be articulate when speaking to a customer.
artifice
(n.) skill in a craft
The artifice of glass-making takes many years of practice.
ascetic
(n.; adj.) one who leads a simple life of self-denial; rigorously abstinent
The monastery is filled with ascetics who have devoted their lives to religion.
The nuns lead an ascetic life devoted to the Lord.
aseptic
(adj.) germ free
It is necessary for an operating room to be aseptic.
askance
(adv.) a sideways glance of disapproval
The look askance proved the guard suspected some wrongdoing.
asperity
(n.) harshness
The man used asperity to frighten the girl out of going.
The asperity of the winter had most everybody yearning for spring.
aspersion
(n.) slanderous statement; a damaging or derogatory criticism
The aspersion damaged the credibility of the organization.
He blamed the loss of his job on an aspersion stated by his co-worker to his superior.
aspirant
(n.) a person who goes after high goals
The aspirant would not settle for assistant director--only the top job was good enough.
assay
(n.) to determine the quality of a substance.
Have the soil assayed.
assess
(v.) to estimate the value of
She assessed the possible rewards to see if the project was worth her time and effort.
assiduous
(adj.) carefully attentive; industrious
It is necessary to be assiduous if a person wishes to make the most of his time at work.
He enjoys having assiduous employees because he can explain a procedure once and have it performed correctly every time.
assuage
(v.) to relieve; ease; make less severe
Medication should assuage the pain.
The medication helped assuage the pain of the wound.
astringent
(n.; adj.) a substance that contracts bodily tissues; causing contraction; tightening; stern, austere
After the operation an astringent was used on his skin so that the stretched area would return to normal.
The downturn in sales caused the CEO to impose astringent measures.
Her astringent remarks at the podium would not soon be forgotten.
astute
(adj.) cunning; sly; crafty
The astute lawyer's questioning convinced the jury of the defendant's guilt.
atrophy
(v.; n.) to waste away, as from lack of use; to wither; failure to grow
A few months after he lost his ability to walk, his legs began to atrophy.
The atrophy of the muscles was due to the injury.
attenuate
(v.) to thin out; to weaken
Water is commonly used to attenuate strong chemicals.
The chemist attenuated the solution by adding water.
atypical
(adj.) something that is abnormal
The atypical behavior of the wild animal alarmed the hunters.
audacious
(adj.) fearless; bold
The audacious soldier went into battle without a shield.
augment
(v.) to increase or add to; to make larger
They needed more soup so they augmented the recipe.
They were able to augment their savings over a period of time.
august
(adj.) to be imposing or magnificent
The palace was august in gold and crystal.
auspicious
(adj.) being of a good omen; successful
It was auspicious that the sun shone on the first day of the trip.
The campaign had an auspicious start, foreshadowing the future.
austere
(adj.) having a stern look; having strict self-discipline
The old woman always has an austere look about her.
The austere teacher assigned five pages of homework each day.
authentic
(adj.) real; genuine; trustworthy
An authentic diamond will cut glass.
authoritarian
(n.; adj.) acting as a dictator; demanding obedience
The authoritarian made all of the rules but did none of the work.
Fidel Castro is reluctant to give up his authoritarian rule.
autocracy
(n.) an absolute monarchy; government where one person holds power
The autocracy was headed by a demanding man.
She was extremely power-hungry and therefore wanted her government to be an autocracy.
autocrat
(n.) an absolute ruler
The autocrat in charge of the government was a man of power and prestige.
The autocrat made every decision and divided the tasks among his subordinates.
avarice
(n.) inordinate desire for gaining and possessing wealth
The man's avarice for money kept him at work through the evenings and weekends.
The avarice of the president led to his downfall.
aver
(v.) to affirm as true
The witness was able to aver the identity of the defendant.
awry
(adj; adv.) crooked(ly); uneven(ly); wrong; askew
Hearing the explosion in the laboratory, the scientist realized the experiment had gone awry.
azure
(adj.) the clear blue color of the sky
The azure sky made the picnic day perfect.
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