amiable

Pleasant; friendly.

amnesia

Loss of memory or a gap in one’s memory.

amuse-gueule

A small item of food served as an appetizer.

amusia

The inability to recognize, reproduce, or appreciate music.

anacronym

An acronym or abbreviation whose expansion is not widely known.

anastrophe

The inversion of the usual order of words.

anathematize

To denounce, condemn, or curse.

anemious

Growing in windy conditions.

anfractuous

Full of twists and turns.

angary or angaria

The right of a warring nation to seize the property, for example, ships, of a neutral country, provi...

anime

A style of animation originating in Japan, characterized by stylized

annelidous

Of or relating to worms.

antelucan

Before dawn.

antre

A cave, cavern, cavity, etc.

apanthropy

A desire to be away from people; a love of solitude.

Apgar or apgar

A method of assessing a newborn’s health. Also known as Apgar score.

aphrodisiac

Something, such as a food or drug, that increases sexual desire.

aphrodite

A beautiful woman.

Apollo

A strikingly handsome young man.

apothegm

A terse, witty, instructive saying.

applejohn or apple-john

One with a shriveled body and/or mind.

applesauce

Nonsense; lies.

appose

To place next to or side by side: to juxtapose.

approbation

Approval, praise, commendation, or official sanction.

aprosexia

The inability to concentrate.

aquaphobia

A fear of water, especially of drowning.

archaeolatry

Excessive reverence for the past: an earlier time, old customs, antiquity, etc.

Areopagus

A high court.

argent

Of the color silver or white.

aristology

The art of dining.

arithmomania

An obsessive preoccupation with numbers, calculations, and counting.

armipotent

Strong in war, battle, contest, etc.

aroha

Love, compassion, empathy, warmth of feeling.

Arrow-collar

Conventionally attractive and suave.

Artful Dodger

A nimble, cunning thief or a pickpocket.

arthroplasty

The surgical repair or replacement of a joint.

artsy-fartsy (also arty-farty)

Pretentiously artistic or sophisticated.