a , an
A or an is the indefinite article. It is used at the beginning of noun groups which refer to only one person or thing. The form an is used in front of words that begin with vowel sounds.
1 det You use a or an when you are referring to someone or something for the first time or when people may not know which particular person or thing you are talking about.
DET sing-n
A waiter entered with a tray..., He started eating an apple..., Today you've got a new teacher taking you..., I manage a hotel.
2 det You use a or an when you are referring to any person or thing of a particular type and do not want to be specific.
DET sing-n
I suggest you leave it to an expert..., Bring a sleeping bag..., I was waiting for a bus.
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.
DET n-uncount with supp
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.
DET n-mass
Bollinger `RD' is a rare, highly prized wine.
5 det You use a in quantifiers such as a lot, a little, and a bit.
DET in quant
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.
DET sing-n
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.
DET sing-n
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.
DET sing-n
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.
DET n-proper
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'.
DET sing-n
...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. num DET sing-n Prices start at £13.95 a metre for printed cotton..., The helicopter can zip along at about 150 kilometres an hour.
A, a (A's, a's plural )
1 n-var A is the first letter of the English alphabet.
2 n-var In music, A is the sixth note in the scale of C major.
3 n-var If you get an A as a mark for a piece of work or in an exam, your work is extremely good.
4 A or a is used as an abbreviation for words beginning with a, such as `acceleration', `ampère', or `answer'.
5 People talk about getting from A to B when they are referring generally to journeys they need to make, without saying where the journeys will take them.
from A to B phrase PHR after v
Cars are for getting people from A to B in maximum safety.
A & E 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) n-uncount
in AM, use ER
A-bomb (A-bombs plural )An A-bomb is an atomic bomb. n-count
à la
If you do something à la a particular person, you do it in the same style or in the same way that they would do it. prep-phrase PREP n-proper
...a crisp, tailored dress à la Audrey Hepburn.
à la carte
An à la carte menu in a restaurant offers you a choice of individually priced dishes for each course. adj ADJ n
You could choose as much or as little as you wanted from an à la carte menu.
à la carte is also an adverb., adv ADV after v
A set meal is £26, or you can eat à la carte.
A level (A levels plural )A levels are British educational qualifications which schoolchildren take when they are seventeen or eighteen years old. People usually need A levels if they want to go to university in Britain. n-var
He left school with four A levels...
A-road (A-roads plural )In some countries, an A-road is a major road. A-roads are narrower than motorways but are wider and straighter than B-roads. n-count
A-side (A-sides plural )The A-side of a record that has been released as a single is the main song on it. You can also refer to the side of the record that contains this song as the A-side. Compare B-side. n-count
A to Z (A to Zs plural )
1 n-count An A to Z is a book of maps showing all the streets and roads in a particular city and its surrounding towns.
(BRIT) ®
2 n-sing An A to Zof a particular subject is a book or programme which gives information on all aspects of it, arranging it in alphabetical order.
usu N of n
An A to Z of careers gives helpful information about courses.
D.A. (D.A.s plural )A D.A. is a District Attorney.
(AM) n-count
N.A. , n/a N.A. is a written abbreviation for not applicable or not available. convention
pied-à-terre (pieds-à-terre plural )A pied-à-terre is a small house or flat, especially in a town, which you own or rent but only use occasionally. n-count
Q & A , Q and A Q & A is a situation in which a person or group of people asks questions and another person or group of people answers them. Q & A is short for `question and answer'. n-uncount oft N n
...a Q & A session with a prominent politician.
vis-à-vis
You use vis-à-vis when you are considering a relationship or comparison between two things or quantities.
FORMAL prep
Each currency is given a value vis-à-vis the other currencies.