1) a,"the first letter of the english and of many other alphabets. the capital a of the alphabets of middle and western europe, as also the small letter (a), besides the forms in italic, black letter, etc., are all descended from the old latin a, which was borrowed from the greek alpha, of the same form; and this was made from the first letter (/) of the phoenician alphabet, the equivalent of the hebrew aleph, and itself from the egyptian origin. the aleph was a consonant letter, with a guttural breath sound that was not an element of greek articulation; and the greeks took it to represent their vowel alpha with the a sound, the phoenician alphabet having no vowel symbols.-the name of the sixth tone in the model major scale (that in c), or the first tone of the minor scale, which is named after it the scale in a minor. the second string of the violin is tuned to the a in the treble staff. -- a sharp (a/) is the name of a musical tone intermediate between a and b. -- a flat (a/) is the name of a tone intermediate between a and g.-an adjective, commonly called the indefinite article, and signifying one or any, but less emphatically.-in each; to or for each; as, ""twenty leagues a day"", ""a hundred pounds a year"", ""a dollar a yard"", etc.-in; on; at; by.-in process of; in the act of; into; to; -- used with verbal substantives in -ing which begin with a consonant. this is a shortened form of the preposition an (which was used before the vowel sound); as in a hunting, a building, a begging.-of.-a barbarous corruption of have, of he, and sometimes of it and of they.-an expletive, void of sense, to fill up the meter"

2) abbey,"a monastery or society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy; also, the monastic building or buildings.-the church of a monastery."

3) addition,"the act of adding two or more things together; -- opposed to subtraction or diminution.-anything added; increase; augmentation; as, a piazza is an addition to a building.-that part of arithmetic which treats of adding numbers.-a dot at the right side of a note as an indication that its sound is to be lengthened one half.-a title annexed to a man's name, to identify him more precisely; as, john doe, esq.; richard roe, gent.; robert dale, mason; thomas way, of new york; a mark of distinction; a title.-something added to a coat of arms, as a mark of honor; -- opposed to abatement."

4) adjacency,"the state of being adjacent or contiguous; contiguity; as, the adjacency of lands or buildings.-that which is adjacent."

5) admiralty,"the office or jurisdiction of an admiral.-the department or officers having authority over naval affairs generally.-the court which has jurisdiction of maritime questions and offenses.-the system of jurisprudence of admiralty courts.-the building in which the lords of the admiralty, in england, transact business."

6) aedile,"a magistrate in ancient rome, who had the superintendence of public buildings, highways, shows, etc.; hence, a municipal officer."

7) air stove,"a stove for heating a current of air which is directed against its surface by means of pipes, and then distributed through a building."

8) aisle,"a lateral division of a building, separated from the middle part, called the nave, by a row of columns or piers, which support the roof or an upper wall containing windows, called the clearstory wall.-improperly used also for the have; -- as in the phrases, a church with three aisles, the middle aisle.-also (perhaps from confusion with alley), a passage into which the pews of a church open."

9) alcove,"a recessed portion of a room, or a small room opening into a larger one; especially, a recess to contain a bed; a lateral recess in a library.-a small ornamental building with seats, or an arched seat, in a pleasure ground; a garden bower.-any natural recess analogous to an alcove or recess in an apartment."

10) ambulatory,"of or pertaining to walking; having the faculty of walking; formed or fitted for walking; as, an ambulatory animal.-accustomed to move from place to place; not stationary; movable; as, an ambulatory court, which exercises its jurisdiction in different places.-pertaining to a walk.-not yet fixed legally, or settled past alteration; alterable; as, the dispositions of a will are ambulatory until the death of the testator.-a place to walk in, whether in the open air, as the gallery of a cloister, or within a building."

11) amphitheatre,"an oval or circular building with rising tiers of seats about an open space called the arena.-anything resembling an amphitheater in form; as, a level surrounded by rising slopes or hills, or a rising gallery in a theater."

12) anchor,"a iron instrument which is attached to a ship by a cable (rope or chain), and which, being cast overboard, lays hold of the earth by a fluke or hook and thus retains the ship in a particular station.-any instrument or contrivance serving a purpose like that of a ship's anchor, as an arrangement of timber to hold a dam fast; a contrivance to hold the end of a bridge cable, or other similar part; a contrivance used by founders to hold the core of a mold in place.-fig.: that which gives stability or security; that on which we place dependence for safety.-an emblem of hope.-a metal tie holding adjoining parts of a building together.-carved work, somewhat resembling an anchor or arrowhead; -- a part of the ornaments of certain moldings. it is seen in the echinus, or egg-and-anchor (called also egg-and-dart, egg-and-tongue) ornament.-one of the anchor-shaped spicules of certain sponges; also, one of the calcareous spinules of certain holothurians, as in species of synapta.-to place at anchor; to secure by an anchor; as, to anchor a ship.-to fix or fasten; to fix in a stable condition; as, to anchor the cables of a suspension bridge.-to cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream.-to stop; to fix or rest.-an anchoret."

13) anemoscope,"an instrument which shows the direction of the wind; a wind vane; a weathercock; -- usually applied to a contrivance consisting of a vane above, connected in the building with a dial or index with pointers to show the changes of the wind."

14) annex,"to join or attach; usually to subjoin; to affix; to append; -- followed by to.-to join or add, as a smaller thing to a greater.-to attach or connect, as a consequence, condition, etc.; as, to annex a penalty to a prohibition, or punishment to guilt.-to join; to be united.-something annexed or appended; as, an additional stipulation to a writing, a subsidiary building to a main building; a wing."

15) apartment,"a room in a building; a division in a house, separated from others by partitions.-a set or suite of rooms.-a compartment."