• AVACHAT
n. 1980s Aust. rhyming sl. – a chatterer
• AVA GARDNER
adj. 1983 Brit. sl. – avant-garde, innovative
• AVAILANT
adj. c1420 obs. rare – advantageous, profitable; of beneficial efficiency
• AVAL
adj. 1884 – relating to grandparents
• AVALANCHE
n. 1. 1859 Amer. dial. – a spring wagon
n. 2. 1871 Amer. jocular usage – an ambulance
• AVALANCHY
adj. 1894 – liable to descend in or be swept by an avalanche
• AVARITION
n. 1622 obs. rare – the quality of being avaricious; greediness of wealth
• AVAROUS
adj. 1303 obs. exc. Eng. dial. – avaricious, covetous, greedy
• AVAST!
int. 1942 Amer. dial. – hold it! stop!
• AVE
n. 1985 Amer. sl. – avenue
• ‘AVE A JEW BOY’S
n. 1910s sl. – weight (mispronunciation of ‘avoirdupois)
• AVELINGS
adj. 1849 Eng. dial. obs. – out of the perpendicular
adv. Bk1898 Eng. dial. obs. – in an oblong or oval shape
• AVELINS
n. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – refuse, the useless portion of any material; what is left over or rejected
• AVELONG
adj. 1. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – elliptical, oval; oblong
adj. 2. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – oblique, slanting
• AVE MARIA
n. L19 rhyming sl. – a domestic fire (pronunciation = Mar-eye-a)
• AVENANT
adj. 1. c1300 obs. – convenient, suitable, agreeable
adj. 2. 1340 obs. – handsome, comely, graceful; pleasant
n. c1400 obs. – that which suits one; convenience, purpose
• AVENLESS
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – awkward; shiftless, without any faculty for contriving
• AVENOODLES
n. M19 US sl. – the elite residents of New York City
• THE AVENUE
n. 1. 1940s US homosexual sl. – Fifth Avenue in New York
n. 2. 1966 US sl. – Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, California
• AVENUE TANK
n. 1940s US Harlem sl. – the double-decker buses on New York’s Fifth Avenue route
• AVER
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – peevish, fretful
n. 1. 1737 Sc. & N. Eng. dial. – a beast of burden; a horse, esp. a cart-horse, or worn-out, worthless animal
n. 2. Bk1898 Sc. – a stupid person
n. 3. 1931 Sc. – something of unusual size
• AVERAGE
adj. 1981 Aust. sl. – mediocre; not the best, just plain dreadful
• THE AVERAGE BEAR
n. 1980s US sl. – an average person
• AVERIL
n. 1721 Sc. obs. – April
• AVERING
n. B1912 sl. – obtaining money by hard-luck stories
• AVERISH
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – greedy, avaricious
• AVERN
adj. 1. 1809 Eng. dial. – uncouth in person, dress, and manners
adj. 2. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – filthy, squalid
• AVERNAL
adj. 1548 – hellish, infernal
• AVEROUS
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – avaricious
• AVERRUNCAL
adj. 1705 obs. rare – averting evil
• AVERSABLE
adj. 1663 obs. rare – abominable
• AVERSATE
vb. 1725 obs. rare – to turn away from, to regard with aversion, to reject
• AVERSATION
n. 1613 arch. – a great dislike for or turning away from anything; abhorrence, hatred, aversion
• AVES
adv. Bk1898 Ireland – perhaps, maybe, but
• AVGAS
n. 1990 US sl. – jet fuel
• AVIATE
vb. 1900 – to navigate the air in an aeroplane; to fly
• AVIATOR
n. 1. 1891 obs. – a flying-machine
n. 2. 1971 US sl. – a speeding driver
n. 3. 1971 US sl. – in trucking: a driver who drives very fast
n. 4. 1972 US police sl. – a police superior with no steady assignment who ‘flies’ from job to job filling in for others of his rank who are ill or on vacation
• AVIATRESS
n. 1910 – a female pilot of an aeroplane
• AVIATRICE
n. 1910 – a female pilot of an aeroplane
• AVIATRIX
n. 1927 – a female pilot of an aeroplane
• AVICULTURIST
n. 1904 – a bird-fancier
• AVIDIOUS
adj. 1534 rare – avid, ardently desirous, extremely eager, greedy
• AVIDULOUS
adj. 1731 obs. – somewhat greedy
• AVIETTE
n. 1912 – an engineless aeroplane or glider
• AVIGATE
vb. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – to travel in an airplane
• AVION
n. 1898 – a flying-machine, esp. a French aeroplane
• AVIS
adv. Bk1898 Ireland – perhaps, maybe, but
• AVISE
n. 1790 Sc. & Eng. dial. – advice, counsel; opinion
vb. 1894 Eng. dial. – to warn, to caution; to inform
• AVISED
adj. 1. 1813 – informed, aware of (Sc. & Eng. dial.)
adj. 2. 1877 – complexioned; featured (Eng. dial.)
• AVISEMENT
n. 1822 – advice (Sc. obs.)
• AVITOUS
adj. 1731 – ancient, of long standing; that which came to us by our ancestors, ancestral (obs.)
• AVO
n. 1980s – an avocado pear
• AVOCADOS
n. 1932 – a woman’s breasts (Amer. sl.)
• AVOID
adj. Bk1898 – empty, void (Eng. dial.)
• AVOIRDUPOIS
adj. 1875 – undecided; in doubt, wavering in one’s mind (Eng. dial.)
adv. Bk1898 – evenly balanced; straight, correct (Eng. dial.)
vb. Bk1898 – to consider, to weigh mentally; to be in doubt (Eng. dial.)
• AVOIRDUPOIS-MAN
n. 18C – a thief of brass weights from shop counters; his profession was known as the ‘avoirdupois lay’ (sl.)
• AVOUTER
n. 1382 – an adulterer (obs.)
• AVOUTERER
n. c1370 obs. – an adulterer
• AVOUTRE
vb. c1400 obs. – to commit or practice adultery
• AVOUTRESSE
n. 1382 obs. – an adulteress
• AVOWTER
n. c1370 obs. – an adulterer
• AVOWTRER
n. c1370 obs. – an adulterer
• AVOWTRESSE
n. 1382 obs. – an adulteress
• AVOY!
int. c1300 obs. – an exclamation of surprise, fear, or remonstrance
• AVRORE
adj. 1746 Eng. dial. – frozen, stiff with frost
• AVUNCULAR
adj. M19 – pert. to a pawnbroker
• AVUNCULIZE
vb. 1662 rare – to act like an uncle
• AVVIE
n. 1990s sl. – the afternoon
• AVVO
n. 1. 1930s sl., chiefly Aust. – afternoon
n. 2. 1930s sl., chiefly Aust. – afternoon tea
• AVVY
n. 1990s sl. – the afternoon
• AWA-AWA
phr. 1967 Hawaii – said of milk that’s just beginning to become sour
• AWAKE
adj. 1. Bk1890 sl. – knowing, acquainted with, aware of, or knowing what is going on
adj. 2. 1985 US sl. – sexually aroused
• AWAKED
adj. 1825 Eng. dial. – awake
• AWAKE TO
adj. 1954 Aust. sl. – aware of a secret plan, trick, deception or the like; aware of a person’s deceitful character or hidden agenda
• AWAKE-UP
adj. 1916 Aust. sl. – alert, knowing, wise to
• AWANTING
adj. 1881 Sc. – wanting, missing
• AWASH
adj. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – drunk
• AWAT
adj. 1871 Sc. – truly, indeed
• AWAY
adj. 1. 1818 Sc. & Eng. dial. – mad, crazy; unconscious; dead
adj. 2. L19 sl. – escaped from prison or police cells
adj. 3. L19 sl. – dead
adj. 4. 1909 Brit. euphemism – in prison
adj. 5. 1960s sl. – emotionally satisfied, usually when intoxicated with drugs or drink
adj. 6. 1965 Barbados – overseas
adj. 7. 1976 US sl. – in bar dice games: counting for nothing
adj. 8. 1990s sl. – successful, as in a seduction
• AWAY AND CLAW MOULD ON YOURSELF!
int. 20C Ulster sl. – an exclamation of dismissal
• AWAY-DAY
n. BK2007 UK sl. – a single dose of LSD or another hallucinogenic drug
• AWAYDAY GIRL
n. 1990s sl. – a prostitute who lives outside London and commutes in to pick up clients in the metropolis
• AWAY FROM HOME
adj. 1990s sl. – of a sexual relationship: illicit, adulterous
• AWAY-GOING
adj. 1808 Eng. dial. – departing, outgoing
n. Bk1898 Sc. – death
• AWAY IN THE HEAD
adj. 1894 colloq. – mad, out of one’s wits; also, in a drunken or drug-induced state
• AWAY IN THE MIND
adj. 1880 colloq. – mad, out of one’s wits; also, in a drunken or drug-induced state
• AWAY LAUGHING
adj. 1965 NZ sl. – in a good position, esp. when embarking on a new venture; achieving with ease
• AWAY ON A HACK
adj. 1930s Irish sl. – lucky, successful
• AWAY TO FUCK!
int. 20C sl. chiefly Sc. & Irish – an exclamation of dismissal
• AWAY TO HELL!
int. 20C sl. chiefly Sc. & Irish – an exclamation of dismissal
• AWAY TO THE HILLS
adj. 20C Irish sl. – mentally unbalanced
• AWAY WITH
vb.1864 Eng. dial. – to endure, to put up with
• AWAY WITH THE BAND
• adj. 20C Ulster sl. – drunk
• AWAY WITH THE BIRDIES
adj. Bk1999 sl. – in another world, daydreaming, intoxicated
• AWAY WITH THE FAIRIES
adj. 1. 1996 Ireland sl. – day-dreaming, possibly drug-intoxicated, mentally deranged
adj. 2. 20C sl., orig. Irish – out of this world
• AWAY WITH THE PIXIES
adj. Bk1999 sl. – in another world, daydreaming, intoxicated
• AWEARY
adj. 1552 – tired, weary, fatigued
• AWE-BAND
n. 1531 Sc. obs. – a check, restraint
• AWE-BOUND
adj. 1631 obs. or Eng. dial. – under restraint or discipline so as to be orderly, obedient; bound by authority; held in check or submissiveness by awe or fear mingled with reverence or respect
• AWEBUND
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – under restraint or discipline; submissive to authority
• AWECCHE
vb. 1. a1000 obs. – to arouse from sleep, a swoon, a faint, etc.; to wake someone up; to wake up, to regain consciousness
vb. 2. a1000 obs. – to rouse, to provoke, to inspire a person to a feeling or action; to stir the heart or awaken the mind
• AWED
adj. a1656 obs. – feared, dreaded, revered
• AWEDDE
adj. a1000 obs. – overcome with anger, madness, or distress; insane, mentally disturbed
• AWEDE
vb. 1. a1000 obs. – to be overcome with anger, madness, or distress; to lose control of one’s senses; to rave
vb. 2. a1000 obs. – of a natural force or agent, a disease, etc.: to be violent or intense; to rage
• AWEE
adv. 1. 1818 Sc. – for a little while
adv. 2. 1917 Sc. – for a short distance
• AWEEL!
int. 1817 Sc. – ah well! well then!
• AWEEN
vb. a1275 obs. – to think, to suppose, to believe something to be the case
• AWEIGH
vb. 1. a1000 obs. – to move someone or something by lifting up or carrying away, esp. to carry off, to remove
vb. 2. a1000 obs. – to weigh something; also, to consider, to ponder, to examine
• AWELD
vb. 1. c1175 obs. – to rule or reign over a people or place; to govern; to be in command of someone or something
vb. 2. c1175 obs. – to overcome, to subdue, to defeat someone or something
vb. 3. c1225 obs. – to exert an influence over or shape the actions of a person; to win someone over; to prevail upon, to persuade
vb. 4. c1275 obs. – to direct or control something; to wield a weapon
• AWELESS
adj. 1. c1400 – fearless, bold, courageous
adj. 2. 1440 – lacking any feeling of wonder or reverence; showing a lack of reverence or respect
adj. 3. 1977 – unremarkable, uninspiring; not outstanding in any way
• AWEM
vb. 1. a1000 obs. – to corrupt or defile someone or something
vb. 2. c1275 obs. – to pollute or impair physically; to damage; to injure
• AWEND
vb. 1. a1000 obs. – to turn something in a certain direction; to change the position or orientation of something; to move
vb. 2. a1000 obs. – to go away, to depart
vb. 3. a1000 obs. – to avert, to ward off something undesirable
vb. 4. a1000 obs. – to make something different in some particular; to change, to alter
• AWERDENTY
n. 1850 Amer. dial. – strong drink, often whisky, brandy
• AWESOME
adj. 1. 1817 Sc. & Eng. dial. – awful, appalling, terrifying
adj. 2. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – susceptible to fear, terrified
adj. 3. 1975 US sl. – exceptionally good; wonderful; great, excellent
adv. 1895 Sc. – very, exceedingly, extremely
int. 1984 colloq. – expressing enthusiastic approval; excellent, fantastic, amazing
• AWESOMENESS
n. 1998 colloq. – the quality of being extremely good or enjoyable; excellence
• AWESOMESAUCE
adj. 2001 colloq. – extremely good; excellent
• AWESTE
vb. a1000 obs. – to destroy something; to lay waste to a country, town, etc.
• AWESTELL
prep. a1558 Sc. obs. – at, in, or to the west of
• AWE-STRIKE
vb. 1757 – to render a person awestruck; to deeply impress, to astound
• AWF
n. 1. 1750 Eng. dial. – a foolish person, a simpleton
n. 2. 1790 Eng. dial. – an elf, a fairy
• AWFISH
adv. 1790 Eng. dial. – slightly unwell, out of sorts
• AWF-STRUCKEN
adj. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – silly, dull, stupid, clownish, mischievous
• AWFU
adj. 1990s US college sl. – unpleasant
• AWFUCK DISEASE
n. 2001 US sl. – the sense of dread that you feel the morning after doing something that you, upon reflection, wished you had not done
• AWFUL
adj. 1. 1597 obs. – demonstrating profound reverence or respect; done or performed respectfully or with great reverence
adj. 2. 1608 obs. – frightened or apprehensive of doing something
adj. 3. c1786 colloq. – frightful, offensive, exceedingly bad or inferior; unpleasant; terrible
adj. 4. 1815 Amer. sl. – disagreeable; ugly
adj. 5. 1818 colloq. – great or remarkable in degree, quality, duration, etc.
adj. 6. 1843 – excellent; first-rate, tremendous, good
adv. 1818 colloq. – exceedingly; very
n. M19 sl. – a ‘blood-and-thunder’ romance; a ‘penny dreadful’
• AWFUL DOOM
n. 1900s Aust. rhyming sl. – room, i.e. space
• AWFUL GOOD
adj. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – excellent; first-rate
• AWFULIZE
vb. 1. 1931 rare – to class as awful or terrible
vb. 2. 1974 – to interpret a situation as having the worst possible outcome, especially habitually
• AWFULLEST
adj. 1931 Amer. dial. – best
• AWFUL LOT
n. 1877 colloq. – a very large amount, a great deal
• AWFULLY
adv. 1830 sl. – very, exceedingly, extremely
• AWFULLY LOT
n. 1945 Amer. dial. – a great deal, a large amount
• AWFULNESS
n. 1. a1400 obs. – an act, deed, etc. that fills or inspires others with awe
n. 2. 1600 arch. – a striking awe into someone, esp. of filling an onlooker with awe or dread
• AN AWFUL WAY TO RUN A RAILROAD
phr. 1980s sl. – not the best way to do something
• AWFY
adv. 1816 Sc. & Eng. dial. – very, exceedingly, extremely
• AWHAPE
vb. c1300 obs. – to amaze, to stupefy with fear, to terrify, to confound utterly
• AWHEEL
adv. 1888 – on a cycle, cycling
• A-WHEELS
adv. a1637 obs. – on wheels
• AWHENE
vb. c1000 obs. – to vex, to trouble
• AWHERF
vb. a1000 obs. – to turn away, to turn round
• AWHILE NOW
adv. 1935 Amer. dial. – at once, immediately
• A-WHILES
adv. 1546 obs. – at times
• AWHILST
prep. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – until
• A-WHIR
adv. 1865 – in a whir, whirring
• A-WHUMMIL
adv. Bk1898 Sc. – turned upside down; applied to a vessel which lies bottom upwards
• AWHUMMLE
adv. 1923 Sc. – turned over or upside down
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Updated: September 5, 2022
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