<B>acquired character</B> or <B>characteristic,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a change of structure or of function in a plant or animal as a result of use or disuse or in response to the environment. An acquired character cannot be inherited. </DL>
<A NAME="acquirement">
<B>acquirement, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of acquiring; gaining or getting as one's own. <BR> <I>Ex. The acquirement of wealth is one aim of being in business.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>something acquired; an accomplishment; attainment. <BR> <I>Ex. Her musical acquirements are unusual for a girl of her age.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acquisition">
<B>acquisition, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the act of acquiring or getting as one's own. <BR> <I>Ex. He spent hundreds of hours in the acquisition of skill at the piano. With the acquisition of 19 rare specimens, the collection is unmatched.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a thing acquired or gained; an addition. <BR> <I>Ex. The museum's latest acquisition is a painting by Rubens.</I> (SYN) gain. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to acquire. <BR> <I>Ex. ... a pencil stub that I'd recently acquisitioned from a desk drawer (J. D. Salinger).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acquisitive">
<B>acquisitive, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>fond of acquiring; eager to get (money, goods, ideas, etc.); greedy. <BR> <I>Ex. Misers are acquisitive. As a man steeped in the civilized traditions of the West, he knew that there must be rational limits put upon the acquisitive and possessive instincts (Atlantic).</I> (SYN) avid, covetous. <DD><B> 2. </B>likely to get and keep. <BR> <I>Ex. A great scholar is acquisitive of ideas.</I> adv. <B>acquisitively.</B> noun <B>acquisitiveness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="acquit">
<B>acquit, </B>transitive verb, <B>-quitted,</B> <B>-quitting.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to declare (a person) not guilty (of an offense); set free after considering evidence. <BR> <I>Ex. The man accused of stealing the money was acquitted.</I> (SYN) clear, exonerate, exculpate. <DD><B> 2. </B>to pay off or settle (a debt or claim). <DD><B> 3. </B>(Archaic.) to set free or release (from a duty or obligation). <BR><I>expr. <B>acquit oneself,</B> </I>to do one's part; behave oneself; conduct oneself. <BR> <I>Ex. The soldiers acquitted themselves bravely in battle.</I> noun <B>acquitter.</B> </DL>
<B>acquittal, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of setting free by declaring not guilty; discharge; release. <BR> <I>Ex. The jury brought in a verdict of acquittal.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>performance (of a duty or obligation). </DL>
<A NAME="acquittance">
<B>acquittance, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a written release from a debt or obligation. <DD><B> 2. </B>the payment of a debt; settlement of a claim. <DD><B> 3. </B>a written statement showing that a debt has been paid; receipt for the full amount. </DL>
<A NAME="acraldehyde">
<B>acraldehyde, </B>noun. =acrolein.</DL>
<A NAME="acranial">
<B>acranial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having no skull. </DL>
<A NAME="acrasin">
<B>acrasin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a substance produced by certain amebas as an attractant, causing a group of amebas to aggregate. </DL>
<A NAME="acrawl">
<B>acrawl, </B>adverb, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> crawling; swarming. <BR> <I>Ex. ... acrawl with Siamese cats and intellectual gentility (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acre">
<B>acre, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a measure of land, 160 square rods, 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet, or 4,047 square meters. <DD><B> 2. </B>a field (obsolete except in <I>God's acre</I>). <BR><I>expr. <B>acres,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>lands; property. </I> <I>Ex. broad acres.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>(Informal.) large quantities. <BR> <I>Ex. acres of money.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acreage">
<B>acreage, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>number of acres; extent in acres. <BR> <I>Ex. The acreage of this park is over 800.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(U.S.) a piece of land sold by the acre. </DL>
<A NAME="acred">
<B>acred, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having acres; landed (used chiefly in compounds). </DL>
<A NAME="acrefoot">
<B>acre-foot, </B>noun, pl. <B>-feet.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a unit of measure of the volume of water in irrigation, equal to an acre of water one foot deep; 43,560 cubic feet or 1,233.5 cubic meters. </DL>
<A NAME="acreinch">
<B>acre-inch, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 3,630 cubic feet or 102.79 cubic meters; 1/12 of an acre-foot. </DL>
<A NAME="acres">
<B>acres, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>acre.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="acrid">
<B>acrid, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>sharp, bitter, or stinging to the taste, or to the nose, eyes, or skin. <BR> <I>Ex. Smoke feels acrid in your nose.</I> (SYN) irritating, corrosive, pungent. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) irritating in manner; sharp in temper. <BR> <I>Ex. The quarrelsome old man had an acrid disposition.</I> (SYN) caustic, acrimonious. adv. <B>acridly.</B> noun <B>acridness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="acridine">
<B>acridine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a colorless, crystalline compound, obtained from coal tar, used in the synthesis of certain dyes and drugs and as a reagent. </DL>
<B>acridology, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the study of locusts. </DL>
<A NAME="acriflavine">
<B>acriflavine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a reddish-yellow powder obtained from acridine, used in solution as an antiseptic and disinfectant. </DL>
<A NAME="acrilan">
<B>Acrilan, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Trademark.) a synthetic fiber produced from acrylonitrile. It somewhat resembles wool in texture and resists wrinkling. </DL>
<A NAME="acrimonious">
<B>acrimonious, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> sharp or bitter in temper, language, or manner; caustic. <BR> <I>Ex. An acrimonious dispute broke out between the drivers who had the accident. Our interlocutors were never arrogant or acrimonious, but earnestly inquiring, seeking patiently to understand another point of view (Harper's).</I> (SYN) acrid, biting. adv. <B>acrimoniously.</B> noun <B>acrimoniousness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="acrimony">
<B>acrimony, </B>noun, pl. <B>-nies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> sharpness or bitterness in temper, language, or manner; acrid quality. (SYN) acerbity, asperity. </DL>
<A NAME="acritical">
<B>acritical, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> not critical. <BR> <I>Ex. acritical symptoms, an acritical disease.</I> adv. <B>acritically.</B> </DL>
<B>acrobat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who can swing on a trapeze, turn handsprings, walk a tightrope, or do other feats of bodily skill and strength; one highly skilled in gymnastic feats, such as tumbling. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a daring performer. </DL>
<A NAME="acrobatic">
<B>acrobatic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of an acrobat. <BR> <I>Ex. Walking a tightrope is an acrobatic feat.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) like an acrobat's. <BR> <I>Ex. With an acrobatic leap, he picked the apple off the tree.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>of acrobatics. adv. <B>acrobatically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="acrobatics">
<B>acrobatics, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the tricks or performances of an acrobat; gymnastic feats. <BR> <I>Ex. the acrobatics of a tumbler.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) feats like those of an acrobat. <BR> <I>Ex. The children were delighted by the monkey's acrobatics.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>stunt flying. <DD><B> 4. </B>the art or skill of an acrobat. </DL>
<A NAME="acrobatism">
<B>acrobatism, </B>noun. =acrobatics.</DL>
<A NAME="acroblast">
<B>acroblast, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the structure that forms the acrosome in spermatogenesis. </DL>
<A NAME="acrocarpous">
<B>acrocarpous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> producing fruit at the end or top of the main stem, as certain mosses do. </DL>
<A NAME="acrocentric">
<B>acrocentric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having a centromere near one end. <BR> <I>Ex. an acrocentric chromosome.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acrocephalic">
<B>acrocephalic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or characterized by acrocephaly. <DD><I>noun </I> an acrocephalic person. </DL>
<B>acrocephaly, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a deformity of the head characterized by a skull that tapers upward to a point. </DL>
<A NAME="acrodont">
<B>acrodont, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>attached by the base to the edge of the jawbone, without sockets. <BR> <I>Ex. acrodont teeth.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having teeth so attached. <DD><I>noun </I> an acrodont animal. Some lizards are acrodonts. </DL>
<A NAME="acrodrome">
<B>acrodrome, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having the main veins coming together and uniting at the tip of the leaf. <BR> <I>Ex. an acrodrome plant.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acrodromous">
<B>acrodromous, </B>adjective. =acrodrome.</DL>
<A NAME="acrodynia">
<B>acrodynia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a disease, especially of very young children, characterized by abnormal redness of the skin and lesions on the handsand feet. <BR> <I>Ex. Too much mercury, for example, results in a condition called acrodynia, which killed many babies before its secret was discovered (New Scientist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acrogen">
<B>acrogen, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a plant growing only at the apex, such as the ferns and mosses. </DL>
<A NAME="acrogenic">
<B>acrogenic, </B>adjective. =acrogenous.</DL>
<A NAME="acrogenous">
<B>acrogenous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>growing from the top or by terminal buds only, as the ferns and mosses do. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with the acrogens. adv. <B>acrogenously.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="acrolein">
<B>acrolein, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a colorless liquid with an irritating odor, used in chemical warfare as a tear gas; acraldehyde. <BR> <I>Ex. Research programs have been undertaken to try to find the substance in smog that causes eye irritation. Such suspects as acrolein, hydrogen persulfide, elemental sulfur, and mineral oil droplets have been squirted at volunteer martyrs to science (Science News Letter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acrolith">
<B>acrolith, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an ancient Greek statue with a stone or marble head, legs, and arms, but a wooden body. </DL>
