<B>Alice-in-Wonderland, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) dreamlike; fantastic; unreal. <BR> <I>Ex. ... the Alice-in-Wonderland flavor of government proceedings (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="alicyclic">
<B>alicyclic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> (of certain organic compounds) reacting like fatty (aliphatic) compounds, but differing structurally in containing a carbon ring. <DD><I>noun </I> a group of organic compounds that have the principal carbon atoms arranged in closed ring structures. Most alicyclics are derived from petroleum or coal tar. </DL>
<A NAME="alid">
<B>Alid, </B>noun. <B>=Shiite.</B></DL>
<A NAME="alidad">
<B>alidad, </B>noun. <B>=alidade.</B></DL>
<A NAME="alidade">
<B>alidade, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a measuring instrument consisting of a sighting device, such as a telescope, attached to a straightedge, used especially in surveying, to make a map or a scale drawing of a given area. <DD><B> 2. </B>a similar device used in lookout towers to locate forest fires. </DL>
<A NAME="alien">
<B>alien, </B>noun, adjective, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a resident foreigner. Aliens are not citizens of the country in which they live, and therefore owe their loyalty to another country. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person belonging to a different ethnic or social group; stranger; foreigner. <DD><B> 3. </B>a person excluded. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of or by another country; foreign. <BR> <I>Ex. alien conquerors, alien domination. French is an alien language to Americans.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having the legal status of an alien. <BR> <I>Ex. an alien resident.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>entirely different from one's own; strange. <BR> <I>Ex. alien customs.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>not in agreement; opposed, adverse, or repugnant. <BR> <I>Ex. Unkindness is alien to her nature.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to alienate; transfer. <BR> <I>Ex. The executive ... could not alien any part of our territory (Thomas Jefferson).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="alienability">
<B>alienability, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality or state of being transferable. </DL>
<A NAME="alienable">
<B>alienable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be transferred to another owner. <BR> <I>Ex. alienable property.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="alienage">
<B>alienage, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the state of being an alien; the legal standing of an alien. <BR> <I>Ex. Exemption from military service ... on the ground of alienage (Abraham Lincoln).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="alienate">
<B>alienate, </B>transitive verb, <B>-ated,</B> <B>-ating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to turn away in feeling; turn from affection to indifference, dislike, or hatred; make unfriendly. <BR> <I>Ex. The American colonies were alienated from England by disputes over trade and taxation. He was allienated from his sister by her foolish acts. The cruelties of the terrorists, from which the Chinese were themselves the main sufferers, alienated public opinion (Atlantic).</I> (SYN) estrange. <DD><B> 2. </B>to transfer the ownership of (property, a property right, etc.) to another. <BR> <I>Ex. Enemy property was alienated during the war.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) to turn away; transfer. </DL>
<A NAME="alienation">
<B>alienation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a turning away in feeling or affection: <DD><B> a. </B>the act of alienating; making unfriendly. (SYN) estrangement. <DD><B> b. </B>the state of being alienated; not feeling interested in or involved with one's family, associates, or society. <BR> <I>Ex. The condition that sociologists call "alienation," the mass society in which the old securities vanish and the individual feels adrift in an alien world, are secular facts about which party programs do nothing (Harper's).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the transfer of the ownership of property to another. <DD><B> 3. </B>mental disease; insanity. </DL>
<A NAME="alienationofaffections">
<B>alienation of affections,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Law.) the turning or taking away by another of affectionate feeling, or love, especially that of husband and wife for each other. </DL>
<A NAME="alienator">
<B>alienator, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who transfers property. </DL>
<A NAME="alienee">
<B>alienee, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person to whom property is transferred. </DL>
<A NAME="alienenemy">
<B>alien enemy,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Law.) an alien in a country at war with the country to which he owes allegiance. </DL>
<A NAME="aliener">
<B>aliener, </B>noun. <B>=alienator.</B></DL>
<A NAME="alienijuris">
<B>alieni juris,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Latin.) under the authority of another. </DL>
<A NAME="alienism">
<B>alienism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the quality or condition of being alien. <DD><B> 2. </B>the study or treatment of mental diseases. </DL>
<A NAME="alienist">
<B>alienist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a psychiatrist, especially one who testifies in a law court. </DL>
<A NAME="alienor">
<B>alienor, </B>noun. <B>=alienator.</B></DL>
<A NAME="aliesterase">
<B>aliesterase, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an enzyme that decomposes fatty-acid esters. </DL>
<A NAME="alif">
<B>alif, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. </DL>
<A NAME="aliform">
<B>aliform, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having the shape of a wing; winglike. </DL>
<A NAME="alight">
<B>alight</B> (1), intransitive verb, <B>alighted</B> or (Poetic) <B>alit,</B> <B>alighting.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to get down; get off; dismount. <BR> <I>Ex. to alight from a bus. He alighted from the horse.</I> (SYN) descend. <DD><B> 2. </B>to come down from the air and lightly settle; come down from flight. <BR> <I>Ex. The bird alighted on our window sill.</I> (SYN) land, light. <DD><B> 3. </B>to come by chance; happen. <BR> <I>Ex. I alighted on just the book I needed in the library ... we alighted upon a sign which manifestly referred to billiards (Mark Twain).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="alight">
<B>alight</B> (2), adverb, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>on fire; lighted. <BR> <I>Ex. Is the kindling alight?</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>lighted up; aglow. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) Her face was alight with happiness.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="align">
<B>align, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to bring into line; arrange or adjust in a straight line. <BR> <I>Ex. The marksman aligned the sights of his gun with the distant target. The garageman aligned the front wheels of our car.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to join with others for or against a cause. <BR> <I>Ex. Germany was aligned with Japan in World War II.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to form a line; fall into line. <BR> <I>Ex. The troops aligned.</I> <DD> Also, <B>aline.</B> noun <B>aligner.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="alignment">
<B>alignment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>arrangement in a straight line; formation in a line or pattern of lines. <BR> <I>Ex. The troops were in perfect alignment.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a bringing into line. <DD><B> 3. </B>the line or lines so formed. <DD><B> 4. </B>a joining of persons or groups having similar interests, ideals, etc., for a common purpose. <BR> <I>Ex. The establishment of the Common Market resulted in a new European alignment.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Electronics.) the adjustment or synchronization of circuits or components so that they perform properly. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Civil Engineering.) a ground plan. <DD><B> 7. </B>parallel rows of large stones erected in the New Stone and Bronze ages in western Europe. Also, <B>alinement.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="alike">
<B>alike, </B>adverb, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adv. </I> <B>1. </B>in the same way; similarly. <BR> <I>Ex. Robert and his father walk alike.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>in or to the same degree; equally. <BR> <I>Ex. Both were implicated alike.</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> like one another; similar. <BR> <I>Ex. These twins are very much alike.</I> (SYN) akin, analogous, resembling. noun <B>alikeness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="aliment">
<B>aliment, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>food; nourishment. (SYN) nutriment, provender. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) means of support; sustenance. (SYN) maintenance, prop. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Scottish.) alimony. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to give ailment to. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) They will furnish him money literally to aliment a civil war (Thomas Jefferson).</I> (SYN) feed. <DD><B> 2. </B>to maintain by an allowance. (SYN) support. </DL>
<A NAME="alimental">
<B>alimental, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of food; nourishing. adv. <B>alimentally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="alimentary">
<B>alimentary, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having to do with food and nutrition. <DD><B> 2. </B>nourishing; nutritious. <DD><B> 3. </B>providing support or sustenance. </DL>
<A NAME="alimentarycanal">
<B>alimentary canal,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the parts of the body through which food passes while it is being digested and from which wastes are eliminated. In mammals, the mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, and anus are parts of the alimentary canal. </DL>
<A NAME="alimentation">
<B>alimentation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>nourishment; nutrition. <DD><B> 2. </B>maintenance; support. <BR> <I>Ex. The alimentation of poor children ... was extended or increased by fresh endowments (Charles Merivale).</I> </DL>
<B>alimony, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>a fixed sum of money paid regularly under orders from a court to a woman or man for support of the spouse, or former spouse. <DD><B> 2. </B>supply of the means of living; maintenance. </DL>
<A NAME="alimproviste">
<B>a l'improviste,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) unexpectedly; suddenly. <BR> <I>Ex. There were a lot of jeeps on the road whose occupants had taken off, like us, a l'improviste, and as these vehicles passed the truck, the soldier up top would throw cases of K rations down into their rear seats (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<B>A-line, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> resembling the outline of the letter A in shape. <BR> <I>Ex. An A-line dress, skirt, etc.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a woman's garment with a triangular or A-shaped line formed especially by a flaring tunic and skirt. </DL>
<A NAME="alinement">
<B>alinement, </B>noun. <B>=alignment.</B></DL>
<A NAME="alioth">
<B>Alioth, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a bright star, of the second magnitude, in the handle of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major). </DL>
