Etymology
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A

罗马字母表的第一个字母, 基于希腊文 alpha (见 alpha). 在音乐中, 从17世纪开始作为自然音阶第六个音符的名称; 它是固定音乐器(通常是双簧管或管风琴) 给出的音符, 管弦乐队的所有乐器都是按照这个音符调音的. 作为一种血型, 1926年, 表示A型凝集素. 的 A side 的双面记录(到1962年, 见 side (n.) )持有被选为推广的材料. A-bomb, 简称 atom bomb, 到1945年8月8日就出现在报纸头条.

a (1)

不定冠词, an 在辅音前使用的形式, 12世纪中叶, 是古英语 an “一” 的弱化形式(见 an). 到14世纪中叶, 辅音前的 -n- 基本完全消失. 17世纪以后, -n- 也开始在以发声的 -h- 开头的单词前消失; 许多作家在 h- 或 (e) u- 中的未发声音节前仍保留着它, 但现在通常不再这样说了. 直到15世纪, -n- 也一直在 -w- 和 -y- 之前徘徊(特别是在英格兰南部方言中).

当 few 或 great many, 也用于单数名词和少数复数名词前.

a (2)

如 twice a day, 等, 是古英语 an “on” (见 on (预) )的缩略形式, 在这里是“on each”. 意义从时间扩展到度量, 价格, 地点等. 将 a 粘在动名词上的习惯(如 a-hunting we will go) 在18世纪以后已经过时了.

Entries linking to a

alpha (n.)
c. 1300, from Latin alpha, from Greek alpha, from Hebrew or Phoenician aleph (see aleph). The Greeks added -a because Greek words cannot end in most consonants. Sense of "beginning of anything" is from late 14c., often paired with omega (the last letter in the Greek alphabet, representing "the end"); sense of "first in a sequence" is from 1620s. In astronomy, the designation of the brightest star of each constellation (the use of Greek letters in star names began with Bayer's atlas in 1603). Alpha male was in use by c. 1960 among scientists studying animals; applied to humans in society from c. 1992.
side (n.)

Old English side "flanks of a person, the long part or aspect of anything," from Proto-Germanic *sīdō (source also of Old Saxon sida, Old Norse siða, Danish side, Swedish sida, Middle Dutch side, Dutch zidje, Old High German sita, German Seite), from adjective *sithas "long" (source of Old English sid "long, broad, spacious," Old Norse siðr "long, hanging down"), from PIE root *se- "long, late" (see soiree).

Original sense preserved in countryside. Figurative sense of "position or attitude of a person or set of persons in relation to another" (as in choosing sides) first recorded mid-13c. Meaning "one of the parties in a transaction" is from late 14c.; sense in a sporting contest or game is from 1690s. Meaning "music on one side of a phonograph record" is first attested 1936. Phrase side by side "close together and abreast" is recorded from c. 1200. Side-splitting "affecting with compulsive laughter" is attested by 1825.

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Definitions of A

a (n.)
a metric unit of length equal to one ten billionth of a meter (or 0.0001 micron); used to specify wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation;
Synonyms: angstrom / angstrom unit
a (n.)
any of several fat-soluble vitamins essential for normal vision; prevents night blindness or inflammation or dryness of the eyes;
Synonyms: vitamin A / antiophthalmic factor / axerophthol
a (n.)
(biochemistry) purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA;
Synonyms: adenine
a (n.)
the basic unit of electric current adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites;
Synonyms: ampere / amp
a (n.)
the blood group whose red cells carry the A antigen;
Synonyms: type A / group A
a (n.)
one of the four nucleotides used in building DNA; all four nucleotides have a common phosphate group and a sugar (ribose);
Synonyms: deoxyadenosine monophosphate
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near A

*(s)mer-

*(s)pen-

*(s)teg-

a

a-

A

-a

a cappella

a deux

a la

a la carte

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