2 N‑PLURAL [usu poss N ] A dead person's ashes are their remains after their body has been cremated.
3 N‑VAR An ash is a tree that has smooth grey bark and loses its leaves in winter. ● N‑UNCOUNT Ash is the wood from this tree. □ The rafters are made from ash.
ashamed /əʃe I md/
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ that] If someone is ashamed , they feel embarrassed or guilty because of something they do or they have done, or because of their appearance. □ [+ of ] I felt incredibly ashamed of myself for getting so angry. □ She was ashamed that she looked so shabby. [Also + about ]
2 ADJ If you are ashamed of someone, you feel embarrassed to be connected with them, often because of their appearance or because you disapprove of something they have done. □ [+ of ] I've never told this to anyone, but it's true, I was terribly ashamed of my mum.
3 ADJ If someone is ashamed to do something, they do not want to do it because they feel embarrassed about it. □ Women are often ashamed to admit they are being abused.
ash|en /æ ʃ ə n/ ADJ Someone who is ashen looks very pale, especially because they are ill, shocked, or frightened.
a shen-fa ced ADJ Someone who is ashen-faced looks very pale, especially because they are ill, shocked, or frightened. □ The survivors were ashen-faced and visibly shaken.
ashore /əʃɔː r / ADV [ADV after v, be ADV ] Someone or something that comes ashore comes from the sea onto the shore. □ Oil has come ashore on a ten mile stretch to the east of Plymouth.
ash|tan|ga yoga /æʃtɑː ŋə joʊ gə/ N‑UNCOUNT Ashtanga yoga is a type of yoga in which you move quickly from one position to another, while controlling your breathing.
ash|tray /æ ʃtre I / (ashtrays ) N‑COUNT An ashtray is a small dish in which smokers can put the ash from their cigarettes and cigars.
A sh We dnes|day N‑UNCOUNT Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent.
Asian /e I ʒ ə n/ (Asians )
1 ADJ Asian means belonging to or relating to Asia. British people use this term especially to refer to India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Americans use this term especially to refer to China, Korea, Thailand, Japan, or Vietnam. □ …Asian music. □ …the Asian community in San Francisco.
2 N‑COUNT An Asian is a person who comes from or is associated with a country or region in Asia. □ Lactose intolerance is very common in Asians and Africans.
Asi|at|ic /e I ʒiæ t I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Asiatic means belonging or relating to Asia or its people. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
aside
➊ ADVERB AND NOUN USES
➋ PREPOSITION USES
➊ aside ◆◇◇ /əsa I d/ (asides ) In addition to the uses shown below, aside is used in phrasal verbs such as 'cast aside', 'stand aside', and 'step aside'. 1 ADV [ADV after v] If you move something aside , you move it to one side of you. □ Sarah closed the book and laid it aside.
2 ADV [ADV after v] If you take or draw someone aside , you take them a little way away from a group of people in order to talk to them in private. □ Will put his arm around her shoulders and drew her aside.
3 ADV [ADV after v] If you move aside , you get out of someone's way. □ She had been standing in the doorway, but now she stepped aside to let them pass.
4 ADV [ADV after v] If you set something such as time, money, or space aside for a particular purpose, you save it and do not use it for anything else. □ She wants to put her pocket-money aside for holidays. □ …the ground set aside for the new cathedral.
5 ADV [ADV after v] If you brush or sweep aside a feeling or suggestion, you reject it. □ Talk to a friend who will really listen and not brush aside your feelings. □ The Prime Minister swept aside concern about the rising cost of mortgages.
6 ADV [ADV after v, n ADV ] You use aside to indicate that you have finished talking about something, or that you are leaving it out of your discussion, and that you are about to talk about something else. □ Leaving aside the nutritional argument, these loaves are better value. □ Emotional arguments aside, here are the facts.
7 N‑COUNT An aside is a comment that a character in a play makes to the audience, which the other characters are supposed not to be able to hear. □ She rolls her eyes and mutters an aside to the camera, 'No wonder I'm stressed!'
8 N‑COUNT An aside is something that you say that is not directly connected with what you are talking about. □ The pace of the book is leisurely, with enjoyable literary and historical asides.
➋ asi de from PHRASE Aside from means the same as apart from . This form is more usual in American English.
A -side (A-sides ) N‑COUNT The A-side of a record that has been released as a single is the main song on it. You can also refer to the side of the record that contains this song as the A-side . Compare B-side .
asi|nine /æ s I na I n/ ADJ If you describe something or someone as asinine , you mean that they are very foolish. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …an asinine discussion.
ask ◆◆◆ /ɑː sk, æ sk/ (asks , asking , asked )
1 VERB If you ask someone something, you say something to them in the form of a question because you want to know the answer. □ [V with quote] 'How is Frank?' he asked. □ [V n n] I asked him his name. □ [V n] I wasn't the only one asking questions. □ [V n wh] She asked me if I'd enjoyed my dinner. □ [V wh] If Daniel asks what happened in court we will tell him. □ [V n + about ] You will have to ask David about that. □ [V ] 'I'm afraid to ask what it cost.'—'Then don't ask.' [Also V about n]