Auld Lang Syne /oʊ ld læŋ za I n/ N‑PROPER Auld Lang Syne is a Scottish song about friendship that is traditionally sung as clocks strike midnight on New Year's Eve.
aunt ◆◆◇ /ɑː nt, æ nt/ (aunts )
1 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE Someone's aunt is the sister of their mother or father, or the wife of their uncle. □ She wrote to her aunt in America. □ It was a present from Aunt Vera.
2 → see also agony aunt
auntie /ɑː nti, æ nti/ (aunties ) also aunty N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE Someone's auntie is their aunt. [INFORMAL ] □ His uncle is dead, but his auntie still lives here. □ …my Auntie Elsie.
au pair /oʊ peə r , [AM ] ɔː -/ (au pairs ) N‑COUNT An au pair is a young person from a foreign country who lives with a family in order to learn the language and who helps to look after the children.
aura /ɔː rə/ (auras ) N‑COUNT An aura is a quality or feeling that seems to surround a person or place or to come from them. □ [+ of ] She had an aura of authority.
aural /ɔː rəl, aʊ rəl/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Aural means related to the sense of hearing. Compare acoustic . □ He became famous as an inventor of astonishing visual and aural effects.
aus|pices /ɔː sp I s I z/ PHRASE If something is done under the auspices of a particular person or organization, or under someone's auspices , it is done with their support and approval. [FORMAL ]
aus|pi|cious /ɔːsp I ʃəs/ ADJ Something that is auspicious indicates that success is likely. [FORMAL ] □ His career as a playwright had an auspicious start.
Aussie /ɒ zi, [AM ] ɔː -/ (Aussies ) ADJ [ADJ n] Aussie means Australian. [INFORMAL ] □ He is one of Aussie Rugby League's greats. ● N‑COUNT An Aussie is a person from Australia. [INFORMAL ]
aus|tere /ɔːst I ə r /
1 ADJ If you describe something as austere , you approve of its plain and simple appearance. [APPROVAL ] □ The church was austere and simple.
2 ADJ If you describe someone as austere , you disapprove of them because they are strict and serious. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I found her a rather austere, distant, somewhat cold person.
3 ADJ An austere way of life is one that is simple and without luxuries. □ The life of the troops was still comparatively austere.
4 ADJ An austere economic policy is one which reduces people's living standards sharply. □ …a set of very austere economic measures to control inflation.
aus|ter|ity /ɔːste r I ti/ (austerities )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Austerity is a situation in which people's living standards are reduced because of economic difficulties. □ …the years of austerity which followed the war.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to something as showing austerity , you like its plain and simple appearance. [FORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ …many abandoned buildings, some of which have a compact classical austerity and dignity.
Aus|tral|asian /ɒ strəle I ʒ ə n, [AM ] ɔː s-/ ADJ [ADJ n] Australasian means belonging or relating to Australasia or to its people.
Aus|tral|ian /ɒstre I liən/ (Australians )
1 ADJ Australian means belonging or relating to Australia, or to its people or culture. □ She went solo backpacking for eight months in the Australian outback.
2 N‑COUNT An Australian is someone who comes from Australia.
Aus|trian /ɒ striən, [AM ] ɔː s-/ (Austrians )
1 ADJ Austrian means belonging or relating to Austria, or to its people or culture. □ …the Austrian government.
2 N‑COUNT An Austrian is a person who comes from Austria.
Austro- /ɒ stroʊ, [AM ] ɔː stroʊ/ COMB Austro- combines with adjectives indicating nationality to form adjectives which describe something connected with Austria and another country. □ …the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
auteur /ɔːtɜː r / (auteurs ) N‑COUNT You can refer to a film director as an auteur when they have a very strong artistic influence on the films they make.
authen|tic /ɔːθe nt I k/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] An authentic person, object, or emotion is genuine. □ …authentic Italian food. □ They have to look authentic. ● au|then|tic|ity /ɔː θent I s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss] □ There are factors, however, that have cast doubt on the statue's authenticity.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as authentic , you mean that it is such a good imitation that it is almost the same as or as good as the original. [APPROVAL ] □ …patterns for making authentic frontier-style clothing.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] An authentic piece of information or account of something is reliable and accurate. □ I had obtained the authentic details about the birth of the organization.
authen|ti|cate /ɔːθe nt I ke I t/ (authenticates , authenticating , authenticated ) VERB If you authenticate something, you state officially that it is genuine after examining it. □ [V n] He says he'll have no problem authenticating the stamp. [Also V n as n]
author ◆◆◇ /ɔː θə r / (authors )
1 N‑COUNT The author of a piece of writing is the person who wrote it. □ [+ of ] She is the joint author of a booklet on Integrated Education.
2 N‑COUNT An author is a person whose job is writing books. □ …Philip Pullman, the best-selling author of children's fiction.
3 N‑COUNT The author of a plan or proposal is the person who thinks of it and works out the details. □ [+ of ] The authors of the plan believe they can reach this point within about two years.