adorn|ment /ədɔː r nmənt/ (adornments )
1 N‑VAR An adornment is something that is used to make a person or thing more beautiful. □ It was a building without any adornment or decoration.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Adornment is the process of making something more beautiful by adding something to it. □ Cosmetics are used for adornment.
adrena|lin /ədre nəl I n/ also adrenaline N‑UNCOUNT Adrenalin is a substance which your body produces when you are angry, scared, or excited. It makes your heart beat faster and gives you more energy. □ Seeing the crowd really got my adrenalin pumping.
adrift /ədr I ft/
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If a boat is adrift , it is floating on the water and is not tied to anything or controlled by anyone. □ They were spotted after three hours adrift in a dinghy.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If someone is adrift , they feel alone with no clear idea of what they should do. □ Amy had the growing sense that she was adrift and isolated.
3 ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ after v] If something comes adrift , it is no longer attached to an object that it should be part of. [BRIT ] □ [+ from ] Three insulating panels had come adrift from the base of the vehicle.
adroit /ədrɔ I t/ ADJ Someone who is adroit is quick and skilful in their thoughts, behaviour, or actions. □ She is a remarkably adroit and determined politician.
ADSL /e I diː es e l/ ADSL is a method of transmitting digital information at high speed over telephone lines. ADSL is an abbreviation for 'asynchronous digital subscriber line'. [COMPUTING ] □ ADSL is always on, which makes your PC much more vulnerable to hacking.
adu|la|tion /æ dʒʊle I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Adulation is uncritical admiration and praise of someone or something. □ The book was received with adulation by critics.
adu|la|tory /æ dʒʊle I təri, [AM ] -tɔːri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If someone makes an adulatory comment about someone, they praise them and show their admiration of them. □ …adulatory reviews.
adult ◆◆◇ /æ dʌlt, [AM ] ədʌ lt/ (adults )
1 N‑COUNT An adult is a mature, fully developed person. An adult has reached the age when they are legally responsible for their actions. □ Becoming a father signified that he was now an adult. □ Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
2 N‑COUNT [oft N n] An adult is a fully developed animal. □ …a pair of adult birds.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Adult means relating to the time when you are an adult, or typical of adult people. □ I've lived most of my adult life in London.
4 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that someone is adult about something, you think that they act in a mature, intelligent way, especially when faced with a difficult situation. [APPROVAL ] □ We were very adult about it. We discussed it rationally over a drink.
5 ADJ You can describe things such as films or books as adult when they deal with sex in a very clear and open way. □ …an adult movie. SYNONYMS adult ADJ 3
grown-up: I have grown-up children who're doing well.
mature: He was a man of mature years.
a dult edu|ca |tion N‑UNCOUNT Adult education is education for adults in a variety of subjects, most of which are practical, not academic. Classes are often held in the evenings. □ Most adult education centres offer computing courses.
adul|ter|ate /ədʌ ltəre I t/ (adulterates , adulterating , adulterated ) VERB [usu passive] If something such as food or drink is adulterated , someone has made its quality worse by adding water or cheaper products to it. □ [be V -ed] The food had been adulterated to increase its weight. ● adul|tera|tion /ədʌ ltəre I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the adulteration of tobacco.
adul|ter|er /ədʌ ltərə r / (adulterers ) N‑COUNT An adulterer is someone who commits adultery.
adul|ter|ess /ədʌ ltr I s/ (adulteresses ) N‑COUNT An adulteress is a woman who commits adultery. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
adul|ter|ous /ədʌ ltərəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] An adulterous relationship is a sexual relationship between a married person and someone they are not married to. An adulterous person is someone who commits adultery.
adul|tery /ədʌ ltəri/ N‑UNCOUNT If a married person commits adultery , they have sex with someone that they are not married to. □ She is going to divorce him on the grounds of adultery.
adult|hood /æ dʌlthʊd, [AM ] ədʌ lt-/ N‑UNCOUNT Adulthood is the state of being an adult. □ Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.
adv. Adv. is a written abbreviation for adverb .
ad|vance ◆◆◇ /ædvɑː ns, -væ ns/ (advances , advancing , advanced )
1 VERB To advance means to move forward, often in order to attack someone. □ [V prep/adv] The Allies began advancing on the city in 1943. □ [V ] The water is advancing at a rate of 5cm a day. □ [V -ing] …a picture of a man throwing himself before an advancing tank.
2 VERB To advance means to make progress, especially in your knowledge of something. □ [V ] Medical technology has advanced considerably.
3 → see also advanced
4 VERB If you advance someone a sum of money, you lend it to them, or pay it to them earlier than arranged. □ [V n n] I advanced him some money, which he would repay on our way home. □ [V n] The bank advanced $1.2 billion to help the country with debt repayments.
5 N‑COUNT An advance is money which is lent or paid to someone before they would normally receive it. □ She was paid a £100,000 advance for her next two novels.