A
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++A1, a /eɪ/ noun (plural A’s, a’s) 1. [countable, uncountable]SLA the first letter of the English alphabet 英语字母表的第一个字母2. [countable, uncountable] the sixth note in the musical scale of C major or the musical key based on this note A音〔C大调音阶的第六音〕；A调3 [countable] the highest mark that a student can get in an examination or for a piece of work A级，甲级，甲等〔表示学业成绩优秀〕 I got an A in French. 我的法语得了个A。 Julia got straight A’s (=all A’s) in high school. 朱莉娅读中学时成绩全部是A。 → A level4. an A student American English someone who regularly gets the best marks possible for their work in school or college 优等生5 [uncountable] used to refer in a short way to one of two different things or people. You can call the second one B 甲，A〔两个不同事物或人中的一个，另一个称乙（B）〕 A demands £500, B offers £100. 甲方索要500英镑，乙方愿出100英镑。 → plan A at plan1(5)6 from A to B from one place to another 从一地到另一地get/go from A to B Hiring a car was the best way to get from A to B. 租车是从一地到另一地的最好方法。7 from A to Z describing, including, or knowing everything about a subject 从头到尾〔表示描述、涵盖或了解一个科目的全部内容〕 the history of art from A to Z 艺术通史8. A34, A40 etcA40 etc A34 the name of a road in Britain that is smaller than a motorway, but larger than a B-road A34（主干）公路，A40（主干）公路等〔英国公路名称，介于高速公路和B级公路之间〕 → A-road9. [uncountable] a common type of blood A型〔一种常见血型〕
Examples from the Corpus
A• an A on the test• I was at a party, and a guy hit me on the head with an A & W Root Beer mug.• But inside, the A & P brimmed with unexpected abundance.• They were already passing the A & P on the way out of town.• The A & P grocery chain ran a laundry in Belleville for cleaning and repairing their employees' work clothes.A2 TPEthe written abbreviation of amp or amps amp 或 amps 安培 的书面缩写a /ə; strong eɪ/ ●●● S1 W1 (also an) indefinite article, determiner 1 XXused to show that you are talking about someone or something that has not been mentioned before, or that your listener does not know about 一，一个〔用于未曾提及或对方不知道的人或物的名称前〕 We have a problem. 我们遇到了一个麻烦。 There was a hole in the fence. 篱笆上有一个洞。 Suddenly they heard a loud bang. 他们突然听到砰的一声巨响。 → the12 XXused to show that you are referring to a general type of person or thing and not a specific person or thing 〔用于泛指一类人或一类事物〕 Would you like a sandwich? 来块三明治好吗？ I want to train to be an engineer. 我想经过培训成为一名工程师。 He’s a really nice man. 他真是个好人。 Take a look at this. 瞧瞧这个。 It needs a good clean. 这得好好清洗一下。3 XXused before someone’s family name to show that they belong to that family 〔用于某人的姓氏前表明其属于这个家庭〕 One of his daughters had married a Rothschild. 他有个女儿嫁给了罗斯柴尔德家的人。4 XXone 一（个） a thousand pounds 一千英镑 a dozen eggs 一打鸡蛋 You’ll have to wait an hour or two. 你得等一两个小时。5 XXused in some phrases that say how much of something there is 〔用于某些表示数量的短语〕 There were a lot of people at the party. 许多人参加了聚会。 A few weeks from now I’ll be in Venice. 再过几个礼拜我就在威尼斯了。 You have caused a great deal of trouble. 你惹出了很多麻烦。6 XXused to mean ‘each’ when stating prices, rates, or speeds 每一（个）〔用于表明价格、费用或速度〕7 XXused before singular nouns to mean all things of a particular type 任一，每一〔用于单数名词前表示某一类的全部〕8 XXused once before two nouns that are mentioned together very often 〔用于两个经常同时提及的名词前〕9 XXused before the -ing forms of verbs when they are used as nouns referring to an action, event, or sound 〔用于表示动作、事件或声音的动词-ing形式之前〕10 XXused before nouns that are usually uncountable when other information about the quality, feeling etc is added by an adjective, phrase, or clause 〔用于有形容词、短语或从句修饰的不可数名词前〕11 XXused before the name of a substance, food etc to refer to a particular type of it 〔用于物质、食品等名称前表示某一类〕12 used before the name of a drink to refer to a cup or glass of that drink 一杯〔用于饮料名称前〕13 XXused before the name of a famous artist to refer to a painting by that artist 一幅…的作品〔用于著名画家的姓名前〕14 XXused before a name to mean someone or something that has the same qualities as that person or thing 〔用于某人或某物的名字前指与其具有同样特性的人或物〕15 XXused before someone’s name when you do not know who they are 某一，一位〔用于陌生人的姓名前〕16 XXused before the names of days, months, seasons, and events in the year to refer to a particular one 〔用于某一年的日、月、季节和事件前，指具体的日子或事件〕 USAGE: A, an •Before a word beginning with a vowel sound, use an: 读音以元音开头的单词前用anan elephant 一头大象an umbrella 一把伞an obvious mistake 一个明显的错误•Use an before an 'h' that is not pronounced: 不发音的h前用anan hour later 一小时之后an honest explanation 如实的解释•Use a before a 'u' that is pronounced like 'you': u发you音时前面用aa university 一所大学a unique opportunity 一个千载难逢的机会•Use an before an abbreviation that is pronounced with a vowel sound at the start: 读音以元音开头的缩写前用 anan SOS call 一个紧急求救电话an MP3 file 一个MP3文件Examples from the Corpus
a lot• "How does your arm feel?" "It still hurts a lot."• If you plan carefully, a trip to Europe doesn't have to cost a lot.• It's nice to meet you. Wendy's talked about you a lot.• She goes abroad on business quite a lot.• An awful lot of his customers are unhappy with his work.• I'm really glad to meet you. Betty's talked a lot about you.• He laughed quite a lot as he spoke.• I like her a lot, but I don't think I'm in love with her.• I used to walk a lot, but I've been very lazy recently.• I like the people a whole lot, but the pay isn't very good.• He really sweats a lot in hot weather like this.• Ask Susan - she knows a lot more about computers than I do.• The tickets were a lot more expensive than we expected.• I'm sure she has a lot more problems than I have.• John has lived in a lot of different places.• All the same, it is a lot of fun, and the warm weather is very pleasant.• Stevie Wonder is a black artist, but a lot of his music comes out pop.• I went out with quite a lot of men before I met Stuart.• The Big Three are making a lot of noise in hopes of gaining a political and competitive advantage.• As with most coupes there is not a lot of room in the back, even kids find it tight.• But that is true of a lot of subjects I did at O level.• A lot of tourists visit Venice in the summer.• The book contains a lot of useful advice about setting up your own business.• Helen looks as if she's lost quite a lot of weight recently - is she on a diet?• He knows a lot of weird people over in Nam.• She's changed a lot since she's been here.• I was surprised so few people were at the concert - I thought there'd be a lot there.a-1 /ə/ prefix 1 XXin a particular condition or way 处于某种状况；以某种方式2 old use in, to, at, or on something 在…内[上]；往…Examples from the Corpus
a-• atopa-2 /eɪ, æ, ə/ prefix XXnot or without 与…相反；缺乏；不；没有 amoral (=not moral) 不道德的 atypically (=not typically) 非典型地A* /ˌeɪ ˈstɑː $ -ˈstɑːr/ noun [countable, uncountable] the highest mark that a student can get in a GCSE examination A星级〔普通中等教育证书考试的最高得分等级〕first the Corpus of alphabet letter English the
A
A1 
, a /eɪ/ noun (plural A’s, a’s)
1. [uncountable and countable] the first letter of the English alphabet
2. [uncountable and countable] the sixth note in the musical scale of C major or the musical key based on this note
3. [countable] the highest mark that a student can get in an examination or for a piece of work:
I got an A in French.
Julia got straight A’s (=all A’s) in high school. ⇨ A level
4. an A student American English someone who regularly gets the best marks possible for their work in school or college
5. [uncountable] used to refer in a short way to one of two different things or people. You can call the second one B:
A demands £500, B offers £100. ⇨ plan A at plan1(5)
6. from A to B from one place to another
get/go from A to B
Hiring a car was the best way to get from A to B.
7. from A to Z describing, including, or knowing everything about a subject:
the history of art from A to Z
8. A34, A40 etc the name of a road in Britain that is smaller than a motorway, but larger than a B-road ⇨ A-road
9. [uncountable] a common type of blood
A2
the written abbreviation of amp or amps
| I |
, a /eɪ/ noun (plural A’s, a’s)1. [uncountable and countable] the first letter of the English alphabet
2. [uncountable and countable] the sixth note in the musical scale of C major or the musical key based on this note
3. [countable] the highest mark that a student can get in an examination or for a piece of work:
4. an A student American English someone who regularly gets the best marks possible for their work in school or college
5. [uncountable] used to refer in a short way to one of two different things or people. You can call the second one B:
6. from A to B from one place to another
get/go from A to B
7. from A to Z describing, including, or knowing everything about a subject:
8. A34, A40 etc the name of a road in Britain that is smaller than a motorway, but larger than a B-road ⇨ A-road
9. [uncountable] a common type of blood
| II |
the written abbreviation of amp or amps
a
a S1 W1 /ə; strong eɪ/ (also an) indefinite article, determiner
1. used to show that you are talking about someone or something that has not been mentioned before, or that your listener does not know about:
We have a problem.
There was a hole in the fence.
Suddenly they heard a loud bang. ⇨ the1
2. used to show that you are referring to a general type of person or thing and not a specific person or thing:
Would you like a sandwich?
I want to train to be an engineer.
He’s a really nice man.
Take a look at this.
It needs a good clean.
3. used before someone’s family name to show that they belong to that family:
One of his daughters had married a Rothschild.
4. one:
a thousand pounds
a dozen eggs
You’ll have to wait an hour or two.
5. used in some phrases that say how much of something there is:
There were a lot of people at the party.
A few weeks from now I’ll be in Venice.
You have caused a great deal of trouble.
6. used to mean ‘each’ when stating prices, rates, or speeds:
I get paid once a month.
The eggs cost $2 a dozen.
7. used before singular nouns to mean all things of a particular type:
A square has four sides (=all squares have four sides).
A child needs love and affection.
8. used once before two nouns that are mentioned together very often:
I’ll fetch you a cup and saucer.
Does everyone have a knife and fork?
9. used before the -ing forms of verbs when they are used as nouns referring to an action, event, or sound:
There was a beating of wings overhead.
Bernice became aware of a humming that seemed to come from all around her.
10. used before nouns that are usually uncountable when other information about the quality, feeling etc is added by an adjective, phrase, or clause:
Candidates must have a good knowledge of chemistry.
11. used before the name of a substance, food etc to refer to a particular type of it:
Use a good cheese to make the sauce.
plants that grow well in a moist soil
12. used before the name of a drink to refer to a cup or glass of that drink:
Can I get you a coffee?
Renwick went to the bar and ordered a beer.
13. used before the name of a famous artist to refer to a painting by that artist:
an early Rembrandt
14. used before a name to mean someone or something that has the same qualities as that person or thing:
She was hailed as a new Marilyn Monroe.
15. used before someone’s name when you do not know who they are:
There is a Mr Tom Wilkins on the phone.
16. used before the names of days, months, seasons, and events in the year to refer to a particular one:
We arrived in England on a cold wet Sunday in 1963.
I can’t remember a Christmas like it.
GRAMMAR
a, an
Before a word beginning with a vowel sound, use an:
▪an elephant
▪an umbrella
▪an obvious mistake
► Use an before an 'h' that is not pronounced:
▪an hour later
▪an honest explanation
► Use a before a 'u' that is pronounced like 'you':
▪a university
▪a unique opportunity
► Use an before an abbreviation that is pronounced with a vowel sound at the start:
▪an SOS call
▪an MP3 file
a S1 W1 /ə; strong eɪ/
(also an) indefinite article, determiner1. used to show that you are talking about someone or something that has not been mentioned before, or that your listener does not know about:
2. used to show that you are referring to a general type of person or thing and not a specific person or thing:
3. used before someone’s family name to show that they belong to that family:
4. one:
5. used in some phrases that say how much of something there is:
6. used to mean ‘each’ when stating prices, rates, or speeds:
7. used before singular nouns to mean all things of a particular type:
8. used once before two nouns that are mentioned together very often:
9. used before the -ing forms of verbs when they are used as nouns referring to an action, event, or sound:
10. used before nouns that are usually uncountable when other information about the quality, feeling etc is added by an adjective, phrase, or clause:
11. used before the name of a substance, food etc to refer to a particular type of it:
12. used before the name of a drink to refer to a cup or glass of that drink:
13. used before the name of a famous artist to refer to a painting by that artist:
14. used before a name to mean someone or something that has the same qualities as that person or thing:
15. used before someone’s name when you do not know who they are:
16. used before the names of days, months, seasons, and events in the year to refer to a particular one:
GRAMMAR
a, an
Before a word beginning with a vowel sound, use an:
▪
▪
▪
► Use an before an 'h' that is not pronounced:
▪
▪
► Use a before a 'u' that is pronounced like 'you':
▪
▪
► Use an before an abbreviation that is pronounced with a vowel sound at the start:
▪
▪
