ally*(uh LY for vt.,A ly for n.) vt.1. to unite or join with for a certain purpose;- to relate by similarity of purpose, structure, or other character —n.1. a country,
group, or individual joined with others for a common end; 2. plants or animals
closely related by some characteristic- A marriage was often used to allytwo royal European families during the
Middle Ages and beyond. - The U.K. was our allyin both wars with Iraq.
- The lilly and the onion are two closely alliedbulbs.
[allied, allying, allies pl., alliance n.] [Syn. associate]
alter (AWL ter) vt.1. to cause to change in detail but not in substance; modify;
- A marriage was often used to allytwo royal European families during the
- to take parts of a garment and resew them for a better fit; 3. to neuter (an
animal) —vi. to change; become different- Mike and Alice alteredtheir plans for the evening.
- The tailor had to alterthe gown to make it fit Jan better.
- Alteryour pet to keep down an overpopulation of strays.
- The Fab Five alteredAl’s style of dress and his lifestyle.
[-ed, -ing, alteration n.] [Syn. change, vary]
although(awl THOH) conj.despite the fact that; granting that; though
- Mike sat down to dinner, althoughhe had eaten less than a half hour
before. - AlthoughMary claimed to not care for opera, she had to admit that the
music from Il Trovatorewas exceptional.
altruism(AL troo i zm) n.unselfish concern for others’ well-being - It had to be altruismas well as bravery that caused Maria to run into the
burning house to rescue the crying child. - It is uncommon to see a case of pure altruism,where there is no thought of
personal gain.
[altruist n.] [Syn. selflessness]
ambiguous*(am BIG yoo uhs) adj. 1. having more than one possible meaning;
- unclear; vague; indefinite
- The third base coach’s ambiguoussignals left the batter not knowing
whether to swing away or bunt. - Roxane was ambiguousin her instructions for feeding the cat while she was
away.
[-ly adv., -ness, ambiguityn., ambiguities pl.] [Syn. obscure]
ambivalence(am BIV uh lens) n.having conflicting feelings about a person or
thing at the same time, such as love and hate - Karen had a real ambivalenceabout being invited to Uncle Bob’s cabin; she
loved visiting but hated the four-hour trip. - David showed ambivalenceabout serving artichokes because, while they are
delicious, they’re a pain to prepare.
- The third base coach’s ambiguoussignals left the batter not knowing
18 Essential Vocabulary