Emily Dickinson Lexicon

adventure (-s), [OFr < L. adventūra, thing about to happen.]

1. Bold undertaking; risky enterprise; daring endeavor; perilous journey; search for the unknown; quest involving unforeseen events.
2. Happening; transaction; incident; exciting event; interesting business.

adventurous, adj. [see adventure, n.] (webplay: life, sea, signed).

Daring; brave; fearless; explorative; pirate-like; buccaneer-like.

adversity, n. [MFr < L. adversitāt-em opposition < adversus, turn against.] (webplay: day, God, good, misfortune, unhappiness, unprosperous).

Misfortune; affliction; calamity; trial; tribulation; opposition to success; reverse of fortune.

advertise, v. [Fr. < L. ad-+ vertěre, turn, turn attention to another.]

Search; probe; inquire of; give notice to; announce a search into; place an announcement in.

advise, v. [Fr. < L. advīsum, view, opinion.] (webplay: see).

Counsel; instruct; enlighten.

advocate, n. [OFr < L. advocātus, one summoned or called to another.] (webplay: man).

Defender; supporter; intercessor; benefactor; friend; legal counselor.

advocate, v. [L. ad- + vocā-re, call.]

Promote; recommend; endorse; approve; sanction; announce the beauties and benefits of.

adz (adze), n. [OE adesa.]

Carving tool; woodcutter's instrument; carpentry blade for trimming, slicing, or splitting wood.

aerial, adj. [L. āeri-us, airy.]

Spiritual; ethereal; heavenly; otherworldly; [possible allusion to the sprite Ariel in Shakespeare's Tempest.]

aesthetics, n. [Gk aesthetik-os, things perceptible by the senses; material things; feelings.]

Beauty; good taste; discerning elegance; defining what is beautiful in nature and art.