Atwirl A·twirl" adjective & adverb [ Prefix a- + twist .] Twisted; distorted; awry. [ R.] Halliwell.

Atwite A·twite" transitive verb [ Middle English attwyten , Anglo-Saxon ætwītan . See Twit .] To speak reproachfully of; to twit; to upbraid. [ Obsolete]

Atwixt A·twixt" adverb Betwixt. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Atwo A·two" adverb [ Prefix a- + two .] In two; in twain; asunder. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Atypic, Atypical A·typ"ic, A·typ"ic·al adjective [ Prefix a- not + typic , typical .] That has no type; devoid of typical character; irregular; unlike the type.

Au fait Au` fait" (ō` fa"). [ French Lit., to the deed, act, or point. Fait is from Latin factum . See Fact .] Expert; skillful; well instructed.

Au fond Au` fond" [ French, lit., at the bottom.] At bottom; fundamentally; essentially.

Au gratin Au` gra`tin" [ French] (Cookery) With a crust made by browning in the oven; as, spaghetti may be served au gratin .

Au revoir Au` re·voir" [ French, lit., to the seeing again.] Good-by until we meet again.

Aubade Au`bade" noun [ French, from aube the dawn, from Latin albus white.] An open air concert in the morning, as distinguished from an evening serenade; also, a pianoforte composition suggestive of morning. Grove.

The crowing cock . . .
Sang his aubade with lusty voice and clear.
Longfellow.

Aubaine Au`baine" noun [ French, from aubain an alien, from Latin alibi elsewhere.] Succession to the goods of a stranger not naturalized. Littré.

Droit d'aubaine the right, formerly possessed by the king of France, to all the personal property of which an alien died possessed. It was abolished in 1819. Bouvier.

Aube Aube noun [ See Ale .] An alb. [ Obsolete] Fuller.

Auberge Au`berge" noun [ French] An inn. Beau. & Fl.

Aubin Au"bin noun [ French] A broken gait of a horse, between an amble and a gallop; -- commonly called a Canterbury gallop .

Auburn Au"burn adjective [ Middle English auburne blonde, Old French alborne , auborne , from Late Latin alburnus whitish, from Latin albus white. Confer Alburn .] 1. Flaxen- colored. [ Obsolete] Florio.

2. Reddish brown.

His auburn locks on either shoulder flowed.
Dryden.

Auchenium Au·che"ni·um noun [ New Latin , from Greek ..., from ... the neck.] (Zoology) The part of the neck nearest the back.

Auctary Auc"ta·ry noun [ Latin auctarium .] That which is superadded; augmentation. [ Obsolete] Baxter.

Auction Auc"tion noun [ Latin auctio an increasing, a public sale, where the price was called out, and the article to be sold was adjudged to the last increaser of the price, or the highest bidder, from Latin augere , auctum , to increase. See Augment .] 1. A public sale of property to the highest bidder, esp. by a person licensed and authorized for the purpose; a vendue.

2. The things sold by auction or put up to auction.

Ask you why Phryne the whole auction buys ?
Pope.

» In the United States, the more prevalent expression has been "sales at auction," that is, by an increase of bids (Lat. auctione ). This latter form is preferable.

Dutch auction , the public offer of property at a price beyond its value, then gradually lowering the price, till some one accepts it as purchaser. P. Cyc.

Auction Auc"tion transitive verb To sell by auction.

Auction bridge Auc"tion bridge A variety of the game of bridge in which the players, beginning with the dealer, bid for the privilege of naming the trump and playing with the dummy for that deal, there being heavy penalties for a player's failure to make good his bid. The score value of each trick more than six taken by the successful bidder is as follows: when the trump is spades, 2; clubs, 6; diamonds, 7; hearts, 8; royal spades (lilies), 9; and when the deal is played with no trump, 10.

Auction pitch Auction pitch A game of cards in which the players bid for the privilege of determining or "pitching" the trump suit. R. F. Foster.

Auctionary Auc"tion·a·ry adjective [ Latin auctionarius .] Of or pertaining to an auction or an auctioneer. [ R.]

With auctionary hammer in thy hand.
Dryden.

Auctioneer Auc`tion·eer" noun A person who sells by auction; a person whose business it is to dispose of goods or lands by public sale to the highest or best bidder.

Auctioneer Auc`tion·eer" transitive verb To sell by auction; to auction.

Estates . . . advertised and auctioneered away.
Cowper.

Aucupation Au`cu·pa"tion noun [ Latin aucupatio , from auceps , contr. for aviceps ; avis bird + capere to take.] Birdcatching; fowling. [ Obsolete] Blount.

Audacious Au·da"cious adjective [ French audacieux , as if from Late Latin audaciosus (not found), from Latin audacia audacity, from audax , -acis , bold, from audere to dare.] 1. Daring; spirited; adventurous.

As in a cloudy chair, ascending rides
Audacious .
Milton.

2. Contemning the restraints of law, religion, or decorum; bold in wickedness; presumptuous; impudent; insolent. " Audacious traitor." Shak. " Such audacious neighborhood." Milton.

3. Committed with, or proceedings from, daring effrontery or contempt of law, morality, or decorum. " Audacious cruelty." " Audacious prate." Shak.

Audaciously Au·da"cious·ly adverb In an audacious manner; with excess of boldness; impudently.

Audaciousness Au·da"cious·ness noun The quality of being audacious; impudence; audacity.

Audacity Au·dac"i·ty noun 1. Daring spirit, resolution, or confidence; venturesomeness.

The freedom and audacity necessary in the commerce of men.
Tatler.

2. Reckless daring; presumptuous impudence; -- implying a contempt of law or moral restraints.

With the most arrogant audacity .
Joye.

Audibility Au`di·bil"i·ty noun The quality of being audible; power of being heard; audible capacity.

Audible Au"di·ble adjective [ Late Latin audibilis , from Latin audire , auditum , to hear: confer Greek ... ear, Latin auris , and English ear .] Capable of being heard; loud enough to be heard; actually heard; as, an audible voice or whisper.

Audible Au"di·ble noun That which may be heard. [ Obsolete]

Visibles are swiftlier carried to the sense than audibles .
Bacon.

Audibleness Au"di·ble·ness noun The quality of being audible.

Audibly Au"di·bly adverb So as to be heard.

Audience Au"di·ence noun [ French audience , Latin audientia , from audire to hear. See Audible , adjective ] 1. The act of hearing; attention to sounds.

Thou, therefore, give due audience , and attend.
Milton.

2. Admittance to a hearing; a formal interview, esp. with a sovereign or the head of a government, for conference or the transaction of business.

According to the fair play of the world,
Let me have audience : I am sent to speak.
Shak.

3. An auditory; an assembly of hearers. Also applied by authors to their readers.

Fit audience find, though few.
Milton.

He drew his audience upward to the sky.
Dryden.

Court of audience , or Audience court (Eng.) , a court long since disused, belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury; also, one belonging to the Archbishop of York. Mozley & W. -- In general (or open ) audience , publicly. -- To give audience , to listen; to admit to an interview.

Audient Au"di·ent adjective [ Latin audiens , present participle of audire . See Audible , adjective ] Listening; paying attention; as, audient souls. Mrs. Browning.

Audient Au"di·ent noun A hearer; especially a catechumen in the early church. [ Obsolete] Shelton.

Audile Au"dile noun [ Latin audire to hear.] (Psychol.) One whose thoughts take the form of mental sounds or of internal discourse rather than of visual or motor images.

Audiometer Au`di·om"e·ter noun [ Latin audire to hear + -meter .] (Acous.) An instrument by which the power of hearing can be gauged and recorded on a scale.

Audiphone Au"di·phone noun [ Latin audire to hear + Greek ... sound.] An instrument which, placed against the teeth, conveys sound to the auditory nerve and enables the deaf to hear more or less distinctly; a dentiphone.

Audit Au"dit noun [ Latin auditus a hearing, from audire . See Audible , adjective ] 1. An audience; a hearing. [ Obsolete]

He appeals to a high audit .
Milton.

2. An examination in general; a judicial examination.

Specifically: An examination of an account or of accounts, with the hearing of the parties concerned, by proper officers, or persons appointed for that purpose, who compare the charges with the vouchers, examine witnesses, and state the result.

3. The result of such an examination, or an account as adjusted by auditors; final account.

Yet I can make my audit up.
Shak.

4. A general receptacle or receiver. [ Obsolete]

It [ a little brook] paid to its common audit no more than the revenues of a little cloud.
Jer. Taylor.

Audit ale , a kind of ale, brewed at the English universities, orig. for the day of audit. -- Audit house , Audit room , an appendage to a cathedral, for the transaction of its business.

Audit Au"dit transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Audited ; present participle & verbal noun Auditing .] To examine and adjust, as an account or accounts; as, to audit the accounts of a treasure, or of parties who have a suit depending in court.

Audit Au"dit intransitive verb To settle or adjust an account.

Let Hocus audit ; he knows how the money was disbursed.
Arbuthnot.

Audita querela Au·di"ta que·re"la [ Latin , the complaint having been heard.] (Law) A writ which lies for a party against whom judgment is recovered, but to whom good matter of discharge has subsequently accrued which could not have been availed of to prevent such judgment. Wharton.

Audition Au·di"tion noun [ Latin auditio .] The act of hearing or listening; hearing.

Audition may be active or passive; hence the difference between listening and simple hearing.
Dunglison.

Auditive Au"di·tive adjective [ Confer French auditif .] Of or pertaining to hearing; auditory. [ R.] Cotgrave.

Auditor Au"di·tor noun [ Latin auditor , from audire . See Audible , adjective ] 1. A hearer or listener. Macaulay.

2. A person appointed and authorized to audit or examine an account or accounts, compare the charges with the vouchers, examine the parties and witnesses, allow or reject charges, and state the balance.

3. One who hears judicially, as in an audience court.

» In the United States government, and in the State governments, there are auditors of the treasury and of the public accounts. The name is also applied to persons employed to check the accounts of courts, corporations, companies, societies, and partnerships.

Auditorial Au`di·to"ri·al adjective Auditory. [ R.]

Auditorium Au`di·to"ri·um noun [ Latin See Auditory , noun ] The part of a church, theater, or other public building, assigned to the audience.

» In ancient churches the auditorium was the nave, where hearers stood to be instructed; in monasteries it was an apartment for the reception of strangers.

Auditorship Au"di·tor·ship noun The office or function of auditor.

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