Adjacent Words

a- definitions

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Merriam Webster's

I. prefix Etymology: Middle English, from Old English 1. on ; in ; at <abed> 2. in (such) a state or condition <afire> 3. in (such) a manner <aloud> 4. in the act or process of <gone a-hunting> <atingle> II. prefix or an- Etymology: Latin & Greek; Latin, from Greek — more at un- not ; without <asexual> — a- before consonants other than h and sometimes even before h, an- before vowels and usually before h <achromatic> <ahistorical> <anastigmatic> <anhydrous>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. prefix not, without (amoral; agnostic; apetalous). Etymology: Gk a-, or L f. Gk, or F f. L f. Gk 2. prefix implying motion onward or away, adding intensity to verbs of motion (arise; awake). Etymology: OE a-, orig. ar- 3. prefix to, at, or into a state (adroit; agree; amass; avenge). Etymology: ME a- (= OF prefix a-), (f. F) f. L ad- to, at 4. prefix. 1 from, away (abridge). 2 of (akin; anew). 3 out, utterly (abash; affray). 4 in, on, engaged in, etc. (see A(2)). Etymology: sense 1 f. ME a-, OF a-, f. L ab; sense 2 f. ME a- f. OE of prep.; sense 3 f. ME, AF a- = OF e-, es- f. L ex 5. prefix assim. form of AD- before sc, sp, st.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

A- A- A, as a prefix to English words, is derived from various sources. (1) It frequently signifies on or in (from an, a forms of AS. on), denoting a state, as in afoot, on foot, abed, amiss, asleep, aground, aloft, away (AS. onweg), and analogically, ablaze, atremble, etc. (2) AS. of off, from, as in adown (AS. ofd[=u]ne off the dun or hill). (3) AS. [=a]- (Goth. us-, ur-, Ger. er-), usually giving an intensive force, and sometimes the sense of away, on, back, as in arise, abide, ago. (4) Old English y- or i- (corrupted from the AS. inseparable particle ge-, cognate with OHG. ga-, gi-, Goth. ga-), which, as a prefix, made no essential addition to the meaning, as in aware. (5) French [`a] (L. ad to), as in abase, achieve. (6) L. a, ab, abs, from, as in avert. (7) Greek insep. prefix [alpha] without, or privative, not, as in abyss, atheist; akin to E. un-. Note: Besides these, there are other sources from which the prefix a takes its origin.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

A- is added to the beginning of some adjectives in order to form adjectives that describe someone or something that does not have the feature or quality indicated by the original word. I'm a completely apolitical man... ...asymmetrical shapes. PREFIX