"a-word" meaning in English

See a-word in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: a-words [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} a-word (plural a-words)
  1. (euphemistic) The word ass or arse, asshole or arsehole. Tags: euphemistic
    Sense id: en-a-word-en-noun-ntxW6l3d Categories (other): English euphemisms
  2. (euphemistic, Christianity) The word alleluia, typically in the context of Lent since the Lenten liturgies of various Christian churches omit the alleluia. Tags: euphemistic Categories (topical): Christianity
    Sense id: en-a-word-en-noun-9dFU~FaP Categories (other): English euphemisms, English abbreviated euphemisms, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English abbreviated euphemisms: 8 49 44 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 47 51 Topics: Christianity
  3. Any word beginning with a that is not normally taboo but is considered (often humorously) to be so in the given context.
    Sense id: en-a-word-en-noun-bRZO~L0e Categories (other): English abbreviated euphemisms, English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English abbreviated euphemisms: 8 49 44 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 47 51
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for a-word meaning in English (4.6kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "a-words",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
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  "head_templates": [
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "b-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "c-word"
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    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "d-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "e-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "f-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "g-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "G-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "h-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "i-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "j-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "k-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "l-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "m-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "n-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "o-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "p-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "q-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "Q-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "r-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "s-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "t-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "u-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "v-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "w-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "x-word"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "C-bomb"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "f-bomb"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "f-slur"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "L-bomb"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "n-bomb"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "36 32 32",
      "word": "r-slur"
    }
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          "parents": [],
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        "The word ass or arse, asshole or arsehole."
      ],
      "id": "en-a-word-en-noun-ntxW6l3d",
      "links": [
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          "ass#English"
        ],
        [
          "arse",
          "arse#English"
        ],
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        ],
        [
          "arsehole",
          "arsehole#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(euphemistic) The word ass or arse, asshole or arsehole."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English euphemisms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Christianity",
          "orig": "en:Christianity",
          "parents": [
            "Abrahamism",
            "Religion",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 49 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English abbreviated euphemisms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 47 51",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008, Mary Poplin, Finding Calcutta: What Mother Teresa Taught Me About Meaningful Work and Service, page 71",
          "text": "It was Lent; “alleluia” is not sung in the Catholic church during Lent. I told her Babloo liked songs with the “A-word.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Melinda A. Quivik, Serving the Word, page 43",
          "text": "My congregation is frustrated because we can’t sing carols during Advent, and now we can’t say the A-word [Alleluia] during Lent.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 April 1, Keith Dorwick, “Deeper and deeper into Lenten quiet”, in Peninsula Daily News",
          "text": "What we give up — the A-word. […] I added what we call the A-word in Lent, since we stop saying “a-l-l-e-l-u-i-a” for this season (Shhhh!).",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The word alleluia, typically in the context of Lent since the Lenten liturgies of various Christian churches omit the alleluia."
      ],
      "id": "en-a-word-en-noun-9dFU~FaP",
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
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          "alleluia",
          "alleluia#English"
        ],
        [
          "Lent",
          "Lent"
        ],
        [
          "liturgies",
          "liturgy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(euphemistic, Christianity) The word alleluia, typically in the context of Lent since the Lenten liturgies of various Christian churches omit the alleluia."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    },
    {
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          "_dis": "8 49 44",
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          "name": "English abbreviated euphemisms",
          "parents": [],
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        },
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          "_dis": "2 47 51",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2010, Ken Siri, “Diagnosis and Evaluation—Formation”, in 1,001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Boys, page 17",
          "text": "Specialists sometimes choose PDD-NOS instead of an autism diagnosis because they are afraid that the “a-word” frightens patients.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any word beginning with a that is not normally taboo but is considered (often humorously) to be so in the given context."
      ],
      "id": "en-a-word-en-noun-bRZO~L0e"
    }
  ],
  "word": "a-word"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English abbreviated euphemisms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns"
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  "forms": [
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      "tags": [
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  "related": [
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      "word": "b-word"
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    {
      "word": "c-word"
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    {
      "word": "d-word"
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      "word": "e-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "f-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "g-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "G-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "h-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "i-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "j-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "k-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "l-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "m-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "n-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "o-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "p-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "q-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "Q-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "r-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "s-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "t-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "u-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "v-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "w-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "x-word"
    },
    {
      "word": "C-bomb"
    },
    {
      "word": "f-bomb"
    },
    {
      "word": "f-slur"
    },
    {
      "word": "L-bomb"
    },
    {
      "word": "n-bomb"
    },
    {
      "word": "r-slur"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English euphemisms"
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      "glosses": [
        "The word ass or arse, asshole or arsehole."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ass",
          "ass#English"
        ],
        [
          "arse",
          "arse#English"
        ],
        [
          "asshole",
          "asshole#English"
        ],
        [
          "arsehole",
          "arsehole#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(euphemistic) The word ass or arse, asshole or arsehole."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English euphemisms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Christianity"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008, Mary Poplin, Finding Calcutta: What Mother Teresa Taught Me About Meaningful Work and Service, page 71",
          "text": "It was Lent; “alleluia” is not sung in the Catholic church during Lent. I told her Babloo liked songs with the “A-word.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009, Melinda A. Quivik, Serving the Word, page 43",
          "text": "My congregation is frustrated because we can’t sing carols during Advent, and now we can’t say the A-word [Alleluia] during Lent.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 April 1, Keith Dorwick, “Deeper and deeper into Lenten quiet”, in Peninsula Daily News",
          "text": "What we give up — the A-word. […] I added what we call the A-word in Lent, since we stop saying “a-l-l-e-l-u-i-a” for this season (Shhhh!).",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The word alleluia, typically in the context of Lent since the Lenten liturgies of various Christian churches omit the alleluia."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Christianity",
          "Christianity"
        ],
        [
          "alleluia",
          "alleluia#English"
        ],
        [
          "Lent",
          "Lent"
        ],
        [
          "liturgies",
          "liturgy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(euphemistic, Christianity) The word alleluia, typically in the context of Lent since the Lenten liturgies of various Christian churches omit the alleluia."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "Christianity"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2010, Ken Siri, “Diagnosis and Evaluation—Formation”, in 1,001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Boys, page 17",
          "text": "Specialists sometimes choose PDD-NOS instead of an autism diagnosis because they are afraid that the “a-word” frightens patients.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any word beginning with a that is not normally taboo but is considered (often humorously) to be so in the given context."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "a-word"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.