to the same degree, amount, or extent; similarly; equally: I don't think it's as hot and humid today as it was yesterday.
2.
for example; for instance: Some flowers, as the rose, require special care.
3.
thought to be or considered to be: the square as distinct from the rectangle; the church as separate from the state.
4.
in the manner (directed, agreed, promised, etc.): She sang as promised. He left as agreed.
–conjunction
5.
(used correlatively after an adjective or adverb prec. by an adverbial phrase, the adverbial as, or another adverb) to such a degree or extent that: It came out the same way as it did before. You are as good as you think you are.
6.
(without antecedent) in the degree, manner, etc., of or that: She's good as gold. Do as we do.
7.
at the same time that; while; when: as you look away.
8.
since; because: As you are leaving last, please turn out the lights.
9.
though: Questionable as it may be, we will proceed.
10.
with the result or purpose: He said it in a voice so loud as to make everyone stare.
11.
Informal. (in dependent clauses) that: I don't know as I do.
12.
Midland and Southern U.S.and BritishDialect. than.
–pronoun
13.
(used relatively) that; who; which (usually prec. by such or the same): I have the same trouble as you had.
14.
a fact that: She did her job well, as can be proved by the records.
15.
New England, Midland, and Southern U.S.who; whom; which; that: Them as has gets.
–preposition
16.
in the role, function, or status of: to act as leader.
—Idioms
17.
as … as, (used to express similarity or equality in a specified characteristic, condition, etc., as between one person or thing and another): as rich as Croesus.
18.
as far as, to the degree or extent that: It is an excellent piece of work, as far as I can tell.
19.
as for or to, with respect to; in reference to: As for staying away, I wouldn't think of it.
20.
as good as,
a.
equivalent to; in effect; practically: as good as new.
b.
true to; trustworthy as: as good as his word.
21.
as how, Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.that; if; whether: He allowed as how it was none of my business. I don't know as how I ought to interfere.
22.
as if or though, as it would be if: It was as if the world had come to an end.
23.
as is, in whatever condition something happens to be, esp. referring to something offered for sale in a flawed, damaged, or used condition: We bought the table as is.
24.
as it were, in a way; so to speak: He became, as it were, a man without a country.
as yet, up to the present time; until now: As yet, no one has thought of a solution.
Origin: bef. 1000; ME as, als, alse, also, OE alswā, ealswā all so (see also), quite so, quite as, as; c. MD alse (D als), OHG alsō (MHG álsō, álse, als, G also so, als as, as if, because)
Usage note: As a conjunction, one sense of as is “because”: As she was bored, Sue left the room. As also has an equally common use in the sense “while, when”: As the parade passed by, the crowd cheered and applauded. These two senses sometimes result in ambiguity: As the gates were closed, he walked away. (When? Because?) As … as is standard in both positive and negative constructions: The fleet was as widely scattered then as it had been at the start of the conflict. Foreign service is not as attractive as it once was. So … as is sometimes used in negative constructions (… not so attractive as it once was) and in questions (“What is so rare as a day in June?”). The phrase as far as generally introduces a clause: As far as money is concerned, the council has exhausted all its resources. In some informal speech and writing, as far as is treated as a preposition and followed only by an object: As far as money, the council has exhausted all its resources. As to as a compound preposition has long been standard though occasionally criticized as a vague substitute for about, of, on, or concerning: We were undecided as to our destination.As to sometimes occurs at the beginning of a sentence, where it introduces an element that would otherwise have less emphasis: As to his salary, that too will be reviewed. As to what and as to whether are sometimes considered redundant but have long been standard: an argument as to what department was responsible. See also all, because, farther, like, so1.
Any of the speech sounds represented by the letter a.
The first in a series.
Something shaped like the letter A.
A The best or highest in quality or rank: grade A milk.
Music
The sixth tone in the scale of C major or the first tone in the relative minor scale.
A key or scale in which A is the tonic.
A written or printed note representing this tone.
A string, key, or pipe tuned to the pitch of this tone.
A One of the four major blood groups in the ABO system. Individuals with this blood group have the A antigen on the surface of their red blood cells, and the anti-B antibody in their blood serum.
air speed n.
Abbr. AS or a/s The speed, especially of an aircraft, relative to the air.
American Samoa Abbr. AS An unincorporated territory of the United States in the southern Pacific Ocean northeast of Fiji comprising the eastern islands of the Samoan archipelago. American Samoa has been administered by the United States since 1899. Pago Pago, on Tutuila, the largest island of the group, is the capital. Population: 57,700.
ar·se·nic (är'sə-nĭk) n.
Symbol As A highly poisonous metallic element having three allotropic forms, yellow, black, and gray, of which the brittle, crystalline gray is the most common. Arsenic and its compounds are used in insecticides, weed killers, solid-state doping agents, and various alloys. Atomic number 33; atomic weight 74.922; valence 3, 5. Gray arsenic melts at 817°C (at 28 atm pressure), sublimes at 613°C, and has a specific gravity of 5.73. See Table at element.
Arsenic trioxide.
adj.
ar·sen·ic (är-sěn'ĭk) Of or containing arsenic, especially with valence 5.
[Middle English arsenik, from Old French, from Latin arsenicum, from Greek arsenikon, yellow orpiment, alteration of Syriac zarnīkā, from Middle Persian *zarnīk, from Old Iranian *zarna-, golden; see ghel-2 in Indo-European roots.]
as 1 (āz; əz when unstressed) adv.
To the same extent or degree; equally: The child sang as sweetly as a nightingale.
For instance: large carnivores, as the bear or lion.
When taken into consideration in a specified relation or form: this definition as distinguished from the second one.
conj.
To the same degree or quantity that. Often used as a correlative after so or as:You are as sweet as sugar. The situation is not so bad as you suggest.
In the same manner or way that: Think as I think.
At the same time that; while: slipped on the ice as I ran home.
For the reason that; because: went to bed early, as I was exhausted.
With the result that: He was so foolish as to lie.
Though: Great as the author was, he proved a bad model. Ridiculous as it seems, the tale is true.
In accordance with which or with the way in which: The hotel is quite comfortable as such establishments go. The sun is hot, as everyone knows.
Informal That: I don't know as I can answer your question.
pron.
That; which; who. Used after same or such:I received the same grade as you did.
Chiefly Upper Southern U.S. Who, whom, which, or that: Those as want to can come with me.
prep.
In the role, capacity, or function of: acting as a mediator.
In a manner similar to; the same as: On this issue they thought as one.
[Middle English, from Old English ealswā; see also.]
Usage Note: A traditional usage rule draws a distinction between comparisons using as . . . as and comparisons using so . . . as. The rule states the so . . . as construction is required in negative sentences (as in Shakespeare's "'tis not so deep as a well"), in questions (as in Is it so bad as she says?), and in certain if- clauses (as in If it is so bad as you say, you ought to leave). But this so . . . as construction is becoming increasingly rare in American English, and the use of as . . . as is now entirely acceptable in all contexts. · In a comparison involving both as . . . as and than, the second as should be retained in written style. One writes He is as smart as, or smarter than, his brother, not He is as smart or smarter than his brother, which is considered unacceptable in formal style. · In many dialects, people use as in place of that in sentences like We are not sure as we want to go or It's not certain as he left. This construction is not sufficiently well established to be used in writing. · As should be preceded by a comma when it expresses a causal relation, as in She won't be coming, as we didn't invite her. When as expresses a time relation, it is not preceded by a comma: She was finishing the painting as I walked into the room. When beginning a sentence with a clause that starts with as, one should take care that it is clear whether as is used to mean "because" or "at the same time that." The sentence As they were leaving, I walked to the door may mean either "I walked to the door because they were leaving" or "I walked to the door at the same time that they were leaving." · As is sometimes used superfluously to introduce the complements of verbs like consider, deem, and account, as in They considered it as one of the landmark decisions of the civil rights movement. The measure was deemed as unnecessary. This usage may have arisen by analogy to regard and esteem, with which as is standardly used in this way: We regarded her as the best writer among us. But the use of as with verbs like consider is not sufficiently well established to be acceptable in writing. See Usage Notes at because, equal, like2, so1, than.
American dialects often vary from Standard English in the form and usage of relative pronouns. Where Standard English has three relative pronouns—who, which, and that—regional dialects, particularly those of the South and Midlands, allow as and what as relative pronouns: "Them as thinks they can whup me jest come ahead" (Publication of the American Dialect Society). The car what hit him never stopped.
as 2 (ās) n.
pl.as·ses (ās'ēz', ās'ĭz)
An ancient Roman coin of copper or copper alloy.
An ancient Roman unit of weight equal to about one troy pound.
c.1175, worn-down form of O.E. alswa "quite so" (see also). Equivalent to so; any distinction in use is purely idiomatic. Related to Ger. als "as, than."
[az; unstressed uh
z] 
