az -abbr

  1. azimuth
  2. azure

AZ -abbr

  1. Arizona

az- -comb form

  1. containing nitrogen esp. as the divalent group NN
    • az ine

aza- -comb form

  1. containing nitrogen in place of carbon and usu. the divalent group NH for the group CH 2or a single trivalent nitrogen atom for the group CH
    • aza thioprine

aza·lea [ə-'zāl-yə] -n

  1. any of a subgenus ( Azalea) of rhododendrons with funnel-shaped corollas and usu. deciduous leaves including many species and hybrid forms cultivated as ornamentals

aza·thi·o·prine [,a-zə-'thī-ə-,prēn] -n

  1. a purine antimetabolite C 9H 7N 7O 2S used esp. as an immunosuppressant

Aza·zel [ə-'zā-zəl, 'a-zə-,zel] -n

  1. an evil spirit of the wilderness to which a scapegoat was sent by the ancient Hebrews in a ritual of atonement

azeo·trope ['ā-zē-ə-,trōp] -n

  1. a liquid mixture that is characterized by a constant minimum or maximum boiling point which is lower or higher than that of any of the components

Azer·bai·ja·ni [,a-zər-,bī-'jä-nē, ,ä-] -n, adj

  1. a member of a Turkic-speaking people of Azerbaijan and northwest Iran
  2. the Turkic language of the Azerbaijanis

Azeri [ə-'ze-rē, -'zer-ē; 'ä-zə-rē] -n

  1. azerbaijani

azide ['ā-,zīd, 'a-] -n

  1. a compound containing the group N 3combined with an element or radical

az·i·do ['a-zə-(,)dō] -adj

  1. relating to or containing the monovalent group N 3 often used in combination

az·i·do·thy·mi·dine [ə-,zi-dō-'thī-mə-,dēn] -n

  1. azt

az·i·muth ['az-məth, 'a-zə-] -n, adj, adv

  1. an arc of the horizon measured between a fixed point (as true north) and the vertical circle passing through the center of an object usu. in astronomy and navigation clockwise from the north point through 360 degrees
  2. horizontal direction expressed as the angular distance between the direction of a fixed point (as the observer's heading) and the direction of the object

azimuthal equidistant projection -n

  1. a map projection of the surface of the earth so centered at any given point that a straight line radiating from the center to any other point represents the shortest distance and can be measured to scale

azine ['ā-,zēn, 'a-] -n

  1. a compound of the general formula RCHNNCHR or R 2CNNCR 2formed by the action of hydrazine on aldehydes or ketones

azo ['ā-(,)zō, 'a-] -adj

  1. relating to or containing the divalent group NN united at both ends to carbon

azo dye -n

  1. any of numerous dyes containing azo groups

azo·ic [(,)ā-'zō-ik] -adj

  1. having no living beings
  2. of or relating to the part of geologic time that antedates life

azole ['ā-,zōl, 'a-] -n

  1. any of numerous compounds characterized by a 5-membered ring containing at least one nitrogen atom

azon·al [(,)ā-'zō-nᵊl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a soil or a major group of soils lacking well-developed horizons often because of immaturity

azo·o·sper·mia [(,)ā-,zō-ə-'spər-mē-ə] -n

  1. absence of spermatozoa from the seminal fluid

azo·te·mia [,ā-zō-'tē-mē-ə] -n, adj

  1. an excess of urea or other nitrogenous wastes in the blood as a result of kidney insufficiency

az·oth ['a-,zȯth] -n

  1. mercury regarded by alchemists as the first principle of metals
  2. the universal remedy of Paracelsus

azo·to·bac·ter [ā-'zō-tə-,bak-tər] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Azotobacter) of large rod-shaped or spherical bacteria occurring in soil and sewage and fixing atmospheric nitrogen

azo·tu·ria [,ā-zō-'tu̇r-ē-ə, -'tyu̇r-] -n

  1. an abnormal condition of horses characterized by muscle damage esp. to the hindquarters and dark-colored urine containing nitrogenous substances from muscle tissue breakdown

AZT [,ā-(,)zē-'tē] -n

  1. an antiviral drug C 10H 13N 5O 4that inhibits replication of some retroviruses (as HIV) and is used to treat AIDS called also azidothymidine, zidovudine

Az·tec ['az-,tek] -n, adj

  1. a member of a Nahuatl-speaking people that founded the Mexican empire conquered by Cortes in 1519
  2. a member of any people under Aztec influence
  3. nahuatl

azuki [ad-'zü-kē] -n

(variant of adzuki)

  1. adzuki bean

azu·le·jo [,ä-sü-'lā-(,)hō, -zü-, -thü-] -n

  1. a glazed usu. blue ceramic tile orig. of Portugal and Spain

azure ['a-zhər] -n, adj

  1. lapis lazuli
  2. the blue color of the clear sky
  3. the heraldic color blue
  4. the unclouded sky

azur·ite ['a-zhə-,rīt] -n

  1. a mineral that consists of blue basic carbonate of copper and is a minor copper ore
  2. a semiprecious stone derived from azurite

azy·gos [ā-'zī-gəs] -n

  1. an azygos anatomical part
  2. not being one of a pair : single
    • an azygos vein