ETYM Latin actus, from agere to drive, do: cf. French acte. Related to Agent.
1. Something that people do or cause to happen; SYN. human action, human activity.
2. A manifestation of insincerity.
3. A short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program; SYN. routine, number, turn, bit.
4. A subdivision of a play or opera or ballet.
5. A legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body; SYN. enactment.
In drama, the principal division of a play, usually marking a change of location, time, or mood. Acts are subdivided into scenes. All Shakespeare's plays are printed in five acts. The majority of modern plays are divided into three acts.

ETYM Old Fren. action, Latin actio, from agere to do. Related to Act.
1. Something done (usually as opposed to something said).
2. An act by a government body or supranational organization.
3. The operating part that transmits power to a mechanism.
4. The series of events that form a plot.
5. The state of being active; SYN. activity, activeness.
6. The trait of being active and energetic and forceful.
7. The most important or interesting work or activity in a specific area or field

Coition; Sexual intercourse.
Physical union of male and female genitalia accompanied by rhythmic movements; sexual intercourse — compare orgasm

ETYM AS. daed.
1. A legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it; SYN. deed of conveyance, title.
2. A notable achievement; SYN. feat, effort, exploit.

ETYM Late Lat. documentum, from docere to teach: cf. French document. Related to Docile.
1. A written account of ownership or obligation.
2. Anything serving as a representation of a person's thinking by means of symbolic marks.
3. Writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature); SYN. written document, papers.

ETYM Latin scriptura, from scribere, scriptum, to write: cf. Old Fren. escripture, escriture, French écriture. Related to Scribe.
Any writing that is regarded as sacred by a religious group.

1. The activity of putting something in written form.
2. Letters or symbols written or imprinted on a surface; SYN. symbolic representation.
3. Reading matter; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect); SYN. written material.
4. The act of creating written works; SYN. authorship, composition, penning.
5. (Usually plural) The collected work of an author.
Any written form of communication using a set of symbols: see alphabet, cuneiform, hieroglyphic. The last two used ideographs (picture writing) and phonetic word symbols side by side, as does modern Chinese. Syllabic writing, as in Japanese, develops from the continued use of a symbol to represent the sound of a short word. Some 8,000-year-old inscriptions, thought to be pictographs, were found on animal bones and tortoise shells in Henan province, China, at a Neolithic site at Jiahu. They are thought to predate by 2,500 years the oldest known writing (Mesopotamian cuneiform of 3,500 BC).

ETYM Old Fren. recort, record, remembrance, attestation, record. Related to Record.
1. A compilation of the known facts regarding something or someone; SYN. recordbook, book.
2. A document that can serve as legal evidence of a transaction.
3. Anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events.
4. The sum of recognized accomplishments.
In computing, a collection of related data items or fields. A record usually forms part of a file.

A shallow and rectangular briefcase; SYN. attache.

With handle; for carrying papers or files or books. brief-casem brief case

ETYM French portefeuille; porter to carry + feuille a leaf. Related to Port to carry, and Folio.
A case for carrying papers or drawings or maps; usually leather.
Case for carrying papers; office of cabinet minister. minister without portfolio, cabinet minister not having charge of a state department.

Everything that an individual or an organization owns (e.g. office, car, printer, computer, small library, etc.)

In accounting, anything owned by or owed to the company that is either cash or can be turned into cash. The term covers physical assets such as land or property of a company or individual, as well as financial assets such as cash, payments due from bills, and investments. Assets are divided into fixed assets and current assets. On a company's balance sheet, total assets must be equal to total liabilities (money and services owed).

Pertaining to the device, program, file, or portion of the screen that is currently operational or subject to command operations. Usually the cursor or a highlighted section shows the active element on the display screen.

ETYM French actif, Latin activus, from agere to act.
1. Characterized by energetic activity.
2. Characterized by energetic bodily activity; SYN. physical.
3. (Grammar) Expressing action rather than a state of being; used of verbs (e.g. 'to run') and participial adjectives (e.g. 'running' in 'running water'); SYN. dynamic.
4. (Military) Engaged in or ready for military or naval operations; SYN. combat-ready, fighting.
5. (Of e.g. volcanos) Being in a state of action or potential action.
6. (Pathology) Tending to become more severe or wider in scope.
7. Being in physical motion; SYN. on the move.
8. (Astronomy; of the sun) Characterized by a high level activity in sunspots and flares and radio emissions.
9. Disposed to take action or effectuate change.
10. Exerting influence or producing an effect.
11. Engaged in full-time work; (military).
12. In operation.
13. Taking part in an activity; SYN. participating.

Quick and eager.

Dialect chiefly England; industrious

ETYM Abbreviated from alive. Related to Alive, Life.
1. Having life; SYN. living.
2. Showing characteristics of life; exerting force or containing energy.
/> 3. Of current relevance.
4. Actually being performed (or--for the audience--present) at the time of viewing; SYN. unrecorded.
5. Charged with an explosive.
6. (Printing) In current use or ready for use.
7. (Informal) Abounding with life and energy.
Highly reverberant.

Easy to handle or use or manage; SYN. manageable.

Chiefly Scottish; vigorous