- A -

a. - [1] acre; [2] ampere; [3] anode; [4] atto-.

A. & M. - (Hymns) Ancient & Modern.

A.A. - [1] Automobile Association; [2] Anti-Aircraft; [3] Alcoholics Anonymous.

A.A.A. - Amateur Athletics Association.

A.A.C. - Army Air Corps.

A.A.F. - Auxiliary Air Force.

A.A.I. - Associate of the Auctioneers’ Institute.

A.A.I.P.A. - Associate of Incorporated Society of Auctioneers (sic Whitaker’s Almanac).

A.B. - Able rating or seaman [from Able Bodied]

A.B.S.I. - Associate of Boot and Shoe Industry.

A.C. - [1] Able Aircraftsman; [2] same as B.C - Before Christ (f. Latin Ante Christum); [3] alternating current.

A.C.A. - Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

A.C.C. - [1] Army Cyclist Corps (formed 1914; disbanded 1922); [2] Army Catering Corps (formed 1941).

A.C.C.S. - Associate of the Corporation of Certified Secretaries.

A.C.D. - Army Chaplains' Department (designated "Royal" 1919).

A.C.G.I. - Associate of the City and Guilds Institute.

A.C.I.A. - Associate of the Corporation of Insurance Agents.

A.C.I.B. - Associate of the Corporation of Insurance brokers.

A.C.I.S. - Associate of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries.

A.C.R.A. - Associate of the Corporation of Accountants.

A.C.T. - Australian Capital Territory.

A.D. - Anno Domini, in the year of our Lord.

A.D.C. - [1] Aide-de-Camp; [2] Army Dental Corps (formed 1921; designated "Royal" 1946).

A.D.C.Gen. - Aide-de-camp General.

A.E.C. - Army Educational Corps (designated "Royal" 1946).

A.F. - Anglo-French.

A.Fr. - Anglo-French.

A.F.A.S. - Associate of the Faculty of Architects and Surveyors.

A.F.C. - [1] Air Force Cross; [2] Association Football Club.

A.F.R. - Arbroath and Forfar Railway.

A.F.S. - Auxiliary Fire Service.

A.H. - (Anno Hegirae), in the year of Hegira.

A.H.Cps - Army Hospital Corps (British Army)

A.H.W.C. - Associate of the Heriot-Watt College.

A.I.A. - Associate of the Institute of Actuaries.

A.I.A.A. - Associate Member of the Incorporated Association of Architects.

A.I.A.C. - Associate of the Institute of Company Accountants.

A.I.A.S. - Associate Member of the Incorporated Association of Surveyors.

A.I.B. - Associate of the Institute of Bankers.

A.I.C. - Associate of the Institute of Chemistry.

A.I.C.S. - Associate of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers.

A.I.F. - Australian Imperial Forces (WW 1).

A.I.I.A. - Associate of the Institute of Industrial Administration.

A.I.Loco.E. - Associate of the Institute of Locomotive Engineers.

A.I.M.T.A. - Associate of the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants.

A.I.O.B. - Associate of the Institute of Builders.

A.I.S.A. - Associate of the Institute of Secretaries’ Association.

A.Inst.P. - Associate of the Institute of Physics.

A.J.R. - Axholme Joint Railway.

a.k.a. - also known as, alias.

A.K.C. - Associate of King’s College.

A.L. - (Anno Lucis), In the year of Light.

A.L.A. - Associate of the Library Association.

A.L.A.A. - Associate of the London Association of Certified Accountants.

A.M., a.m. - [1] (ante meridiem), before noon; [2] (Anno mundi), In the year of the world.

A.M.C. - Art Master’s Certificate.

A.M.D.G. - to the greater glory of God (f. L. ad majorem Die gloriam).

A.M.I.A.E. - Associate Member of the Institute of Automobile Engineers.

A.M.I.Chem.E. - Associate Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

A.M.I.E.E. - Associate Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.

A.M.I.Loco.E. - Associate Member of the Institute of Locomotive Engineers.

A.M.I.Mech.E. - Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

A.M.Inst.T. - Associate Member of the Institute of Transport.

A.M.S. - Army Medical Service or Staff.

A.N.C.B. - Army & Navy Canteen Board

A.O.C. - Army Ordnance Corps (designated "Royal" 1918).

A.P.C. - Army Pay Corps.

A.P.D. - Army Pay Department (designated "Royal" 1919).

A.P.T.C. - Army Physical Training Corps (formed 1940).

a.r. - in the year of the reign (L anno regni).

A.R.A. - Associate of the Royal Academy.

A.R.A.M. - Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

A.R.C.M. - Associate of the Royal College of Music.

A.R.C.O. - Associate of the Royal College of Organists.

A.R.C.S. - Associate of the Royal College of Science.

A.R.I.B.A. - Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

A.R.P. - Air Raid Precautions.

A.R.P.S. - Associate of the Royal Photographic Society.

A.R.R.C. - Associate of the Royal Red Cross.

A.R.S. - Army Remount Service.

A.R.S.M. - Associate of the Royal School of Mines.

A.R.San.I. - Associate of the Royal Sanitary Institute.

A.R.T.C. - Associate of the Royal Technical College (Glasgow).

A.R.W.S. - Associate of the Royal Society of Painters and Water Colours.

A.S. - [1] Anglo-Saxon; [2] (Anno Salvatoris or Salutis), In the year of Salvation.

A.S.A. - Amateur Swimming Association.

A.S.A.A. - Associate of the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors.

A.S.C. - Army Service Corps (designated "Royal" 1918).

A.S.H. - The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's).

A.S.L.E.F. - Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.

A.S.P.L. - Aberdeen Steam Packet Line.

A.T.C. - Air Training Corps.

A.T.I. - Associate of the Textile Institute.

A.T.S. - Auxiliary Territorial Service.

A.U.C. - (Anno urbis conditae), In the year from the foundation of Rome.

A.V. Authorised Version.

A.V.C. - Army Veterinary Corps (designated "Royal" 1918).

A.W.C.R. - Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway.

A.W.O.L. - absent without leave (military).

A.Y. - The Ayrshire Yeomanry (Earl of Carrick's Own).

a/c - account (f. account current).

abbrev. - abbreviation (of).

ABD - Aberdeenshire (Chapman Code)

Abp. - Archbishop.

abr. - abridged, abridgment

absol. - absolute(ly).

abstr. - abstract(s).

abt. - about.

acad. - academic, academy.

accel. - accelerando, with increasing rapidity (music).

acct - account.

ACGB - Arts Council of Great Britain.

ACIS - Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (formerly the Chartered Institute of Secretaries).

ACP - African, Caribbean, and Pacific.

acpt. - acceptance.

act. - active.

ACTU - Australian Council of Trade Unions.

ad inf. - ad infinitum.

ad lib. - ad libitum, at pleasure.

ad val. - ad valorem of a tax imposed at a rate proportional to the stated or estimated value (tax on goods) [L, according to the value].

ADAS - Agricultural Development and Advisory Service.

Add. - Addenda.

Adj. - Adjutant.

adm. - [1] administration, [2] administrator, [3] admitted.

Adm. - Admiral.

admin. - [1] administration, [2] administrator.

Admon - Letters of Administration (when died intestate).

ADR - American Depositary Receipt.

Adv. - Advance.

adv. - [1] adverb; adverbial [2] against [L adversus ].

advt. - advertisement.

ae - age, aged.

AEA - Atomic Energy Authority.

AEB - Associated Examining Board.

AEC - Atomic Energy Commission - a US organization.

AEI - Associated Electrical Industries (in the 1960’s became part of GEC).

AERE - Atomic Energy Research Establishment.

Aeronaut. - [1] Aeronautics; [2] Aeronautical.

aet., aetat. - of the specific age; aged [L aetatis].

AEU - Amalgamated Engineering Union - now AUEW.

AFA - Amateur Football Association.

AFAM - Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

aff. - affidavit.

AFL-CIO - American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

AFM - Air Force Medal.

Afr. - Africa(n).

AFRC - Agriculture and Food Research Council.

aft. - after.

AFV - armoured fighting vehicle.

AG - [1] adjutant general, [2] attorney general [3] joint-stock company [Ger Aktiengesellschaft].

Ag. L. - Agricultural Labourer

Ag. Lab. - Agricultural Labourer (1841-81 Census)

AGRA - Association of Genealogists and Record Agents.

agric. - agriculture, agricultural.

AGM - chiefly British, an annual general meeting (e.g. of a society or company).

AGSM - Associate of the Guildhall School of Music.

AGY - Anglesey (In April 1974, Anglesey became part of Gwynedd) (Chapman Code)

AH - anno hegirae - used before a date.

AJC - Australian Jockey Club.

aka - also known as, alias.

ALA - Associate of the Library Association.

Alb. - Albanian.

ald. - alderman.

Alc - Alice.

ALD - Alderney, Channel Islands (Chapman Code)

ALS - autograph letter signed.

als - alias.

alt. - [1] alternate, [2] altitude, [3] alto.

Am. - [1] America; American, [2] Amos.

AMDEA - Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances.

AMDG - to the greater glory of God [L ad majorem Dei gloriam]

Amer. - American.

Anat. Anatomy; Anatomical.

ANC - African National Congress.

Anc. - Ancient.

Anglo-Ind. - Anglo-Indian.

Anglo-Ir. - Anglo-Irish.

ann. - [1] annals, [2] annual, [3] annuity, [4] anon - anonymous.

anon - anonymous.

ANS - Angus (An old name for Forfarshire) (Chapman Code)

ANSI - American National Standards Institute.

ANT - Antrim (Chapman Code)

Antiq. - Antiquities; Antiquity.

Anzac - Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

AOC - Air Officer Commanding.

Ap. - Apprentice (1841-61 Census)

app. - apparently; appointed.

appl. - applied, application.

appos. - appositive, appositively.

Apr. April.

apt. - apartment.

aq - aqua, water.

Arab. - Arabic.

ARCA - Associate of the Royal College of Art.

arch. - [1] archaic, [2] architect; architectural; architecture.

Arch. - archbishop.

ARCM - Associate of the Royal College of Music.

ARCS - Associate of the Royal College of Science.

ARIBA - Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

ARL - Argyllshire (Includes islands: Islay, Jura and Mull) (Chapman Code)

ARM - Armagh (Chapman Code).

Arm. - Armagh.

Army - Members of HM land forces of whatever rank (1841 Census)

ARPS - Associate of the Royal Photographic Society.

arr. - [1] music arranged by, [2] arrival; arrives.

art. - [1] article, [2] artificial, [3] artillery.

ASA - [1] Advertising Standards Authority, [2] Amateur Swimming Association, [3] American Standards Association.

ASCII - a computer code consisting of 128 7-bit characters that is used for representing characters as binary numbers storable in a computer memory [A merican S tandard C ode for I nformation I nterchange].

ASE - Amalgamated Society of Engineers.

ASEAN - Association of South-East Asian Nations.

ASL - American Sign Language.

ASLEF - Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.

assgn. - assign, assignee.

assn. - association.

assoc. - association.

Assoc.M.I.C.E. - Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

ASSR - Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

asst - assistant.

Astr. - Astronomy.

Astrol. - Astrology.

Astron. - Astronomy.

Astronaut. - Astronautic(s).

atba - able to bear arms.

atm. - atmosphere.

attrib. - attributive, -ly.

att. - attorney.

ATV - [1] all-terrain vehicle, [2] Associated Television.

AUEW - Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers.

Aug. - August.

Austral. - Australian.

AUT - Association of University Teachers.

Autobiogr. - Autobiography, -ical

av - average; avoirdupois.

Ave. - Avenue.

AVM - Air Vice Marshal.

AVN - Avon (Chapman Code)

AWACS - airborne warning and control system.

AWB - Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging: a right-wing Afrikaner political group in South Africa.

AYR - Ayrshire (Chapman Code)

az. - azimuth.