A one

[ ey-wuhn ]
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adjective
  1. noting a vessel regarded by a shipping-classification society as being equipped to the highest standard and with equipment maintained in first-class condition.

  2. Also A number one. Informal. first-class; excellent; superior: The meals there are A one.

Origin of A one

1
First recorded in 1830–40
  • Also A-one, A 1, A-1 .

Words Nearby A one

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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Other Idioms and Phrases with A one

A one

Also, A-1; A-number-one. First-class, of the best quality, as in This is an A-one steak. The term comes from Lloyd's, the British insurance company, which in its 1775 shipping register designated the condition of a ship's hull by a letter grade (A, B, etc.) and of its cables, anchor, and other equipment by a number grade (1, 2, etc.). By the early 1800s A-1, the best possible grade, was being transferred to anything of superior quality.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.