acton

or ack·ton, ake·ton

[ ak-tuhn ]

/ ˈæk tən /

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noun Armor.

a quilted garment worn under mail in the 13th and 14th centuries; gambeson.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of acton

1250–1300; Middle English <Anglo-French aketoun,Old French a(u)queton<Old Spanish algodon<Spanish Arabic <Arabic al-quṭun the cotton

Words nearby acton

act of God, Act of Toleration, Act of Uniformity, act of war, actomyosin, acton, act one's age, actor, actorish, actor-manager, actor-proof

Other definitions for acton (2 of 2)

Acton

[ ak-tuhn ]

/ ˈæk tən /

noun

Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron, 1834–1902, English historian.

a former municipal borough in SE England, now part of the London borough of Ealing: center of Puritanism at the time of Cromwell.

a city in NE Massachusetts.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use acton in a sentence

So Acton poured $50 million of his Facebook fortune into setting up the Signal Foundation, a non-profit that could support the development of Signal as a direct rival to WhatsApp.
The Inside Story of How Signal Became the Private Messaging App for an Age of Fear and Distrust|Billy Perrigo|September 25, 2020|Time
Soon after quitting, Acton teamed up with Marlinspike once again.
The Inside Story of How Signal Became the Private Messaging App for an Age of Fear and Distrust|Billy Perrigo|September 25, 2020|Time
Even so, while Acton was still at the company in 2016, WhatsApp introduced new terms of service that forced users, if they wanted to keep using the app, to agree that their WhatsApp data could be accessed by Facebook.
The Inside Story of How Signal Became the Private Messaging App for an Age of Fear and Distrust|Billy Perrigo|September 25, 2020|Time
Acton was growing alarmed at what he saw as Facebook’s plans to add advertisements and track even more user data.
The Inside Story of How Signal Became the Private Messaging App for an Age of Fear and Distrust|Billy Perrigo|September 25, 2020|Time

I try to use it to conduct my interview with Acton, but the call fails to connect.
The Inside Story of How Signal Became the Private Messaging App for an Age of Fear and Distrust|Billy Perrigo|September 25, 2020|Time
When Acton died in 1953, no will was found and his estate was inherited by Harold.
In Tussle Over Will, Mistress’s Family Takes a Bite Out of NYU|Anthony Haden-Guest|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
New York University was not thunderstruck by the news that Sir Harold Acton had left the school his estate when he died in 1994.
In Tussle Over Will, Mistress’s Family Takes a Bite Out of NYU|Anthony Haden-Guest|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Acton had no heirs and initially offered to leave his estate to Oxford, but the offer was turned down.
In Tussle Over Will, Mistress’s Family Takes a Bite Out of NYU|Anthony Haden-Guest|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Arthur Acton decided to go into business with a neighbor in Florence, Bernard Berenson.
In Tussle Over Will, Mistress’s Family Takes a Bite Out of NYU|Anthony Haden-Guest|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She and her family have been in litigation with NYU over the Acton estate since his death.
In Tussle Over Will, Mistress’s Family Takes a Bite Out of NYU|Anthony Haden-Guest|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From their father, Currer, Ellis, and Acton derived a strong will.
Emily Bront|A. Mary F. (Agnes Mary Frances) Robinson
Acton, ak′tun, n. a stuffed leather jacket which used to be worn under a coat of mail.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
The greatest blank in the shining page was the memory of Acton Hague, of which he inveterately tried to rid himself.
The Altar of the Dead|Henry James
He was further conscious that he showed his companion a white face when he turned round on her gasping: “Acton Hague!”
The Altar of the Dead|Henry James
His tide had ebbed, not flowed; if he had “forgiven” Acton Hague, that forgiveness was a motive with a broken spring.
The Altar of the Dead|Henry James

British Dictionary definitions for acton (1 of 4)

acton

/ (ˈæktən) /

noun (in medieval Europe)

a jacket or jerkin, originally of quilted cotton, worn under a coat of mail

a leather jacket padded with mail

Word Origin for acton

C14: from Old French auqueton, probably ultimately from Arabic alqutun the cotton

British Dictionary definitions for acton (2 of 4)

act on

act upon

verb (intr, preposition)

to regulate one's behaviour in accordance with (advice, information, etc)

to have an effect on (illness, a part of the body, etc)

British Dictionary definitions for acton (3 of 4)

Acton¹

/ (ˈæktən) /

noun

a district of the London borough of Ealing

British Dictionary definitions for acton (4 of 4)

Acton²

/ (ˈæktən) /

noun

John Emerich Edward Dalberg, 1st Baron. 1834–1902, English historian: a proponent of Christian liberal ethics and adviser of Gladstone

his grandfather, Sir John Francis Edward. 1736–1811, European naval commander and statesman: admiral of Tuscany (1774–79) and Naples (1779 onwards) and chief minister of Naples (1779–1806)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with acton

act on

Also, act upon. Conduct oneself in accordance with or as a result of information or another action, as in I will act on my lawyer's advice, or The manager refused to act upon the hotel guest's complaints. [c. 1800]

Influence or affect, as in The baby's fussing acted on the sitter's nerves. [c. 1800]

acton

or ack·ton, ake·ton

Origin of acton

Words nearby acton

Other definitions for acton (2 of 2)

Words related to acton

How to use acton in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for acton (1 of 4)

Word Origin for acton

British Dictionary definitions for acton (2 of 4)

act upon

British Dictionary definitions for acton (3 of 4)

British Dictionary definitions for acton (4 of 4)

Other Idioms and Phrases with acton