Adams

American  

[ad-uhmz] / ˈæd əmz /

noun

1. Abigail (Smith), 1744–1818, U.S. social and political figure (wife of John Adams).

2. Alice, 1926–1999, U.S. writer.

3. Ansel, 1902–84, U.S. photographer.

4. Brooks, 1848–1927, U.S. historian and political scientist (son of Charles Francis Adams and brother of Henry Brooks Adams).

5. Charles Francis, 1807–86, U.S. statesman: minister to Great Britain 1861–68 (son of John Quincy Adams).

6. Franklin P(ierce) F.P.A., 1881–1960, U.S. author and columnist.

7. Henry (Brooks), 1838–1918, U.S. historian, writer, and teacher (son of Charles Francis Adams).

8. James Truslow 1878–1949, U.S. historian.

9. John, 1735–1826, 2nd president of the U.S. 1797–1801: a leader in the American Revolution.

10. John Michael Geoffrey Manningham Tom, 1931–85, Barbadian political leader: prime minister 1976–85.

11. John Quincy 1767–1848, 6th president of the U.S. 1825–29; secretary of state 1817–25 (son of John Adams).

12. Léonie Fuller 1899–1988, U.S. poet.

13. Maude Maude Kiskadden, 1872–1953, U.S. actress.

14. Roger, 1889–1971, U.S. chemist.

15. Samuel, 1722–1803, American statesman: a leader in the American Revolution.

16. Samuel Hopkins, 1874–1958, U.S. journalist and novelist.

17. Walter Sydney, 1876–1956, U.S. astronomer.

18. Mount Adams, a mountain in southwestern Washington, in the Cascade Range. 12,307 feet (3,751 meters).

19. a mountain in northern New Hampshire, in the White Mountains. 5,798 feet (1,767 meters).

20. a city in western Massachusetts.

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Adams ¹ British  

/ ˈædəmz /

noun

1. a mountain in SW Washington, in the Cascade Range. Height: 3751 m (12 307 ft)

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Adams ² British  

/ ˈædəmz /

noun

1. Gerry, full name Gerrard Adams . born 1948, Northern Ireland politician; president of Sinn Féin from 1983: negotiated the Irish Republican Army ceasefires in 1994–96 and 1997; member of the parliament of the Irish Republic from 2011

2. Henry ( Brooks ). 1838–1918, US historian and writer. His works include Mont Saint Michel et Chartres (1913) and his autobiography The Education of Henry Adams (1918)

3. John. 1735–1826, second president of the US (1797–1801); US ambassador to Great Britain (1785–88); helped draft the Declaration of Independence (1776)

4. John Coolidge. born 1947, US composer; works include the operas Nixon in China (1987) and The Death of Klinghoffer (1991)

5. John Couch. 1819–92, British astronomer who deduced the existence and position of the planet Neptune

6. John Quincey. son of John Adams. 1767–1848, sixth president of the US (1825–29); secretary of state (1817–25)

7. Richard. born 1920, British author; his novels include Watership Down (1972), The Plague Dogs (1977), and Traveller (1988)

8. Samuel. 1722–1803, US revolutionary leader; one of the organizers of the Boston Tea Party; a signatory of the Declaration of Independence

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Adams Scientific  

/ ăd′əmz /

1. American astronomer who demonstrated that the essential brightness of a star could be calculated by studying its spectrum and who introduced a method for measuring the distance of stars based on their brightness. In 1915 he discovered Sirius B, the first known white dwarf star, and his measurement of the gravitational red shift in the light leaving its surface was accepted as evidence for Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity.

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Example Sentences

Sherman Adams, Eisenhower’s chief of staff, resigned in 1958 after refusing to answer questions about a vicuña coat and an Asian rug given to him by a textile manufacturer.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

“It’s really exciting, because not only is it a big milestone for the project, but it’s going to be a really visible milestone for all of our guests,” Adams said of the testing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The slump cost general manager Kevyn Adams his job.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Director Knud Adams, one of the most sought after directors of new plays, brings his acclaimed productions of ‘English’ to the Wallis and “Primary Trust’ to the Mark Taper Forum.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

If Jefferson seemed predestined to tell people what they wanted to hear, Adams now acknowledged that his own destiny was just the opposite: to tell them what they needed to know.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis