What does "AAS" mean?

1. (muscle-building drugs) a short name for steroids that people sometimes use to build muscle and improve sports performance. 2. (chemical analysis) a laboratory method used to find out how much of a specific metal is in a sample. 3. (geometry rule) a rule in math used to prove that two triangles are exactly the same size and shape. 4. (professional societies) a short name for various groups, like the American Astronomical Society.

How do you use "AAS"?

Usually treated as an uncountable noun when referring to the class of drugs. Uncountable in this scientific sense.

AAS

aas

1 muscle-building drugs (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

a short name for steroids that people sometimes use to build muscle and improve sports performance.

initialism for anabolic-androgenic steroids, synthetic derivatives of testosterone used to promote muscle growth and bone density.

Example

The athlete was banned after testing positive for AAS during the competition.

Example

The long-term administration of AAS is associated with significant cardiovascular risks and endocrine disruption in professional bodybuilders.

Usage

Usually treated as an uncountable noun when referring to the class of drugs.

Teacher's tip

In fitness and medical contexts, this is the most common meaning of the acronym.
- steroids
- anabolics
2 chemical analysis (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Science

a laboratory method used to find out how much of a specific metal is in a sample.

initialism for Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, a spectroanalytical procedure for the quantitative determination of chemical elements.

Example

The scientists used AAS to check the water for lead and mercury.

Example

AAS remains a gold-standard technique for detecting trace concentrations of heavy metals within environmental soil samples.

Usage

Uncountable in this scientific sense.
- spectroscopy

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3 geometry rule (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Math

a rule in math used to prove that two triangles are exactly the same size and shape.

initialism for Angle-Angle-Side, a theorem used to prove the congruence of two triangles if two angles and a non-included side are equal.

Example

We used the AAS rule to solve the geometry problem on the test.

Example

The student correctly identified that the AAS theorem was sufficient to prove the two triangles were congruent despite the missing side length.
- congruence
4 professional societies (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

a short name for various groups, like the American Astronomical Society.

initialism for several academic and professional organizations, most notably the American Astronomical Society or the Australian Academy of Science.

Example

She presented her research at the annual AAS meeting in Hawaii.

Example

The AAS issued a formal statement regarding the impact of satellite constellations on ground-based astronomical observations.
- association
- society