1. [n]  a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
2. [adj]  of the nature of or characteristic of or derived from an animal or animals; "the animal kingdom"; "animal instincts"; "animal fats"

ANIMAL is a 6 letter word that starts with A.

1. \An"i*mal\, n. [L., fr. anima breath, soul: cf. F.
   animal. See {Animate}.]
   1. An organized living being endowed with sensation and the
      power of voluntary motion, and also characterized by
      taking its food into an internal cavity or stomach for
      digestion; by giving carbonic acid to the air and taking
      oxygen in the process of respiration; and by increasing in
      motive power or active aggressive force with progress to
      maturity.
   2. One of the lower animals; a brute or beast, as
      distinguished from man; as, men and animals.
   

2. \An"i*mal\, a. [Cf. F. animal.]
   1. Of or relating to animals; as, animal functions.
   2. Pertaining to the merely sentient part of a creature, as
      distinguished from the intellectual, rational, or
      spiritual part; as, the animal passions or appetites.
   3. Consisting of the flesh of animals; as, animal food.
   {Animal magnetism}. See {Magnetism} and {Mesmerism}.
   {Animal electricity}, the electricity developed in some
      animals, as the electric eel, torpedo, etc.
   {Animal flower} (Zo["o]l.), a name given to certain marine
      animals resembling a flower, as any species of actinia or
      sea anemone, and other Anthozoa, hydroids, starfishes,
      etc.
   {Animal heat} (Physiol.), the heat generated in the body of a
      living animal, by means of which the animal is kept at
      nearly a uniform temperature.
   {Animal spirits}. See under {Spirit}.
   {Animal kingdom}, the whole class of beings endowed with
      animal life. It embraces several subkingdoms, and under
      these there are Classes, Orders, Families, Genera,
      Species, and sometimes intermediate groupings, all in
      regular subordination, but variously arranged by different
      writers.
   Note: The following are the grand divisions, or subkingdoms,
         and the principal classes under them, generally
         recognized at the present time:
   

an organized living creature endowed with sensation. The Levitical law divided animals into clean and unclean, although the distinction seems to have existed before the Flood (Gen. 7:2). The clean could be offered in sacrifice and eaten. All animals that had not cloven hoofs and did not chew the cud were unclean. The list of clean and unclean quadrupeds is set forth in the Levitical law (Deut. 14:3-20; Lev. 11).