#arak

• Akyab — The historical official colonial name formerly used for the current major port city of Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine (Arakan) State in Myanmar (Burma), located at the mouth of the Kaladan River emptying into the Bay of Bengal; initially founded as a strategic commercial hub by the British Empire after the First Anglo-Burmese War in eighteen twenty-six, it held this structural name throughout the colonial and early modern periods. This crucial maritime logistical hub played an essential geopolitical role in rice exportation and South-East Asian shipping routes, its name being later changed to Sittwe to reflect the reclamation of native ethnic and toponymic identity.
• Arakanese — Pertaining to the historical region of Arakan (modern Rakhine State in Myanmar/Burma), its native population, or their language. As a noun, it denotes a member of the majority ethnic group from this Tibeto-Burman region or the specific idiom recognized linguistically as an archaic dialect of the Burmese language, characterized by the preservation of ancient consonantal sounds.
• Arakcheyevism — An attitude or regime of governance characterized by brutal despotism, blind and formal military discipline, suffocating bureaucracy, and repressive police measures. The term derives from the name of the Russian tsarist general and minister Aleksey Arakcheyev (1769–1834), who enforced harsh military settlements in the Russian Empire, becoming a universal symbol of tyrannical administrative control devoid of flexibility or humanity.
• Arak — A traditional distilled alcoholic beverage, colorless and unsweetened, flavored with aniseed, highly popular in Middle Eastern countries and the Mediterranean basin (such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan). It is usually obtained through the triple distillation of fermented grape juice and is consumed diluted with cold water and ice, at which point the beverage assumes a characteristic milky-white appearance due to the precipitation of anise oils (louche effect).
• Arakan — A vast historical and geographic region located on the western coast of Myanmar (formerly Burma), along the Bay of Bengal, currently corresponding to the federal Rakhine State. It sheltered a powerful independent Buddhist kingdom with its capital at Mrauk U, later integrated into Burmese territory, and in contemporary geopolitics, it represents a complex space marked by deep inter-ethnic tensions and humanitarian crises.
• Araks — A graphic variant and international transliteration for the Aras River; a major watercourse located in the South Caucasus, stretching over 1000 kilometers long. It originates in eastern Turkey, flowing eastward to border Armenia, Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave, and Iran, before emptying into the Kura River. It holds fundamental geopolitical significance, serving as a strict natural boundary and strategic barrier between multiple states in the region.
• Astrakhan — Fine pelt with very short, silky, and curled fur, obtained from Karakul lambs slaughtered in the first days after birth or from miscarriages (in which case it is called breitschwanz). In a modern commercial sense, the term also describes an artificial fabric made of wool or synthetic fibers that closely mimics the looped texture and glossy appearance of this luxury natural fur, used in making coats, collars, and hats.
• Astragan — A regional or popular phonetic variant of the noun 'astracan'; fine fur with short, curled hair obtained from Karakul lambs, used in manufacturing luxury clothing items. In the everyday language of certain areas, the term also refers to thick synthetic fabrics that closely mimic the curly, glossy, and soft texture of natural pelt, utilized for collars, hats, and winter coats.
• Astrakhan fur — A lexicographical and commercial variant of the noun 'astracan'; fine pelt with short, silky, and tightly curled fur obtained from Karakul lambs in their first days after birth. In the modern textile industry, the term also denotes a heavy wool or synthetic fabric with a pronounced looped texture mimicking the glossy appearance of natural fur, widely used for making winter coats, collars, and hats.
• Astrakhan fur — A type of fine fur with tight, silky, and glossy curls, obtained from the pelts of newborn or stillborn Karakul lambs, originally from the Astrakhan region; astrachan fur. Used as an adjective, it describes a clothing item (collar, hat, coat) made from this noble material or mimicking its characteristic curly texture.
• Astrakhan fur — A regional or archaic phonetic variant of the term 'astrakhan' (or astrucan); a type of fine fur with tight, silky, and glossy curls obtained from the pelts of newborn Karakul lambs. As an adjective, it refers to coats, collars, or hats made of this fur or faithfully mimicking this specific wavy texture.