AO
Abbreviation with 6 meanings
| Stands for | Area of operations |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 6 |
| Categories | Military, Medical, Geography & Places, Arts & Entertainment, Education & Academia |
| Also written | Ao |
AO has six meanings. The most common are Area of operations (military term) and Aorta (anatomy); it can also stand for Angola, Aviation Ordnanceman, Adults Only and Admissions officer.
Meanings of AO at a glance
| # | AO stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Area of operations | Military › Military Term |
| 2 | Aorta | Medical › Anatomy |
| 3 | Angola | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 4 | Aviation Ordnanceman | Military › US Navy and Coast Guard Rating |
| 5 | Adults Only | Arts & Entertainment › Video Game |
| 6 | Admissions officer | Education & Academia › Academic |
1. Area of operations
Military · Military Term Abbreviations
Geographic area assigned to a land or maritime commander, within which the commander has authority for operations and is responsible for its security and coordination.
Example: Any aircraft entering our AO must check in on the brigade frequency.
An AO is assigned by a higher commander and should be large enough for the unit to accomplish its mission. Combatant commands instead have areas of responsibility (AOR). In Navy aviation, AO is the aviation ordnanceman rating.
2. Aorta (Ao)
Medical · Anatomy Abbreviations
Body's largest artery, carrying oxygenated blood from the left ventricle through the ascending aorta, arch and descending thoracic aorta into the abdomen, where it divides into the iliac arteries. Echo and CT reports measure its diameter at standard levels to detect dilation and aneurysm.
Example: Echo: Ao root 4.6 cm; annual surveillance imaging.
An abdominal aorta of 3.0 cm or more counts as an aneurysm, and the US Preventive Services Task Force recommends one-time ultrasound screening for men aged 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. Dissection involving the ascending aorta (Stanford type A) is a surgical emergency. The name comes from the Greek aorte, used by Aristotle.
3. Angola
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Assigned to Angola, the former Portuguese colony in southwest Africa whose capital is Luanda and whose economy depends heavily on oil exports. The alpha-3 code is AGO and the domain .ao.
Example: Oil company payroll records list AO for employees based in Luanda.
Angola became independent from Portugal in 1975 and is one of Africa's largest oil producers. Portuguese is the official language, so locale tags read pt-AO. The kwanza is AOA on currency markets.
4. Aviation Ordnanceman
Military · US Navy and Coast Guard Rating Abbreviations
Sailors who store, assemble, inspect and load bombs, missiles, rockets and gun ammunition onto Navy aircraft and maintain aircraft weapons release and gun systems. On a carrier flight deck they wear red jerseys.
Example: AO3 Whitaker loaded two laser-guided bombs on the jet in under ten minutes.
Ordnancemen are nicknamed "ordies," and their red jerseys are shared on the flight deck with crash-and-salvage crews and explosive ordnance disposal personnel. Weapons are moved up from magazines deep in the ship on dedicated elevators before ordies assemble and load them. In operational planning, AO more often means area of operations.
5. Adults Only
Arts & Entertainment · Video Game Abbreviations
ESRB rating for games suitable only for adults 18 and over, with prolonged intense violence, graphic sexual content or real-money gambling. Major console makers do not allow AO games on their platforms.
Example: The publisher cut scenes to avoid an AO rating, which would have kept it off consoles.
Because AO effectively blocks console and mainstream retail release, it is rare. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was briefly re-rated AO in 2005 over hidden content in its code, before a patched version restored its M rating.
6. Admissions officer
Education & Academia · Academic Abbreviations
Staff member at a college admissions office who reads applications, interviews or visits high schools, and recommends decisions to a committee. Each AO usually covers a geographic territory and is the first reader for applicants from that region.
Example: Our regional AO visits the high school every October.
Admissions forums use the abbreviation heavily, for example in advice about what "AOs" look for. Many AOs are recent graduates of the college they represent. The job title varies from admissions counselor to assistant or associate director.
Related abbreviations
More military term abbreviations
- AFSC – Air Force Specialty Code
- AFT – Army Fitness Test
- AGR – Active Guard Reserve
- AIT – Advanced Individual Training
- AOR – Area of responsibility
- APFT – Army Physical Fitness Test
- ASVAB – Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
- ASW – Anti-submarine warfare
See all 248 military term abbreviations →
More anatomy abbreviations
- Abd – Abdomen (abdominal)
- AC – Acromioclavicular (joint)
- ACL – Anterior cruciate ligament
- ANS – Autonomic nervous system
- ASIS – Anterior superior iliac spine
- ATFL – Anterior talofibular ligament
- BBB – Blood-brain barrier
- C-spine – Cervical spine
See all 70 anatomy abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.