← Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, Volume 1
Chapter 3
A B C a B C"
1. The first three letters of the alphabet, used for the whole alphabet.
2. A primer for teaching the alphabet and first elements of reading. [Obs.]
3. The simplest rudiments of any subject; as, the A B C of finance. A B C book, a primer. Shak.
ABDAL Ab"dal, n. Etym: [Ar. badil, pl. abdal, a substitute, a good, religious man, saint, fr. badala to change, substitute.]
Defn: A religious devotee or dervish in Persia.
ABDERIAN
Ab*de"ri*an, a. Etym: [From Abdera, a town in Thrace, of which place
Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher, was a native.]
Defn: Given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment.
ABDERITE
Ab*de"rite, n. Etym: [L. Abderita, Abderites, fr. Gr. '
Defn: An inhabitant of Abdera, in Thrace. The Abderite, Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher.
ABDEST
Ab"dest, n. Etym: [Per. abdast; ab water + dast hand.]
Defn: Purification by washing the hands before prayer; — a
Mohammedan rite. Heyse.
ABDICABLE
Ab"di*ca*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being abdicated.
ABDICANT
Ab"di*cant, a. Etym: [L. abdicans, p.pr. of abdicare.]
Defn: Abdicating; renouncing; — followed by of.
Monks abdicant of their orders. Whitlock.
ABDICANT
Ab"di*cant, n.
Defn: One who abdicates. Smart.
ABDICATE
Ab"di*cate, v.t. [imp. & p.p. Abdicated; p.pr. & vb.n. Abdicating.]
Etym: [L. abdicatus, p.p. of abdicare; ab + dicare to proclaim, akin
to dicere to say. See Diction.]
1. To surrender or relinquish, as sovereign power; to withdraw definitely from filling or exercising, as a high office, station, dignity; as, to abdicate the throne, the crown, the papacy.
Note: The word abdicate was held to mean, in the case of James II., to abandon without a formal surrender. The cross-bearers abdicated their service. Gibbon.
2. To renounce; to relinquish; — said of authority, a trust, duty,
right, etc.
He abdicates all right to be his own governor. Burke.
The understanding abdicates its functions. Froude.
3. To reject; to cast off. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
4. (Civil Law)
Defn: To disclaim and expel from the family, as a father his child; to disown; to disinherit.
Syn. — To give up; quit; vacate; relinquish; forsake; abandon; resign; renounce; desert. — To Abdicate, Resign. Abdicate commonly expresses the act of a monarch in voluntary and formally yielding up sovereign authority; as, to abdicate the government. Resign is applied to the act of any person, high or low, who gives back an office or trust into the hands of him who conferred it. Thus, a minister resigns, a military officer resigns, a clerk resigns. The expression, "The king resigned his crown," sometimes occurs in our later literature, implying that he held it from his people. — There are other senses of resign which are not here brought into view.
ABDICATE
Ab"di*cate, v.i.
Defn: To relinquish or renounce a throne, or other high office or
dignity.
Though a king may abdicate for his own person, he cannot abdicate for
the monarchy. Burke.
ABDICATION
Ab`di*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. abdicatio: cf. F. abdication.]
Defn: The act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder; commonly the voluntary renunciation of sovereign power; as, abdication of the throne, government, power, authority.
ABDICATIVE
Ab"di*ca*tive, a. Etym: [L. abdicativus.]
Defn: Causing, or implying, abdication. [R.] Bailey.
ABDICATOR
Ab"di*ca`tor, n.
Defn: One who abdicates.
ABDITIVE
Ab"di*tive, a. Etym: [L. abditivus, fr. abdere to hide.]
Defn: Having the quality of hiding. [R.] Bailey.
ABDITORY
Ab"di*to*ry, n. Etym: [L. abditorium.]
Defn: A place for hiding or preserving articles of value. Cowell.
ABDOMEN Ab*do"men, n. Etym: [L. abdomen (a word of uncertain etymol.): cf. F. abdomen.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: The belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis. Also, the cavity of the belly, which is lined by the peritoneum, and contains the stomach, bowels, and other viscera. In man, often restricted to the part between the diaphragm and the commencement of the pelvis, the remainder being called the pelvic cavity.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The posterior section of the body, behind the thorax, in insects, crustaceans, and other Arthropoda.
ABDOMINAL
Ab*dom"i*nal, a. Etym: [Cf. F. abdominal.]
1. Of or pertaining to the abdomen; ventral; as, the abdominal regions, muscles, cavity.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having abdominal fins; belonging to the Abdominales; as, abdominal fishes. Abdominal ring (Anat.), a fancied ringlike opening on each side of the abdomen, external and superior to the pubes; — called also inguinal ring.
ABDOMINAL
Ab*dom"i*nal, n.; E. pl. Abdominals, L. pl. Abdominales.
Defn: A fish of the group Abdominales.
ABDOMINALES
Ab*dom`i*na"les, n. pl. Etym: [NL., masc. pl.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group including the greater part of fresh-water fishes, and many marine ones, having the ventral fins under the abdomen behind the pectorals.
ABDOMINALIA
Ab*dom`i*na"li*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., neut. pl.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of cirripeds having abdominal appendages.
ABDOMINOSCOPY
Ab*dom`i*nos"co*py, n. Etym: [L. abdomen + Gr. (Med.)
Defn: Examination of the abdomen to detect abdominal disease.
ABDOMINOTHORACIC
Ab*dom`i*no*tho*rac"ic, a.
Defn: Relating to the abdomen and the thorax, or chest.
ABDOMINOUS
Ab*dom"i*nous, a.
Defn: Having a protuberant belly; pot-bellied. Gorgonius sits, abdominous and wan, Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan. Cowper.
ABDUCE
Ab*duce", v.t. [imp. & p.p. Abduced; p.pr. & vb.n. Abducing.] Etym:
[L. abducere to lead away; ab + ducere to lead. See Duke, and cf.
Abduct.]
Defn: To draw or conduct away; to withdraw; to draw to a different
part. [Obs.]
If we abduce the eye unto either corner, the object will not
duplicate. Sir T. Browne.
ABDUCT
Ab*duct", v.t. [imp. & p.p. Abducted; p.pr. & vb.n. Abducting.] Etym:
[L. abductus, p.p. of abducere. See Abduce.]
1. To take away surreptitiously by force; to carry away (a human being) wrongfully and usually by violence; to kidnap.
2. To draw away, as a limb or other part, from its ordinary position.
ABDUCTION
Ab*duc"tion, n. Etym: [L. abductio: cf. F. abduction.]
1. The act of abducing or abducting; a drawing apart; a carrying away. Roget.
2. (Physiol.)
Defn: The movement which separates a limb or other part from the axis, or middle line, of the body.
3. (Law)
Defn: The wrongful, and usually the forcible, carrying off of a human being; as, the abduction of a child, the abduction of an heiress.
4. (Logic)
Defn: A syllogism or form of argument in which the major is evident, but the minor is only probable.
ABDUCTOR
Ab*duc"tor, n. Etym: [NL.]
1. One who abducts.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: A muscle which serves to draw a part out, or form the median line of the body; as, the abductor oculi, which draws the eye outward.
ABEAM
A*beam", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- + beam.] (Naut.)
Defn: On the beam, that is, on a line which forms a right angle with the ship's keel; opposite to the center of the ship's side.
ABEAR
A*bear", v.t. Etym: [AS. aberan; pref. a- + beran to bear.]
1. To bear; to behave. [Obs.] So did the faery knight himself abear. Spenser.
2. To put up with; to endure. [Prov.] Dickens.
ABEARANCE
A*bear"ance, n.
Defn: Behavior. [Obs.] Blackstone.
ABEARING
A*bear"ing, n.
Defn: Behavior. [Obs.] Sir. T. More.
ABECEDARIAN A`be*ce*da"ri*an, n. Etym: [L. abecedarius. A word from the first four letters of the alphabet.]
1. One who is learning the alphabet; hence, a tyro.
2. One engaged in teaching the alphabet. Wood.
ABECEDARIAN; ABECEDARY
A`be*ce*da"ri*an, A`be*ce"da*ry, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or formed by, the letters of the alphabet; alphabetic; hence, rudimentary. Abecedarian psalms, hymns, etc., compositions in which (like the 119th psalm in Hebrew) distinct portions or verses commence with successive letters of the alphabet. Hook.
ABECEDARY
A`be*ce"da*ry, n.
Defn: A primer; the first principle or rudiment of anything. [R.]
Fuller.
ABED
A*bed", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- in, on + bed.]
1. In bed, or on the bed. Not to be abed after midnight. Shak.
2. To childbed (in the phrase "brought abed," that is, delivered of a child). Shak.
ABEGGE
A*beg"ge.
Defn: Same as Aby. [Obs.] Chaucer.
ABELE A*bele", n. Etym: [D. abeel (abeel-boom), OF. abel, aubel, fr. a dim. of L. albus white.]
Defn: The white polar (Populus alba).
Six abeles i' the churchyard grow. Mrs. Browning.
ABELIAN; ABELITE; ABELONIAN
A*bel"i*an, A"bel*ite, A`bel*o"ni*an, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: One of a sect in Africa (4th century), mentioned by St. Augustine, who states that they married, but lived in continence, after the manner, as they pretended, of Abel.
ABELMOSK A"bel*mosk`, n. Etym: [NL. abelmoschus, fr. Ar. abu-l-misk father of musk, i.e., producing musk. See Musk.] (Bot.)
Defn: An evergreen shrub (Hibiscus — formerly Abelmoschus- moschatus), of the East and West Indies and Northern Africa, whose musky seeds are used in perfumery and to flavor coffee; — sometimes called musk mallow.
ABER-DE-VINE
Ab`er-de-vine", n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The European siskin (Carduelis spinus), a small green and yellow finch, related to the goldfinch.
ABERR
Ab*err", v.i. Etym: [L. aberrare. See Aberrate.]
Defn: To wander; to stray. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
ABERRANCE; ABERRANCY
Ab*er"rance, Ab*er"ran*cy, n.
Defn: State of being aberrant; a wandering from the right way; deviation from truth, rectitude, etc. Aberrancy of curvature (Geom.), the deviation of a curve from a circular form.
ABERRANT
Ab*er"rant, a. Etym: [L. aberrans, -rantis, p.pr. of aberrare.]
Defn: See Aberr.]
1. Wandering; straying from the right way.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: Deviating from the ordinary or natural type; exceptional;
abnormal.
The more aberrant any form is, the greater must have been the number
of connecting forms which, on my theory, have been exterminated.
Darwin.
ABERRATE Ab"er*rate, v.i. Etym: [L. aberratus, p.pr. of aberrare; ab + errare to wander. See Err.]
Defn: To go astray; to diverge. [R.]
Their own defective and aberrating vision. De Quincey.
ABERRATION
Ab`er*ra"tion, n. Etym: [L. aberratio: cf. F. aberration. See
Aberrate.]
1. The act of wandering; deviation, especially from truth or moral rectitude, from the natural state, or from a type. "The aberration of youth." Hall. "Aberrations from theory." Burke.
2. A partial alienation of reason. "Occasional aberrations of intellect." Lingard. Whims, which at first are the aberrations of a single brain, pass with heat into epidemic form. I. Taylor.
3. (Astron.)
Defn: A small periodical change of position in the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer; called annual aberration, when the observer's motion is that of the earth in its orbit, and dairy or diurnal aberration, when of the earth on its axis; amounting when greatest, in the former case, to 20.4'', and in the latter, to 0.3''. Planetary aberration is that due to the motion of light and the motion of the planet relative to the earth.
4. (Opt.)
Defn: The convergence to different foci, by a lens or mirror, of rays of light emanating from one and the same point, or the deviation of such rays from a single focus; called spherical aberration, when due to the spherical form of the lens or mirror, such form giving different foci for central and marginal rays; and chromatic aberration, when due to different refrangibilities of the colored rays of the spectrum, those of each color having a distinct focus.
5. (Physiol.)
Defn: The passage of blood or other fluid into parts not appropriate for it.
6. (Law)
Defn: The producing of an unintended effect by the glancing of an instrument, as when a shot intended for A glances and strikes B.
Syn. — Insanity; lunacy; madness; derangement; alienation; mania; dementia; hallucination; illusion; delusion. See Insanity.
ABERRATIONAL
Ab`er*ra"tion*al, a.
Defn: Characterized by aberration.
ABERUNCATE
Ab`e*run"cate, v.t. Etym: [L. aberuncare, for aberruncare. See
Averruncate.]
Defn: To weed out. [Obs.] Bailey.
ABERUNCATOR
Ab`e*run"ca*tor, n.
Defn: A weeding machine.
ABET A*bet", v.t. [imp. & p.p. Abetted; p.pr. & vb.n. Abetting.] Etym: [OF. abeter; a (L. ad) + beter to bait (as a bear), fr. Icel. beita to set dogs on, to feed, originally, to cause to bite, fr. Icel. bita to bite, hence to bait, to incite. See Bait, Bet.]
1. To instigate or encourage by aid or countenance; — used in a bad sense of persons and acts; as, to abet an ill-doer; to abet one in his wicked courses; to abet vice; to abet an insurrection. "The whole tribe abets the villany." South. Would not the fool abet the stealth, Who rashly thus exposed his wealth Gay.
2. To support, uphold, or aid; to maintain; — in a good sense. [Obs.]. Our duty is urged, and our confidence abetted. Jer. Taylor.
3. (Law)
Defn: To contribute, as an assistant or instigator, to the commission of an offense.
Syn. — To incite; instigate; set on; egg on; foment; advocate; countenance; encourage; second; uphold; aid; assist; support; sustain; back; connive at.
ABET
A*bet", n. Etym: [OF. abet, fr. abeter.]
Defn: Act of abetting; aid. [Obs.] Chaucer.
ABETMENT
A*bet"ment, n.
Defn: The act of abetting; as, an abetment of treason, crime, etc.
ABETTAL
A*bet"tal, n.
Defn: Abetment. [R.]
ABETTER; ABETTOR
A*bet"ter, A*bet*tor, n.
Defn: One who abets; an instigator of an offense or an offender.
Note: The form abettor is the legal term and also in general use.
Syn. — Abettor, Accessory, Accomplice. These words denote different degrees of complicity in some deed or crime. An abettor is one who incites or encourages to the act, without sharing in its performance. An accessory supposes a principal offender. One who is neither the chief actor in an offense, nor present at its performance, but accedes to or becomes involved in its guilt, either by some previous or subsequent act, as of instigating, encouraging, aiding, or concealing, etc., is an accessory. An accomplice is one who participates in the commission of an offense, whether as principal or accessory. Thus in treason, there are no abettors or accessories, but all are held to be principals or accomplices.
ABEVACUATION
Ab`e*vac"u*a"tion, n. Etym: [Pref. ab- + evacuation.] (Med.)
Defn: A partial evacuation. Mayne.
ABEYANCE
A*bey"ance, n. Etym: [OF. abeance expectation, longing; a (L. ad) +
baer, beer, to gape, to look with open mouth, to expect, F. bayer,
LL. badare to gape.]
1. (Law)
Defn: Expectancy; condition of being undetermined.
Note: When there is no person in existence in whom an inheritance (or a dignity) can vest, it is said to be in abeyance, that is, in expectation; the law considering it as always potentially existing, and ready to vest whenever a proper owner appears. Blackstone.
2. Suspension; temporary suppression. Keeping the sympathies of love and admiration in a dormant state, or state of abeyance. De Quincey.
ABEYANCY
A*bey"an*cy, n.
Defn: Abeyance. [R.] Hawthorne.
ABEYANT
A*bey"ant, a.
Defn: Being in a state of abeyance.
ABGEORDNETENHAUS
Ab"ge*ord`ne*ten*haus`, n. [G.]
Defn: See Legislature, Austria, Prussia.
ABHAL
Ab"hal, n.
Defn: The berries of a species of cypress in the East Indies.
ABHOMINABLE
Ab*hom"i*na*ble, a.
Defn: Abominable.
Note: [A false orthography anciently used; h was foisted into various
words; hence abholish, for abolish, etc.]
This is abhominable, which he [Don Armado] would call abominable.
Shak. Love's Labor's Lost, v. 1.
ABHOMINAL
Ab*hom`i*nal, a. Etym: [L. ab away from + homo, hominis, man.]
Defn: Inhuman. [Obs.] Fuller.
ABHOR
Ab*hor", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abhorred; p. pr. & vb. n. Abhorring.]
Etym: [L. abhorrere; ab + horrere to bristle, shiver, shudder: cf. F.
abhorrer. See Horrid.]
1. To shrink back with shuddering from; to regard with horror or detestation; to feel excessive repugnance toward; to detest to extremity; to loathe. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Rom. xii. 9.
2. To fill with horror or disgust. [Obs.] It doth abhor me now I speak the word. Shak.
3. (Canon Law)
Defn: To protest against; to reject solemnly. [Obs.]
I utterly abhor, yea, from my soul Refuse you for my judge. Shak.
Syn.
— To hate; detest; loathe; abominate. See Hate.
ABHOR
Ab*hor", v. i.
Defn: To shrink back with horror, disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse; — with from. [Obs.] "To abhor from those vices." Udall. Which is utterly abhorring from the end of all law. Milton.
ABHORRENCE
Ab*hor"rence, n.
Defn: Extreme hatred or detestation; the feeling of utter dislike.
ABHORRENCY
Ab*hor"ren*cy, n.
Defn: Abhorrence. [Obs.] Locke.
ABHORRENT
Ab*hor"rent, a. Etym: [L. abhorens, -rentis, p. pr. of abhorrere.]
1. Abhorring; detesting; having or showing abhorrence; loathing; hence, strongly opposed to; as, abhorrent thoughts. The persons most abhorrent from blood and treason. Burke. The arts of pleasure in despotic courts I spurn abhorrent. Clover.
2. Contrary or repugnant; discordant; inconsistent; — followed by to. "Injudicious profanation, so abhorrent to our stricter principles." Gibbon.
3. Detestable. "Pride, abhorrent as it is." I. Taylor.
ABHORRENTLY
Ab*hor"rent*ly, adv.
Defn: With abhorrence.
ABHORRER
Ab*hor"rer, n.
Defn: One who abhors. Hume.
ABHORRIBLE
Ab*hor"ri*ble, a.
Defn: Detestable. [R.]
ABHORRING
Ab*hor"ring, n.
1. Detestation. Milton.
2. Object of abhorrence. Isa. lxvi. 24.
ABIB A"bib, n. Etym: [Heb. abib, lit. an ear of corn. The month was so called from barley being at that time in ear.]
Defn: The first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, corresponding nearly to our April. After the Babylonish captivity this month was called Nisan. Kitto.
ABIDANCE
A*bid"ance, n.
Defn: The state of abiding; abode; continuance; compliance (with).
The Christians had no longer abidance in the holy hill of Palestine.
Fuller.
A judicious abidance by rules. Helps.
ABIDE
A*bide", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Abode, formerly Abid(#); p. pr. & vb. n.
Abiding.] Etym: [AS. abidan; pref. a- (cf. Goth. us-, G. er-, orig.
meaning out) + bidan to bide. See Bide.]
1. To wait; to pause; to delay. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To stay; to continue in a place; to have one's abode; to dwell; to sojourn; — with with before a person, and commonly with at or in before a place. Let the damsel abide with us a few days. Gen. xxiv. 55.
3. To remain stable or fixed in some state or condition; to continue; to remain. Let every man abide in the same calling. 1 Cor. vii. 20. Followed by by: To abide by. (a) To stand to; to adhere; to maintain. The poor fellow was obstinate enough to abide by what he said at first. Fielding. (b) To acquiesce; to conform to; as, to abide by a decision or an award.
ABIDE
A*bide", v. t.
1. To wait for; to be prepared for; to await; to watch for; as, I abide my time. "I will abide the coming of my lord." Tennyson.
Note: [[Obs.], with a personal object.
Bonds and afflictions abide me. Acts xx. 23.
2. To endure; to sustain; to submit to. [Thou] shalt abide her judgment on it. Tennyson.
3. To bear patiently; to tolerate; to put up with. She could not abide Master Shallow. Shak.
4.
Note: [Confused with aby to pay for. See Aby.]
Defn: To stand the consequences of; to answer for; to suffer for.
Dearly I abide that boast so vain. Milton.
ABIDER
A*bid"er, n.
1. One who abides, or continues. [Obs.] "Speedy goers and strong abiders." Sidney.
2. One who dwells; a resident. Speed.
ABIDING
A*bid"ing, a.
Defn: Continuing; lasting.
ABIDINGLY
A*bid"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: Permanently. Carlyle.
ABIES
A"bi*es, n. Etym: [L., fir tree.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of coniferous trees, properly called Fir, as the balsam fir and the silver fir. The spruces are sometimes also referred to this genus.
ABIETENE
Ab"i*e*tene, n. Etym: [L. abies, abietis, a fir tree.]
Defn: A volatile oil distilled from the resin or balsam of the nut pine (Pinus sabiniana) of California.
ABIETIC
Ab`i*et"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the fir tree or its products; as, abietic acid, called also sylvic acid. Watts.
ABIETIN; ABIETINE
Ab"i*e*tin, Ab"i*e*tine, n. Etym: [See Abietene.] (Chem.)
Defn: A resinous obtained from Strasburg turpentine or Canada balsam. It is without taste or smell, is insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol (especially at the boiling point), in strong acetic acid, and in ether. Watts.
ABIETINIC
Ab`i*e*tin"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to abietin; as, abietinic acid.
ABIETITE
Ab"i*e*tite, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A substance resembling mannite, found in the needles of the common silver fir of Europe (Abies pectinata). Eng. Cyc.
ABIGAIL
Ab"i*gail, n. Etym: [The proper name used as an appellative.]
Defn: A lady's waiting-maid. Pepys. Her abigail reported that Mrs. Gutheridge had a set of night curls for sleeping in. Leslie.
ABILIMENT
A*bil"i*ment, n.
Defn: Habiliment. [Obs.]
ABILITY A*bil"i*ty, n.; pl. Abilities(#). Etym: [F. habileté, earlier spelling habilité (with silent h), L. habilitas aptitude, ability, fr. habilis apt. See Able.]
Defn: The quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; — in the plural, faculty, talent. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren. Acts xi. 29. Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study. Bacon. The public men of England, with much of a peculiar kind of ability. Macaulay.
Syn. — Capacity; talent; cleverness; faculty; capability; efficiency; aptitude; aptness; address; dexterity; skill. Ability, Capacity. These words come into comparison when applied to the higher intellectual powers. Ability has reference to the active exercise of our faculties. It implies not only native vigor of mind, but that ease and promptitude of execution which arise from mental training. Thus, we speak of the ability with which a book is written, an argument maintained, a negotiation carried on, etc. It always something to be done, and the power of doing it. Capacity has reference to the receptive powers. In its higher exercises it supposes great quickness of apprehension and breadth of intellect, with an uncommon aptitude for acquiring and retaining knowledge. Hence it carries with it the idea of resources and undeveloped power. Thus we speak of the extraordinary capacity of such men as Lord Bacon, Blaise Pascal, and Edmund Burke. "Capacity," says H. Taylor, "is requisite to devise, and ability to execute, a great enterprise." The word abilities, in the plural, embraces both these qualities, and denotes high mental endowments.
ABIME; ABYME
A*bime" or A*byme", n. Etym: [F. abîme. See Abysm.]
Defn: A abyss. [Obs.]
ABIOGENESIS
Ab`i*o*gen"e*sis, n. Etym: [Gr. (Biol.)
Defn: The supposed origination of living organisms from lifeless matter; such genesis as does not involve the action of living parents; spontaneous generation; — called also abiogeny, and opposed to biogenesis. I shall call the . . . doctrine that living matter may be produced by not living matter, the hypothesis of abiogenesis. Huxley, 1870.
ABIOGENETIC
Ab`i*o*ge*net"ic, a. (Biol.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to abiogenesis. Ab`i*o*ge*net"ic*al*ly, adv.
ABIOGENIST
Ab`i*og"e*nist, n. (Biol.)
Defn: One who believes that life can be produced independently of antecedent. Huxley.
ABIOGENOUS
Ab`i*og"e*nous, a. (Biol.)
Defn: Produced by spontaneous generation.
ABIOGENY
Ab`i*og"e*ny, n. (Biol.)
Defn: Same as Abiogenesis.
ABIOLOGICAL
Ab`i*o*log"ic*al, a. Etym: [Gr. biological.]
Defn: Pertaining to the study of inanimate things.
ABIRRITANT
Ab*ir"ri*tant, n. (Med.)
Defn: A medicine that diminishes irritation.
ABIRRITATE
Ab*ir"ri*tate, v. t. Etym: [Pref. ab- + irritate.] (Med.)
Defn: To diminish the sensibility of; to debilitate.
ABIRRITATION
Ab*ir`ri*ta"tion, n. (Med.)
Defn: A pathological condition opposite to that of irritation; debility; want of strength; asthenia.
ABIRRITATIVE
Ab*ir"ri*ta*tive, a. (Med.)
Defn: Characterized by abirritation or debility.
ABIT
A*bit",
Defn: 3d sing. pres. of Abide. [Obs.] Chaucer.
ABJECT Ab"ject, a. Etym: [L. abjectus, p. p. of abjicere to throw away; ab + jacere to throw. See Jet a shooting forth.]
1. Cast down; low-lying. [Obs.] From the safe shore their floating carcasses And broken chariot wheels; so thick bestrown Abject and lost lay these, covering the flood. Milton.
2. Sunk to a law condition; down in spirit or hope; degraded; servile; groveling; despicable; as, abject posture, fortune, thoughts. "Base and abject flatterers." Addison. "An abject liar." Macaulay. And banish hence these abject, lowly dreams. Shak.
Syn. — Mean; groveling; cringing; mean-spirited; slavish; ignoble; worthless; vile; beggarly; contemptible; degraded.
ABJECT
Ab*ject", v. t. Etym: [From Abject, a.]
Defn: To cast off or down; hence, to abase; to degrade; to lower; to debase. [Obs.] Donne.
ABJECT
Ab"ject, n.
Defn: A person in the lowest and most despicable condition; a
castaway. [Obs.]
Shall these abjects, these victims, these outcasts, know any thing of
pleasure I. Taylor.
ABJECTEDNESS
Ab*ject"ed*ness, n.
Defn: A very abject or low condition; abjectness. [R.] Boyle.
ABJECTION
Ab*jec"tion, n. Etym: [F. abjection, L. abjectio.]
1. The act of bringing down or humbling. "The abjection of the king and his realm." Joe.
2. The state of being rejected or cast out. [R.] An adjection from the beatific regions where God, and his angels and saints, dwell forever. Jer. Taylor.
3. A low or downcast state; meanness of spirit; abasement; degradation. That this should be termed baseness, abjection of mind, or servility, is it credible Hooker.
ABJECTLY
Ab"ject*ly, adv.
Defn: Meanly; servilely.
ABJECTNESS
Ab"ject*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being abject; abasement; meanness; servility.
Grew.
ABJUDGE
Ab*judge", v. t. Etym: [Pref. ab- + judge, v. Cf. Abjudicate.]
Defn: To take away by judicial decision. [R.]
ABJUDICATE Ab*ju"di*cate, v. t. Etym: [L. abjudicatus, p. p. of abjudicare; ab + judicare. See Judge, and cf. Abjudge.]
Defn: To reject by judicial sentence; also, to abjudge. [Obs.] Ash.
ABJUDICATION
Ab*ju`di*ca"tion, n.
Defn: Rejection by judicial sentence. [R.] Knowles.
ABJUGATE
Ab"ju*gate, v. t. Etym: [L. abjugatus, p. p. of abjugare.]
Defn: To unyoke. [Obs.] Bailey.
ABJUNCTIVE Ab*junc"tive, a. Etym: [L. abjunctus, p. p. of abjungere; ab + jungere to join.]
Defn: Exceptional. [R.] It is this power which leads on from the accidental and abjunctive to the universal. I. Taylor.
ABJURATION
Ab`ju*ra"tion, n. Etym: [L. abjuratio: cf. F. abjuration.]
1. The act of abjuring or forswearing; a renunciation upon oath; as, abjuration of the realm, a sworn banishment, an oath taken to leave the country and never to return.
2. A solemn recantation or renunciation; as, an abjuration of heresy. Oath of abjuration, an oath asserting the right of the present royal family to the crown of England, and expressly abjuring allegiance to the descendants of the Pretender. Brande & C.
ABJURATORY
Ab*ju"ra*to*ry, a.
Defn: Containing abjuration.
ABJURE
Ab*jure", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abjured; p. pr. & vb. n. Abjuring.]
Etym: [L. abjurare to deny upon oath; ab + jurare to swear, fr. jus,
juris, right, law; cf. F. abjurer. See Jury.]
1. To renounce upon oath; to forswear; to disavow; as, to abjure allegiance to a prince. To abjure the realm, is to swear to abandon it forever.
2. To renounce or reject with solemnity; to recant; to abandon forever; to reject; repudiate; as, to abjure errors. "Magic I here abjure." Shak.
Syn.
— See Renounce.
ABJURE
Ab*jure", v. i.
Defn: To renounce on oath. Bp. Burnet.
ABJUREMENT
Ab*jure"ment, n.
Defn: Renunciation. [R.]
ABJURER
Ab*jur"er, n.
Defn: One who abjures.
ABLACTATE Ab*lac"tate, v. t. Etym: [L. ablactatus, p. p. of ablactare; ab + lactare to suckle, fr. lac milk.]
Defn: To wean. [R.] Bailey.
ABLACTATION
Ab`lac*ta"tion. n.
1. The weaning of a child from the breast, or of young beasts from their dam. Blount.
2. (Hort.)
Defn: The process of grafting now called inarching, or grafting by approach.
ABLAQUEATE Ab*la"que*ate, v. t. Etym: [L. ablaqueatus, p. p. of. ablaqueare; fr. ab + laqueus a noose.]
Defn: To lay bare, as the roots of a tree. [Obs.] Bailey.
ABLAQUEATION
Ab*la`que*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. ablaqueatio.]
Defn: The act or process of laying bare the roots of trees to expose them to the air and water. [Obs.] Evelyn.
ABLASTEMIC
Ab`las*tem"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. (Biol.)
Defn: Non-germinal.
ABLATION
Ab*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. ablatio, fr. ablatus p. p. of auferre to
carry away; ab + latus, p. p. of ferre carry: cf. F. ablation. See
Tolerate.]
1. A carrying or taking away; removal. Jer. Taylor.
2. (Med.)
Defn: Extirpation. Dunglison.
3. (Geol.)
Defn: Wearing away; superficial waste. Tyndall.
ABLATITIOUS
Ab`la*ti"tious, a.
Defn: Diminishing; as, an ablatitious force. Sir J. Herschel.
ABLATIVE
Ab"la*tive, a. Etym: [F. ablatif, ablative, L. ablativus fr. ablatus.
See Ablation.]
1. Taking away or removing. [Obs.] Where the heart is forestalled with misopinion, ablative directions are found needful to unteach error, ere we can learn truth. Bp. Hall.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: Applied to one of the cases of the noun in Latin and some other languages, — the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away.
ABLATIVE
Ab"la*tive, (Gram.)
Defn: The ablative case. ablative absolute, a construction in Latin, in which a noun in the ablative case has a participle (either expressed or implied), agreeing with it in gender, number, and case, both words forming a clause by themselves and being unconnected, grammatically, with the rest of the sentence; as, Tarquinio regnante, Pythagoras venit, i. e., Tarquinius reigning, Pythagoras came.
ABLAUT
Ab"laut, n. Etym: [Ger., off-sound; ab off + laut sound.] (Philol.)
Defn: The substitution of one root vowel for another, thus indicating a corresponding modification of use or meaning; vowel permutation; as, get, gat, got; sing, song; hang, hung. Earle.
ABLAZE
A*blaze", adv. & a. Etym: [Pref. a- + blaze.]
1. On fire; in a blaze, gleaming. Milman. All ablaze with crimson and gold. Longfellow.
2. In a state of glowing excitement or ardent desire. The young Cambridge democrats were all ablaze to assist Torrijos. Carlyle.
ABLE A"ble, a. [Comp. Abler; superl. Ablest.] Etym: [OF. habile, L. habilis that may be easily held or managed, apt, skillful, fr. habere to have, hold. Cf. Habile and see Habit.]
1. Fit; adapted; suitable. [Obs.] A many man, to ben an abbot able. Chaucer.
2. Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain; able to play on a piano.
3. Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever; powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able speech. No man wrote abler state papers. Macaulay.
4. (Law)
Defn: Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property.
Note: Able for, is Scotticism.
"Hardly able for such a march." Robertson.
Syn. — Competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; capable; skillful; clever; vigorous; powerful.
ABLE
A"ble, v. t. Etym: [See Able, a.] [Obs.]
1. To make able; to enable; to strengthen. Chaucer.
2. To vouch for. "I 'll able them." Shak.
ABLE; -ABLE; IBLE; -IBLE *a*ble. Etym: [F. -able, L. -abilis.]
Defn: An adjective suffix now usually in a passive sense; able to be; fit to be; expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense; as, movable, able to be moved; amendable, able to be amended; blamable, fit to be blamed; salable.
Note: The form ible is used in the same sense.
Note: It is difficult to say when we are not to use -able instead of -ible. "Yet a rule may be laid down as to when we are to use it. To all verbs, then, from the Anglo-Saxon, to all based on the uncorrupted infinitival stems of Latin verbs of the first conjugation, and to all substantives, whencesoever sprung, we annex - able only." Fitzed. Hall.
ABLE-BODIED
A`ble-bod"ied, a.
Defn: Having a sound, strong body; physically competent; robust.
"Able-bodied vagrant." Froude.
— A`ble-bod"ied*ness, n..
ABLEGATE Ab"le*gate, v. t. Etym: [L. ablegatus, p. p. of ablegare; ab + legare to send with a commission. See Legate.]
Defn: To send abroad. [Obs.] Bailey.
ABLEGATE
Ab"le*gate, n. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: A representative of the pope charged with important commissions in foreign countries, one of his duties being to bring to a newly named cardinal his insignia of office.
ABLEGATION
Ab`le*ga"tion, n. Etym: [L. ablegatio.]
Defn: The act of sending abroad. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.
ABLE-MINDED
A`ble-mind"ed, a.
Defn: Having much intellectual power.
— A`ble-mind"ed*ness, n.
ABLENESS
A"ble*ness, n.
Defn: Ability of body or mind; force; vigor. [Obs. or R.]
ABLEPSY
Ab"lep*sy, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Blindness. [R.] Urquhart.
ABLER
A"bler, a.,
Defn: comp. of Able.
— A"blest, a.,
Defn: superl. of Able.
ABLET; ABLEN Ab"let, Ab"len Etym: [F. ablet, ablette, a dim. fr. LL. abula, for albula, dim. of albus white. Cf. Abele.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small fresh-water fish (Leuciscus alburnus); the bleak.
ABLIGATE
Ab"li*gate, v. t. Etym: [L. ab + ligatus, p. p. of ligare to tie.]
Defn: To tie up so as to hinder from. [Obs.]
ABLIGURITION Ab*lig`u*ri"tion, n. Etym: [L. abligurito, fr. abligurire to spend in luxurious indulgence; ab + ligurire to be lickerish, dainty, fr. lingere to lick.]
Defn: Prodigal expense for food. [Obs.] Bailey.
ABLINS
A"blins, adv. Etym: [See Able.]
Defn: Perhaps. [Scot.]
ABLOOM
A*bloom", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- + bloom.]
Defn: In or into bloom; in a blooming state. Masson.
ABLUDE
Ab*lude", v. t. Etym: [L. abludere; ab + ludere to play.]
Defn: To be unlike; to differ. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
ABLUENT Ab"lu*ent, a. Etym: [L. abluens, p. pr. of. abluere to wash away; ab + luere (lavere, lavare). See Lave.]
Defn: Washing away; carrying off impurities; detergent. — n. (Med.)
Defn: A detergent.
ABLUSH
A*blush", adv. & a. Etym: [Pref. a- + blush.]
Defn: Blushing; ruddy.
ABLUTION
Ab*lu`tion, n. Etym: [L. ablutio, fr. abluere: cf. F. ablution. See
Abluent.]
1. The act of washing or cleansing; specifically, the washing of the body, or some part of it, as a religious rite.
2. The water used in cleansing. "Cast the ablutions in the main." Pope.
3. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: A small quantity of wine and water, which is used to wash the priest's thumb and index finger after the communion, and which then, as perhaps containing portions of the consecrated elements, is drunk by the priest.
ABLUTIONARY
Ab*lu"tion*a*ry, a.
Defn: Pertaining to ablution.
ABLUVION
Ab*lu"vi*on, n. Etym: [LL. abluvio. See Abluent.]
Defn: That which is washed off. [R.] Dwight.
ABLY
A"bly, adv.
Defn: In an able manner; with great ability; as, ably done, planned, said.
-ABLY -a*bly(#).
Defn: A suffix composed of -able and the adverbial suffix -ly; as, favorably.
ABNEGATE
Ab"ne*gate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abnegated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Abnegating.] Etym: [L. abnegatus,p. p. of abnegare; ab + negare to
deny. See Deny.]
Defn: To deny and reject; to abjure. Sir E. Sandys. Farrar.
ABNEGATION
Ab`ne*ga"tion, n. Etym: [L. abnegatio: cf. F. abnégation.]
Defn: a denial; a renunciation. With abnegation of God, of his honor, and of religion, they may retain the friendship of the court. Knox.
ABNEGATIVE
Ab"ne*ga*tive, a. Etym: [L. abnegativus.]
Defn: Denying; renouncing; negative. [R.] Clarke.
ABNEGATOR
Ab"ne*ga`tor(#), n. [L.]
Defn: One who abnegates, denies, or rejects anything. [R.]
ABNET
Ab"net, n. Etym: [Heb.]
Defn: The girdle of a Jewish priest or officer.
ABNODATE Ab"no*date, v. t. Etym: [L. abnodatus, p. p. of abnodare; ab + nodus knot.]
Defn: To clear (tress) from knots. [R.] Blount.
ABNODATION
Ab`no*da"tion, n.
Defn: The act of cutting away the knots of trees. [R.] Crabb.
ABNORMAL Ab*nor"mal, a. Etym: [For earlier anormal.F. anormal, LL. anormalus for anomalus, Gr. abnormis. See Anomalous, Abnormous, Anormal.]
Defn: Not conformed to rule or system; deviating from the type; anomalous; irregular. "That deviating from the type; anomalous; irregular. " Froude.
ABNORMALITY
Ab`nor*mal"i*ty, n.; pl. Abnormalities.
1. The state or quality of being abnormal; variation; irregularity. Darwin.
2. Something abnormal.
ABNORMALLY
Ab*nor"mal*ly, adv.
Defn: In an abnormal manner; irregularly. Darwin.
ABNORMITY
Ab*nor"mi*ty, n.; pl. Abnormities. Etym: [LL. abnormitas. See
Abnormous.]
Defn: Departure from the ordinary type; irregularity; monstrosity.
"An abnormity . . . like a calf born with two heads." Mrs. Whitney.
ABNORMOUS
Ab*nor"mous, a. Etym: [L. abnormis; ab + norma rule. See Normal.]
Defn: Abnormal; irregular. Hallam. A character of a more abnormous cast than his equally suspected coadjutor. State Trials.
ABOARD
A*board", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- on, in + board.]
Defn: On board; into or within a ship or boat; hence, into or within a railway car.
2. Alongside; as, close aboard. Naut.: To fall aboard of, to strike a
ship's side; to fall foul of.
— To haul the tacks aboard, to set the courses.
— To keep the land aboard, to hug the shore.
— To lay (a ship) aboard, to place one's own ship close alongside
of (a ship) for fighting.
ABOARD
A*board", prep.
1. On board of; as, to go aboard a ship.
2. Across; athwart. [Obs.] Nor iron bands aboard The Pontic Sea by their huge navy cast. Spenser.
ABODANCE
A*bod"ance, n. Etym: [See Bode.]
Defn: An omen; a portending. [Obs.]
ABODE
A*bode", pret.
Defn: of Abide.
ABODE
A*bode", n. Etym: [OE. abad, abood, fr. abiden to abide. See Abide.
For the change of vowel, cf. abode, imp. of abide.]
1. Act of waiting; delay. [Obs.] Shak. And with her fled away without abode. Spenser.
2. Stay or continuance in a place; sojourn. He waxeth at your abode here. Fielding.
3. Place of continuance, or where one dwells; abiding place; residence; a dwelling; a habitation. Come, let me lead you to our poor abode. Wordsworth.
ABODE
A*bode", n. Etym: [See Bode, v. t.]
Defn: An omen. [Obs.]
High-thundering Juno's husband stirs my spirit with true abodes.
Chapman.
ABODE
A*bode", v. t.
Defn: To bode; to foreshow. [Obs.] Shak.
ABODE
A*bode", v. i.
Defn: To be ominous. [Obs.] Dryden.
ABODEMENT
A*bode"ment, n.
Defn: A foreboding; an omen. [Obs.] "Abodements must not now affright us." Shak.
ABODING
A*bod"ing, n.
Defn: A foreboding. [Obs.]
ABOLISH
A*bol"ish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abolished; p. pr. & vb. n.
Abolishing.] Etym: [F. abolir, L. abolere, aboletum; ab + olere to
grow. Cf. Finish.]
1. To do away with wholly; to annul; to make void; — said of laws, customs, institutions, governments, etc.; as, to abolish slavery, to abolish folly.
2. To put an end to, or destroy, as a physical objects; to wipe out.
[Archaic]
And with thy blood abolish so reproachful blot. Spenser.
His quick instinctive hand Caught at the hilt, as to abolish him.
Tennyson.
Syn. — To Abolish, Repeal, Abrogate, Revoke, Annul, Nullify, Cancel. These words have in common the idea of setting aside by some overruling act. Abolish applies particularly to things of a permanent nature, such as institutions, usages, customs, etc.; as, to abolish monopolies, serfdom, slavery. Repeal describes the act by which the legislature of a state sets aside a law which it had previously enacted. Abrogate was originally applied to the repeal of a law by the Roman people; and hence, when the power of making laws was usurped by the emperors, the term was applied to their act of setting aside the laws. Thus it came to express that act by which a sovereign or an executive government sets aside laws, ordinances, regulations, treaties, conventions, etc. Revoke denotes the act or recalling some previous grant which conferred, privilege, etc.; as, to revoke a decree, to revoke a power of attorney, a promise, etc. Thus, also, we speak of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Annul is used in a more general sense, denoting simply to make void; as, to annul a contract, to annul an agreement. Nullify is an old word revived in this country, and applied to the setting of things aside either by force or by total disregard; as, to nullify an act of Congress. Cancel is to strike out or annul, by a deliberate exercise of power, something which has operative force.
ABOLISHABLE
A*bol"ish*a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. abolissable.]
Defn: Capable of being abolished.
ABOLISHER
A*bol"ish*er, n.
Defn: One who abolishes.
ABOLISHMENT
A*bol"ish*ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. abolissement.]
Defn: The act of abolishing; abolition; destruction. Hooker.
ABOLITION
Ab"o*li"tion, n. Etym: [L. abolitio, fr. abolere: cf. F. abolition.
See Abolish.]
Defn: The act of abolishing, or the state of being abolished; an annulling; abrogation; utter destruction; as, the abolition of slavery or the slave trade; the abolition of laws, decrees, ordinances, customs, taxes, debts, etc.
Note: The application of this word to persons is now unusual or obsolete
ABOLITIONISM
Ab`o*li"tion*ism, n.
Defn: The principles or measures of abolitionists. Wilberforce.
ABOLITIONIST
Ab`o*li"tion*ist, n.
Defn: A person who favors the abolition of any institution, especially negro slavery.
ABOLITIONIZE
Ab`o*li`tion*ize, v. t.
Defn: To imbue with the principles of abolitionism. [R.] Bartlett.
ABOMA
A*bo"ma, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large South American serpent (Boa aboma).
ABOMASUM; ABOMASUS Ab`o*ma"sum, Ab`o*ma"sus, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. ab + omasum (a Celtic word.] (Anat.)
Defn: The fourth or digestive stomach of a ruminant, which leads from the third stomach omasum. See Ruminantia.
ABOMINABLE
A*bom"i*na*ble, a. Etym: [F. abominable. L. abominalis. See
Abominate.]
1. Worthy of, or causing, abhorrence, as a thing of evil omen; odious in the utmost degree; very hateful; detestable; loathsome; execrable.
2. Excessive; large; — used as an intensive. [Obs.]
Note: Juliana Berners . . . informs us that in her time [15th c.], "abomynable syght of monkes" was elegant English for "a large company of friars." G. P. Marsh.
ABOMINABLENESS
A*bom"i*na*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being abominable; odiousness. Bentley.
ABOMINABLY
A*bom"i*na*bly, adv.
Defn: In an abominable manner; very odiously; detestably.
ABOMINATE
A*bom"i*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abominated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Abominating.] Etym: [L. abominatus, p. p. or abominari to deprecate
as ominous, to abhor, to curse; ab + omen a foreboding. See Omen.]
Defn: To turn from as ill-omened; to hate in the highest degree, as if with religious dread; loathe; as, to abominate all impiety.
Syn.
— To hate; abhor; loathe; detest. See Hate.
ABOMINATION
A*bom`i*na"tion, n. Etym: [OE. abominacioun, -cion, F. abominatio.
See Abominate.]
1. The feeling of extreme disgust and hatred; abhorrence; detestation; loathing; as, he holds tobacco in abomination.
2. That which is abominable; anything hateful, wicked, or shamefully vile; an object or state that excites disgust and hatred; a hateful or shameful vice; pollution. Antony, most large in his abominations. Shak.
3. A cause of pollution or wickedness.
Syn. — Detestation; loathing; abhorrence; disgust; aversion; loathsomeness; odiousness. Sir W. Scott.
ABOON
A*boon", prep.
Defn: and adv. Above. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
Aboon the pass of Bally-Brough. Sir W. Scott.
The ceiling fair that rose aboon. J. R. Drake.
ABORAL
Ab*o"ral, a. Etym: [L. ab. + E. oral.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Situated opposite to, or away from, the mouth.
ABORD
A*bord", n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Manner of approaching or accosting; address. Chesterfield.
ABORD A*bord", v. t. Etym: [F. aborder, à (L. ad) + bord rim, brim, or side of a vessel. See Border, Board.]
Defn: To approach; to accost. [Obs.] Digby.
ABORIGINAL
Ab`o*rig"i*nal, a. Etym: [See Aborigines.]
1. First; original; indigenous; primitive; native; as, the aboriginal tribes of America. "Mantled o'er with aboriginal turf." Wordsworth.
2. Of or pertaining to aborigines; as, a Hindoo of aboriginal blood.
ABORIGINAL
Ab`o*rig"i*nal, n.
1. An original inhabitant of any land; one of the aborigines.
2. An animal or a plant native to the region. It may well be doubted whether this frog is an aboriginal of these islands. Darwin.
ABORIGINALITY
Ab`o*rig`i*nal"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality of being aboriginal. Westm. Rev.
ABORIGINALLY
Ab`o*rig"i*nal*ly, adv.
Defn: Primarily.
ABORIGINES Ab`o*rig"i*nes, n. pl. Etym: [L. Aborigines; ab + origo, especially the first inhabitants of Latium, those who originally (ab origine) inhabited Latium or Italy. See Origin.]
1. The earliest known inhabitants of a country; native races.
2. The original fauna and flora of a geographical area
ABORSEMENT
A*borse"ment, n.
Defn: Abortment; abortion. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
ABORSIVE
A*bor"sive, a.
Defn: Abortive. [Obs.] Fuller.
ABORT A*bort", v. i. Etym: [L. abortare, fr. abortus, p. p. of aboriri; ab + oriri to rise, to be born. See Orient.]
1. To miscarry; to bring forth young prematurely.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: To become checked in normal development, so as either to remain rudimentary or shrink away wholly; to become sterile.
ABORT
A*bort", n. Etym: [L. abortus, fr. aboriri.]
1. An untimely birth. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.
2. An aborted offspring. [Obs.] Holland.
ABORTED
A*bort"ed, a.
1. Brought forth prematurely.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: Rendered abortive or sterile; undeveloped; checked in normal development at a very early stage; as, spines are aborted branches. The eyes of the cirripeds are more or less aborted in their mature state. Owen.
ABORTICIDE
A*bor"ti*cide, n. Etym: [L. abortus + caedere to kill. See Abort.]
(Med.)
Defn: The act of destroying a fetus in the womb; feticide.
ABORTIFACIENT A*bor`ti*fa"cient, a. Etym: [L. abortus (see Abort, v.) + faciens, p. pr. of facere to make.]
Defn: Producing miscarriage. — n.
Defn: A drug or an agent that causes premature delivery.
ABORTION
A*bor"tion, n. Etym: [L. abortio, fr. aboriri. See Abort.]
1. The act of giving premature birth; particularly, the expulsion of the human fetus prematurely, or before it is capable of sustaining life; miscarriage.
Note: It is sometimes used for the offense of procuring a premature delivery, but strictly the early delivery is the abortion, "causing or procuring abortion" is the full name of the offense. Abbott.
2. The immature product of an untimely birth.
3. (Biol.)
Defn: Arrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed.
4. Any fruit or produce that does not come to maturity, or anything which in its progress, before it is matured or perfect; a complete failure; as, his attempt. proved an abortiori.
ABORTIONAL
A*bor"tion*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to abortion; miscarrying; abortive. Carlyle.
ABORTIONIST
A*bor"tion*ist, n.
Defn: One who procures abortion or miscarriage.
ABORTIVE
A*bor"tive, a. Etym: [L. abortivus, fr. aboriri. See Abort, v.]
1. Produced by abortion; born prematurely; as, an abortive child. [R.]
2. Made from the skin of a still-born animal; as, abortive vellum. [Obs.]
3. Rendering fruitless or ineffectual. [Obs.] "Plunged in that abortive gulf." Milton.
4. Coming to naught; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful; as, an abortive attempt. "An abortive enterprise." Prescott.
5. (Biol.)
Defn: Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile; as, an abortive organ, stamen, ovule, etc.
6. (Med.) (a) Causing abortion; as, abortive medicines. Parr. (b) Cutting short; as, abortive treatment of typhoid fever.
ABORTIVE
A*bor"tive, n.
1. That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. [Obs.] Shak.
2. A fruitless effort or issue. [Obs.]
3. A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion. Dunglison.
ABORTIVELY
A*bor"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In an abortive or untimely manner; immaturely; fruitlessly.
ABORTIVENESS
A*bor"tive*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being abortive.
ABORTMENT
A*bort"ment, n.
Defn: Abortion. [Obs.]
ABOUGHT
A*bought", imp. & p. p.
Defn: of Aby. [Obs.]
ABOUND
A*bound", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Abounded; p. pr. & vb. n. Abounding.]
Etym: [OE. abounden, F. abonder, fr. L. abundare to overflow, abound;
ab + unda wave. Cf. Undulate.]
1. To be in great plenty; to be very prevalent; to be plentiful.
The wild boar which abounds in some parts of the continent of Europe.
Chambers.
Where sin abounded grace did much more abound. Rom. v. 20.
2. To be copiously supplied; — followed by in or with. To abound in, to posses in such abundance as to be characterized by. — To abound with, to be filled with; to possess in great numbers. Men abounding in natural courage. Macaulay. A faithful man shall abound with blessings. Prov. xxviii. 20. It abounds with cabinets of curiosities. Addison.
ABOUT
A*bout", prep. Etym: [OE. aboute, abouten, abuten; AS. abutan,
onbutan; on + butan, which is from be by + utan outward, from ut out.
See But, Out.]
1. Around; all round; on every side of. "Look about you." Shak. "Bind them about thy neck." Prov. iii. 3.
2. In the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place; by or on (one's person). "Have you much money about you" Bulwer.
3. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout. Lampoons . . . were handed about the coffeehouses. Macaulay. Roving still about the world. Milton.
4. Near; not far from; — determining approximately time, size, quantity. "To-morrow, about this time." Exod. ix. 18. "About my stature." Shak. He went out about the third hour. Matt. xx. 3.
Note: This use passes into the adverbial sense.
5. In concern with; engaged in; intent on. I must be about my Father's business. Luke ii. 49.
6. Before a verbal noun or an infinitive:
Defn: On the point or verge of; going; in act of.
Paul was now aboutto open his mouth. Acts xviii. 14.
7. Concerning; with regard to; on account of; touching. "To treat about thy ransom." Milton. She must have her way about Sarah. Trollope.
ABOUT
A*bout", adv.
1. On all sides; around. 'Tis time to look about. Shak.
2. In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; as, a mile about, and a third of a mile across.
3. Here and there; around; in one place and another. Wandering about from house to house. 1 Tim. v. 13.
4. Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence, in quality, manner, degree, etc.; as, about as cold; about as high; — also of quantity, number, time. "There fell . . . about three thousand men." Exod. xxii. 28.
5. To a reserved position; half round; in the opposite direction; on the opposite tack; as, to face about; to turn one's self about. To bring about, to cause to take place; to accomplish. — To come about, to occur; to take place. See under Come. — To go about, To set about, to undertake; to arrange; to prepare. "Shall we set about some revels Shak. — Round about, in every direction around.
ABOUT-SLEDGE
A*bout"-sledge", n.
Defn: The largest hammer used by smiths. Weale.
ABOVE A*bove", prep. Etym: [OE. above, aboven, abuffe, AS. abufon; an (or on) on + be by + ufan upward; cf. Goth. uf under. *199. See Over.]
1. In or to a higher place; higher than; on or over the upper surface; over; — opposed to below or beneath. Fowl that may fly above the earth. Gen. i. 20.
2. Figuratively, higher than; superior to in any respect; surpassing; beyond; higher in measure or degree than; as, things above comprehension; above mean actions; conduct above reproach. "Thy worth . . . is actions above my gifts." Marlowe. I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun. Acts xxxvi. 13.
3. Surpassing in number or quantity; more than; as, above a hundred. (Passing into the adverbial sense. See Above, adv., 4.) above all, before every other consideration; chiefly; in preference to other things. Over and above, prep. or adv., besides; in addition to.
ABOVE
A*bove", adv.
1. In a higher place; overhead; into or from heaven; as, the clouds above.
2. Earlier in order; higher in the same page; hence, in a foregoing page. "That was said above." Dryden.
3. Higher in rank or power; as, he appealed to the court above.
4. More than; as, above five hundred were present.
Note: Above is often used elliptically as an adjective by omitting the word mentioned, quoted, or the like; as, the above observations, the above reference, the above articles. — Above is also used substantively. "The waters that come down from above." Josh. iii. 13. It is also used as the first part of a compound in the sense of before, previously; as, above-cited, above- described, above-mentioned, above-named, abovesaid, abovespecified, above-written, above-given.
ABOVEBOARD
A*bove"board`, adv.
Defn: Above the board or table. Hence: in open sight; without trick, concealment, or deception. "Fair and aboveboard." Burke.
Note: This expression is said by Johnson to have been borrowed from gamesters, who, when they change their cards, put their hands under the table.
ABOVE-CITED
A*bove"-cit`ed, a.
Defn: Cited before, in the preceding part of a book or writing.
ABOVEDECK
A*bove"deck`, a.
Defn: On deck; and hence, like aboveboard, without artifice. Smart.
ABOVE-MENTIONED; ABOVE-NAMED
A*bove"-men`tioned, A*bove"-named`(#), a.
Defn: Mentioned or named before; aforesaid.
ABOVESAID
A*bove"said`, a.
Defn: Mentioned or recited before.
ABOX
A*box", adv. & a. (Naut.)
Defn: Braced aback.
ABRA
A"bra, n. [Sp., a bay, valley, fissure.]
Defn: A narrow pass or defile; a break in a mesa; the mouth of a cañon. [Southwestern U. S.]
ABRACADABRA
Ab`ra*ca*dab"ra, n. Etym: [L. Of unknown origin.]
Defn: A mystical word or collocation of letters written as in the figure. Worn on an amulet it was supposed to ward off fever. At present the word is used chiefly in jest to denote something without meaning; jargon.
ABRADANT
Ab*ra"dant, n.
Defn: A material used for grinding, as emery, sand, powdered glass, etc.
ABRADE
Ab*rade", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abraded; p. pr. & vb. n. Abrading.]
Etym: [L. abradere, abrasum, to scrape off; ab + radere to scrape.
See Rase, Raze.]
Defn: To rub or wear off; to waste or wear away by friction; as, to abrade rocks. Lyell.
ABRADE
A*brade", v. t.
Defn: Same as Abraid. [Obs.]
ABRAHAMIC
A`bra*ham"ic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to Abraham, the patriarch; as, the Abrachamic covenant.
ABRAHAMITIC; ABRAHAMITICAL
A`bra*ham*it"ic, A`bra*ham*it*ic*al(#), a.
Defn: Relating to the patriarch Abraham.
ABRAHAM-MAN; ABRAM-MAN
A"bra*ham-man`(#) or A"bram-man`(#), n. Etym: [Possibly in allusion
to the parable of the beggar Lazarus in Luke xvi. Murray (New Eng.
Dict. ).]
Defn: One of a set of vagabonds who formerly roamed through England, feigning lunacy for the sake of obtaining alms. Nares. To sham Abraham, to feign sickness. Goldsmith.
ABRAID
A*braid", v. t. & i. Etym: [OE. abraiden, to awake, draw (a sword),
AS. abredgan to shake, draw; pref. a- (cf. Goth. us-, Ger. er-, orig.
meaning out) + bregdan to shake, throw. See Braid.]
Defn: To awake; to arouse; to stir or start up; also, to shout out.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
ABRANCHIAL
A*bran"chi*al, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Abranchiate.
ABRANCHIATA
A*bran`chi*a"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of annelids, so called because the species composing it have no special organs of respiration.
ABRANCHIATE
A*bran"chi*ate, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Without gills.
ABRASE
Ab*rase", a. Etym: [L. abrasus, p. p. of abradere. See Abrade.]
Defn: Rubbed smooth. [Obs.] "An abrase table." B. Jonson.
ABRASION
Ab*ra"sion, n. Etym: [L. abrasio, fr. abradere. See Abrade.]
1. The act of abrading, wearing, or rubbing off; the wearing away by friction; as, the abrasion of coins.
2. The substance rubbed off. Berkeley.
3. (Med.)
Defn: A superficial excoriation, with loss of substance under the form of small shreds. Dunglison.
ABRASIVE
Ab*ra"sive, a.
Defn: Producing abrasion. Ure.
ABRAUM; ABRAUM SALTS
A*braum" or A*braum" salts, n. Etym: [Ger., fr. abräumen to remove.]
Defn: A red ocher used to darken mahogany and for making chloride of potassium.
ABRAXAS A*brax"as, n. Etym: [A name adopted by the Egyptian Gnostic Basilides, containing the Greek letters , , , , , , , which, as numerals, amounted to 365. It was used to signify the supreme deity as ruler of the 365 heavens of his system.]
Defn: A mystical word used as a charm and engraved on gems among the ancients; also, a gem stone thus engraved.
ABRAY
A*bray", v. Etym: [A false form from the preterit abraid, abrayde.]
Defn: See Abraid. [Obs.] Spenser.
ABREACTION
Ab`re*ac"tion, n. [Pref. ab-+ reaction, after G. Abreagirung.]
(Psychotherapy)
Defn: See Catharsis, below.
ABREAST
A*breast", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- + breast.]
1. Side by side, with breasts in a line; as, "Two men could hardly walk abreast." Macaulay.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: Side by side; also, opposite; over against; on a line with the vessel's beam; — with of.
3. Up to a certain level or line; equally advanced; as, to keep abreast of [or with] the present state of science.
4. At the same time; simultaneously. [Obs.] Abreast therewith began a convocation. Fuller.
ABREGGE
A*breg"ge, v. t.
Defn: See Abridge. [Obs.]
ABRENOUNCE
Ab`re*nounce", v. t. Etym: [L. abrenuntiare; ab + renuntiare. See
Renounce.]
Defn: To renounce. [Obs.] "They abrenounce and cast them off."
Latimer.
ABRENUNCIATION
Ab`re*nun`ci*a"tion, n. Etym: [LL. abrenuntiatio. See Abrenounce.]
Defn: Absolute renunciation or repudiation. [Obs.] An abrenunciation of that truth which he so long had professed, and still believed. Fuller.
ABREPTION Ab*rep"tion, n. Etym: [L. abreptus, p. p. of abripere to snatch away; ab + rapere to snatch.]
Defn: A snatching away. [Obs.]
ABREUVOIR
A`breu`voir", n. Etym: [F., a watering place.] (Masonry)
Defn: The joint or interstice between stones, to be filled with mortar. Gwilt.
ABRICOCK
A"bri*cock, n.
Defn: See Apricot. [Obs.]
ABRIDGE
A*bridge", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abridged; p. pr. & vb. n. Abridging.]
Etym: [OE. abregen, OF. abregier, F. abréger, fr. L. abbreviare; ad +
brevis short. See Brief and cf. Abbreviate.]
1. To make shorter; to shorten in duration; to lessen; to diminish; to curtail; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights. "The bridegroom . . . abridged his visit." Smollett. She retired herself to Sebaste, and abridged her train from state to necessity. Fuller.
2. To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense; as, to abridge a history or dictionary.
3. To deprive; to cut off; — followed by of, and formerly by from; as, to abridge one of his rights.
ABRIDGER
A*bridg"er, n.
Defn: One who abridges.
ABRIDGMENT
A*bridg"ment, n. Etym: [OE. abregement. See Abridge.]
1. The act abridging, or the state of being abridged; diminution; lessening; reduction or deprivation; as, an abridgment of pleasures or of expenses.
2. An epitome or compend, as of a book; a shortened or abridged form; an abbreviation. Ancient coins as abridgments of history. Addison.
3. That which abridges or cuts short; hence, an entertainment that makes the time pass quickly. [Obs.] What abridgment have you for this evening What mask What music Shak.
Syn. — Abridgment, Compendium, Epitome, Abstract, Synopsis. An abridgment is made by omitting the less important parts of some larger work; as, an abridgment of a dictionary. A compendium is a brief exhibition of a subject, or science, for common use; as, a compendium of American literature. An epitome corresponds to a compendium, and gives briefly the most material points of a subject; as, an epitome of history. An abstract is a brief statement of a thing in its main points. A synopsis is a bird's-eye view of a subject, or work, in its several parts.
ABROACH
A*broach", v. t. Etym: [OE. abrochen, OF. abrochier. See Broach.]
Defn: To set abroach; to let out, as liquor; to broach; to tap.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
ABROACH
A*broach", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- + broach.]
1. Broached; in a condition for letting out or yielding liquor, as a cask which is tapped. Hogsheads of ale were set abroach. Sir W. Scott.
2. Hence: In a state to be diffused or propagated; afoot; astir. "Mischiefs that I set abroach." Shak.
ABROAD
A*broad", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- + broad.]
1. At large; widely; broadly; over a wide space; as, a tree spreads its branches abroad. The fox roams far abroad. Prior.
2. Without a certain confine; outside the house; away from one's abode; as, to walk abroad. I went to St. James', where another was preaching in the court abroad. Evelyn.
3. Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries; as, we have broils at home and enemies abroad. "Another prince . . . was living abroad." Macaulay.
4. Before the public at large; throughout society or the world; here and there; widely. He went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter. Mark i. 45. To be abroad. (a) To be wide of the mark; to be at fault; as, you are all abroad in your guess. (b) To be at a loss or nonplused.
ABROGABLE
Ab"ro*ga*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being abrogated.
ABROGATE
Ab"ro*gate, a. Etym: [L. abrogatus, p. p.]
Defn: Abrogated; abolished. [Obs.] Latimer.
ABROGATE
Ab"ro*gate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abrogated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Abrogating.] Etym: [L. abrogatus, p. p. of abrogare; ab + rogare to
ask, require, propose. See Rogation.]
1. To annul by an authoritative act; to abolish by the authority of the maker or his successor; to repeal; — applied to the repeal of laws, decrees, ordinances, the abolition of customs, etc. Let us see whether the New Testament abrogates what we so frequently see in the Old. South. Whose laws, like those of the Medes and Persian, they can not alter or abrogate. Burke.
2. To put an end to; to do away with. Shak.
Syn. — To abolish; annul; do away; set aside; revoke; repeal; cancel; annihilate. See Abolish.
ABROGATION Ab`ro*ga"tion, n. Etym: [L. abrogatio, fr. abrogare: cf. F. abrogation.]
Defn: The act of abrogating; repeal by authority. Hume.
ABROGATIVE
Ab"ro*ga*tive, a.
Defn: Tending or designed to abrogate; as, an abrogative law.
ABROGATOR
Ab"ro*ga`tor, n.
Defn: One who repeals by authority.
ABROOD
A*brood", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- + brood.]
Defn: In the act of brooding. [Obs.] Abp. Sancroft.
ABROOK
A*brook", v. t. Etym: [Pref. a- + brook, v.]
Defn: To brook; to endure. [Obs.] Shak.
ABRUPT Ab*rupt", a. Etym: [L. abruptus, p. p. of abrumpere to break off; ab + rumpere to break. See Rupture.]
1. Broken off; very steep, or craggy, as rocks, precipices, banks; precipitous; steep; as, abrupt places. "Tumbling through ricks abrupt," Thomson.
2. Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious. "The cause of your abrupt departure." Shak.
3. Having sudden transitions from one subject to another; unconnected. The abrupt style, which hath many breaches. B. Jonson.
4. (Bot.)
Defn: Suddenly terminating, as if cut off. Gray.
Syn. — Sudden; unexpected; hasty; rough; curt; unceremonious; rugged; blunt; disconnected; broken.
ABRUPT
Ab*rupt", n. Etym: [L. abruptum.]
Defn: An abrupt place. [Poetic]
"Over the vast abrupt." Milton.
ABRUPT
Ab*rupt", v. t.
Defn: To tear off or asunder. [Obs.] "Till death abrupts them." Sir
T. Browne.
ABRUPTION
Ab*rup"tion, n. Etym: [L. abruptio, fr. abrumpere: cf. F. abruption.]
Defn: A sudden breaking off; a violent separation of bodies.
Woodward.
ABRUPTLY
Ab*rupt"ly, adv.
1. In an abrupt manner; without giving notice, or without the usual forms; suddenly.
2. Precipitously. Abruptly pinnate (Bot.), pinnate without an odd leaflet, or other appendage, at the end. Gray.
ABRUPTNESS
Ab*rupt"ness, n.
1. The state of being abrupt or broken; craggedness; ruggedness; steepness.
2. Suddenness; unceremonious haste or vehemence; as, abruptness of style or manner.
ABSCESS Ab"scess, n.; pl. Abscesses. Etym: [L. abscessus a going away, gathering of humors, abscess, fr. abscessus, p. p. of absedere to go away; ab, abs + cedere to go off, retire. See Cede.] (Med.)
Defn: A collection of pus or purulent matter in any tissue or organ of the body, the result of a morbid process. Cold abscess, an abscess of slow formation, unattended with the pain and heat characteristic of ordinary abscesses, and lasting for years without exhibiting any tendency towards healing; a chronic abscess.
ABSCESSION
Ab*sces"sion, n. Etym: [L. abscessio a separation; fr. absedere. See
Abscess.]
Defn: A separating; removal; also, an abscess. [Obs.] Gauden.
Barrough.
ABSCIND
Ab*scind", v. t. Etym: [L. absindere; ab + scindere to rend, cut. See
Schism.]
Defn: To cut off. [R.] "Two syllables . . . abscinded from the rest."
Johnson.
ABSCISION
Ab*sci"sion, n. Etym: [L. abscisio.]
Defn: See Abscission.
ABSCISS
Ab"sciss, n.; pl. Abscisses.
Defn: See Abscissa.
ABSCISSA Ab*scis"sa, n.; E. pl. Abscissas, L. pl. Abscissæ. Etym: [L., fem. of abscissus, p. p. of absindere to cut of. See Abscind.] (Geom.)
Defn: One of the elements of reference by which a point, as of a curve, is referred to a system of fixed rectilineal coördinate axes.
Note: When referred to two intersecting axes, one of them called the axis of abscissas, or of X, and the other the axis of ordinates, or of Y, the abscissa of the point is the distance cut off from the axis of X by a line drawn through it and parallel to the axis of Y. When a point in space is referred to three axes having a common intersection, the abscissa may be the distance measured parallel to either of them, from the point to the plane of the other two axes. Abscissas and ordinates taken together are called coördinates. — OX or PY is the abscissa of the point P of the curve, OY or PX its ordinate, the intersecting lines OX and OY being the axes of abscissas and ordinates respectively, and the point O their origin.
ABSCISSION
Ab*scis"sion, n. Etym: [L. abscissio. See Abscind.]
1. The act or process of cutting off. "Not to be cured without the abscission of a member." Jer. Taylor.
2. The state of being cut off. Sir T. Browne.
3. (Rhet.)
Defn: A figure of speech employed when a speaker having begun to say a thing stops abruptly: thus, "He is a man of so much honor and candor, and of such generosity — but I need say no more."
ABSCOND
Ab*scond", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Absconded; p. pr. & vb. n.
Absconding.] Etym: [L. abscondere to hide; ab, abs + condere to lay
up; con + dare (only in comp.) to put. Cf. Do.]
1. To hide, withdraw, or be concealed. The marmot absconds all winter. Ray.
2. To depart clandestinely; to steal off and secrete one's self; — used especially of persons who withdraw to avoid a legal process; as, an absconding debtor. That very homesickness which, in regular armies, drives so many recruits to abscond. Macaulay.
ABSCOND
Ab*scond", v. t.
Defn: To hide; to conceal. [Obs.] Bentley.
ABSCONDENCE
Ab*scond"ence, n.
Defn: Fugitive concealment; secret retirement; hiding. [R.] Phillips.
ABSCONDER
Ab*scond"er, n.
Defn: One who absconds.
ABSENCE
Ab"sence, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. absentia. See Absent.]
1. A state of being absent or withdrawn from a place or from companionship; — opposed to presence. Not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Phil. ii. 12.
2. Want; destitution; withdrawal. "In the absence of conventional law." Kent.
3. Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind); as, absence of mind. "Reflecting on the little absences and distractions of mankind." Addison. To conquer that abstraction which is called absence. Landor.
ABSENT Ab"sent, a. Etym: [F., fr. absens, absentis, p. pr. of abesse to be away from; ab + esse to be. Cf. Sooth.]
1. Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; not present. "Expecting absent friends." Shak.
2. Not existing; lacking; as, the part was rudimental or absent.
3. Inattentive to what is passing; absent-minded; preoccupied; as, an absent air. What is commonly called an absent man is commonly either a very weak or a very affected man. Chesterfield.
Syn. — Absent, Abstracted. These words both imply a want of attention to surrounding objects. We speak of a man as absent when his thoughts wander unconsciously from present scenes or topics of discourse; we speak of him as abstracted when his mind (usually for a brief period) is drawn off from present things by some weighty matter for reflection. Absence of mind is usually the result of loose habits of thought; abstraction commonly arises either from engrossing interests and cares, or from unfortunate habits of association.
ABSENT
Ab*sent", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Absented; p. pr. & vb. n. Absenting.]
Etym: [Cf. F. absenter.]
1. To take or withdraw (one's self) to such a distance as to prevent intercourse; — used with the reflexive pronoun. If after due summons any member absents himself, he is to be fined. Addison.
2. To withhold from being present. [Obs.] "Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more." Milton.
ABSENTANEOUS
Ab`sen*ta"ne*ous, a. Etym: [LL. absentaneus. See absent]
Defn: Pertaining to absence. [Obs.]
ABSENTATION
Ab`sen*ta"tion, n.
Defn: The act of absenting one's self. Sir W. Hamilton.
ABSENTEE
Ab`sen*tee", n.
Defn: One who absents himself from his country, office, post, or duty; especially, a landholder who lives in another country or district than that where his estate is situated; as, an Irish absentee. Macaulay.
ABSENTEEISM
Ab`sen*tee"ism, n.
Defn: The state or practice of an absentee; esp. the practice of absenting one's self from the country or district where one's estate is situated.
ABSENTER
Ab*sent"er, n.
Defn: One who absents one's self.
ABSENTLY
Ab"sent*ly, adv.
Defn: In an absent or abstracted manner.
ABSENTMENT
Ab*sent"ment, n.
Defn: The state of being absent; withdrawal. [R.] Barrow.
ABSENT-MINDED
Ab`sent-mind"ed(#), a.
Defn: Absent in mind; abstracted; preoccupied.
— Ab`sent-mind"ed*ness, n.
— Ab`sent-mind"ed*ly, adv.
ABSENTNESS
Ab"sent*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being absent-minded. H. Miller.
ABSEY-BOOK
Ab"sey-book`(#), n.
Defn: An A-B-C book; a primer. [Obs.] Shak.
ABSINTHATE
Ab"sin"thate, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A combination of absinthic acid with a base or positive radical.
ABSINTHE; ABSINTH
Ab"sinthe`, Ab"sinth`, n. Etym: [F. absinthe. See Absinthium.]
1. The plant absinthium or common wormwood.
2. A strong spirituous liqueur made from wormwood and brandy or alcohol.
ABSINTHIAL
Ab*sin"thi*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to wormwood; absinthian.
ABSINTHIAN
Ab*sin"thi*an, n.
Defn: Of the nature of wormwood. "Absinthian bitterness." T.
Randolph.
ABSINTHIATE Ab"sin"thi*ate, v. t. Etym: [From L. absinthium: cf. L. absinthiatus, a.]
Defn: To impregnate with wormwood.
ABSINTHIATED
Ab*sin"thi*a`ted, a.
Defn: Impregnated with wormwood; as, absinthiated wine.
ABSINTHIC
Ab*sin"thic, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Relating to the common wormwood or to an acid obtained from it.
ABSINTHIN
Ab*sin"thin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: The bitter principle of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Watts.
ABSINTHISM
Ab"sin*thism, n.
Defn: The condition of being poisoned by the excessive use of absinth.
ABSINTHIUM
Ab*sin"thi*um, n. Etym: [L., from Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: The common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), an intensely bitter plant, used as a tonic and for making the oil of wormwood.
ABSIS
Ab"sis, n.
Defn: See Apsis.
ABSIST Ab*sist", v. i. Etym: [L. absistere, p. pr. absistens; ab + sistere to stand, causal of stare.]
Defn: To stand apart from; top leave off; to desist. [Obs.] Raleigh.
ABSISTENCE
Ab*sist"ence, n.
Defn: A standing aloof. [Obs.]
ABSOLUTE Ab"so*lute, a. Etym: [L. absolutus, p. p. of absolvere: cf. F. absolu. See Absolve.]
1. Loosed from any limitation or condition; uncontrolled; unrestricted; unconditional; as, absolute authority, monarchy, sovereignty, an absolute promise or command; absolute power; an absolute monarch.
2. Complete in itself; perfect; consummate; faultless; as, absolute perfection; absolute beauty. So absolute she seems, And in herself complete. Milton.
3. Viewed apart from modifying influences or without comparison with other objects; actual; real; — opposed to relative and comparative; as, absolute motion; absolute time or space.
Note: Absolute rights and duties are such as pertain to man in a state of nature as contradistinguished from relative rights and duties, or such as pertain to him in his social relations.
4. Loosed from, or unconnected by, dependence on any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing.
Note: In this sense God is called the Absolute by the Theist. The term is also applied by the Pantheist to the universe, or the total of all existence, as only capable of relations in its parts to each other and to the whole, and as dependent for its existence and its phenomena on its mutually depending forces and their laws.
5. Capable of being thought or conceived by itself alone; unconditioned; non-relative.
Note: It is in dispute among philosopher whether the term, in this sense, is not applied to a mere logical fiction or abstraction, or whether the absolute, as thus defined, can be known, as a reality, by the human intellect. To Cusa we can indeed articulately trace, word and thing, the recent philosophy of the absolute. Sir W. Hamilton.
6. Positive; clear; certain; not doubtful. [R.] I am absolute 't was very Cloten. Shak.
7. Authoritative; peremptory. [R.] The peddler stopped, and tapped her on the head, With absolute forefinger, brown and ringed. Mrs. Browning.
8. (Chem.)
Defn: Pure; unmixed; as, absolute alcohol.
9. (Gram.)
Defn: Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence in government; as, the case absolute. See Ablative absolute, under Ablative. Absolute curvature (Geom.), that curvature of a curve of double curvature, which is measured in the osculating plane of the curve. — Absolute equation (Astron.), the sum of the optic and eccentric equations. — Absolute space (Physics), space considered without relation to material limits or objects. — Absolute terms. (Alg.), such as are known, or which do not contain the unknown quantity. Davies & Peck. — Absolute temperature (Physics), the temperature as measured on a scale determined by certain general thermo-dynamic principles, and reckoned from the absolute zero. — Absolute zero (Physics), the be ginning, or zero point, in the scale of absolute temperature. It is equivalent to -273º centigrade or -459.4º Fahrenheit.
Syn. — Positive; peremptory; certain; unconditional; unlimited; unrestricted; unqualified; arbitrary; despotic; autocratic.
ABSOLUTE
Ab"so*lute, n. (Geom.)
Defn: In a plane, the two imaginary circular points at infinity; in space of three dimensions, the imaginary circle at infinity.
ABSOLUTELY
Ab"so*lute*ly, adv.
Defn: In an absolute, independent, or unconditional manner; wholly; positively.
ABSOLUTENESS
Ab"so*lute*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being absolute; independence of everything extraneous; unlimitedness; absolute power; independent reality; positiveness.
ABSOLUTION Ab`so*lu"tion, n. Etym: [F. absolution, L. absolutio, fr. absolvere to absolve. See Absolve.]
1. An absolving, or setting free from guilt, sin, or penalty; forgiveness of an offense. "Government . . . granting absolution to the nation." Froude.
2. (Civil Law)
Defn: An acquittal, or sentence of a judge declaring and accused person innocent. [Obs.]
3. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: The exercise of priestly jurisdiction in the sacrament of penance, by which Catholics believe the sins of the truly penitent are forgiven.
Note: In the English and other Protestant churches, this act regarded as simply declaratory, not as imparting forgiveness.
4. (Eccl.)
Defn: An absolving from ecclesiastical penalties, — for example, excommunication. P. Cyc.
5. The form of words by which a penitent is absolved. Shipley.
6. Delivery, in speech. [Obs.] B. Jonson. Absolution day (R. C. Ch.), Tuesday before Easter.
ABSOLUTISM
Ab"so*lu`tism, n.
1. The state of being absolute; the system or doctrine of the absolute; the principles or practice of absolute or arbitrary government; despotism. The element of absolutism and prelacy was controlling. Palfrey.
2. (Theol.)
Defn: Doctrine of absolute decrees. Ash.
ABSOLUTIST
Ab"so*lu`tist, n.
1. One who is in favor of an absolute or autocratic government.
2. (Metaph.)
Defn: One who believes that it is possible to realize a cognition or concept of the absolute. Sir. W. Hamilton.
ABSOLUTIST
Ab"so*lu`tist, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to absolutism; arbitrary; despotic; as, absolutist principles.
ABSOLUTISTIC
Ab`so*lu*tis"tic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to absolutism; absolutist.
ABSOLUTORY
Ab*sol"u*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. absolutorius, fr. absolvere to absolve.]
Defn: Serving to absolve; absolving. "An absolutory sentence."
Ayliffe.
ABSOLVABLE
Ab*solv"a*ble, a.
Defn: That may be absolved.
ABSOLVATORY
Ab*solv"a*to*ry, a.
Defn: Conferring absolution; absolutory.
ABSOLVE
Ab*solve" (#; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Absolved; p. pr. & vb. n.
Absolving.] Etym: [L. absolvere to set free, to absolve; ab + solvere
to loose. See Assoil, Solve.]
1. To set free, or release, as from some obligation, debt, or responsibility, or from the consequences of guilt or such ties as it would be sin or guilt to violate; to pronounce free; as, to absolve a subject from his allegiance; to absolve an offender, which amounts to an acquittal and remission of his punishment. Halifax was absolved by a majority of fourteen. Macaulay.
2. To free from a penalty; to pardon; to remit (a sin); — said of the sin or guilt. In his name I absolve your perjury. Gibbon.
3. To finish; to accomplish. [Obs.] The work begun, how soon absolved. Milton.
4. To resolve or explain. [Obs.] "We shall not absolve the doubt." Sir T. Browne.
Syn. — To Absolve, Exonerate, Acquit. We speak of a man as absolved from something that binds his conscience, or involves the charge of wrongdoing; as, to absolve from allegiance or from the obligation of an oath, or a promise. We speak of a person as exonerated, when he is released from some burden which had rested upon him; as, to exonerate from suspicion, to exonerate from blame or odium. It implies a purely moral acquittal. We speak of a person as acquitted, when a decision has been made in his favor with reference to a specific charge, either by a jury or by disinterested persons; as, he was acquitted of all participation in the crime.
ABSOLVENT
Ab*solv"ent, a. Etym: [L. absolvens, p. pr. of absolvere.]
Defn: Absolving. [R.] Carlyle.
ABSOLVENT
Ab*solv"ent, n.
Defn: An absolver. [R.] Hobbes.
ABSOLVER
Ab*solv"er, n.
Defn: One who absolves. Macaulay.
ABSONANT
Ab"so*nant, a. Etym: [L. ab + sonans, p. pr. of sonare to sound.]
Defn: Discordant; contrary; — opposed to consonant. "Absonant to nature." Quarles.
ABSONOUS
Ab"so*nous, a. Etym: [L. absonus; ab + sonus sound.]
Defn: Discordant; inharmonious; incongruous. [Obs.] "Absonous to our reason." Glanvill.
ABSORB
Ab*sorb", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Absorbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Absorbing.]
Etym: [L. absorbere; ab + sorbere to suck in, akin to Gr. absorber.]
1. To swallow up; to engulf; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to use up; to include. "Dark oblivion soon absorbs them all." Cowper. The large cities absorb the wealth and fashion. W. Irving.
2. To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe; as a sponge or as the lacteals of the body. Bacon.
3. To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully; as, absorbed in study or the pursuit of wealth.
4. To take up by cohesive, chemical, or any molecular action, as when charcoal absorbs gases. So heat, light, and electricity are absorbed or taken up in the substances into which they pass. Nichol. p. 8
Syn. — To Absorb, Engross, Swallow up, Engulf. These words agree in one general idea, that of completely taking up. They are chiefly used in a figurative sense and may be distinguished by a reference to their etymology. We speak of a person as absorbed (lit., drawn in, swallowed up) in study or some other employment of the highest interest. We speak of a person as ebgrossed (lit., seized upon in the gross, or wholly) by something which occupies his whole time and thoughts, as the acquisition of wealth, or the attainment of honor. We speak of a person (under a stronger image) as swallowed up and lost in that which completely occupies his thoughts and feelings, as in grief at the death of a friend, or in the multiplied cares of life. We speak of a person as engulfed in that which (like a gulf) takes in all his hopes and interests; as, engulfed in misery, ruin, etc. That grave question which had begun to absorb the Christian mind — the marriage of the clergy. Milman. Too long hath love engrossed Britannia's stage, And sunk to softness all our tragic rage. Tickell. Should not the sad occasion swallow up My other cares Addison. And in destruction's river Engulf and swallow those. Sir P. Sidney.
ABSORBABILITY
Ab*sorb`a*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being absorbable. Graham (Chemistry).
ABSORBABLE
Ab*sorb"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. absorbable.]
Defn: Capable of being absorbed or swallowed up. Kerr.
ABSORBEDLY
Ab*sorb"ed*ly, adv.
Defn: In a manner as if wholly engrossed or engaged.
ABSORBENCY
Ab*sorb"en*cy, n.
Defn: Absorptiveness.
ABSORBENT
Ab*sorb"ent, a. Etym: [L. absorbens, p. pr. of absorbere.]
Defn: Absorbing; swallowing; absorptive. Absorbent ground (Paint.), a ground prepared for a picture, chiefly with distemper, or water colors, by which the oil is absorbed, and a brilliancy is imparted to the colors.
ABSORBENT
Ab*sorb"ent, n.
1. Anything which absorbs. The ocean, itself a bad absorbent of heat. Darwin.
2. (Med.)
Defn: Any substance which absorbs and neutralizes acid fluid in the stomach and bowels, as magnesia, chalk, etc.; also a substance e. g., iodine) which acts on the absorbent vessels so as to reduce enlarged and indurated parts.
3. pl. (Physiol.)
Defn: The vessels by which the processes of absorption are carried on, as the lymphatics in animals, the extremities of the roots in plants.
ABSORBER
Ab*sorb"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, absorbs.
ABSORBING
Ab*sorb"ing, a.
Defn: Swallowing, engrossing; as, an absorbing pursuit.
— Ab*sorb"ing, adv.
ABSORBITION
Ab`sor*bi"tion, n.
Defn: Absorption. [Obs.]
ABSORPT
Ab*sorpt`, a. Etym: [L. absorptus, p. p.]
Defn: Absorbed. [Arcahic.] "Absorpt in care." Pope.
ABSORPTION
Ab*sorp"tion, n. Etym: [L. absorptio, fr. absorbere. See Absorb.]
1. The act or process of absorbing or sucking in anything, or of being absorbed and made to disappear; as, the absorption of bodies in a whirlpool, the absorption of a smaller tribe into a larger.
2. (Chem. & Physics)
Defn: An imbibing or reception by molecular or chemical action; as, the absorption of light, heat, electricity, etc.
3. (Physiol.)
Defn: In living organisms, the process by which the materials of growth and nutrition are absorbed and conveyed to the tissues and organs.
4. Entire engrossment or occupation of the mind; as, absorption in some employment.
ABSORPTIVE
Ab*sorp"tive, a.
Defn: Having power, capacity, or tendency to absorb or imbibe. E.
Darwin.
ABSORPTIVENESS
Ab*sorp"tive*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being absorptive; absorptive power.
ABSORPTIVITY
Ab`sorp*tiv"i*ty, n.
Defn: Absorptiveness.
ABSQUATULATE
Ab*squat"u*late, v. i.
Defn: To take one's self off; to decamp. [A jocular word. U. S.]
ABSQUE HOC
Abs"que hoc
Defn: . Etym: [L., without this.] (Law) The technical words of denial used in traversing what has been alleged, and is repeated.
ABSTAIN
Ab*stain", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Abstained; p. pr. & vb. n.
Abstaining.] Etym: [OE. absteynen, abstenen, OF. astenir, abstenir,
F. abstenir, fr. L. abstinere, abstentum, v. t. & v. i., to keep
from; ab, abs + tenere to hold. See Tenable.]
Defn: To hold one's self aloof; to forbear or refrain voluntarily,
and especially from an indulgence of the passions or appetites; —
with from.
Not a few abstained from voting. Macaulay.
Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt Shak.
Syn. — To refrain; forbear; withhold; deny one's self; give up; relinquish.
ABSTAIN
Ab*stain", v. t.
Defn: To hinder; to withhold.
Whether he abstain men from marrying. Milton.
ABSTAINER
Ab*stain"er, n.
Defn: One who abstains; esp., one who abstains from the use of intoxicating liquors.
ABSTEMIOUS Ab*ste"mi*ous, a. Etym: [L. abstemius; ab, abs + root of temetum intoxicating drink.]
1. Abstaining from wine. [Orig. Latin sense.] Under his special eye Abstemious I grew up and thrived amain. Milton.
2. Sparing in diet; refraining from a free use of food and strong drinks; temperate; abstinent; sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions. Instances of longevity are chiefly among the abstemious. Arbuthnot.
3. Sparingly used; used with temperance or moderation; as, an abstemious diet. Gibbon.
4. Marked by, or spent in, abstinence; as, an abstemious life. "One abstemious day." Pope.
5. Promotive of abstemiousness. [R.] Such is the virtue of the abstemious well. Dryden.
ABSTEMIOUSNESS
Ab*ste"mi*ous*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being abstemious, temperate, or sparing in the use of food and strong drinks. It expresses a greater degree of abstinence than temperance.
ABSTENTION
Ab*sten"tion, a. Etym: [F. See Abstain.]
Defn: The act of abstaining; a holding aloof. Jer. Taylor.
ABSTENTIOUS
Ab*sten"tious, a.
Defn: Characterized by abstinence; self-restraining. Farrar.
ABSTERGE Ab*sterge, v. t. Etym: [L. abstergere, abstersum; ab, abs + tergere to wipe. Cf. F absterger.]
Defn: To make clean by wiping; to wipe away; to cleanse; hence, to purge. [R.] Quincy.
ABSTERGENT
Ab*ster"gent, a. Etym: [L. abstergens, p. pr. of abstergere.]
Defn: Serving to cleanse, detergent.
ABSTERGENT
Ab*ster"gent, n.
Defn: A substance used in cleansing; a detergent; as, soap is an abstergent.
ABSTERSE
Ab*sterse", v. t.
Defn: To absterge; to cleanse; to purge away. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
ABSTERSION
Ab*ster"sion, n. Etym: [F. abstersion. See Absterge.]
Defn: Act of wiping clean; a cleansing; a purging.
The task of ablution and abstersion being performed. Sir W. Scott.
ABSTERSIVE
Ab*ster"sive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. abstersif. See Absterge.]
Defn: Cleansing; purging. Bacon.
ABSTERSIVE
Ab*ster"sive, n.
Defn: Something cleansing.
The strong abstersive of some heroic magistrate. Milton.
ABSTERSIVENESS
Ab*ster"sive*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being abstersive. Fuller.
ABSTINENCE
Ab"sti*nence, n. Etym: [F. abstinence, L. abstinentia, fr. abstinere.
See Abstain.]
1. The act or practice of abstaining; voluntary forbearance of any action, especially the refraining from an indulgence of appetite, or from customary gratifications of animal or sensual propensities. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating beverages, — called also total abstinence. The abstinence from a present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one. Locke.
2. The practice of self-denial by depriving one's self of certain kinds of food or drink, especially of meat. Penance, fasts, and abstinence, To punish bodies for the soul's offense. Dryden.
ABSTINENCY
Ab"sti*nen*cy, n.
Defn: Abstinence. [R.]
ABSTINENT Ab"sti*nent, a. Etym: [F. abstinent, L. abstinens, p. pr. of abstinere. See Abstain.]
Defn: Refraining from indulgence, especially from the indulgence of appetite; abstemious; continent; temperate. Beau. & Fl.
ABSTINENT
Ab"sti*nent, n.
1. One who abstains.
2. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: One of a sect who appeared in France and Spain in the 3d century.
ABSTINENTLY
Ab"sti*nent*ly, adv.
Defn: With abstinence.
ABSTORTED Ab*stort"ed, a. Etym: [As if fr. abstort, fr. L. ab, abs + tortus, p. p. of torquere to twist.]
Defn: Wrested away. [Obs.] Bailey.
ABSTRACT Ab"stract` (#; 277), a. Etym: [L. abstractus, p. p. of abstrahere to draw from, separate; ab, abs + trahere to draw. See Trace.]
1. Withdraw; separate. [Obs.] The more abstract . . . we are from the body. Norris.
2. Considered apart from any application to a particular object; separated from matter; exiting in the mind only; as, abstract truth, abstract numbers. Hence: ideal; abstruse; difficult.
3. (Logic) (a) Expressing a particular property of an object viewed apart from the other properties which constitute it; — opposed to Ant: concrete; as, honesty is an abstract word. J. S. Mill. (b) Resulting from the mental faculty of abstraction; general as opposed to particular; as, "reptile" is an abstract or general name. Locke. A concrete name is a name which stands for a thing; an abstract name which stands for an attribute of a thing. A practice has grown up in more modern times, which, if not introduced by Locke, has gained currency from his example, of applying the expression "abstract name" to all names which are the result of abstraction and generalization, and consequently to all general names, instead of confining it to the names of attributes. J. S. Mill.
4. Abstracted; absent in mind. "Abstract, as in a trance." Milton. An abstract idea (Metaph.), an idea separated from a complex object, or from other ideas which naturally accompany it; as the solidity of marble when contemplated apart from its color or figure. — Abstract terms, those which express abstract ideas, as beauty, whiteness, roundness, without regarding any object in which they exist; or abstract terms are the names of orders, genera or species of things, in which there is a combination of similar qualities. — Abstract numbers (Math.), numbers used without application to things, as 6, 8, 10; but when applied to any thing, as 6 feet, 10 men, they become concrete. — Abstract or Pure mathematics. See Mathematics.
ABSTRACT
Ab*stract", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abstracted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Abstracting.] Etym: [See Abstract, a.]
1. To withdraw; to separate; to take away. He was incapable of forming any opinion or resolution abstracted from his own prejudices. Sir W. Scott.
2. To draw off in respect to interest or attention; as, his was wholly abstracted by other objects. The young stranger had been abstracted and silent. Blackw. Mag.
3. To separate, as ideas, by the operation of the mind; to consider by itself; to contemplate separately, as a quality or attribute. Whately.
4. To epitomize; to abridge. Franklin.
5. To take secretly or dishonestly; to purloin; as, to abstract goods from a parcel, or money from a till. Von Rosen had quietly abstracted the bearing-reins from the harness. W. Black.
6. (Chem.)
Defn: To separate, as the more volatile or soluble parts of a substance, by distillation or other chemical processes. In this sense extract is now more generally used.
ABSTRACT
Ab*stract", v. t.
Defn: To perform the process of abstraction. [R.]
I own myself able to abstract in one sense. Berkeley.
ABSTRACT
Ab"stract`, n. Etym: [See Abstract, a.]
1. That which comprises or concentrates in itself the essential qualities of a larger thing or of several things. Specifically: A summary or an epitome, as of a treatise or book, or of a statement; a brief. An abstract of every treatise he had read. Watts. Man, the abstract Of all perfection, which the workmanship Of Heaven hath modeled. Ford.
2. A state of separation from other things; as, to consider a subject in the abstract, or apart from other associated things.
3. An abstract term. The concretes "father" and "son" have, or might have, the abstracts "paternity" and "filiety." J. S. Mill.
4. (Med.)
Defn: A powdered solid extract of a vegetable substance mixed with sugar of milk in such proportion that one part of the abstract represents two parts of the original substance. Abstract of title (Law), an epitome of the evidences of ownership.
Syn.
— Abridgment; compendium; epitome; synopsis. See Abridgment.
ABSTRACTED
Ab*stract"ed, a.
1. Separated or disconnected; withdrawn; removed; apart. The evil abstracted stood from his own evil. Milton.
2. Separated from matter; abstract; ideal. [Obs.]
3. Abstract; abstruse; difficult. [Obs.] Johnson.
4. Inattentive to surrounding objects; absent in mind. "An abstracted scholar." Johnson.
ABSTRACTEDLY
Ab*stract"ed*ly, adv.
Defn: In an abstracted manner; separately; with absence of mind.
ABSTRACTEDNESS
Ab*stract"ed*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being abstracted; abstract character.
ABSTRACTER
Ab*stract"er, n.
Defn: One who abstracts, or makes an abstract.
ABSTRACTION
Ab*strac"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. abstraction. See Abstract, a.]
1. The act of abstracting, separating, or withdrawing, or the state of being withdrawn; withdrawal. A wrongful abstraction of wealth from certain members of the community. J. S. Mill.
2. (Metaph.)
Defn: The act process of leaving out of consideration one or more properties of a complex object so as to attend to others; analysis. Thus, when the mind considers the form of a tree by itself, or the color of the leaves as separate from their size or figure, the act is called abstraction. So, also, when it considers whiteness, softness, virtue, existence, as separate from any particular objects.
Note: Abstraction is necessary to classification, by which things are arranged in genera and species. We separate in idea the qualities of certain objects, which are of the same kind, from others which are different, in each, and arrange the objects having the same properties in a class, or collected body. Abstraction is no positive act: it is simply the negative of attention. Sir W. Hamilton.
3. An idea or notion of an abstract, or theoretical nature; as, to fight for mere abstractions.
4. A separation from worldly objects; a recluse life; as, a hermit's abstraction.
5. Absence or absorption of mind; inattention to present objects.
6. The taking surreptitiously for one's own use part of the property of another; purloining. [Modern]
7. (Chem.)
Defn: A separation of volatile parts by the act of distillation.
Nicholson.
ABSTRACTIONAL
Ab*strac"tion*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to abstraction.
ABSTRACTIONIST
Ab*strac"tion*ist, n.
Defn: An idealist. Emerson.
ABSTRACTITIOUS
Ab`strac*ti"tious, a.
Defn: Obtained from plants by distillation. [Obs.] Crabb.
ABSTRACTIVE
Ab*strac"tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. abstractif.]
Defn: Having the power of abstracting; of an abstracting nature. "The abstractive faculty." I. Taylor.
ABSTRACTIVELY
Ab*strac"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a abstract manner; separately; in or by itself. Feltham.
ABSTRACTIVENESS
Ab*strac"tive*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being abstractive; abstractive property.
ABSTRACTLY
Ab"stract`ly (#; 277), adv.
Defn: In an abstract state or manner; separately; absolutely; by itself; as, matter abstractly considered.
ABSTRACTNESS
Ab"stract`ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being abstract. "The abstractness of the ideas."
Locke.
ABSTRINGE Ab*stringe", v. t. Etym: [L ab + stringere, strictum, to press together.]
Defn: To unbind. [Obs.] Bailey.
ABSTRUDE
Ab*strude", v. t. Etym: [L. abstrudere. See Abstruse.]
Defn: To thrust away. [Obs.] Johnson.
ABSTRUSE
Ab*struse", a. Etym: [L. abstrusus, p. p. of abstrudere to thrust
away, conceal; ab, abs + trudere to thrust; cf. F. abstrus. See
Threat.]
1. Concealed or hidden out of the way. [Obs.] The eternal eye whose sight discerns Abstrusest thoughts. Milton.
2. Remote from apprehension; difficult to be comprehended or understood; recondite; as, abstruse learning. Profound and abstruse topics. Milman.
ABSTRUSELY
Ab*struse"ly, adv.
Defn: In an abstruse manner.
ABSTRUSENESS
Ab*struse"ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being abstruse; difficulty of apprehension.
Boyle.
ABSTRUSION
Ab*stru"sion, n. Etym: [L. abstrusio. See Abstruse.]
Defn: The act of thrusting away. [R.] Ogilvie.
ABSTRUSITY
Ab*stru"si*ty, n.
Defn: Abstruseness; that which is abstruse. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
ABSUME
Ab*sume", v. t. Etym: [L. absumere, absumptum; ab + sumere to take.]
Defn: To consume gradually; to waste away. [Obs.] Boyle.
ABSUMPTION
Ab*sump"tion (#; 215), n. Etym: [L. absumptio. See Absume.]
Defn: Act of wasting away; a consuming; extinction. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
ABSURD Ab*surd", a. Etym: [L. absurdus harsh-sounding; ab + (prob) a derivative fr. a root svar to sound; not connected with surd: cf. F. absurde. See Syringe.]
Defn: Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and fiatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream. This proffer is absurd and reasonless. Shak. 'This phrase absurd to call a villain great. Pope. p. 9
Syn. — Foolish; irrational; ridiculous; preposterous; inconsistent; incongruous. — Absurd, Irrational, Foolish, Preposterous. Of these terms, irrational is the weakest, denoting that which is plainly inconsistent with the dictates of sound reason; as, an irrational course of life. Foolish rises higher, and implies either a perversion of that faculty, or an absolute weakness or fatuity of mind; as, foolish enterprises. Absurd rises still higher, denoting that which is plainly opposed to received notions of propriety and truth; as, an absurd man, project, opinion, story, argument, etc. Preposterous rises still higher, and supposes an absolute inversion in the order of things; or, in plain terms, a "putting of the cart before the horse;" as, a preposterous suggestion, preposterous conduct, a preposterous regulation or law.
ABSURD
Ab*surd", n.
Defn: An absurdity. [Obs.] Pope.
ABSURDITY Ab*surd"i*ty, n.; pl. Absurdities. Etym: [L. absurditas: cf. F. absurdite.]
1. The quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment. "The absurdity of the actual idea of an infinite number." Locke.
2. That which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction. His travels were full of absurdities. Johnson.
ABSURDLY
Ab*surd"ly, adv.
Defn: In an absurd manner.
ABSURDNESS
Ab*surd"ness, n.
Defn: Absurdity. [R.]
ABUNA
A*bu"na, n. Etym: [Eth. and Ar., our father.]
Defn: The Patriarch, or head of the Abyssinian Church.
ABUNDANCE A*bun"dance, n. Etym: [OE. (h)abudaunce, abundance, F. abundance, F. abondance, L. abundantia, fr. abundare. See Abound.]
Defn: An overflowing fullness; ample sufficiency; great plenty; profusion; copious supply; superfluity; wealth: — strictly applicable to quantity only, but sometimes used of number. It is lamentable to remember what abundance of noble blood hath been shed with small benefit to the Christian state. Raleigh.
Syn. — Exuberance; plenteousness; plenty; copiousness; overflow; riches; affluence; wealth. — Abundance, Plenty, Exuberance. These words rise upon each other in expressing the idea of fullness. Plenty denotes a sufficiency to supply every want; as, plenty of food, plenty of money, etc. Abundance express more, and gives the idea of superfluity or excess; as, abundance of riches, an abundance of wit and humor; often, however, it only denotes plenty in a high degree. Exuberance rises still higher, and implies a bursting forth on every side, producing great superfluity or redundance; as, an exuberance of mirth, an exuberance of animal spirits, etc.
ABUNDANT A*bun"dant, a. Etym: [OE. (h)abundant, aboundant, F. abondant, fr. L. abudans, p. pr. of abundare. See Abound.]
Defn: Fully sufficient; plentiful; in copious supply; — followed by in, rarely by with. "Abundant in goodness and truth." Exod. xxxiv. 6. Abundant number (Math.), a number, the sum of whose aliquot parts exceeds the number itself. Thus, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, the aliquot parts of 12, make the number 16. This is opposed to a deficient number, as 14, whose aliquot parts are 1, 2, 7, the sum of which is 10; and to a perfect number, which is equal to the sum of its aliquot parts, as 6, whose aliquot parts are 1, 2., 3.
Syn. — Ample; plentiful; copious; plenteous; exuberant; overflowing; rich; teeming; profuse; bountiful; liberal. See Ample.
ABUNDANTLY
A*bun"dant*ly, adv.
Defn: In a sufficient degree; fully; amply; plentifully; in large measure.
ABURST
A*burst", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- + burst.]
Defn: In a bursting condition.
ABUSABLE
A*bus"a*ble, a.
Defn: That may be abused.
ABUSAGE
A*bus"age, n.
Defn: Abuse. [Obs.] Whately (1634).
ABUSE
A*buse", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abused; p. pr. & vb. n. Abusing.] Etym:
[F. abuser; L. abusus, p. p. of abuti to abuse, misuse; ab + uti to
use. See Use.]
1. To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority. This principle (if one may so abuse the word) shoots rapidly into popularity. Froude.
2. To use ill; to maltreat; to act injuriously to; to punish or to tax excessively; to hurt; as, to abuse prisoners, to abuse one's powers, one's patience.
3. To revile; to reproach coarsely; to disparage. The . . . tellers of news abused the general. Macaulay.
4. To dishonor. "Shall flight abuse your name" Shak.
5. To violate; to ravish. Spenser.
6. To deceive; to impose on. [Obs.] Their eyes red and staring, cozened with a moist cloud, and abused by a double object. Jer. Taylor.
Syn. — To maltreat; injure; revile; reproach; vilify; vituperate; asperse; traduce; malign.
ABUSE
A*buse", n. Etym: [F. abus, L. abusus, fr. abuti. See Abuse, v. t.]
1. Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language. Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power. Madison.
2. Physical ill treatment; injury. "Rejoice . . . at the abuse of Falstaff." Shak.
3. A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service. Abuse after disappeared without a struggle.. Macaulay.
4. Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling. The two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to blows. Macaulay.
5. Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child. [Obs.] Or is it some abuse, and no such thing Shak. Abuse of distress (Law), a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer.
Syn. — Invective; contumely; reproach; scurrility; insult; opprobrium. — Abuse, Invective. Abuse is generally prompted by anger, and vented in harsh and unseemly words. It is more personal and coarse than invective. Abuse generally takes place in private quarrels; invective in writing or public discussions. Invective may be conveyed in refined language and dictated by indignation against what is blameworthy. C. J. Smith.
ABUSEFUL
A*buse"ful, a.
Defn: Full of abuse; abusive. [R.] "Abuseful names." Bp. Barlow.
ABUSER
A*bus"er, n.
Defn: One who abuses [in the various senses of the verb].
ABUSION A*bu"sion, n. Etym: [OE. abusion, abusioun, OF. abusion, fr. L. abusio misuse of words, f. abuti. See Abuse, v. t.]
Defn: Evil or corrupt usage; abuse; wrong; reproach; deception; cheat. Chaucer.
ABUSIVE
A*bu"sive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. abusif, fr. L. abusivus.]
1. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied. I am . . . necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof. Fuller.
2. Given to misusing; also, full of abuses. [Archaic] "The abusive prerogatives of his see." Hallam.
3. Practicing abuse; prone to ill treat by coarse, insulting words or by other ill usage; as, an abusive author; an abusive fellow.
4. Containing abuse, or serving as the instrument of abuse; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. "An abusive lampoon." Johnson.
5. Tending to deceive; fraudulent; cheating. [Obs.] "An abusive treaty." Bacon.
Syn. — Reproachful; scurrilous; opprobrious; insolent; insulting; injurious; offensive; reviling.
ABUSIVELY
A*bu"sive*ly, adv.
Defn: In an abusive manner; rudely; with abusive language.
ABUSIVENESS
A*bu"sive*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being abusive; rudeness of language, or violence
to the person.
Pick out mirth, like stones out of thy ground, Profaneness,
filthiness, abusiveness. Herbert.
ABUT
A*but", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Abutted; p. pr. & vb. n. Abutting.] Etym:
[OF. abouter, aboter; cf. F. aboutir, and also abuter; a (L. ad) +
OF. boter, buter, to push: cf. F. bout end, and but end, purpose.]
Defn: To project; to terminate or border; to be contiguous; to meet; — with on, upon, or against; as, his land abuts on the road.
ABUTILON
A*bu"ti*lon, n. Etym: [Ar. aubutilun.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of malvaceous plants of many species, found in the torrid and temperate zones of both continents; — called also Indian mallow.
ABUTMENT
A*but"ment, n.
1. State of abutting.
2. That on or against which a body abuts or presses; as (a) (Arch.) The solid part of a pier or wall, etc., which receives the thrust or lateral pressure of an arch, vault, or strut. Gwilt. (b) (mech.) A fixed point or surface from which resistance or reaction is obtained, as the cylinder head of a steam engine, the fulcrum of a lever, etc. (c) In breech-loading firearms, the block behind the barrel which receives the pressure due to recoil.
ABUTTAL
A*but"tal, n.
Defn: The butting or boundary of land, particularly at the end; a headland. Spelman.
ABUTTER
A*but"ter, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, abuts. Specifically, the owner of a contiguous estate; as, the abutters on a street or a river.
ABUZZ
A*buzz", a. Etym: [Pref. a- + buzz.]
Defn: In a buzz; buzzing. [Colloq.] Dickens.
ABY; ABYE A*by", A*bye", v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Abought.] Etym: [AS. abycgan to pay for; pref. a- (cf. Goth. us-, Ger. er-, orig. meaning out) + bycgan to buy. See Buy, and cf. Abide.]
1. To pay for; to suffer for; to atone for; to make amends for; to give satisfaction. [Obs.] Lest to thy peril thou aby it dear. Shak.
2. To endure; to abide. [Obs.] But nought that wanteth rest can long aby. Spenser.
ABYSM
A*bysm", n. Etym: [OF. abisme; F. abime, LL. abyssimus, a superl. of
L. abyssus; Gr. Abyss.]
Defn: An abyss; a gulf. "The abysm of hell." Shak.
ABYSMAL
A*bys"mal, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, an abyss; bottomless; unending;
profound.
Geology gives one the same abysmal extent of time that astronomy does
of space. Carlyle.
ABYSMALLY
A*bys"mal*ly, adv.
Defn: To a fathomless depth; profoundly. "Abysmally ignorant." G.
Eliot.
ABYSS
A*byss", n. Etym: [L. abyssus a bottomless gulf, fr. Gr.
1. A bottomless or unfathomed depth, gulf, or chasm; hence, any deep, immeasurable, and, specifically, hell, or the bottomless pit. Ye powers and spirits of this nethermost abyss. Milton. The throne is darkness, in the abyss of light. Dryden.
2. Infinite time; a vast intellectual or moral depth. The abysses of metaphysical theology. Macaulay. In unfathomable abysses of disgrace. Burke.
3. (Her.)
Defn: The center of an escutcheon.
Note: This word, in its leading uses, is associated with the cosmological notions of the Hebrews, having reference to a supposed illimitable mass of waters from which our earth sprung, and beneath whose profound depths the wicked were punished. Encyc. Brit.
ABYSSAL
A*byss"al, a. Etym: [Cf. Abysmal.]
Defn: Belonging to, or resembling, an abyss; unfathomable. Abyssal zone (Phys. Geog.), one of the belts or zones into which Sir E. Forbes divides the bottom of the sea in describing its plants, animals, etc. It is the one furthest from the shore, embracing all beyond one hundred fathoms deep. Hence, abyssal animals, plants, etc.
ABYSSINIAN
Ab`ys*sin"i*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Abyssinia. Abyssinian gold, an alloy of 90.74 parts of copper and 8.33 parts of zink. Ure.
ABYSSINIAN
Ab`ys*sin"i*an, n.
1. A native of Abyssinia.
2. A member of the Abyssinian Church.
ACACIA
A*ca"ci*a, n. (Antiq.)
Defn: A roll or bag, filled with dust, borne by Byzantine emperors, as a memento of mortality. It is represented on medals.
ACACIA A*ca"cia, n.; pl. E. Acacias, L. Acaciæ. Etym: [L. from Gr. ak to be sharp. See Acute.]
1. A genus of leguminous trees and shrubs. Nearly 300 species are Australian or Polynesian, and have terete or vertically compressed leaf stalks, instead of the bipinnate leaves of the much fewer species of America, Africa, etc. Very few are found in temperate climates.
2. (Med.)
Defn: The inspissated juice of several species of acacia; — called also gum acacia, and gum arabic.
ACACIN; ACACINE
Ac"a*cin, Ac"a*cine, n.
Defn: Gum arabic.
ACADEME
Ac`a*deme", n. Etym: [L. academia. See Academy.]
Defn: An academy. [Poetic] Shak.
ACADEMIAL
Ac`a*de"mi*al, a.
Defn: Academic. [R.]
ACADEMIAN
Ac`a*de"mi*an, n.
Defn: A member of an academy, university, or college.
ACADEMIC
Ac`a*dem"ic, n.
1. One holding the philosophy of Socrates and Plato; a Platonist. Hume.
2. A member of an academy, college, or university; an academician.
ACADEMIC; ACADEMICAL Ac`a*dem"ic, Ac`a*dem"ic*al, a. Etym: [L. academicus: cf. F. académigue. See Academy.]
1. Belonging to the school or philosophy of Plato; as, the Academic sect or philosophy.
2. Belonging to an academy or other higher institution of learning; scholarly; literary or classical, in distinction from scientific. "Academic courses." Warburton. "Academical study." Berkeley.
ACADEMICALLY
Ac`a*dem`ic*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In an academical manner.
ACADEMICALS
Ac`a*dem"ic*als, n. pl.
Defn: The articles of dress prescribed and worn at some colleges and universities.
ACADEMICIAN
Ac`a*de*mi"cian (#; 277), n. Etym: [F. académicien. See Academy.]
1. A member of an academy, or society for promoting science, art, or literature, as of the French Academy, or the Royal Academy of arts.
2. A collegian. [R.] Chesterfield.
ACADEMICISM
Ac`a*dem"i*cism, n.
1. A tenet of the Academic philosophy.
2. A mannerism or mode peculiar to an academy.
ACADEMISM
A*cad"e*mism, n.
Defn: The doctrines of the Academic philosophy. [Obs.] Baxter.
ACADEMIST
A*cad"e*mist, n. Etym: [F. academiste.]
1. An Academic philosopher.
2. An academician. [Obs.] Ray.
ACADEMY
A*cad"e*my, n.; pl. Academies. Etym: [F. académie, L. academia. Cf.
Academe.]
1. A garden or grove near Athens (so named from the hero Academus), where Plato and his followers held their philosophical conferences; hence, the school of philosophy of which Plato was head.
2. An institution for the study of higher learning; a college or a university. Popularly, a school, or seminary of learning, holding a rank between a college and a common school.
3. A place of training; a school. "Academies of fanaticism." Hume.
4. A society of learned men united for the advancement of the arts and sciences, and literature, or some particular art or science; as, the French Academy; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; academies of literature and philology.
5. A school or place of training in which some special art is taught; as, the military academy at West Point; a riding academy; the Academy of Music. Academy figure (Paint.), a drawing usually half life-size, in crayon or pencil, after a nude model.
ACADIAN
A*ca"di*an, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Acadie, or Nova Scotia. "Acadian farmers." Longfellow. — n.
Defn: A native of Acadie. Acadian epoch (Geol.), an epoch at the
beginning of the American paleozoic time, and including the oldest
American rocks known to be fossiliferous. See Geology.
— Acadian owl (Zoöl.), a small North American owl (Nyctule
Acadica); the saw-whet.
ACAJOU Ac"a*jou, n. Etym: [F. See Cashew.] (Bot.) (a) The cashew tree; also, its fruit. See Cashew. (b) The mahogany tree; also, its timber.
ACALEPH; ACALEPHAN
Ac"a*leph, Ac`a*le"phan n.; pl. Acalephs, Acalephans. Etym: [See
Acalephæ.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Acalephæ.
ACALEPHAE
Ac`a*le"phæ, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr.
Defn: A group of Coelenterata, including the Medusæ or jellyfishes, and hydroids; — so called from the stinging power they possess. Sometimes called sea nettles.
ACALEPHOID
Ac`ale"phoid, a. Etym: [Acaleph + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Belonging to or resembling the Acalephæ or jellyfishes.
ACALYCINE; ACALYSINOUS
A*cal"y*cine, Ac`a*lys`i*nous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: Without a calyx, or outer floral envelope.
ACANTH
A*canth", n.
Defn: Same as Acanthus.
ACANTHA
A*can"tha, n. Etym: [Gr. Acute.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A prickle.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A spine or prickly fin.
3. (Anat.)
Defn: The vertebral column; the spinous process of a vertebra.
Dunglison.
ACANTHACEOUS
Ac"an*tha"ceous, a.
1. Armed with prickles, as a plant.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the family of plants of which the acanthus is the type.
ACANTHINE
A*can"thine, a. Etym: [L. acanthinus, Gr. Acanthus.]
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the plant acanthus.
ACANTHOCARPOUS
A*can`tho*car"pous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: Having the fruit covered with spines.
ACANTHOCEPHALA
A*can`tho*ceph"a*la, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of intestinal worms, having the proboscis armed with recurved spines.
ACANTHOCEPHALOUS
A*can`tho*ceph"a*lous, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having a spiny head, as one of the Acanthocephala.
ACANTHOPHOROUS
Ac`an*thoph"o*rous, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Spine-bearing. Gray.
ACANTHOPODIOUS
A*can`tho*po"di*ous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: Having spinous petioles.
ACANTHOPTERI
Ac`an*thop"ter*i, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of teleostean fishes having spiny fins. See
Acanthopterygii.
ACANTHOPTEROUS
Ac`an*thop"ter*ous, a. Etym: [Gr.
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Spiny-winged.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Acanthopterygious.
ACANTHOPTERYGIAN
Ac`an*thop`ter*yg"i*an, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Belonging to the order of fishes having spinose fins, as the perch. — n.
Defn: A spiny-finned fish.
ACANTHOPTERYGII
Ac`an*thop`ter*yg"i*i, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An order of fishes having some of the rays of the dorsal, ventral, and anal fins unarticulated and spinelike, as the perch.
ACANTHOPTERYGIOUS
Ac`an*thop`ter*yg"i*ous, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having fins in which the rays are hard and spinelike; spiny- finned.
ACANTHUS
A*can"thus, n.; pl. E. Acanthuses, L. Acanthi. Etym: [L., from Gr.
Acantha.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of herbaceous prickly plants, found in the south of
Europe, Asia Minor, and India; bear's-breech.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: An ornament resembling the foliage or leaves of the acanthus
(Acanthus spinosus); — used in the capitals of the Corinthian and
Composite orders.
A CAPPELLA A cap*pel"la. Etym: [It. See Chapel.] (Mus.) (a) In church or chapel style; — said of compositions sung in the old church style, without instrumental accompaniment; as, a mass a capella, i. e., a mass purely vocal. (b) A time indication, equivalent to alla breve.
ACAPSULAR
A*cap"su*lar, a. Etym: [Pref. a- not + capsular.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having no capsule.
ACARDIAC
A*car"di*ac, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Without a heart; as, an acardiac fetus.
ACARIDAN
A*car"i*dan, n. Etym: [See Acarus.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of a group of arachnids, including the mites and ticks.
ACARINA
Ac`a*ri"na, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The group of Arachnida which includes the mites and ticks. Many species are parasitic, and cause diseases like the itch and mange.
ACARINE
Ac"a*rine, a. (Med.)
Defn: Of or caused by acari or mites; as, acarine diseases.
ACAROID
Ac"a*roid, a. Etym: [NL., acarus a mite + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Shaped like or resembling a mite.
ACARPELLOUS
Ac`ar*pel"lous, a. Etym: [Pref. a- not + carpel.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having no carpels.
ACARPOUS
A*car"pous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: Not producing fruit; unfruitful.
ACARUS
Ac"a*rus, n.; pl. Acari. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus including many species of small mites.
ACATALECTIC
A*cat`a*lec"tic, a. Etym: [L. acatalecticus, Gr. (Pros.)
Defn: Not defective; complete; as, an acatalectic verse.
— n.
Defn: A verse which has the complete number of feet and syllables.
ACATALEPSY
A*cat"a*lep`sy, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Incomprehensibility of things; the doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers, that human knowledge never amounts to certainty, but only to probability.
ACATALEPTIC
A*cat`a*lep"tic, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Incapable of being comprehended; incomprehensible.
ACATER
A*ca"ter, n.
Defn: See Caterer. [Obs.]
ACATES
A*cates", n. pl.
Defn: See Cates. [Obs.]
ACAUDATE
A*cau"date, a. Etym: [Pref. a- not + caudate.]
Defn: Tailless.
ACAULESCENT
Ac`au*les"cent, a. Etym: [Pref. a- not + caulescent.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having no stem or caulis, or only a very short one concealed in the ground. Gray.
ACAULINE
A*cau"line, a. Etym: [Pref. a- not + cauline.] (Bot.)
Defn: Same as Acaulescent.
ACAULOSE; ACAULOUS
A*cau"lose, A*cau"lous, a. Etym: [Gr. caulis stalk. See Cole.] (Bot.)
Defn: Same as Acaulescent.
ACCADIAN
Ac*ca"di*an, a. Etym: [From the city Accad. See Gen. x. 10.]
Defn: Pertaining to a race supposed to have lived in Babylonia before
the Assyrian conquest.
— Ac*ca"di*an, n., Ac"cad, n. Sayce.
ACCEDE
Ac*cede", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Acceded; p. pr. & vb. n. Acceding.]
Etym: [L. accedere to approach, accede; ad + cedere to move, yield:
cf. F. accédere. See Cede.]
1. To approach; to come forward; — opposed to recede. [Obs.] T. Gale.
2. To enter upon an office or dignity; to attain.
Edward IV., who had acceded to the throne in the year 1461. T.
Warton.
If Frederick had acceded to the supreme power. Morley.
3. To become a party by associating one's self with others; to give one's adhesion. Hence, to agree or assent to a proposal or a view; as, he acceded to my request. The treaty of Hanover in 1725 . . . to which the Dutch afterwards acceded. Chesterfield.
Syn.
— To agree; assent; consent; comply; acquiesce; concur.
ACCEDENCE
Ac*ced"ence, n.
Defn: The act of acceding.
ACCEDER
Ac*ced"er, n.
Defn: One who accedes.
ACCELERANDO
Ac*cel`er*an"do, a. Etym: [It.] (Mus.)
Defn: Gradually accelerating the movement.
ACCELERATE
Ac*cel"er*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accelerated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Accelerating.] Etym: [L. acceleratus, p. p. of accelerare; ad +
celerare to hasten; celer quick. See Celerity.]
1. To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of; — opposed to retard.
2. To quicken the natural or ordinary progression or process of; as, to accelerate the growth of a plant, the increase of wealth, etc.
3. To hasten, as the occurence of an event; as, to accelerate our departure. Accelerated motion (Mech.), motion with a continually increasing velocity. — Accelerating force, the force which causes accelerated motion. Nichol.
Syn. — To hasten; expedite; quicken; dispatch; forward; advance; further.
ACCELERATION
Ac*cel`er*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. acceleratio: cf. F. accélération.]
Defn: The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action; as, a falling body moves toward the earth with an acceleration of velocity; — opposed to retardation. A period of social improvement, or of intellectual advancement, contains within itself a principle of acceleration. I. Taylor. (Astr. & Physics.) Acceleration of the moon, the increase of the moon's mean motion in its orbit, in consequence of which its period of revolution is now shorter than in ancient times. — Acceleration and retardation of the tides. See Priming of the tides, under Priming. — Diurnal acceleration of the fixed stars, the amount by which their apparent diurnal motion exceeds that of the sun, in consequence of which they daily come to the meridian of any place about three minutes fifty-six seconds of solar time earlier than on the day preceding. — Acceleration of the planets, the increasing velocity of their motion, in proceeding from the apogee to the perigee of their orbits.
ACCELERATIVE
Ac*cel"er*a*tive, a.
Defn: Relating to acceleration; adding to velocity; quickening. Reid.
ACCELERATOR
Ac*cel"er*a`tor, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, accelerates. Also as an adj.; as, accelerator nerves.
ACCELERATORY
Ac*cel"er*a*to*ry, a.
Defn: Accelerative.
ACCELEROGRAPH
Ac*cel"er*o*graph, n. Etym: [Accelerate + -graph.] (Mil.)
Defn: An apparatus for studying the combustion of powder in guns, etc.
ACCELEROMETER
Ac*cel`er*om"e*ter, n. Etym: [Accelerate + -meter.]
Defn: An apparatus for measuring the velocity imparted by gunpowder.
ACCEND Ac*cend", v. t. Etym: [L. accendere, accensum, to kindle; ad + candère to kindle (only in compounds); rel. to candere to be white, to gleam. See Candle.]
Defn: To set on fire; to kindle. [Obs.] Fotherby.
ACCENDIBILITY
Ac*cend`i*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: Capacity of being kindled, or of becoming inflamed; inflammability.
ACCENDIBLE
Ac*cend"i*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being inflamed or kindled; combustible; inflammable.
Ure.
ACCENSION
Ac*cen"sion, n.
Defn: The act of kindling or the state of being kindled; ignition.
Locke.
ACCENSOR
Ac*cen"sor, n. Etym: [LL., from p. p. accensus. See Accend.] (R. C.
Ch.)
Defn: One of the functionaries who light and trim the tapers.
ACCENT Ac"cent`, n. Etym: [F. accent, L. accentus; ad + cantus a singing, canere to sing. See Cant.]
1. A superior force of voice or of articulative effort upon some particular syllable of a word or a phrase, distinguishing it from the others.
Note: Many English words have two accents, the primary and the secondary; the primary being uttered with a greater stress of voice than the secondary; as in as'pira''tion, where the chief stress is on the third syllable, and a slighter stress on the first. Some words, as an'tiap'o-plec''tic, in-com'pre-hen'si-bil''i-ty, have two secondary accents. See Guide to Pron., tt 30-46.
2. A mark or character used in writing, and serving to regulate the pronunciation; esp.: (a) a mark to indicate the nature and place of the spoken accent; (b) a mark to indicate the quality of sound of the vowel marked; as, the French accents.
Note: In the ancient Greek the acute accent (') meant a raised tone or pitch, the grave (`), the level tone or simply the negation of accent, the circumflex ( ~ or ^) a tone raised and then depressed. In works on elocution, the first is often used to denote the rising inflection of the voice; the second, the falling inflection; and the third (^), the compound or waving inflection. In dictionaries, spelling books, and the like, the acute accent is used to designate the syllable which receives the chief stress of voice.
3. Modulation of the voice in speaking; manner of speaking or pronouncing; peculiar or characteristic modification of the voice; tone; as, a foreign accent; a French or a German accent. "Beguiled you in a plain accent." Shak. "A perfect accent." Thackeray. The tender accent of a woman's cry. Prior.
4. A word; a significant tone; (pl.) expressions in general; speech. Winds! on your wings to Heaven her accents bear, Such words as Heaven alone is fit to hear. Dryden.
5. (Pros.)
Defn: Stress laid on certain syllables of a verse.
6. (Mus.) (a) A regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the measure. (b) A special emphasis of a tone, even in the weaker part of the measure. (c) The rythmical accent, which marks phrases and sections of a period. (d) The expressive emphasis and shading of a passage. J. S. Dwight.
7. (Math.) (a) A mark placed at the right hand of a letter, and a little above it, to distinguish magnitudes of a similar kind expressed by the same letter, but differing in value, as y', y''. (b) (Trigon.) A mark at the right hand of a number, indicating minutes of a degree, seconds, etc.; as, 12'27'', i. e., twelve minutes twenty seven seconds. (c) (Engin.) A mark used to denote feet and inches; as, 6' 10'' is six feet ten inches.
ACCENT
Ac*cent", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accented; p. pr. & vb. n. Accenting.]
Etym: [OF. accenter, F. accentuer.]
1. To express the accent of (either by the voice or by a mark); to utter or to mark with accent.
2. To mark emphatically; to emphasize.
ACCENTLESS
Ac"cent`less, a.
Defn: Without accent.
ACCENTOR
Ac*cen"tor, n. Etym: [L. ad. + cantor singer, canere to sing.]
1. (Mus.)
Defn: One who sings the leading part; the director or leader. [Obs.]
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of European birds (so named from their sweet notes), including the hedge warbler. In America sometimes applied to the water thrushes.
ACCENTUABLE
Ac*cen"tu*a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being accented.
ACCENTUAL
Ac*cen"tu*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to accent; characterized or formed by accent.
ACCENTUALITY
Ac*cen`tu*al"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality of being accentual.
ACCENTUALLY
Ac*cen"tu*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In an accentual manner; in accordance with accent.
ACCENTUATE
Ac*cen"tu*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accentuated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Accentuating.] Etym: [LL. accentuatus, p. p. of accentuare, fr. L.
accentus: cf. F. accentuer.]
1. To pronounce with an accent or with accents.
2. To bring out distinctly; to make prominent; to emphasize. In Bosnia, the struggle between East and West was even more accentuated. London Times.
3. To mark with the written accent.
ACCENTUATION
Ac*cen`tu*a"tion, n. Etym: [LL. accentuatio: cf. F. accentuation.]
Defn: Act of accentuating; applications of accent. Specifically
(Eccles. Mus.),
Defn: pitch or modulation of the voice in reciting portions of the liturgy.
ACCEPT
Ac*cept", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accepted; p. pr. & vb. n. Accepting.]
Etym: [F. accepter, L. acceptare, freq. of accipere; ad + capere to
take; akin to E. heave.]
1. To receive with a consenting mind (something offered); as, to accept a gift; — often followed by of. If you accept them, then their worth is great. Shak. To accept of ransom for my son. Milton. She accepted of a treat. Addison.
2. To receive with favor; to approve. The Lord accept thy burnt sacrifice. Ps. xx. 3. Peradventure he will accept of me. Gen. xxxii. 20.
3. To receive or admit and agree to; to assent to; as, I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse.
4. To take by the mind; to understand; as, How are these words to be accepted
5. (Com.)
Defn: To receive as obligatory and promise to pay; as, to accept a bill of exchange. Bouvier.
6. In a deliberate body, to receive in acquittance of a duty imposed; as, to accept the report of a committee. [This makes it the property of the body, and the question is then on its adoption.] To accept a bill (Law), to agree (on the part of the drawee) to pay it when due. — To accept service (Law), to agree that a writ or process shall be considered as regularly served, when it has not been. — To accept the person (Eccl.), to show favoritism. "God accepteth no man's person." Gal. ii. 6.
Syn.
— To receive; take; admit. See Receive.
ACCEPT
Ac*cept", a.
Defn: Accepted. [Obs.] Shak.
ACCEPTABILITY
Ac*cept`a*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [LL. acceptabilitas.]
Defn: The quality of being acceptable; acceptableness. "Acceptability of repentance." Jer. Taylor.
ACCEPTABLE Ac*cept"a*ble, a. Etym: [F. acceptable, L. acceptabilis, fr. acceptare.]
Defn: Capable, worthy, or sure of being accepted or received with pleasure; pleasing to a receiver; gratifying; agreeable; welcome; as, an acceptable present, one acceptable to us.
ACCEPTABLENESS
Ac*cept"a*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being acceptable, or suitable to be favorably received; acceptability.
ACCEPTABLY
Ac*cept"a*bly, adv.
Defn: In an acceptable manner; in a manner to please or give satisfaction.
ACCEPTANCE
Ac*cept"ance, n.
1. The act of accepting; a receiving what is offered, with approbation, satisfaction, or acquiescence; esp., favorable reception; approval; as, the acceptance of a gift, office, doctrine, etc. They shall come up with acceptance on mine altar. Isa. lx. 7.
2. State of being accepted; acceptableness. "Makes it assured of acceptance." Shak.
3. (Com.) (a) An assent and engagement by the person on whom a bill of exchange is drawn, to pay it when due according to the terms of the acceptance. (b) The bill itself when accepted.
4. An agreeing to terms or proposals by which a bargain is concluded and the parties are bound; the reception or taking of a thing bought as that for which it was bought, or as that agreed to be delivered, or the taking possession as owner.
5. (Law)
Defn: An agreeing to the action of another, by some act which binds the person in law.
Note: What acts shall amount to such an acceptance is often a question of great nicety and difficulty. Mozley & W.
Note: In modern law, proposal and acceptance are the constituent elements into which all contracts are resolved. Acceptance of a bill of exchange, check, draft, or order, is an engagement to pay it according to the terms. This engagement is usually made by writing the word "accepted" across the face of the bill. Acceptance of goods, under the statute of frauds, is an intelligent acceptance by a party knowing the nature of the transaction.
6. Meaning; acceptation. [Obs.] Acceptance of persons, partiality, favoritism. See under Accept.
ACCEPTANCY
Ac*cept"an*cy, n.
Defn: Acceptance. [R.]
Here's a proof of gift, But here's no proof, sir, of acceptancy. Mrs.
Browning.
ACCEPTANT
Ac*cept"ant, a.
Defn: Accepting; receiving.
ACCEPTANT
Ac*cept"ant, n.
Defn: An accepter. Chapman.
ACCEPTATION
Ac`cep*ta"tion, n.
1. Acceptance; reception; favorable reception or regard; state of being acceptable. [Obs.] This is saying worthy of all acceptation. 1 Tim. i. 15. Some things . . . are notwithstanding of so great dignity and acceptation with God. Hooker.
2. The meaning in which a word or expression is understood, or generally received; as, term is to be used according to its usual acceptation. My words, in common acceptation, Could never give this provocation. Gay.
ACCEPTEDLY
Ac*cept"ed*ly, adv.
Defn: In a accepted manner; admittedly.
ACCEPTER
Ac*cept"er, n.
1. A person who accepts; a taker.
2. A respecter; a viewer with partiality. [Obs.] God is no accepter of persons. Chillingworth.
3. (Law)
Defn: An acceptor.
ACCEPTILATION Ac*cep`ti*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. acceptilatio entry of a debt collected, acquittance, fr. p. p. of accipere (cf. Accept) + latio a carrying, fr. latus, p. p. of ferre to carry: cf. F. acceptilation.] (Civil Law)
Defn: Gratuitous discharge; a release from debt or obligation without payment; free remission.
ACCEPTION Ac*cep"tion, n. Etym: [L. acceptio a receiving, accepting: cf. F. acception.]
Defn: Acceptation; the received meaning. [Obs.]
Here the word "baron" is not to be taken in that restrictive sense to
which the modern acception hath confined it. Fuller.
Acception of persons or faces (Eccl.), favoritism; partiality. [Obs.]
Wyclif.
ACCEPTIVE
Ac*cept"ive, a.
1. Fit for acceptance.
2. Ready to accept. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
ACCEPTOR
Ac*cept"or (#; 277), n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who accepts; specifically (Law & Com.),
Defn: one who accepts an order or a bill of exchange; a drawee after he has accepted.
ACCESS
Ac*cess" (#; 277), n. Etym: [F. accès, L. accessus, fr. accedere. See
Accede.]
1. A coming to, or near approach; admittance; admission; accessibility; as, to gain access to a prince. I did repel his letters, and denied His access to me. Shak.
2. The means, place, or way by which a thing may be approached; passage way; as, the access is by a neck of land. "All access was thronged." Milton.
3. Admission to sexual intercourse. During coverture, access of the husband shall be presumed, unless the contrary be shown. Blackstone.
4. Increase by something added; addition; as, an access of territory.
[In this sense accession is more generally used.]
I, from the influence of thy looks, receive Access in every virtue.
Milton.
5. An onset, attack, or fit of disease. The first access looked like an apoplexy. Burnet.
6. A paroxysm; a fit of passion; an outburst; as, an access of fury. [A Gallicism]
ACCESSARILY
Ac*ces"sa*ri*ly, adv.
Defn: In the manner of an accessary.
ACCESSARINESS
Ac*ces"sa*ri*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being accessary.
ACCESSARY
Ac*ces"sa*ry (#; 277), a.
Defn: Accompanying, as a subordinate; additional; accessory; esp., uniting in, or contributing to, a crime, but not as chief actor. See Accessory. To both their deaths thou shalt be accessary. Shak. Amongst many secondary and accessary causes that support monarchy, these are not of least reckoning. Milton.
ACCESSARY Ac*ces"sa*ry (277), n.; pl. Accessaries. Etym: [Cf. Accessory and LL. accessarius.] (Law)
Defn: One who, not being present, contributes as an assistant or instigator to the commission of an offense. Accessary before the fact (Law), one who commands or counsels an offense, not being present at its commission. — Accessary after the fact, one who, after an offense, assists or shelters the offender, not being present at the commission of the offense.
Note: This word, as used in law, is spelt accessory by Blackstone and many others; but in this sense is spelt accessary by Bouvier, Burrill, Burns, Whishaw, Dane, and the Penny Cyclopedia; while in other senses it is spelt accessory. In recent text-books on criminal law the distinction is not preserved, the spelling being either accessary or accessory.
ACCESSIBILITY Ac*cess`i*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. accessibilitas: cf. F. accessibilité.]
Defn: The quality of being accessible, or of admitting approach; receptibility. Langhorne.
ACCESSIBLE Ac*cess"i*ble, a. Etym: [L. accessibilis, fr. accedere: cf. F. accessible. See Accede.]
1. Easy of access or approach; approachable; as, an accessible town or mountain, an accessible person.
2. Open to the influence of; — with to. "Minds accessible to reason." Macaulay.
3. Obtainable; to be got at. The best information . . . at present accessible. Macaulay.
ACCESSIBLY
Ac*cess"i*bly, adv.
Defn: In an accessible manner.
ACCESSION
Ac*ces"sion, n. Etym: [L. accessio, fr. accedere: cf. F. accession.
See Accede.]
1. A coming to; the act of acceding and becoming joined; as, a king's accession to a confederacy.
2. Increase by something added; that which is added; augmentation from without; as, an accession of wealth or territory. The only accession which the Roman empire received was the province of Britain. Gibbon.
3. (Law) (a) A mode of acquiring property, by which the owner of a corporeal substance which receives an addition by growth, or by labor, has a right to the part or thing added, or the improvement (provided the thing is not changed into a different species). Thus, the owner of a cow becomes the owner of her calf. (b) The act by which one power becomes party to engagements already in force between other powers. Kent.
4. The act of coming to or reaching a throne, an office, or dignity; as, the accession of the house of Stuart; — applied especially to the epoch of a new dynasty.
5. (Med.)
Defn: The invasion, approach, or commencement of a disease; a fit or paroxysm.
Syn.
— Increase; addition; augmentation; enlargement.
ACCESSIONAL
Ac*ces"sion*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to accession; additional. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
ACCESSIVE
Ac*ces"sive, a.
Defn: Additional.
ACCESSORIAL
Ac`ces*so"ri*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to an accessory; as, accessorial agency, accessorial guilt.
ACCESSORILY
Ac*ces"so*ri*ly, adv.
Defn: In the manner of an accessory; auxiliary.
ACCESSORINESS
Ac*ces"so*ri*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being accessory, or connected subordinately.
ACCESSORY
Ac*ces"so*ry (#; 277), a. Etym: [L. accessorius. See Access, and cf.
Accessary.]
Defn: Accompanying as a subordinate; aiding in a secondary way; additional; connected as an incident or subordinate to a principal; contributing or contributory; said of persons and things, and, when of persons, usually in a bad sense; as, he was accessory to the riot; accessory sounds in music.
Note: Ash accents the antepenult; and this is not only more regular, but preferable, on account of easiness of pronunciation. Most orhoëpists place the accent on the first syllable.
Syn. — Accompanying; contributory; auxiliary; subsidiary; subservient; additional; acceding.
ACCESSORY
Ac*ces"so*ry, n.; pl. Accessories.
1. That which belongs to something else deemed the principal; something additional and subordinate. "The aspect and accessories of a den of banditti." Carlyle.
2. (Law)
Defn: Same as Accessary, n.
3. (Fine Arts)
Defn: Anything that enters into a work of art without being indispensably necessary, as mere ornamental parts. Elmes.
Syn.
— Abettor; accomplice; ally; coadjutor. See Abettor.
ACCIACCATURA
Ac*ciac`ca*tu"ra, n. Etym: [It., from acciaccare to crush.] (Mus.)
Defn: A short grace note, one semitone below the note to which it is prefixed; — used especially in organ music. Now used as equivalent to the short appoggiatura.
ACCIDENCE Ac"ci*dence, n. Etym: [A corruption of Eng. accidents, pl. of accident. See Accident, 2.]
1. The accidents, of inflections of words; the rudiments of grammar. Milton.
2. The rudiments of any subject. Lowell.
ACCIDENT Ac"ci*dent, n. Etym: [F. accident, fr. L. accidens, -dentis, p. pr. of accidere to happen; ad + cadere to fall. See Cadence, Case.]
1. Literally, a befalling; an event that takes place without one's foresight or expectation; an undesigned, sudden, and unexpected event; chance; contingency; often, an undesigned and unforeseen occurrence of an afflictive or unfortunate character; a casualty; a mishap; as, to die by an accident. Of moving accidents by flood and field. Shak. Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident: It is the very place God meant for thee. Trench.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: A property attached to a word, but not essential to it, as gender, number, case.
3. (Her.)
Defn: A point or mark which may be retained or omitted in a coat of arms.
4. (Log.) (a) A property or quality of a thing which is not essential to it, as whiteness in paper; an attribute. (b) A quality or attribute in distinction from the substance, as sweetness, softness.
5. Any accidental property, fact, or relation; an accidental or nonessential; as, beauty is an accident. This accident, as I call it, of Athens being situated some miles from the sea. J. P. Mahaffy.
6. Unusual appearance or effect. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Note: Accident, in Law, is equivalent to casus, or such unforeseen, extraordinary, extraneous interference as is out of the range of ordinary calculation.
ACCIDENTAL
Ac`ci*den"tal, a. Etym: [Cf. F. accidentel, earlier accidental.]
1. Happening by chance, or unexpectedly; taking place not according to the usual course of things; casual; fortuitous; as, an accidental visit.
2. Nonessential; not necessary belonging; incidental; as, are accidental to a play. Accidental chords (Mus.), those which contain one or more tones foreign to their proper harmony. — Accidental colors (Opt.), colors depending on the hypersensibility of the retina of the eye for complementary colors. They are purely subjective sensations of color which often result from the contemplation of actually colored bodies. — Accidental point (Persp.), the point in which a right line, drawn from the eye, parallel to a given right line, cuts the perspective plane; so called to distinguish it from the principal point, or point of view, where a line drawn from the eye perpendicular to the perspective plane meets this plane. — Accidental lights (Paint.), secondary lights; effects of light other than ordinary daylight, such as the rays of the sun darting through a cloud, or between the leaves of trees; the effect of moonlight, candlelight, or burning bodies. Fairholt.
Syn. — Casual; fortuitous; contingent; occasional; adventitious. — Accidental, Incidental, Casual, Fortuitous, Contingent. We speak of a thing as accidental when it falls out as by chance, and not in the regular course of things; as, an accidental meeting, an accidental advantage, etc. We call a thing incidental when it falls, as it were, into some regular course of things, but is secondary, and forms no essential part thereof; as, an incremental remark, an incidental evil, an incidental benefit. We speak of a thing as casual, when it falls out or happens, as it were, by mere chance, without being prearranged or premeditated; as, a casual remark or encounter; a casual observer. An idea of the unimportant is attached to what is casual. Fortuitous is applied to what occurs without any known cause, and in opposition to what has been foreseen; as, a fortuitous concourse of atoms. We call a thing contingent when it is such that, considered in itself, it may or may not happen, but is dependent for its existence on something else; as, the time of my coming will be contingent on intelligence yet to be received.
ACCIDENTAL
Ac`ci*den"tal, n.
1. A property which is not essential; a nonessential; anything happening accidentally. He conceived it just that accidentals . . . should sink with the substance of the accusation. Fuller.
2. pl. (Paint.)
Defn: Those fortuitous effects produced by luminous rays falling on certain objects so that some parts stand forth in abnormal brightness and other parts are cast into a deep shadow.
3. (Mus.)
Defn: A sharp, flat, or natural, occurring not at the commencement of a piece of music as the signature, but before a particular note.
ACCIDENTALISM
Ac`ci*den"tal*ism, n.
Defn: Accidental character or effect. Ruskin.
ACCIDENTALITY
Ac`ci*den*tal"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality of being accidental; accidentalness. [R.]
Coleridge.
ACCIDENTALLY
Ac`ci*den"tal*ly, adv.
Defn: In an accidental manner; unexpectedly; by chance; unintentionally; casually; fortuitously; not essentially.
ACCIDENTALNESS
Ac`ci*den"tal*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being accidental; casualness.
ACCIDIE
Ac"ci*die, n. Etym: [OF. accide, accidie, LL. accidia, acedia, fr.
Gr.
Defn: Sloth; torpor. [Obs.] "The sin of accidie." Chaucer.
ACCIPENSER
Ac`ci*pen"ser, n.
Defn: See Acipenser.
ACCIPIENT
Ac*cip"i*ent, n. Etym: [L. accipiens, p. pr. of accipere. See
Accept.]
Defn: A receiver. [R.] Bailey
ACCIPITER
Ac*cip"i*ter, n.; pl. E. Accipiters. L. Accipitres. Etym: [L., hawk.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of rapacious birds; one of the Accipitres or Raptores.
2. (Surg.)
Defn: A bandage applied over the nose, resembling the claw of a hawk.
ACCIPITRAL
Ac*cip"i*tral, n.
Defn: Pertaining to, or of the nature of, a falcon or hawk; hawklike.
Lowell.
ACCIPITRES
Ac*cip"i*tres, n. pl. Etym: [L., hawks.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The order that includes rapacious birds. They have a hooked bill, and sharp, strongly curved talons. There are three families, represented by the vultures, the falcons or hawks, and the owls.
ACCIPITRINE
Ac*cip"i*trine (#; 277), a. Etym: [Cf. F. accipitrin.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like or belonging to the Accipitres; raptorial; hawklike.
ACCISMUS
Ac*cis"mus, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Rhet.)
Defn: Affected refusal; coyness.
ACCITE Ac*cite", v. t. Etym: [L. accitus, p. p. of accire, accere, to call for; ad + ciere to move, call. See Cite.]
Defn: To cite; to summon. [Obs.]
Our heralds now accited all that were Endamaged by the Elians.
Chapman.
ACCLAIM
Ac*claim", v. t. Etym: [L. acclamare; ad + clamare to cry out. See
Claim, Clamor.] [R.]
1. To applaud. "A glad acclaiming train." Thomson.
2. To declare by acclamations. While the shouting crowd Acclaims thee king of traitors. Smollett.
3. To shout; as, to acclaim my joy.
ACCLAIM
Ac*claim", v. i.
Defn: To shout applause.
ACCLAIM
Ac*claim", n.
Defn: Acclamation. [Poetic] Milton.
ACCLAIMER
Ac*claim"er, n.
Defn: One who acclaims.
ACCLAMATION
Ac`cla*ma"tion, n. Etym: [L. acclamatio: cf. F. acclamation.]
1. A shout of approbation, favor, or assent; eager expression of approval; loud applause. On such a day, a holiday having been voted by acclamation, an ordinary walk would not satisfy the children. Southey.
2. (Antiq.)
Defn: A representation, in sculpture or on medals, of people expressing joy. Acclamation medals are those on which laudatory acclamations are recorded. Elmes.
ACCLAMATORY
Ac*clam"a*to*ry, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or expressing approval by, acclamation.
ACCLIMATABLE
Ac*cli"ma*ta*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being acclimated.
ACCLIMATATION
Ac*cli`ma*ta"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. acclimation. See Acclimate.]
Defn: Acclimatization.
ACCLIMATE
Ac*cli"mate (#; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acclimated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Acclimating.] Etym: [F. acclimater; à (l. ad) + climat climate. See
Climate.]
Defn: To habituate to a climate not native; to acclimatize. J. H.
Newman.
ACCLIMATEMENT
Ac*cli"mate*ment, n.
Defn: Acclimation. [R.]
ACCLIMATION
Ac`cli*ma"tion, n.
Defn: The process of becoming, or the state of being, acclimated, or habituated to a new climate; acclimatization.
ACCLIMATIZABLE
Ac*cli"ma*ti`za*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being acclimatized.
ACCLIMATIZATION
Ac*cli"ma*ti*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act of acclimatizing; the process of inuring to a new climate, or the state of being so inured. Darwin.
ACCLIMATIZE
Ac*cli"ma*tize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acclimatized; p. pr. & vb. n.
Acclimatizing.]
Defn: To inure or habituate to a climate different from that which is natural; to adapt to the peculiarities of a foreign or strange climate; said of man, the inferior animals, or plants.
ACCLIMATURE
Ac*cli"ma*ture (#; 135), n.
Defn: The act of acclimating, or the state of being acclimated. [R.]
Caldwell.
ACCLIVE
Ac*clive", a.
Defn: Acclivous. [Obs.]
ACCLIVITOUS
Ac*cliv"i*tous, a.
Defn: Acclivous. I. Taylor.
ACCLIVITOUS
Ac*cliv"i*tous, a.
Defn: Acclivous. I. Taylor.
ACCLIVITY Ac*cliv"i*ty, n.; pl. Acclivities. Etym: [L. acclivitas, fr. acclivis, acclivus, ascending; ad + clivus a hill, slope, fr. root kli to lean. See Lean.]
Defn: A slope or inclination of the earth, as the side of a hill, considered as ascending, in opposition to declivity, or descending; an upward slope; ascent.
ACCLIVOUS
Ac*cli"vous (#; 277), a. Etym: [L. acclivis and acclivus.]
Defn: Sloping upward; rising as a hillside; — opposed to declivous.
ACCLOY Ac*cloy", v. t. Etym: [OF. encloyer, encloer, F. enclouer, to drive in a nail, fr. L. in + clavus nail.]
Defn: To fill to satiety; to stuff full; to clog; to overload; to burden. See Cloy. [Obs.] Chaucer.
ACCOAST
Ac*coast", v. t. & i. Etym: [See Accost, Coast.]
Defn: To lie or sail along the coast or side of; to accost. [Obs.]
Whether high towering or accosting low. Spenser.
ACCOIL Ac*coil", v. t. Etym: [OE. acoillir to receive, F. accueillir; L. ad + colligere to collect. See Coil.]
1. To gather together; to collect. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: To coil together. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
ACCOLADE Ac`co*lade" (#; 277), n. Etym: [F. accolade, It. accolata, fr. accollare to embrace; L. ad + collum neck.]
1. A ceremony formerly used in conferring knighthood, consisting am embrace, and a slight blow on the shoulders with the flat blade of a sword.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: A brace used to join two or more staves.
ACCOMBINATION
Ac*com*bi*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. ad + E. combination.]
Defn: A combining together. [R.]
ACCOMMODABLE
Ac*com"mo*da*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. accommodable.]
Defn: That may be accommodated, fitted, or made to agree. [R.] I.
Watts.
ACCOMMODABLENESS
Ac*com"mo*dable*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or condition of being accommodable. [R.] Todd.
ACCOMMODATE
Ac*com"mo*date, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accommodated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Accommodating.] Etym: [L. accommodatus, p. p. of accommodare; ad +
commodare to make fit, help; con- + modus measure, proportion. See
Mode.]
1. To render fit, suitable, or correspondent; to adapt; to conform; as, to accommodate ourselves to circumstances. "They accomodate their counsels to his inclination." Addison.
2. To bring into agreement or harmony; to reconcile; to compose; to adjust; to settle; as, to accommodate differences, a dispute, etc.
3. To furnish with something desired, needed, or convenient; to favor; to oblige; as, to accommodate a friend with a loan or with lodgings.
4. To show the correspondence of; to apply or make suit by analogy; to adapt or fit, as teachings to accidental circumstances, statements to facts, etc.; as, to accommodate prophecy to events.
Syn.
— To suit; adapt; conform; adjust; arrange.
ACCOMMODATE
Ac*com"mo*date, v. i.
Defn: To adapt one's self; to be conformable or adapted. [R.] Boyle.
ACCOMMODATE
Ac*com"mo*date, a. Etym: [L. accommodatus, p.p. of accommodare.]
Defn: Suitable; fit; adapted; as, means accommodate to end. [Archaic]
Tillotson.
ACCOMMODATELY
Ac*com"mo*date*ly, adv.
Defn: Suitably; fitly. [R.]
ACCOMMODATENESS
Ac*com"mo*date*ness, n.
Defn: Fitness. [R.]
ACCOMMODATING
Ac*com"mo*da`ting, a.
Defn: Affording, or disposed to afford, accommodation; obliging; as an accommodating man, spirit, arrangement.
ACCOMMODATION Ac*com`mo*da"tion, n. Etym: [L. accommodatio, fr. accommodare: cf. F. accommodation.]
1. The act of fitting or adapting, or the state of being fitted or adapted; adaptation; adjustment; — followed by to. "The organization of the body with accommodation to its functions." Sir M. Hale.
2. Willingness to accommodate; obligingness.
3. Whatever supplies a want or affords ease, refreshment, or convenience; anything furnished which is desired or needful; — often in the plural; as, the accomodations — that is, lodgings and food — at an inn. Sir W. Scott.
4. An adjustment of differences; state of agreement; reconciliation; settlement. "To come to terms of accommodation." Macaulay.
5. The application of a writer's language, on the ground of analogy, to something not originally referred to or intended. Many of those quotations from the Old Testament were probably intended as nothing more than accommodations. Paley.
6. (Com.) (a) A loan of money. (b) An accommodation bill or note. Accommodation bill, or note (Com.), a bill of exchange which a person accepts, or a note which a person makes and delivers to another, not upon a consideration received, but for the purpose of raising money on credit. — Accommodation coach, or train, one running at moderate speed and stopping at all or nearly all stations. — Accommodation ladder (Naut.), a light ladder hung over the side of a ship at the gangway, useful in ascending from, or descending to, small boats.
ACCOMMODATOR
Ac*com"mo*da`tor, n.
Defn: He who, or that which, accommodates. Warburton.
ACCOMPANABLE
Ac*com"pa*na*ble, a.
Defn: Sociable. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.
ACCOMPANIER
Ac*com"pa*ni*er, n.
Defn: He who, or that which, accompanies. Lamb.
ACCOMPANIMENT
Ac*com"pa*ni*ment, n. Etym: [F. accompagnement.]
Defn: That which accompanies; something that attends as a circumstance, or which is added to give greater completeness to the principal thing, or by way of ornament, or for the sake of symmetry. Specifically: (Mus.)
Defn: A part performed by instruments, accompanying another part or parts performed by voices; the subordinate part, or parts, accompanying the voice or a principal instrument; also, the harmony of a figured bass. P. Cyc.
ACCOMPANIST
Ac*com"pa*nist, n.
Defn: The performer in music who takes the accompanying part. Busby.
ACCOMPANY
Ac*com"pa*ny, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accompanied; p. pr. & vb. n.
Accompanying] Etym: [OF. aacompaignier, F. accompagner, to associate
with, fr. OF. compaign, compain, companion. See Company.]
1. To go with or attend as a companion or associate; to keep company with; to go along with; — followed by with or by; as, he accompanied his speech with a bow. The Persian dames, . . . In sumptuous cars, accompanied his march. Glover. They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts. Sir P. Sidney. He was accompanied by two carts filled with wounded rebels. Macaulay.
2. To cohabit with. [Obs.] Sir T. Herbert.
Syn. — To attend; escort; go with. — To Accompany, Attend, Escort. We accompany those with whom we go as companions. The word imports an equality of station. We attend those whom we wait upon or follow. The word conveys an idea of subordination. We escort those whom we attend with a view to guard and protect. A gentleman accompanies a friend to some public place; he attends or escorts a lady.
ACCOMPANY
Ac*com"pa*ny, v. i.
1. To associate in a company; to keep company. [Obs.] Bacon. Men say that they will drive away one another, . . . and not accompany together. Holland.
2. To cohabit (with). [Obs.] Milton.
3. (Mus.)
Defn: To perform an accompanying part or parts in a composition.
ACCOMPLETIVE
Ac*com"ple*tive, a. Etym: [L. ad + complere, completum, to fill up.]
Defn: Tending to accomplish. [R.]
ACCOMPLICE
Ac*com"plice, n. Etym: [Ac- (perh. for the article a or for L. ad) +
E. complice. See Complice.]
1. A cooperator. [R.]
Success unto our valiant general, And happiness to his accomplices!
Shak.
2. (Law)
Defn: An associate in the commission of a crime; a participator in an offense, whether a principal or an accessory. "And thou, the cursed accomplice of his treason." Johnson.
Note: It is followed by with or of before a person and by in (or sometimes of) before the crime; as, A was an accomplice with B in the murder of C. Dryden uses it with to before a thing. "Suspected for accomplice to the fire." Dryden.
Syn. — Abettor; accessory; assistant; associate; confederate; coadjutor; ally; promoter. See Abettor.
ACCOMPLICESHIP
Ac*com"plice*ship, n.
Defn: The state of being an accomplice. [R.] Sir H. Taylor.
ACCOMPLICITY
Ac`com*plic"i*ty, n.
Defn: The act or state of being an accomplice. [R.]
ACCOMPLISH
Ac*com"plish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accomplished, p. pr. & vb. n.
Accomplishing.] Etym: [OE. acomplissen, OF. accomplir, F. accomplir;
L. ad + complere to fill up, complete. See Complete, Finish.]
1. To complete, as time or distance.
That He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of
Jerusalem. Dan. ix. 2.
He had accomplished half a league or more. Prescott.
2. To bring to an issue of full success; to effect; to perform; to execute fully; to fulfill; as, to accomplish a design, an object, a promise. This that is written must yet be accomplished in me. Luke xxii. 37.
3. To equip or furnish thoroughly; hence, to complete in acquirements; to render accomplished; to polish. The armorers accomplishing the knights. Shak. It [the moon] is fully accomplished for all those ends to which Providence did appoint it. Wilkins. These qualities . . . go to accomplish a perfect woman. Cowden Clarke.
4. To gain; to obtain. [Obs.] Shak.
Syn. — To do; perform; fulfill; realize; effect; effectuate; complete; consummate; execute; achieve; perfect; equip; furnish. — To Accomplish, Effect, Execute, Achieve, Perform. These words agree in the general idea of carrying out to some end proposed. To accomplish (to fill up to the measure of the intention) generally implies perseverance and skill; as, to accomplish a plan proposed by one's self, an object, a design, an undertaking. "Thou shalt accomplish my desire." 1 Kings v. 9. He . . . expressed his desire to see a union accomplished between England and Scotland. Macaulay. To effect (to work out) is much like accomplish. It usually implies some degree of difficulty contended with; as, he effected or accomplished what he intended, his purpose, but little. "What he decreed, he effected." Milton. To work in close design by fraud or guile What force effected not. Milton. To execute (to follow out to the end, to carry out, or into effect) implies a set mode of operation; as, to execute the laws or the orders of another; to execute a work, a purpose, design, plan, project. To perform is much like to do, though less generally applied. It conveys a notion of protracted and methodical effort; as, to perform a mission, a part, a task, a work. "Thou canst best perform that office." Milton. The Saints, like stars, around his seat Perform their courses still. Keble. To achieve (to come to the end or arrive at one's purpose) usually implies some enterprise or undertaking of importance, difficulty, and excellence.
ACCOMPLISHABLE
Ac*com"plish*a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being accomplished; practicable. Carlyle.
ACCOMPLISHED
Ac*com"plished, a.
1. Completed; effected; established; as, an accomplished fact.
2. Complete in acquirements as the result usually of training; — commonly in a good sense; as, an accomplished scholar, an accomplished villain. They . . . show themselves accomplished bees. Holland. Daughter of God and man, accomplished Eve. Milton.
ACCOMPLISHER
Ac*com"plish*er, n.
Defn: One who accomplishes.
ACCOMPLISHMENT
Ac*com"plish*ment, n. Etym: [F. accomplissement, fr. accomplir.]
1. The act of accomplishing; entire performance; completion; fulfillment; as, the accomplishment of an enterprise, of a prophecy, etc.
2. That which completes, perfects, or equips thoroughly; acquirement; attainment; that which constitutes excellence of mind, or elegance of manners, acquired by education or training. "My new accomplishment of dancing." Churchill. "Accomplishments befitting a station." Thackeray. Accomplishments have taken virtue's place, And wisdom falls before exterior grace. Cowper.
ACCOMPT
Ac*compt" (#; formerly #), n.
Defn: See Account.
Note: Accompt, accomptant, etc., are archaic forms.
ACCOMPTABLE
Ac*compt"a*ble, a.
Defn: See Accountable.
ACCOMPTANT
Ac*compt"ant, n.
Defn: See Accountant.
ACCORD Ac*cord", n. Etym: [OE. acord, accord, OF. acort, acorde, F. accord, fr. OF. acorder, F. accorder. See Accord, v. t.]
1. Agreement or concurrence of opinion, will, or action; harmony of
mind; consent; assent.
A mediator of an accord and peace between them. Bacon.
These all continued with one accord in prayer. Acts i. 14.
2. Harmony of sounds; agreement in pitch and tone; concord; as, the accord of tones. Those sweet accords are even the angels' lays. Sir J. Davies.
3. Agreement, harmony, or just correspondence of things; as, the accord of light and shade in painting.
4. Voluntary or spontaneous motion or impulse to act; — preceded by own; as, of one's own accord. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap. Lev. xxv. 5. Of his own accord he went unto you. 2 Cor. vii. 17.
5. (Law)
Defn: An agreement between parties in controversy, by which satisfaction for an injury is stipulated, and which, when executed, bars a suit. Blackstone. With one accord, with unanimity. They rushed with one accord into the theater. Acts xix. 29.
ACCORD
Ac*cord", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accorded; p. pr. & vb. n. According.]
Etym: [OE. acorden, accorden, OF. acorder, F. accorder, fr. LL.
accordare; L. ad + cor, cordis, heart. Cf. Concord, Discord, and see
Heart.]
1. To make to agree or correspond; to suit one thing to another; to adjust; — followed by to. [R.] Her hands accorded the lute's music to the voice. Sidney.
2. To bring to an agreement, as persons; to reconcile; to settle, adjust, harmonize, or compose, as things; as, to accord suits or controversies. When they were accorded from the fray. Spenser. All which particulars, being confessedly knotty and difficult can never be accorded but by a competent stock of critical learning. South.
3. To grant as suitable or proper; to concede; to award; as, to accord to one due praise. "According his desire." Spenser.
ACCORD
Ac*cord", v. i.
1. To agree; to correspond; to be in harmony; — followed by with, formerly also by to; as, his disposition accords with his looks. My heart accordeth with my tongue. Shak. Thy actions to thy words accord. Milton.
2. To agree in pitch and tone.
ACCORDABLE
Ac*cord"a*ble, a. Etym: [OF. acordable, F. accordable.]
1. Agreeing. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. Reconcilable; in accordance.
ACCORDANCE
Ac*cord"ance, n. Etym: [OF. acordance.]
Defn: Agreement; harmony; conformity. "In strict accordance with the law." Macaulay.
Syn.
— Harmony; unison; coincidence.
ACCORDANCY
Ac*cord"an*cy, n.
Defn: Accordance. [R.] Paley.
ACCORDANT
Ac*cord"ant, a. Etym: [OF. acordant, F. accordant.]
Defn: Agreeing; consonant; harmonious; corresponding; conformable; —
followed by with or to.
Strictly accordant with true morality. Darwin.
And now his voice accordant to the string. Coldsmith.
ACCORDANTLY
Ac*cord"ant*ly, adv.
Defn: In accordance or agreement; agreeably; conformably; — followed by with or to.
ACCORDER
Ac*cord"er, n.
Defn: One who accords, assents, or concedes. [R.]
ACCORDING
Ac*cord"ing, p. a.
Defn: Agreeing; in agreement or harmony; harmonious. "This according
voice of national wisdom." Burke. "Mind and soul according well."
Tennyson.
According to him, every person was to be bought. Macaulay.
Our zeal should be according to knowledge. Sprat.
Note: According to has been called a prepositional phrase, but strictly speaking, according is a participle in the sense of agreeing, acceding, and to alone is the preposition. According as, precisely as; the same as; corresponding to the way in which. According as is an adverbial phrase, of which the propriety has been doubted; but good usage sanctions it. See According, adv. Is all things well, According as I gave directions Shak. The land which the Lord will give you according as he hath promised. Ex. xii. 25. p. 13
ACCORDING
Ac*cord"ing, adv.
Defn: Accordingly; correspondingly. [Obs.] Shak.
ACCORDINGLY
Ac*cord"ing*ly, adv.
1. Agreeably; correspondingly; suitably; in a manner conformable. Behold, and so proceed accordingly. Shak.
2. In natural sequence; consequently; so.
Syn. — Consequently; therefore; wherefore; hence; so. — Accordingly, Consequently, indicate a connection between two things, the latter of which is done on account of the former. Accordingly marks the connection as one of simple accordance or congruity, leading naturally to the result which followed; as, he was absent when I called, and I accordingly left my card; our preparations were all finished, and we accordingly set sail. Consequently all finished, and we accordingly set sail. Consequently marks a closer connection, that of logical or causal sequence; as, the papers were not ready, and consequently could not be signed.
ACCORDION
Ac*cor"di*on, n. Etym: [See Accord.] (Mus.)
Defn: A small, portable, keyed wind instrument, whose tones are generated by play of the wind upon free metallic reeds.
ACCORDIONIST
Ac*cor"di*on*ist, n.
Defn: A player on the accordion.
ACCORDMENT
Ac*cord"ment, n. Etym: [OF. acordement. See Accord, v.]
Defn: Agreement; reconcilement. [Obs.] Gower.
ACCORPORATE Ac*cor"po*rate, v. t. Etym: [L. accorporare; ad + corpus, corporis, body.]
Defn: To unite; to attach; to incorporate. [Obs.] Milton.
ACCOST
Ac*cost" (#; 115), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accosted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Accosting.] Etym: [F. accoster, LL. accostare to bring side by side;
L. ad + costa rib, side. See Coast, and cf. Accoast.]
1. To join side to side; to border; hence, to sail along the coast or side of. [Obs.] "So much [of Lapland] as accosts the sea." Fuller.
2. To approach; to make up to. [Archaic] Shak.
3. To speak to first; to address; to greet. "Him, Satan thus accosts." Milton.
ACCOST
Ac*cost", v. i.
Defn: To adjoin; to lie alongside. [Obs.] "The shores which to the sea accost." Spenser.
ACCOST
Ac*cost", n.
Defn: Address; greeting. [R.] J. Morley.
ACCOSTABLE
Ac*cost"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. accostable.]
Defn: Approachable; affable. [R.] Hawthorne.
ACCOSTED
Ac*cost"ed, a. (Her.)
Defn: Supported on both sides by other charges; also, side by side.
ACCOUCHEMENT Ac*couche"ment (#; 277), n. Etym: [F., fr. accoucher to be delivered of a child, to aid in delivery, OF. acouchier orig. to lay down, put to bed, go to bed; L. ad + collocare to lay, put, place. See Collate.]
Defn: Delivery in childbed
ACCOUCHEUR
Ac*cou*cheur", n. Etym: [F., fr. accoucher. See Accouchement.]
Defn: A man who assists women in childbirth; a man midwife; an obstetrician.
ACCOUCHEUSE
Ac*cou*cheuse", n. Etym: [F.., fem. of accoucher.]
Defn: A midwife. [Recent] Dunglison.
ACCOUNT Ac*count", n. Etym: [OE. acount, account, accompt, OF. acont, fr. aconter. See Account, v. t., Count, n., 1.]
1. A reckoning; computation; calculation; enumeration; a record of some reckoning; as, the Julian account of time. A beggarly account of empty boxes. Shak.
2. A registry of pecuniary transactions; a written or printed statement of business dealings or debts and credits, and also of other things subjected to a reckoning or review; as, to keep one's account at the bank.
3. A statement in general of reasons, causes, grounds, etc., explanatory of some event; as, no satisfactory account has been given of these phenomena. Hence, the word is often used simply for reason, ground, consideration, motive, etc.; as, on no account, on every account, on all accounts.
4. A statement of facts or occurrences; recital of transactions; a relation or narrative; a report; a description; as, an account of a battle. "A laudable account of the city of London." Howell.
5. A statement and explanation or vindication of one's conduct with reference to judgment thereon. Give an account of thy stewardship. Luke xvi. 2.
6. An estimate or estimation; valuation; judgment. "To stand high in your account." Shak.
7. Importance; worth; value; advantage; profit. "Men of account." Pope. "To turn to account." Shak. Account current, a running or continued account between two or more parties, or a statement of the particulars of such an account. — In account with, in a relation requiring an account to be kept. — On account of, for the sake of; by reason of; because of. — On one's own account, for one's own interest or behalf. — To make account, to have an opinion or expectation; to reckon. [Obs.] s other part . . . makes account to find no slender arguments for this assertion out of those very scriptures which are commonly urged against it. Milton. — To make account of, to hold in estimation; to esteem; as, he makes small account of beauty. — To take account of, or to take into account, to take into consideration; to notice. "Of their doings, God takes no account." Milton . — A writ of account (Law), a writ which the plaintiff brings demanding that the defendant shall render his just account, or show good cause to the contrary; — called also an action of account. Cowell.
Syn. — Narrative; narration; relation; recital; description; explanation; rehearsal. — Account, Narrative, Narration, Recital. These words are applied to different modes of rehearsing a series of events. Account turns attention not so much to the speaker as to the fact related, and more properly applies to the report of some single event, or a group of incidents taken as whole; as, an account of a battle, of a shipwreck, etc. A narrative is a continuous story of connected incidents, such as one friend might tell to another; as, a narrative of the events of a siege, a narrative of one's life, etc. Narration is usually the same as narrative, but is sometimes used to describe the mode of relating events; as, his powers of narration are uncommonly great. Recital denotes a series of events drawn out into minute particulars, usually expressing something which peculiarly interests the feelings of the speaker; as, the recital of one's wrongs, disappointments, sufferings, etc.
1. To reckon; to compute; to count. [Obs.] The motion of . . . the sun whereby years are accounted. Sir T. Browne.
2. To place to one's account; to put to the credit of; to assign; — with to. [R.] Clarendon.
3. To value, estimate, or hold in opinion; to judge or consider; to deem. Accounting that God was able to raise him up. Heb. xi. 19.
4. To recount; to relate. [Obs.] Chaucer.
ACCOUNT
Ac*count", v. i.
1. To render or receive an account or relation of particulars; as, an officer must account with or to the treasurer for money received.
2. To render an account; to answer in judgment; — with for; as, we must account for the use of our opportunities.
3. To give a satisfactory reason; to tell the cause of; to explain; - - with for; as, idleness accounts for poverty. To account of, to esteem; to prize; to value. Now used only in the passive. "I account of her beauty." Shak. Newer was preaching more accounted of than in the sixteenth century. Canon Robinson.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Ac*count"a*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account; accountableness. "The awful idea of accountability." R. Hall.
ACCOUNTABLE
Ac*count"a*ble, a.
1. Liable to be called on to render an account; answerable; as, every man is accountable to God for his conduct.
2. Capable of being accounted for; explicable. [R.] True religion . . . intelligible, rational, and accountable, — not a burden but a privilege. B. Whichcote.
Syn.
— Amenable; responsible; liable; answerable.
ACCOUNTABLENESS
Ac*count"a*ble ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being accountable; accountability.
ACCOUNTABLY
Ac*count"a*bly, adv.
Defn: In an accountable manner.
ACCOUNTANCY
Ac*count"an*cy, n.
Defn: The art or employment of an accountant.
ACCOUNTANT
Ac*count"ant, n. Etym: [Cf. F. accomptant, OF. acontant, p. pr.]
1. One who renders account; one accountable.
2. A reckoner.
3. One who is skilled in, keeps, or adjusts, accounts; an officer in a public office, who has charge of the accounts. Accountatn general, the head or superintending accountant in certain public offices. Also, formerly, an officer in the English court of chancery who received the moneys paid into the court, and deposited them in the Bank of England.
ACCOUNTANT
Ac*count"ant, a.
Defn: Accountable. [Obs.] Shak.
ACCOUNTANTSHIP
Ac*count"ant*ship, n. Etym: [Accountant + -ship.]
Defn: The office or employment of an accountant.
ACCOUNT BOOK
Ac*count" book`.
Defn: A book in which accounts are kept. Swift.
ACCOUPLE
Ac*cou"ple, v. t. Etym: [OF. acopler, F. accoupler. See Couple.]
Defn: To join; to couple. [R.]
The Englishmen accoupled themselves with the Frenchmen. Hall.
ACCOUPLEMENT
Ac*cou"ple*ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. accouplement.]
1. The act of coupling, or the state of being coupled; union. [R.] Caxton.
2. That which couples, as a tie or brace. [R.]
ACCOURAGE
Ac*cour"age, v. t. Etym: [OF. acoragier; à (L. ad) + corage. See
Courage.]
Defn: To encourage. [Obs.]
ACCOURT
Ac*court", v. t. Etym: [Ac-, for L. ad. See Court.]
Defn: To treat courteously; to court. [Obs.] Spenser.
ACCOUTER; ACCOUTRE Ac*cou"ter, Ac*cou"tre, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accoutered or Accoutred; p. pr. & vb. n. Accoutering or Accoutring.] Etym: [F. accouter, OF. accoutrer, accoustrer; à (L. ad) + perh. LL. custor, for custos guardian, sacristan (cf. Custody), or perh. akin to E. guilt.]
Defn: To furnish with dress, or equipments, esp. those for military
service; to equip; to attire; to array.
Bot accoutered like young men. Shak.
For this, in rags accoutered are they seen. Dryden.
Accoutered with his burden and his staff. Wordsworth.
ACCOUTERMENTS; ACCOUTREMENTS
Ac*cou"ter*ments, Ac*cou"tre*ments, n. pl. Etym: [F. accoutrement,
earlier also accoustrement, earlier also accoustrement. See
Accouter.]
Defn: Dress; trappings; equipment; specifically, the devices and equipments worn by soldiers. How gay with all the accouterments of war!
ACCOY
Ac*coy", v. t. Etym: [OF. acoyer; ac-, for L. ad. See Coy.]
1. To render quiet; to soothe. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To subdue; to tame; to daunt. [Obs.] Then is your careless courage accoyed. Spenser.
ACCREDIT
Ac*cred"it, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accredited; p. pr. & vb. n.
Accrediting.] Etym: [F. accréditer; à (L. ad) + crédit credit. See
Credit.]
1. To put or bring into credit; to invest with credit or authority;
to sanction.
His censure will . . . accredit his praises. Cowper.
These reasons . . . which accredit and fortify mine opinion. Shelton.
2. To send with letters credential, as an ambassador, envoy, or diplomatic agent; to authorize, as a messenger or delegate. Beton . . . was accredited to the Court of France. Froude.
3. To believe; to credit; to put trust in. The version of early Roman history which was accredited in the fifth century. Sir G. C. Lewis. He accredited and repeated stories of apparitions and witchcraft. Southey.
4. To credit; to vouch for or consider (some one) as doing something, or (something) as belonging to some one. To accredit (one) with (something), to attribute something to him; as, Mr. Clay was accredited with these views; they accredit him with a wise saying.
ACCREDITATION
Ac*cred`i*ta"tion, n.
Defn: The act of accrediting; as, letters of accreditation.
ACCREMENTITIAL
Ac`cre*men*ti"tial, a. (Physiol.)
Defn: Pertaining to accremention.
ACCREMENTITION
Ac`cre*men*ti"tion, n. Etym: [See Accresce, Increment.] (Physiol.)
Defn: The process of generation by development of blastema, or fission of cells, in which the new formation is in all respect like the individual from which it proceeds.
ACCRESCE
Ac*cresce", v. i. Etym: [L. accrescere. See Accrue.]
1. To accrue. [R.]
2. To increase; to grow. [Obs.] Gillespie.
ACCRESCENCE
Ac*cres"cence, n. Etym: [LL. accrescentia.]
Defn: Continuous growth; an accretion. [R.] The silent accrescence of belief from the unwatched depositions of a general, never contradicted hearsy. Coleridge.
ACCRESCENT Ac*cres"cent, a. Etym: [L. accrescens, -entis, p. pr. of accrescere; ad + crescere to grow. See Crescent.]
1. Growing; increasing. Shuckford.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Growing larger after flowering. Gray.
ACCRETE Ac*crete", v. i. Etym: [From L. accretus, p. p. of accrescere to increase.]
1. To grow together.
2. To adhere; to grow (to); to be added; — with to.
ACCRETE
Ac*crete", v. t.
Defn: To make adhere; to add. Earle.
ACCRETE
Ac*crete", a.
1. Characterized by accretion; made up; as, accrete matter.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Grown together. Gray.
ACCRETION
Ac*cre"tion, n. Etym: [L. accretio, fr. accrescere to increase. Cf.
Crescent, Increase, Accrue.]
1. The act of increasing by natural growth; esp. the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth. Arbuthnot.
2. The act of increasing, or the matter added, by an accession of parts externally; an extraneous addition; as, an accretion of earth. A mineral . . . augments not by grown, but by accretion. Owen. To strip off all the subordinate parts of his as a later accretion. Sir G. C. Lewis.
3. Concretion; coherence of separate particles; as, the accretion of particles so as to form a solid mass.
4. A growing together of parts naturally separate, as of the fingers toes. Dana.
5. (Law) (a) The adhering of property to something else, by which the owner of one thing becomes possessed of a right to another; generally, gain of land by the washing up of sand or sail from the sea or a river, or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark. (b) Gain to an heir or legatee, failure of a coheir to the same succession, or a co-legatee of the same thing, to take his share. Wharton. Kent.
ACCRETIVE
Ac*cre"tive, a.
Defn: Relating to accretion; increasing, or adding to, by growth.
Glanvill.
ACCRIMINATE
Ac*crim"i*nate, v. t. Etym: [L. ac- (for ad to) + criminari.]
Defn: To accuse of a crime. [Obs.] — Ac*crim`i*na"tion, n. [Obs.]
ACCROACH Ac*croach", v. t. Etym: [OE. acrochen, accrochen, to obtain, OF. acrochier, F. accrocher; à (L. ad) + croc hook (E. crook).]
1. To hook, or draw to one's self as with a hook. [Obs.]
2. To usurp, as jurisdiction or royal prerogatives. They had attempted to accroach to themselves royal power. Stubbs.
ACCROACHMENT
Ac*croach"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. accrochement.]
Defn: An encroachment; usurpation. [Obs.] Bailey.
ACCRUAL
Ac*cru"al, n.
Defn: Accrument. [R.]
ACCRUE
Ac*crue", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Accrued; p. pr. & vb. n. Accruing.]
Etym: [See Accrue, n., and cf. Accresce, Accrete.]
1. To increase; to augment. And though power failed, her courage did accrue. Spenser.
2. To come to by way of increase; to arise or spring as a growth or result; to be added as increase, profit, or damage, especially as the produce of money lent. "Interest accrues to principal." Abbott. The great and essential advantages accruing to society from the freedom of the press. Junius.
ACCRUE
Ac*crue", n. Etym: [F. accrû, OF. acreü, p. p. of accroitre, OF.
acroistre to increase; L. ad + crescere to increase. Cf. Accretion,
Crew. See Crescent.]
Defn: Something that accrues; advantage accruing. [Obs.]
ACCRUER
Ac*cru"er, n. (Law)
Defn: The act of accruing; accretion; as, title by accruer.
ACCRUMENT
Ac*cru"ment, n.
Defn: The process of accruing, or that which has accrued; increase.
Jer. Taylor.
ACCUBATION Ac`cu*ba"tion, n. Etym: [L. accubatio, for accubatio, fr. accubare to recline; ad + cubare to lie down. See Accumb.]
Defn: The act or posture of reclining on a couch, as practiced by the ancients at meals.
ACCUMB Ac*cumb", v. i. Etym: [L. accumbere; ad + cumbere (only in compounds) to lie down.]
Defn: To recline, as at table. [Obs.] Bailey.
ACCUMBENCY
Ac*cum"ben*cy, n.
Defn: The state of being accumbent or reclining. [R.]
ACCUMBENT
Ac*cum"bent, a.
1. Leaning or reclining, as the ancients did at their meals. The Roman.. accumbent posture in eating. Arbuthnot.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Lying against anything, as one part of a leaf against another
leaf. Gray.
Accumbent cotyledons have their edges placed against the caulicle.
Eaton.
ACCUMBENT
Ac*cum"bent, n.
Defn: One who reclines at table.
ACCUMBER
Ac*cum"ber, v. t.
Defn: To encumber. [Obs.] Chaucer.
ACCUMULATE
Ac*cu"mu*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accumulated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Accumulating.] Etym: [L. accumulatus, p. p. of accumulare; ad +
cumulare to heap. See Cumulate.]
Defn: To heap up in a mass; to pile up; to collect or bring together; to amass; as, to accumulate a sum of money.
Syn. — To collect; pile up; store; amass; gather; aggregate; heap together; hoard.
ACCUMULATE
Ac*cu"mu*late, v. i.
Defn: To grow or increase in quantity or number; to increase greatly. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay. Goldsmith.
ACCUMULATE
Ac*cu"mu*late, a. Etym: [L. accumulatus, p. p. of accumulare.]
Defn: Collected; accumulated. Bacon.
ACCUMULATION
Ac*cu`mu*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. accumulatio; cf. F. accumulation.]
1. The act of accumulating, the state of being accumulated, or that which is accumulated; as, an accumulation of earth, of sand, of evils, of wealth, of honors.
2. (Law)
Defn: The concurrence of several titles to the same proof. Accumulation of energy or power, the storing of energy by means of weights lifted or masses put in motion; electricity stored. — An accumulation of degrees (Eng. Univ.), the taking of several together, or at smaller intervals than usual or than is allowed by the rules.
ACCUMULATIVE
Ac*cu"mu*la*tive, a.
Defn: Characterized by accumulation; serving to collect or amass;
cumulative; additional.
— Ac*cu"mu*la*tive*ly, adv.
— Ac*cu"mu*la*tive*ness, n.
ACCUMULATOR
Ac*cu"mu*la`tor, n. Etym: [L.]
1. One who, or that which, accumulates, collects, or amasses.
2. (Mech.)
Defn: An apparatus by means of which energy or power can be stored, such as the cylinder or tank for storing water for hydraulic elevators, the secondary or storage battery used for accumulating the energy of electrical charges, etc.
3. A system of elastic springs for relieving the strain upon a rope, as in deep-sea dredging.
ACCURACY
Ac"cu*ra*cy (#; 277), n. Etym: [See Accurate.]
Defn: The state of being accurate; freedom from mistakes, this exemption arising from carefulness; exact conformity to truth, or to a rule or model; precision; exactness; nicety; correctness; as, the value of testimony depends on its accuracy. The professed end [of logic] is to teach men to think, to judge, and to reason, with precision and accuracy. Reid. The accuracy with which the piston fits the sides. Lardner.
ACCURATE Ac"cu*rate, a. Etym: [L. accuratus, p. p. and a., fr. accurare to take care of; ad + curare to take care, cura care. See Cure.]
1. In exact or careful conformity to truth, or to some standard of requirement, the result of care or pains; free from failure, error, or defect; exact; as, an accurate calculator; an accurate measure; accurate expression, knowledge, etc.
2. Precisely fixed; executed with care; careful. [Obs.] Those conceive the celestial bodies have more accurate influences upon these things below. Bacon.
Syn. — Correct; exact; just; nice; particular. — Accurate, Correct, Exact, Precise. We speak of a thing as correct with reference to some rule or standard of comparison; as, a correct account, a correct likeness, a man of correct deportment. We speak of a thing as accurate with reference to the care bestowed upon its execution, and the increased correctness to be expected therefrom; as, an accurate statement, an accurate detail of particulars. We speak of a thing as exact with reference to that perfected state of a thing in which there is no defect and no redundance; as, an exact coincidence, the exact truth, an exact likeness. We speak of a thing as precise when we think of it as strictly conformed to some rule or model, as if cut down thereto; as a precise conformity instructions; precisely right; he was very precise in giving his directions.
ACCURATELY
Ac"cu*rate*ly, adv.
Defn: In an accurate manner; exactly; precisely; without error or defect.
ACCURATENESS
Ac"cu*rate*ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being accurate; accuracy; exactness; nicety; precision.
ACCURSE Ac*curse", v. t. Etym: [OE. acursien, acorsien; pref. a + cursien to curse. See Curse.]
Defn: To devote to destruction; to imprecate misery or evil upon; to
curse; to execrate; to anathematize.
And the city shall be accursed. Josh. vi. 17.
Thro' you, my life will be accurst. Tennyson.
ACCURSED; ACCURST
Ac*cursed", Ac*curst", p. p. & a.
Defn: Doomed to destruction or misery; cursed; hence, bad enough to be under the curse; execrable; detestable; exceedingly hateful; — as, an accursed deed. Shak. — Ac*curs"ed*ly, adv. — Ac*curs"ed*ness, n.
ACCUSABLE
Ac*cus"a*ble, a. Etym: [L. accusabilis: cf. F. accusable.]
Defn: Liable to be accused or censured; chargeable with a crime or fault; blamable; — with of.
ACCUSAL
Ac*cus"al, n.
Defn: Accusation. [R.] Byron.
ACCUSANT Ac*cus"ant, n. Etym: [L. accusans, p. pr. of accusare: cf. F. accusant.]
Defn: An accuser. Bp. Hall.
ACCUSATION Ac`cu*sa"tion, n. Etym: [OF. acusation, F. accusation, L. accusatio, fr. accusare. See Accuse.]
1. The act of accusing or charging with a crime or with a lighter offense. We come not by the way of accusation To taint that honor every good tongue blesses. Shak.
2. That of which one is accused; the charge of an offense or crime, or the declaration containing the charge. [They] set up over his head his accusation. Matt. xxvii. 37.
Syn.
— Impeachment; crimination; censure; charge.
ACCUSATIVAL
Ac*cu`sa*ti"val, a.
Defn: Pertaining to the accusative case.
ACCUSATIVE Ac*cu"sa*tive, a. Etym: [F. accusatif, L. accusativus (in sense 2), fr. accusare. See Accuse.]
1. Producing accusations; accusatory. "This hath been a very accusative age." Sir E. Dering.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: Applied to the case (as the fourth case of Latin and Greek nouns) which expresses the immediate object on which the action or influence of a transitive verb terminates, or the immediate object of motion or tendency to, expressed by a preposition. It corresponds to the objective case in English.
ACCUSATIVE
Ac*cu"sa*tive, n. (Gram.)
Defn: The accusative case.
ACCUSATIVELY
Ac*cu"sa*tive*ly, adv.
1. In an accusative manner.
2. In relation to the accusative case in grammar.
ACCUSATORIAL
Ac*cu`sa*to"ri*al, a.
Defn: Accusatory.
ACCUSATORIALLY
Ac*cu`sa*to"ri*al*ly, adv.
Defn: By way accusation.
ACCUSATORY
Ac*cu"sa*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. accusatorius, fr. accusare.]
Defn: Pertaining to, or containing, an accusation; as, an accusatory libel. Grote.
ACCUSE
Ac*cuse", n.
Defn: Accusation. [Obs.] Shak.
ACCUSE
Ac*cuse", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accused; p. pr. & vb. n. Accusing.]
Etym: [OF. acuser, F. accuser, L. accusare, to call to account,
accuse; ad + causa cause, lawsuit. Cf. Cause.]
1. To charge with, or declare to have committed, a crime or offense; (Law)
Defn: to charge with an offense, judicially or by a public process; - - with of; as, to accuse one of a high crime or misdemeanor. Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. Acts xxiv. 13. We are accused of having persuaded Austria and Sardinia to lay down their arms. Macaulay.
2. To charge with a fault; to blame; to censure. Their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another. Rom. ii. 15.
3. To betray; to show. Etym: [L.] Sir P. Sidney.
Syn. — To charge; blame; censure; reproach; criminate; indict; impeach; arraign. — To Accuse, Charge, Impeach, Arraign. These words agree in bringing home to a person the imputation of wrongdoing. To accuse is a somewhat formal act, and is applied usually (though not exclusively) to crimes; as, to accuse of treason. Charge is the most generic. It may refer to a crime, a dereliction of duty, a fault, etc.; more commonly it refers to moral delinquencies; as, to charge with dishonesty or falsehood. To arraign is to bring (a person) before a tribunal for trial; as, to arraign one before a court or at the bar public opinion. To impeach is officially to charge with misbehavior in office; as, to impeach a minister of high crimes. Both impeach and arraign convey the idea of peculiar dignity or impressiveness.
ACCUSED
Ac*cused", a.
Defn: Charged with offense; as, an accused person.
Note: Commonly used substantively; as, the accused, one charged with an offense; the defendant in a criminal case.
ACCUSEMENT
Ac*cuse"ment, n. Etym: [OF. acusement. See Accuse.]
Defn: Accusation. [Obs.] Chaucer.
ACCUSER Ac*cus"er, n. Etym: [OE. acuser, accusour; cf. OF. acuseor, fr. L. accusator, fr. accusare.]
Defn: One who accuses; one who brings a charge of crime or fault.
ACCUSINGLY
Ac*cus"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In an accusing manner.
ACCUSTOM
Ac*cus"tom, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Accustomed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Accustoming.] Etym: [OF. acostumer, acustumer, F. accoutumer; à (L.
ad) + OF. costume, F. coutume, custom. See Custom.]
Defn: To make familiar by use; to habituate, familiarize, or inure; -
- with to.
I shall always fear that he who accustoms himself to fraud in little
things, wants only opportunity to practice it in greater. Adventurer.
Syn.
— To habituate; inure; exercise; train.
ACCUSTOM
Ac*cus"tom, v. i.
1. To be wont. [Obs.] Carew.
2. To cohabit. [Obs.] We with the best men accustom openly; you with the basest commit private adulteries. Milton.
ACCUSTOM
Ac*cus"tom, n.
Defn: Custom. [Obs.] Milton.
ACCUSTOMABLE
Ac*cus"tom*a*ble, a.
Defn: Habitual; customary; wonted. "Accustomable goodness." Latimer.
ACCUSTOMABLY
Ac*cus"tom*a*bly, adv.
Defn: According to custom; ordinarily; customarily. Latimer.
ACCUSTOMANCE
Ac*cus"tom*ance, n. Etym: [OF. accoustumance, F. accoutumance.]
Defn: Custom; habitual use. [Obs.] Boyle.
ACCUSTOMARILY
Ac*cus"tom*a*ri*ly, adv.
Defn: Customarily. [Obs.]
ACCUSTOMARY
Ac*cus"tom*a*ry, a.
Defn: Usual; customary. [Archaic] Featley.
ACCUSTOMED
Ac*cus"tomed, a.
1. Familiar through use; usual; customary. "An accustomed action." Shak.
2. Frequented by customers. [Obs.] "A well accustomed shop." Smollett.
ACCUSTOMEDNESS
Ac*cus"tomed*ness, n.
Defn: Habituation.
Accustomedness to sin hardens the heart. Bp. Pearce.
ACE Ace, n.; pl. Aces. Etym: [OE. as, F. as, fr. L. as, assis, unity, copper coin, the unit of coinage. Cf. As.]
1. A unit; a single point or spot on a card or die; the card or die so marked; as, the ace of diamonds.
2. Hence: A very small quantity or degree; a particle; an atom; a jot. I 'll not wag an ace further. Dryden. To bate an ace, to make the least abatement. [Obs.] — Within an ace of, very near; on the point of. W. Irving.
ACELDAMA
A*cel"da*ma, n. Etym: [Gr. okel damo the field of blood.]
Defn: The potter's field, said to have lain south of Jerusalem, purchased with the bribe which Judas took for betraying his Master, and therefore called the field of blood. Fig.: A field of bloodshed. The system of warfare . . . which had already converted immense tracts into one universal aceldama. De Quincey.
ACENTRIC
A*cen"tric, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Not centered; without a center.
ACEPHAL
Ac"e*phal, n. Etym: [Gr. acéphale, LL. acephalus.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Acephala.
ACEPHALA
A*ceph"a*la, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. Acephal.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: That division of the Mollusca which includes the bivalve shells, like the clams and oysters; — so called because they have no evident head. Formerly the group included the Tunicata, Brachiopoda, and sometimes the Bryozoa. See Mollusca.
ACEPHALAN
A*ceph"a*lan, n.
Defn: Same as Acephal.
ACEPHALAN
A*ceph"a*lan, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Belonging to the Acephala.
ACEPHALI
A*ceph"a*li, n. pl. Etym: [LL., pl. of acephalus. See Acephal.]
1. A fabulous people reported by ancient writers to have heads.
2. (Eccl. Hist.) (a) A Christian sect without a leader. (b) Bishops and certain clergymen not under regular diocesan control.
3. A class of levelers in the time of K. Henry I.
ACEPHALIST
A*ceph"a*list, n.
Defn: One who acknowledges no head or superior. Dr. Gauden.
ACEPHALOCYST
A*ceph"a*lo*cyst, n. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A larval entozoön in the form of a subglobular or oval vesicle, or hy datid, filled with fluid, sometimes found in the tissues of man and the lower animals; — so called from the absence of a head or visible organs on the vesicle. These cysts are the immature stages of certain tapeworms. Also applied to similar cysts of different origin.
ACEPHALOCYSTIC
A*ceph`a*lo*cys"tic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, the acephalocysts.
ACEPHALOUS
A*ceph"a*lous, a. Etym: [See Acephal.]
1. Headless.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Without a distinct head; — a term applied to bivalve mollusks.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: Having the style spring from the base, instead of from the apex, as is the case in certain ovaries.
4. Without a leader or chief.
5. Wanting the beginning. A false or acephalous structure of sentence. De Quincey.
6. (Pros.)
Defn: Deficient and the beginning, as a line of poetry. Brande.
ACEQUIA
A*ce"qui*a, n. [Sp.]
Defn: A canal or trench for irrigating land. [Sp. Amer.]
ACERATE
Ac"er*ate, n. Etym: [See Aceric.] (Chem.)
Defn: A combination of aceric acid with a salifiable base.
ACERATE
Ac"er*ate, a.
Defn: Acerose; needle-shaped.
ACERB
A*cerb", a. Etym: [L. acerbus, fr. acer sharp: cf. F. acerbe. See
Acrid.]
Defn: Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit; sharp and harsh.
ACERBATE A*cerb"ate, v. t. Etym: [L. acerbatus, p. p. of acerbare, fr. acerbus.]
Defn: To sour; to imbitter; to irritate.
ACERBIC
A*cerb"ic, a.
Defn: Sour or severe.
ACERBITUDE
A*cerb"i*tude, n. Etym: [L. acerbitudo, fr. acerbus.]
Defn: Sourness and harshness. [Obs.] Bailey.
ACERBITY
A*cerb"i*ty, n. Etym: [F. acerbité, L. acerbitas, fr. acerbus. See
Acerb.]
1. Sourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit.
2. Harshness, bitterness, or severity; as, acerbity of temper, of language, of pain. Barrow.
ACERIC
A*cer"ic, a. Etym: [L. acer maple.]
Defn: Pertaining to, or obtained from, the maple; as, aceric acid.
Ure.
ACEROSE Ac"er*ose`, a. Etym: [(a) L. acerosus chaffy, fr. acus, gen. aceris, chaff; (b) as if fr. L. acus needle: cf. F. acéreux.] (Bot.) (a) Having the nature of chaff; chaffy. (b) Needle-shaped, having a sharp, rigid point, as the leaf of the pine.
ACEROUS
Ac"er*ous, a.
Defn: Same as Acerose.
ACEROUS Ac"er*ous, a. Etym: [Gr. &a; priv. + keras a horn.] (Zoöl.) (a) Destitute of tentacles, as certain mollusks. (b) Without antennæ, as some insects.
ACERVAL
A*cer"val, a. Etym: [L. acervalis, fr. acervus heap.]
Defn: Pertaining to a heap. [Obs.]
ACERVATE A*cer"vate, v. t. Etym: [L. acervatus, p. p. of acervare to heap up, fr. acervus heap.]
Defn: To heap up. [Obs.]
ACERVATE
A*cer"vate, a.
Defn: Heaped, or growing in heaps, or closely compacted clusters.
ACERVATION
Ac`er*va"tion, n. Etym: [L. acervatio.]
Defn: A heaping up; accumulation. [R.] Johnson.
ACERVATIVE
A*cer"va*tive, a.
Defn: Heaped up; tending to heap up.
ACERVOSE
A*cer"vose, a.
Defn: Full of heaps. [R.] Bailey.
ACERVULINE
A*cer"vu*line, a.
Defn: Resembling little heaps.
ACESCENCE; ACESCENCY
A*ces"cence, A*ces"cen*cy, n. Etym: [Cf. F. acescence. See Acescent.]
Defn: The quality of being acescent; the process of acetous fermentation; a moderate degree of sourness. Johnson.
ACESCENT A*ces"cent, a. Etym: [L. acescens, -entis, p. pr. of acescere to turn sour; inchoative of acere to be sour: cf. F. acescent. See Acid.]
Defn: Turning sour; readily becoming tart or acid; slightly sour.
Faraday.
ACESCENT
A*ces"cent, n.
Defn: A substance liable to become sour.
ACETABLE
Ac"e*ta*ble, n.
Defn: An acetabulum; or about one eighth of a pint. [Obs.] Holland.
ACETABULAR
Ac`e*tab"u*lar, a.
Defn: Cup-shaped; saucer-shaped; acetabuliform.
ACETABULIFERA
Ac`e*tab`u*lif"e*ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Acetabuliferous.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The division of Cephalopoda in which the arms are furnished with cup-shaped suckers, as the cuttlefishes, squids, and octopus; the Dibranchiata. See Cephalopoda.
ACETABULIFEROUS Ac`e*tab`u*lif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. acetablum a little cup + - ferous.]
Defn: Furnished with fleshy cups for adhering to bodies, as cuttlefish, etc.
ACETABULIFORM
Ac`e*tab"u*li*form, a. Etym: [L. acetabulum + -form.] (Bot.)
Defn: Shaped like a shallow; saucer-shaped; as, an acetabuliform calyx. Gray.
ACETABULUM Ac`e*tab"u*lum, n. Etym: [L., a little saucer for vinegar, fr. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.)
Defn: A vinegar cup; socket of the hip bone; a measure of about one eighth of a pint, etc.
2. (Anat.) (a) The bony cup which receives the head of the thigh bone. (b) The cavity in which the leg of an insect is inserted at its articulation with the body. (c) A sucker of the sepia or cuttlefish and related animals. (d) The large posterior sucker of the leeches. (e) One of the lobes of the placenta in ruminating animals.
ACETAL
Ac"e*tal, n. Etym: [Acetic + alcohol.] (Chem.)
Defn: A limpid, colorless, inflammable liquid from the slow oxidation of alcohol under the influence of platinum black.
ACETALDEHYDE
Ac`et*al"de*hyde, n.
Defn: Acetic aldehyde. See Aldehyde.
ACETAMIDE
Ac`et*am"ide, n. Etym: [Acetyl + amide.] (Chem.)
Defn: A white crystalline solid, from ammonia by replacement of an equivalent of hydrogen by acetyl.
ACETANILIDE
Ac`et*an"i*lide, n. Etym: [Acetyl + anilide.] (Med.)
Defn: A compound of aniline with acetyl, used to allay fever or pain; — called also antifebrine.
ACETARIOUS Ac`e*ta"ri*ous, a. Etym: [L. acetaria, n. pl., salad, fr. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.]
Defn: Used in salads; as, acetarious plants.
ACETARY
Ac"e*ta*ry, n. Etym: [L. acetaria salad plants.]
Defn: An acid pulp in certain fruits, as the pear. Grew.
ACETATE
Ac"e*tate, n. Etym: [L. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.]
(Chem.)
Defn: A salt formed by the union of acetic acid with a base or positive radical; as, acetate of lead, acetate of potash.
ACETATED
Ac"e*ta`ted, a.
Defn: Combined with acetic acid.
ACETIC A*ce"tic (#; 277), a. Etym: [L. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.] (Chem.) (a) Of a pertaining to vinegar; producing vinegar; producing vinegar; as, acetic fermentation. (b) Pertaining to, containing, or derived from, acetyl, as acetic ether, acetic acid. The latter is the acid to which the sour taste of vinegar is due.
ACETIFICATION
A*cet`i*fi*ca"tion, n.
Defn: The act of making acetous or sour; the process of converting, or of becoming converted, into vinegar.
ACETIFIER
A*cet"i*fi`er, n.
Defn: An apparatus for hastening acetification. Knight.
ACETIFY
A*cet"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acetified; p. pr. & vb. n.
Acetifying.] Etym: [L. acetum vinegar + -fly.]
Defn: To convert into acid or vinegar.
ACETIFY
A*cet"i*fy, v. i.
Defn: To turn acid. Encyc. Dom. Econ.
ACETIMETER Ac`e*tim"e*ter, n. Etym: [L. acetum vinegar + -meter: cf. F. acétimètre.]
Defn: An instrument for estimating the amount of acetic acid in vinegar or in any liquid containing acetic acid.
ACETIMETRY
Ac`e*tim"e*try, n.
Defn: The act or method of ascertaining the strength of vinegar, or the proportion of acetic acid contained in it. Ure.
ACETIN
Ac"e*tin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A combination of acetic acid with glycerin. Brande & C.
ACETIZE
Ac"e*tize, v. i.
Defn: To acetify. [R.]
ACETOL
Ac"e*tol, n. [Acetic + -ol as in alcohol.] (Chem.)
Defn: Methyl ketol; also, any of various homologues of the same.
ACETOMETER
Ac`e*tom"e*ter, n.
Defn: Same as Acetimeter. Brande & C.
ACETONAEMIA; ACETONEMIA
Ac`e*to*næ"mi*a, Ac`e*to*ne"mi*a, n. [NL. See Acetone; Hæma-.] (Med.)
Defn: A morbid condition characterized by the presence of acetone in the blood, as in diabetes.
ACETONE
Ac"e*tone, n. Etym: [See Acetic.] (Chem.)
Defn: A volatile liquid consisting of three parts of carbon, six of hydrogen, and one of oxygen; pyroacetic spirit, — obtained by the distillation of certain acetates, or by the destructive distillation of citric acid, starch, sugar, or gum, with quicklime.
Note: The term in also applied to a number of bodies of similar constitution, more frequently called ketones. See Ketone.
ACETONIC
Ac`e*ton"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to acetone; as, acetonic bodies.
ACETONURIA
Ac`e*to*nu"ri*a, n. [NL. See Acetone; Urine.] (Med.)
Defn: Excess of acetone in the urine, as in starvation or diabetes.
ACETOPHENONE
Ac`e*to*phe"none, n. [Acetic + phenyl + one.] (Chem.)
Defn: A crystalline ketone, CH3COC6H5, which may be obtained by the dry distillation of a mixture of the calcium salts of acetic and benzoic acids. It is used as a hypnotic under the name of hypnone.
ACETOSE
Ac"e*tose, a.
Defn: Sour like vinegar; acetous.
ACETOSITY
Ac`e*tos"i*ty, n. Etym: [LL. acetositas. See Acetous.]
Defn: The quality of being acetous; sourness.
ACETOUS A*ce"tous (#; 277), a. Etym: [L. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.]
1. Having a sour taste; sour; acid. "An acetous spirit." Boyle. "A liquid of an acetous kind." Bp. Lowth.
2. Causing, or connected with, acetification; as, acetous fermentation. Acetous acid, a name formerly given to vinegar.
ACETYL
Ac"e*tyl, n. Etym: [L. acetum vinegar + Gr. -yl.] (Chem.)
Defn: A complex, hypothetical radical, composed of two parts of carbon to three of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Its hydroxide is acetic acid.
ACETYLENE
A*cet"y*lene, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A gaseous compound of carbon and hydrogen, in the proportion of two atoms of the former to two of the latter. It is a colorless gas, with a peculiar, unpleasant odor, and is produced for use as an illuminating gas in a number of ways, but chiefly by the action of water on calcium carbide. Its light is very brilliant. Watts.
ACH; ACHE
Ach, Ache, n. Etym: [F. ache, L. apium parsley.]
Defn: A name given to several species of plants; as, smallage, wild celery, parsley. [Obs.] Holland.
ACHAEAN; ACHAIAN
A*chæ"an, A*cha"ian a. Etym: [L. Achaeus, Achaius; Gr.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Achaia in Greece; also, Grecian.
— n.
Defn: A native of Achaia; a Greek.
ACHARNEMENT
A*char"ne*ment, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Savage fierceness; ferocity.
ACHATE
Ach"ate, n.
Defn: An agate. [Obs.] Evelyn.
ACHATE
A*chate", n. Etym: [F. achat purchase. See Cates.]
1. Purchase; bargaining. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. pl.
Defn: Provisions. Same as Cates. [Obs.] Spenser.
ACHATINA
Ach`a*ti"na, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of land snails, often large, common in the warm parts of America and Africa.
ACHATOUR
A*cha*tour", n. Etym: [See Cater.]
Defn: Purveyor; acater. [Obs.] Chaucer.
ACHE Ache, n. Etym: [OE. ache, AS. æce, ece, fr. acan to ache. See Ache, v. i.]
Defn: Continued pain, as distinguished from sudden twinges, or spasmodic pain. "Such an ache in my bones." Shak.
Note: Often used in composition, as, a headache, an earache, a toothache.
ACHE Ache, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ached; p. pr. & vb. n. Aching.] Etym: [OE. aken, AS. acan, both strong verbs, AS. acan, imp. oc, p. p. acen, to ache; perh. orig. to drive, and akin to agent.]
Defn: To suffer pain; to have, or be in, pain, or in continued pain; to be distressed. "My old bones ache." Shak. The sins that in your conscience ache. Keble.
ACHEAN
A*che"an, a & n.
Defn: See Achæan, Achaian.
ACHENE; ACHENIUM
A*chene", A*che"ni*um n. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: A small, dry, indehiscent fruit, containing a single seed, as in the buttercup; — called a naked seed by the earlier botanists. [Written also akene and achænium.]
ACHENIAL
A*che"ni*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to an achene.
ACHERON
Ach"e*ron, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Myth.)
Defn: A river in the Nether World or infernal regions; also, the infernal regions themselves. By some of the English poets it was supposed to be a flaming lake or gulf. Shak.
ACHERONTIC
Ach`e*ron"tic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Acheron; infernal; hence, dismal, gloomy; moribund.
A CHEVAL
A` che*val". [F., lit., on horseback.]
Defn: Astride; with a part on each side; — used specif. in designating the position of an army with the wings separated by some line of demarcation, as a river or road.
A position à cheval on a river is not one which a general willingly
assumes.
Swinton.
ACHIEVABLE
A*chiev"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being achieved. Barrow.
ACHIEVANCE
A*chiev"ance, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. achevance.]
Defn: Achievement. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.
ACHIEVE
A*chieve", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Achieved; p. pr. & vb. n. Achieving.]
Etym: [OE. acheven, OF. achever, achiever, F. achever, to finish; à
(L. ad) + OF. chief, F. chef, end, head, fr. L. caput head. See
Chief.]
1. To carry on to a final close; to bring out into a perfected state; to accomplish; to perform; — as, to achieve a feat, an exploit, an enterprise. Supposing faculties and powers to be the same, far more may be achieved in any line by the aid of a capital, invigorating motive than without it. I. Taylor.
2. To obtain, or gain, as the result of exertion; to succeed in
gaining; to win.
Some are born great, some achieve greatness. Shak.
Thou hast achieved our liberty. Milton.
Note: [[Obs]., with a material thing as the aim.]
Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved. Prior.
He hath achieved a maid That paragons description. Shak.
3. To finish; to kill. [Obs.] Shak.
Syn. — To accomplish; effect; fulfill; complete; execute; perform; realize; obtain. See Accomplish.
ACHIEVEMENT
A*chieve"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. achèvement, E. Hatchment.]
1. The act of achieving or performing; an obtaining by exertion; successful performance; accomplishment; as, the achievement of his object.
2. A great or heroic deed; something accomplished by valor, boldness, or praiseworthy exertion; a feat. [The exploits] of the ancient saints . . . do far surpass the most famous achievements of pagan heroes. Barrow. The highest achievements of the human intellect. Macaulay.
3. (Her.)
Defn: An escutcheon or ensign armorial; now generally applied to the funeral shield commonly called hatchment. Cussans.
ACHIEVER
A*chiev"er, n.
Defn: One who achieves; a winner.
ACHILLEAN
Ach`il*le"an, a.
Defn: Resembling Achilles, the hero of the Iliad; invincible.
ACHILLES' TENDON
A*chil"les' ten"don, n. Etym: [L. Achillis tendo.] (Anat.)
Defn: The strong tendon formed of the united tendons of the large muscles in the calf of the leg, an inserted into the bone of the heel; — so called from the mythological account of Achilles being held by the heel when dipped in the River Styx.
ACHILOUS
A*chi"lous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: Without a lip.
ACHING
Ach"ing, a.
Defn: That aches; continuously painful. See Ache.
— Ach"ing*ly, adv.
The aching heart, the aching head. Longfellow.
ACHIOTE
A`chi*o"te, n. Etym: [Sp. achiote, fr. Indian achiotl.]
Defn: Seeds of the annotto tree; also, the coloring matter, annotto.
ACHLAMYDATE
A*chlam"y*date, a. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Not possessing a mantle; — said of certain gastropods.
ACHLAMYDEOUS
Ach`la*myd"e*ous, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Naked; having no floral envelope, neither calyx nor corolla.
ACHOLIA
A*cho"li*a, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Med.)
Defn: Deficiency or want of bile.
ACHOLOUS
Ach"o*lous, a. (Med.)
Defn: Lacking bile.
ACHROMATIC
Ach`ro*mat"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. achromatique.]
1. (Opt.)
Defn: Free from color; transmitting light without decomposing it into its primary colors.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: Uncolored; not absorbing color from a fluid; — said of tissue. Achromatic lens (Opt.), a lens composed usually of two separate lenses, a convex and concave, of substances having different refractive and dispersive powers, as crown and flint glass, with the curvatures so adjusted that the chromatic aberration produced by the one is corrected by other, and light emerges from the compound lens undecomposed. — Achromatic prism. See Prism. — Achromatic telescope, or microscope, one in which the chromatic aberration is corrected, usually by means of a compound or achromatic object glass, and which gives images free from extraneous color.
ACHROMATICALLY
Ach`ro*mat"ic*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In an achromatic manner.
ACHROMATICITY
Ach`ro*ma*tic"i*ty, n.
Defn: Achromatism.
ACHROMATIN
A*chro"ma*tin, n. (Biol.)
Defn: Tissue which is not stained by fluid dyes. W. Flemming.
ACHROMATISM
A*chro"ma*tism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. achromatisme.]
Defn: The state or quality of being achromatic; as, the achromatism of a lens; achromaticity. Nichol.
ACHROMATIZATION
A*chro`ma*ti*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. achromatisation.]
Defn: The act or process of achromatizing.
ACHROMATIZE
A*chro"ma*tize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Achromatized; p. pr. & vb. n.
Achromatizing.] Etym: [Gr.
Defn: To deprive of color; to make achromatic.
ACHROMATOPSY
A*chro"ma*top"sy, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Color blindness; inability to distinguish colors; Daltonism.
ACHROMATOUS
A*chro"ma*tous, a. [See Ahromatic.]
Defn: Lacking, or deficient in, color; as, achromatous blood.
ACHROMIC
A*chro"mic, a. [Gr. colorless; priv. + color.]
Defn: Free from color; colorless; as, in Physiol. Chem., the achromic point of a starch solution acted upon by an amylolytic enzyme is the point at which it fails to give any color with iodine.
ACHRONIC
A*chron"ic, a.
Defn: See Acronyc.
ACHROODEXTRIN; ACHROOEDEXTRIN
Ach`ro*ö*dex"trin, n. Etym: [Gr. dextrin.] (Physiol. Chem.)
Defn: Dextrin not colorable by iodine. See Dextrin.
ACHROOUS
Ach"ro*ous, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Colorless; achromatic.
ACHYLOUS
A*chy"lous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Physiol.)
Defn: Without chyle.
ACHYMOUS
A*chy"mous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Physiol.)
Defn: Without chyme.
ACICULA A*cic"u*la, n.; pl. Aciculæ. Etym: [L., a small needle, dimin. of acus needle.] (Nat. Hist.)
Defn: One of the needlelike or bristlelike spines or prickles of some animals and plants; also, a needlelike crystal.
ACICULAR
A*cic"u*lar, a.
Defn: Needle-shaped; slender like a needle or bristle, as some leaves or crystals; also, having sharp points like needless. A*cic"u*lar*ly, adv.
ACICULATE; ACICULATED A*cic"u*late, A*cic"u*la"ted a. (Nat. Hist.) (a) Furnished with aciculæ. (b) Acicular. (c) Marked with fine irregular streaks as if scratched by a needle. Lindley.
ACICULIFORM
A*cic"u*li*form, a. Etym: [L. acicula needle + -form.]
Defn: Needle-shaped; acicular.
ACICULITE
A*cic"u*lite, n. (Min.)
Defn: Needle ore. Brande & C.
ACID Ac"id, a. Etym: [L. acidus sour, fr. the root ak to be sharp: cf. F. acide. Cf. Acute.]
1. Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar: as, acid fruits or liquors. Also fig.: Sour-tempered. He was stern and his face as acid as ever. A. Trollope.
2. Of or pertaining to an acid; as, acid reaction.
ACID
Ac"id, n.
1. A sour substance.
2. (Chem.)
Defn: One of a class of compounds, generally but not always distinguished by their sour taste, solubility in water, and reddening of vegetable blue or violet colors. They are also characterized by the power of destroying the distinctive properties of alkalies or bases, combining with them to form salts, at the same time losing their own peculiar properties. They all contain hydrogen, united with a more negative element or radical, either alone, or more generally with oxygen, and take their names from this negative element or radical. Those which contain no oxygen are sometimes called hydracids in distinction from the others which are called oxygen acids or oxacids.
Note: In certain cases, sulphur, selenium, or tellurium may take the place of oxygen, and the corresponding compounds are called respectively sulphur acids or sulphacids, selenium acids, or tellurium acids. When the hydrogen of an acid is replaced by a positive element or radical, a salt is formed, and hence acids are sometimes named as salts of hydrogen; as hydrogen nitrate for nitric acid, hydrogen sulphate for sulphuric acid, etc. In the old chemistry the name acid was applied to the oxides of the negative or nonmetallic elements, now sometimes called anhydrides.
ACIDIC
A*cid"ic, a. (Min.)
Defn: Containing a high percentage of silica; — opposed to basic. an acidic solution.
ACIDIFEROUS
Ac`id*if"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. acidus sour + -ferous.]
Defn: Containing or yielding an acid.
ACIDIFIABLE
A*cid"i*fi`a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being acidified, or converted into an acid.
ACIDIFIC
Ac`id*if"ic, a.
Defn: Producing acidity; converting into an acid. Dana.
ACIDIFICATION
A*cid`i*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. acidification.]
Defn: The act or process of acidifying, or changing into an acid.
ACIDIFIER
A*cid"i*fi`er, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A simple or compound principle, whose presence is necessary to produce acidity, as oxygen, chlorine, bromine, iodine, etc.
ACIDIFY
A*cid"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acidified; p. pr. & vb. n.
Acidifying.] Etym: [L. acidus sour, acid + -fy: cf. F. acidifier.]
1. To make acid; to convert into an acid; as, to acidify sugar.
2. To sour; to imbitter. His thin existence all acidified into rage. Carlyle.
ACIDIMETER
Ac`id*im"e*ter, n. Etym: [L. acidus acid + -meter.] (Chem.)
Defn: An instrument for ascertaining the strength of acids. Ure.
ACIDIMETRY
Ac`id*im"e*try, n. Etym: [L. acidus acid + -metry.] (Chem.)
Defn: The measurement of the strength of acids, especially by a chemical process based on the law of chemical combinations, or the fact that, to produce a complete reaction, a certain definite weight of reagent is required. — Ac`id*i*met"ric*al, a.
ACIDITY
A*cid"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. acidites, fr. acidus: cf. F. acidité. See
Acid.]
Defn: The quality of being sour; sourness; tartness; sharpness to the taste; as, the acidity of lemon juice.
ACIDLY
Ac"id*ly, adv.
Defn: Sourly; tartly.
ACIDNESS
Ac"id*ness, n.
Defn: Acidity; sourness.
ACID PROCESS
Ac"id proc"ess. (Iron Metal.)
Defn: That variety of either the Bessemer or the open-hearth process in which the converter or hearth is lined with acid, that is, highly siliceous, material. Opposed to basic process.
ACIDULATE
A*cid"u*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acidulated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Acidulating.] Etym: [Cf. F. aciduler. See Acidulous.]
Defn: To make sour or acid in a moderate degree; to sour somewhat.
Arbuthnot.
ACIDULENT
A*cid"u*lent, a.
Defn: Having an acid quality; sour; acidulous. "With anxious, acidulent face." Carlyle.
ACIDULOUS
A*cid"u*lous, a. Etym: [L. acidulus, dim. of acidus. See Acid.]
Defn: Slightly sour; sub-acid; sourish; as, an acidulous tincture. E.
Burke. Acidulous mineral waters, such as contain carbonic anhydride.
ACIERAGE
Ac`i*er*age, n. Etym: [F. aciérage, fr. acier steel.]
Defn: The process of coating the surface of a metal plate (as a stereotype plate) with steellike iron by means of voltaic electricity; steeling.
ACIFORM
Ac"i*form, a. Etym: [L. acus needle + -form.]
Defn: Shaped like a needle.
ACINACEOUS
Ac"i*na"ceous, a. Etym: [L. acinus a grape, grapestone.] (Bot.)
Defn: Containing seeds or stones of grapes, or grains like them.
ACINACES
A*cin"a*ces, n. Etym: [L., from Gr. (Anc. Hist.)
Defn: A short sword or saber.
ACINACIFORM Ac`i*nac"i*form, a. Etym: [L. acinaces a short sword + -form: cf. F. acinaciforme.] (Bot.)
Defn: Scimeter-shaped; as, an acinaciform leaf.
ACINESIA
Ac`i*ne"si*a, n. (Med.)
Defn: Same as Akinesia.
ACINETAE
Ac`i*ne"tæ, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of suctorial Infusoria, which in the adult stage are stationary. See Suctoria.
ACINETIFORM
Ac`i*net"i*form, a. Etym: [Acinetæ + -form.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Resembling the Acinetæ.
ACINIFORM A*cin"i*form, a. Etym: [L. acinus a grape, grapestone + -form: cf. F. acinoforme.]
1. Having the form of a cluster of grapes; clustered like grapes.
2. Full of small kernels like a grape.
ACINOSE; ACINOUS
Ac"i*nose`, Ac"i*nous a. Etym: [L. acinosus, fr. acinus grapestone.]
Defn: Consisting of acini, or minute granular concretions; as, acinose or acinous glands. Kirwan.
ACINUS
Ac"i*nus, n.; pl. Acini. Etym: [L., grape, grapestone.]
1. (Bot.) (a) One of the small grains or drupelets which make up some kinds of fruit, as the blackberry, raspberry, etc. (b) A grapestone.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the granular masses which constitute a racemose or compound gland, as the pancreas; also, one of the saccular recesses in the lobules of a racemose gland. Quain.
ACIPENSER
Ac`i*pen"ser, n. Etym: [L., the name of a fish.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of ganoid fishes, including the sturgeons, having the body armed with bony scales, and the mouth on the under side of the head. See Sturgeon.
ACIURGY
Ac"i*ur`gy, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Operative surgery.
ACKNOW
Ac*know", v. t. Etym: [Pref. a- + know; AS. oncnawan.]
1. To recognize. [Obs.] "You will not be acknown, sir." B. Jonson.
2. To acknowledge; to confess. [Obs.] Chaucer. To be acknown (often with of or on), to acknowledge; to confess. [Obs.] We say of a stubborn body that standeth still in the denying of his fault, This man will not acknowledge his fault, or, He will not be acknown of his fault. Sir T. More.
ACKNOWLEDGE
Ac*knowl"edge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acknowledged; p. pr. & vb. n.
Acknowledging.] Etym: [Prob. fr. pref. a- + the verb knowledge. See
Knowledge, and ci. Acknow.]
1. To of or admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in; as, to acknowledge the being of a God. I acknowledge my transgressions. Ps. li. 3. For ends generally acknowledged to be good. Macaulay.
2. To own or recognize in a particular character or relationship; to admit the claims or authority of; to give recognition to. In all thy ways acknowledge Him. Prov. iii. 6. By my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee. Shak.
3. To own with gratitude or as a benefit or an obligation; as, to acknowledge a favor, the receipt of a letter. They his gifts acknowledged none. Milton.
4. To own as genuine; to assent to, as a legal instrument, to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form; as, to acknowledgea deed.
Syn. — To avow; proclaim; recognize; own; admit; allow; concede; confess. — Acknowledge, Recognize. Acknowledge is opposed to keep back, or conceal, and supposes that something had been previously known to us (though perhaps not to others) which we now feel bound to lay open or make public. Thus, a man acknowledges a secret marriage; one who has done wrong acknowledges his fault; and author acknowledges his obligation to those who have aided him; we acknowledge our ignorance. Recognize supposes that we have either forgotten or not had the evidence of a thing distinctly before our minds, but that now we know it (as it were) anew, or receive and admit in on the ground of the evidence it brings. Thus, we recognize a friend after a long absence. We recognize facts, principles, truths, etc., when their evidence is brought up fresh to the mind; as, bad men usually recognize the providence of God in seasons of danger. A foreign minister, consul, or agent, of any kind, is recognized on the ground of his producing satisfactory credentials. See also Confess.
ACKNOWLEDGEDLY
Ac*knowl"edged*ly, adv.
Defn: Confessedly.
ACKNOWLEDGER
Ac*knowl"edg*er, n.
Defn: One who acknowledges.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Ac*knowl"edg*ment, n.
1. The act of acknowledging; admission; avowal; owning; confession. "An acknowledgment of fault." Froude.
2. The act of owning or recognized in a particular character or relationship; recognition as regards the existence, authority, truth, or genuineness. Immediately upon the acknowledgment of the Christian faith, the eunuch was baptized by Philip. Hooker.
3. The owning of a benefit received; courteous recognition; expression of thanks. Shak.
4. Something given or done in return for a favor, message, etc. Smollett.
5. A declaration or avowal of one's own act, to give it legal validity; as, the acknowledgment of a deed before a proper officer. Also, the certificate of the officer attesting such declaration. Acknowledgment money, in some parts of England, a sum paid by copyhold tenants, on the death of their landlords, as an acknowledgment of their new lords. Cowell.
Syn. — Confession; concession; recognition; admission; avowal; recognizance.
ACLINIC
A*clin"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. (Physics.)
Defn: Without inclination or dipping; — said the magnetic needle balances itself horizontally, having no dip. The aclinic line is also termed the magnetic equator. Prof. August.
ACME
Ac"me, n. Etym: [Gr.
1. The top or highest point; the culmination.
The very acme and pitch of life for epic poetry. Pope.
The moment when a certain power reaches the acme of its supremacy. I.
Taylor.
2. (Med.)
Defn: The crisis or height of a disease.
3. Mature age; full bloom of life. B. Jonson.
ACNE
Ac"ne, n. Etym: [NL., prob. a corruption of Gr. (Med.)
Defn: A pustular affection of the skin, due to changes in the sebaceous glands.
ACNODAL
Ac*no"dal, a.
Defn: Pertaining to acnodes.
ACNODE
Ac"node, n. Etym: [L. acus needle + E. node.] (Geom.)
Defn: An isolated point not upon a curve, but whose coördinates satisfy the equation of the curve so that it is considered as belonging to the curve.
ACOCK
A*cock", adv. Etym: [Pref. a- + cock.]
Defn: In a cocked or turned up fashion.
ACOCKBILL A*cock"bill`, adv. Etym: [Prefix a- + cock + bill: with bills cocked up.] (Naut.) (a) Hanging at the cathead, ready to let go, as an anchor. (b) Topped up; having one yardarm higher than the other.
ACOLD
A*cold", a. Etym: [Prob. p. p. of OE. acolen to grow cold or cool,
AS. acolian to grow cold; pref. a- (cf. Goth. er-, orig. meaning out)
+ colian to cool. See Cool.]
Defn: Cold. [Obs.] "Poor Tom's acold." Shak.
ACOLOGIC
Ac`o*log"ic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to acology.
ACOLOGY
A*col"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. -logy.]
Defn: Materia medica; the science of remedies.
ACOLOTHIST
A*col"o*thist, n.
Defn: See Acolythist.
ACOLYCTINE
Ac`o*lyc"tine, n. Etym: [From the name of the plant.] (Chem.)
Defn: An organic base, in the form of a white powder, obtained from
Aconitum lycoctonum. Eng. Cyc.
ACOLYTE
Ac`o*lyte, n. Etym: [LL. acolythus, acoluthus, Gr. acolyte.]
1. (Eccl.)
Defn: One who has received the highest of the four minor orders in the Catholic church, being ordained to carry the wine and water and the lights at the Mass.
2. One who attends; an assistant. "With such chiefs, and with James and John as acolytes." Motley.
ACOLYTH
Ac"o*lyth, n.
Defn: Same as Acolyte.
ACOLYTHIST
A*col"y*thist, n.
Defn: An acolyte. [Obs.]
ACONDDYLOSE; ACONDYLOUS
A*cond"dy*lose`, A*con"dy*lous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Nat. Hist.)
Defn: Being without joints; jointless.
ACONITAL
Ac`o*ni"tal, a.
Defn: Of the nature of aconite.
ACONITE
Ac"o*nite, n. Etym: [L. aconitum, Gr. aconit.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: The herb wolfsbane, or monkshood; — applied to any plant of the genus Aconitum (tribe Hellebore), all the species of which are poisonous.
2. An extract or tincture obtained from Aconitum napellus, used as a poison and medicinally. Winter aconite, a plant (Eranthis hyemalis) allied to the aconites.
ACONITIA
Ac`o*ni"ti*a, n. (Chem.)
Defn: Same as Aconitine.
ACONITIC
Ac`o*nit"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to aconite.
ACONITINE
A*con"i*tine, n. (Chem.)
Defn: An intensely poisonous alkaloid, extracted from aconite.
ACONITUM
Ac`o*ni"tum, n. Etym: [L. See Aconite.]
Defn: The poisonous herb aconite; also, an extract from it.
Strong As aconitum or rash gunpowder. Shak.
ACONTIA
A*con"ti*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Threadlike defensive organs, composed largely of nettling cells (cnidæ), thrown out of the mouth or special pores of certain Actiniæ when irritated.
ACONTIAS
A*con"ti*as, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Anciently, a snake, called dart snake; now, one of a genus of reptiles closely allied to the lizards.
ACOPIC
A*cop"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. priv. + (Med.)
Defn: Relieving weariness; restorative.
ACORN A"corn, n. Etym: [AS. æcern, fr. æcer field, acre; akin to D. aker acorn, Ger. ecker, Icel. akarn, Dan. agern, Goth. akran fruit, akrs field; — orig. fruit of the field. See Acre.]
1. The fruit of the oak, being an oval nut growing in a woody cup or cupule.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: A cone-shaped piece of wood on the point of the spindle above the vane, on the mast-head.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Acorn-shell.
ACORN CUP
A"corn cup.
Defn: The involucre or cup in which the acorn is fixed.
ACORNED
A"corned, a.
1. Furnished or loaded with acorns.
2. Fed or filled with acorns. [R.] Shak.
ACORN-SHELL
A"corn-shell`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the sessile cirripeds; a barnacle of the genus Balanus.
See Barnacle.
ACOSMISM
A*cos"mism, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: A denial of the existence of the universe as distinct from God.
ACOSMIST
A*cos"mist, n. Etym: [See Acosmism.]
Defn: One who denies the existence of the universe, or of a universe as distinct from God. G. H. Lewes.
ACOTYLEDON
A*cot`y*le"don (#; 277), n. Etym: [Gr. Cotyledon.] (Bot.)
Defn: A plant which has no cotyledons, as the dodder and all flowerless plants.
ACOTYLEDONOUS
A*cot`y*led"on*ous (#; 277), a.
Defn: Having no seed lobes, as the dodder; also applied to plants which have no true seeds, as ferns, mosses, etc.
ACOUCHY
A*cou"chy, n. Etym: [F. acouchi, from the native name Guiana.]
(Zoöl.)
Defn: A small species of agouti (Dasyprocta acouchy).
ACOUMETER
A*cou"me*ter, n. Etym: [Gr. -meter.] (Physics.)
Defn: An instrument for measuring the acuteness of the sense of hearing. Itard.
ACOUMETRY
A*cou"me*try, n. Etym: [Gr. -metry.]
Defn: The measuring of the power or extent of hearing.
ACOUSTIC
A*cous"tic (#; 277), a. Etym: [F. acoustique, Gr.
Defn: Pertaining to the sense of hearing, the organs of hearing, or the science of sounds; auditory. Acoustic duct, the auditory duct, or external passage of the ear. — Acoustic telegraph, a telegraph making audible signals; a telephone. — Acoustic vessels, brazen tubes or vessels, shaped like a bell, used in ancient theaters to propel the voices of the actors, so as to render them audible to a great distance.
ACOUSTIC
A*cous"tic, n.
Defn: A medicine or agent to assist hearing.
ACOUSTICAL
A*cous"tic*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to acoustics.
ACOUSTICALLY
A*cous"tic*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In relation to sound or to hearing. Tyndall.
ACOUSTICIAN
Ac`ous*ti"cian, n.
Defn: One versed in acoustics. Tyndall.
ACOUSTICS A*cous"tics (#; 277), n. Etym: [Names of sciences in -ics, as, acoustics, mathematics, etc., are usually treated as singular. See - ics.] (Physics.)
Defn: The science of sounds, teaching their nature, phenomena, and
laws.
Acoustics, then, or the science of sound, is a very considerable
branch of physics. Sir J. Herschel.
Note: The science is, by some writers, divided, into diacoustics, which explains the properties of sounds coming directly from the ear; and catacoustica, which treats of reflected sounds or echoes.
ACQUAINT
Ac*quaint", a. Etym: [OF. acoint. See Acquaint, v. t.]
Defn: Acquainted. [Obs.]
ACQUAINT Ac*quaint", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acquainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquainting.] Etym: [OE. aqueinten, acointen, OF. acointier, LL. adcognitare, fr. L. ad + cognitus, p. p. of cognoscere to know; con- + noscere to know. See Quaint, Know.]
1. To furnish or give experimental knowledge of; to make (one) to know; to make familiar; — followed by with. Before a man can speak on any subject, it is necessary to be acquainted with it. Locke. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Isa. liii. 3.
2. To communicate notice to; to inform; to make cognizant; — followed by with (formerly, also, by of), or by that, introducing the intelligence; as, to acquaint a friend with the particulars of an act. Acquaint her here of my son Paris' love. Shak. I must acquaint you that I have received New dated letters from Northumberland. Shak.
3. To familiarize; to accustom. [Obs.] Evelyn. To be acquainted with, to be possessed of personal knowledge of; to be cognizant of; to be more or less familiar with; to be on terms of social intercourse with.
Syn.
— To inform; apprise; communicate; advise.
ACQUAINTABLE
Ac*quaint"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. OF. acointable].
Defn: Easy to be acquainted with; affable. [Obs.] Rom. of R.
ACQUAINTANCE Ac*quaint"ance, n. Etym: [OE. aqueintance, OF. acointance, fr. acointier. See Acquaint.]
1. A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of friendship or intimacy; as, I know the man; but have no acquaintance with him. Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man. Sir W. Jones.
2. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted. Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson. Macaulay.
Note: In this sense the collective term acquaintance was formerly both singular and plural, but it is now commonly singular, and has the regular plural acquaintances. To be of acquaintance, to be intimate. — To take acquaintance of or with, to make the acquaintance of. [Obs.]
Syn. — Familiarity; intimacy; fellowship; knowledge. — Acquaintance, Familiarity, Intimacy. These words mark different degrees of closeness in social intercourse. Acquaintance arises from occasional intercourse; as, our acquaintance has been a brief one. We can speak of a slight or an intimate acquaintance. Familiarity is the result of continued acquaintance. It springs from persons being frequently together, so as to wear off all restraint and reserve; as, the familiarity of old companions. Intimacy is the result of close connection, and the freest interchange of thought; as, the intimacy of established friendship. Our admiration of a famous man lessens upon our nearer acquaintance with him. Addison. We contract at last such a familiarity with them as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call off our minds. Atterbury. It is in our power to confine our friendships and intimacies to men of virtue. Rogers.
ACQUAINTANCESHIP
Ac*quaint"ance*ship, n.
Defn: A state of being acquainted; acquaintance. Southey.
ACQUAINTANT
Ac*quaint"ant, n. Etym: [Cf. F. acointant, p. pr.]
Defn: An acquaintance. [R.] Swift.
ACQUAINTED
Ac*quaint"ed, a.
Defn: Personally known; familiar. See To be acquainted with, under
Acquaint, v. t.
ACQUAINTEDNESS
Ac*quaint"ed*ness, n.
Defn: State of being acquainted; degree of acquaintance. [R.] Boyle.
ACQUEST Ac*quest", n. Etym: [OF. aquest, F. acquêt, fr. LL. acquestum, acquisitum, for L. acquisitum, p. p. (used substantively) of acquirere to acquire. See Acquire.]
1. Acquisition; the thing gained. [R.] Bacon.
2. (Law)
Defn: Property acquired by purchase, gift, or otherwise than by inheritance. Bouvier.
ACQUIESCE
Ac`qui*esce", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Acquiesced; p. pr. & vb. n.
Acquiescing] Etym: [L. acquiescere; ad + quiescere to be quiet, fr.
quies rest: cf. F. acquiescer. See Quiet.]
1. To rest satisfied, or apparently satisfied, or to rest without opposition and discontent (usually implying previous opposition or discontent); to accept or consent by silence or by omitting to object; — followed by in, formerly also by with and to. They were compelled to acquiesce in a government which they did not regard as just. De Quincey.
2. To concur upon conviction; as, to acquiesce in an opinion; to assent to; usually, to concur, not heartily but so far as to forbear opposition.
Syn. — To submit; comply; yield; assent; agree; consent; accede; concur; conform; accept tacitly.
ACQUIESCENCE
Ac`qui*es"cence, n. Etym: [Cf. F. acquiescence.]
1. A silent or passive assent or submission, or a submission with apparent content; — distinguished from avowed consent on the one hand, and on the other, from opposition or open discontent; quiet satisfaction.
2. (Crim. Law) (a) Submission to an injury by the party injured. (b) Tacit concurrence in the action of another. Wharton. p. 17
ACQUIESCENCY
Ac`qui*es"cen*cy, n.
Defn: The quality of being acquiescent; acquiescence.
ACQUIESCENT
Ac`qui*es"cent, a. Etym: [L. acquiescens, -; p. pr.]
Defn: Resting satisfied or submissive; disposed tacitly to submit; assentive; as, an acquiescent policy.
ACQUIESCENTLY
Ac`qui*es"cent*ly, adv.
Defn: In an acquiescent manner.
ACQUIET Ac*qui"et, v. t. Etym: [LL. acquietare; L. ad + quies rest. See Quiet and cf. Acquit.]
Defn: To quiet. [Obs.]
Acquiet his mind from stirring you against your own peace. Sir A.
Sherley.
ACQUIRABILITY
Ac*quir"a*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality of being acquirable; attainableness. [R.] Paley.
ACQUIRABLE
Ac*quir"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being acquired.
ACQUIRE
Ac*quire", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acquired; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquiring.]
Etym: [L. acquirere, acquisitum; ad + quarere to seek for. In OE. was
a verb aqueren, fr. the same, through OF. aquerre. See Quest..]
Defn: To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own; as, to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits. No virtue is acquired in an instant, but step by step. Barrow. Descent is the title whereby a man, on the death of his ancestor, acquires his estate, by right of representation, as his heir at law. Blackstone.
Syn.
— To obtain; gain; attain; procure; win; earn; secure. See Obtain.
ACQUIREMENT
Ac*quire"ment, n.
Defn: The act of acquiring, or that which is acquired; attainment.
"Rules for the acquirement of a taste." Addison.
His acquirements by industry were . . . enriched and enlarged by many
excellent endowments of nature. Hayward.
Syn. — Acquisition, Acquirement. Acquirement is used in opposition to a natural gift or talent; as, eloquence, and skill in music and painting, are acquirements; genius is the gift or endowment of nature. It denotes especially personal attainments, in opposition to material or external things gained, which are more usually called acquisitions; but this distinction is not always observed.
ACQUIRER
Ac*quir"er, n.
Defn: A person who acquires.
ACQUIRY
Ac*quir"y, n.
Defn: Acquirement. [Obs.] Barrow.
ACQUISITE
Ac"qui*site, a. Etym: [L. acquisitus, p. p. of acquirere. See
Acquire.]
Defn: Acquired. [Obs.] Burton.
ACQUISITION Ac`qui*si"tion, n. Etym: [L. acquisitio, fr. acquirere: cf. F. acquisition. See Acquire.]
1. The act or process of acquiring. The acquisition or loss of a province. Macaulay.
2. The thing acquired or gained; an acquirement; a gain; as, learning is an acquisition.
Syn.
— See Acquirement.
ACQUISITIVE
Ac*quis"i*tive, a.
1. Acquired. [Obs.] He died not in his acquisitive, but in his native soil. Wotton.
2. Able or disposed to make acquisitions; acquiring; as, an acquisitive person or disposition.
ACQUISITIVELY
Ac*quis"i*tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In the way of acquisition.
ACQUISITIVENESS
Ac*quis"i*tive*ness, n.
1. The quality of being acquisitive; propensity to acquire property; desire of possession.
2. (Phren.)
Defn: The faculty to which the phrenologists attribute the desire of acquiring and possessing. Combe.
ACQUISITOR
Ac*quis"i*tor, n.
Defn: One who acquires.
ACQUIST
Ac*quist", n. Etym: [Cf. Acquest.]
Defn: Acquisition; gain. Milton.
ACQUIT
Ac*quit", p. p.
Defn: Acquitted; set free; rid of. [Archaic] Shak.
ACQUIT
Ac*quit", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acquitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquitting.]
Etym: [OE. aquiten, OF. aquiter, F. acquitter; (L. ad) + OF. quiter,
F. quitter, to quit. See Quit, and cf. Acquiet.]
1. To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to pay off; to requite. A responsibility that can never be absolutely acquitted. I. Taylor.
2. To pay for; to atone for. [Obs.] Shak.
3. To set free, release or discharge from an obligation, duty, liability, burden, or from an accusation or charge; — now followed by of before the charge, formerly by from; as, the jury acquitted the prisoner; we acquit a man of evil intentions.
4. Reflexively: (a) To clear one's self.k. (b) To bear or conduct one's self; to perform one's part; as, the soldier acquitted himself well in battle; the orator acquitted himself very poorly.
Syn. — To absolve; clear; exonerate; exonerate; exculpate; release; discharge. See Absolve.
ACQUITMENT
Ac*quit"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. aquitement.]
Defn: Acquittal. [Obs.] Milton.
ACQUITTAL
Ac*quit"tal, n.
1. The act of acquitting; discharge from debt or obligation; acquittance.
2. (Law)
Defn: A setting free, or deliverance from the charge of an offense, by verdict of a jury or sentence of a court. Bouvier.
ACQUITTANCE
Ac*quit"tance, n. Etym: [OF. aquitance, fr. aquiter. See Acquit.]
1. The clearing off of debt or obligation; a release or discharge from debt or other liability.
2. A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand. You can produce acquittances For such a sum, from special officers. Shak.
ACQUITTANCE
Ac*quit"tance, v. t.
Defn: To acquit. [Obs.] Shak.
ACQUITTER
Ac*quit"ter, n.
Defn: One who acquits or releases.
ACRANIA
A*cra"ni*a, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr.
1. (Physiol.)
Defn: Partial or total absence of the skull.
2. pl. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The lowest group of Vertebrata, including the amphioxus, in which no skull exists.
ACRANIAL
A*cra"ni*al, a.
Defn: Wanting a skull.
ACRASE; ACRAZE A*crase", A*craze", v. t. Etym: [Pref. a- + crase; or cf. F. écraser to crush. See Crase, Craze.]
1. To craze. [Obs.] Grafton.
2. To impair; to destroy. [Obs.] Hacket.
ACRASIA; ACRASY
A*cra"si*a, Ac"ra*sy n. Etym: [Gr. akrasia.]
Defn: Excess; intemperance. [Obs. except in Med.] Farindon.
ACRASPEDA
A*cras"pe*da, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of acalephs, including most of the larger jellyfishes; the Discophora.
ACRE
A"cre, n. Etym: [OE. aker, AS. æcer; akin to OS. accar, OHG. achar,
Ger. acker, Icel. akr, Sw. åker, Dan. ager, Goth. akrs, L. ager, Gr.
ajra. *2, 206.]
1. Any field of arable or pasture land. [Obs.]
2. A piece of land, containing 160 square rods, or 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet. This is the English statute acre. That of the United States is the same. The Scotch acre was about 1.26 of the English, and the Irish 1.62 of the English.
Note: The acre was limited to its present definite quantity by statutes of Edward I., Edward III., and Henry VIII. Broad acres, many acres, much landed estate. [Rhetorical] — God's acre, God's field; the churchyard. I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls The burial ground, God's acre. Longfellow.
ACREABLE
A"cre*a*ble, a.
Defn: Of an acre; per acre; as, the acreable produce.
ACREAGE
A"cre*age, n.
Defn: Acres collectively; as, the acreage of a farm or a country.
ACRED
A"cred, a.
Defn: Possessing acres or landed property; — used in composition; as, large-acred men.
ACRID
Ac"rid, a. Etym: [L. acer sharp; prob. assimilated in form to acid.
See Eager.]
1. Sharp and harsh, or bitter and not, to the taste; pungent; as, acrid salts.
2. Causing heat and irritation; corrosive; as, acrid secretions.
3. Caustic; bitter; bitterly irritating; as, acrid temper, mind, writing. Acrid poison, a poison which irritates, corrodes, or burns the parts to which it is applied.
ACRIDITY; ACRIDNESS
A*crid"i*ty, Ac"rid*ness n.
Defn: The quality of being acrid or pungent; irritant bitterness; acrimony; as, the acridity of a plant, of a speech.
ACRIDLY
Ac"rid*ly, adv.
Defn: In an acid manner.
ACRIMONIOUS
Ac"ri*mo"ni*ous, a. Etym: [Cf. LL. acrimonious, F. acrimonieux.]
1. Acrid; corrosive; as, acrimonious gall. [Archaic] Harvey.
2. Caustic; bitter-tempered' sarcastic; as, acrimonious dispute, language, temper.
ACRIMONIOUSLY
Ac`ri*mo"ni*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: In an acrimonious manner.
ACRIMONIOUSNESS
Ac`ri*mo"ni*ous*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being acrimonious; asperity; acrimony.
ACRIMONY Ac"ri*mo*ny, n.; pl. Acrimonies. Etym: [L. acrimonia, fr. acer, sharp: cf. F. acrimonie.]
1. A quality of bodies which corrodes or destroys others; also, a harsh or biting sharpness; as, the acrimony of the juices of certain plants. [Archaic] Bacon.
2. Sharpness or severity, as of language or temper; irritating bitterness of disposition or manners. John the Baptist set himself with much acrimony and indignation to baffle this senseless arrogant conceit of theirs. South.
Syn. — Acrimony, Asperity, Harshness, Tartness. These words express different degrees of angry feeling or language. Asperity and harshness arise from angry feelings, connected with a disregard for the feelings of others. Harshness usually denotes needless severity or an undue measure of severity. Acrimony is a biting sharpness produced by an imbittered spirit. Tartness denotes slight asperity and implies some degree of intellectual readiness. Tartness of reply; harshness of accusation; acrimony of invective. In his official letters he expressed, with great acrimony, his contempt for the king's character. Macaulay. It is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received. Johnson. A just reverence of mankind prevents the growth of harshness and brutality. Shaftesbury.
ACRISIA; ACRISY
A*cris"i*a, Ac"ri*sy, n. Etym: [LL. acrisia, Gr.
1. Inability to judge.
2. (Med.)
Defn: Undecided character of a disease. [Obs.]
ACRITA
Ac"ri*ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The lowest groups of animals, in which no nervous system has been observed.
ACRITAN
Ac"ri*tan, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Acrita.
— n. An individual of the Acrita.
ACRITE
Ac"rite, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Acritan. Owen.
ACRITICAL
A*crit"ic*al, a. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)
Defn: Having no crisis; giving no indications of a crisis; as, acritical symptoms, an acritical abscess.
ACRITOCHROMACY
Ac`ri*to*chro"ma*cy, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Color blindness; achromatopsy.
ACRITUDE
Ac"ri*tude, n. Etym: [L. acritudo, from acer sharp.]
Defn: Acridity; pungency joined with heat. [Obs.]
ACRITY
Ac"ri*ty, n. Etym: [L. acritas, fr. acer sharp: cf. F. âcreté.]
Defn: Sharpness; keenness. [Obs.]
ACROAMATIC; ACROAMATICAL
Ac`ro*a*mat"ic, Ac`ro*a*mat"ic*al, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Communicated orally; oral; — applied to the esoteric teachings of Aristotle, those intended for his genuine disciples, in distinction from his exoteric doctrines, which were adapted to outsiders or the public generally. Hence: Abstruse; profound.
ACROATIC
Ac`ro*at"ic, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Same as Acroamatic.
ACROBAT
Ac"ro*bat, n. Etym: [F. acrobate, fr. Gr.
Defn: One who practices rope dancing, high vaulting, or other daring gymnastic feats.
ACROBATIC
Ac`ro*bat"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. acrobatique.]
Defn: Pertaining to an acrobat.
— Ac`ro*bat"ic*al*ly, adv.
ACROBATISM
Ac"ro*bat*ism, n.
Defn: Feats of the acrobat; daring gymnastic feats; high vaulting.
ACROCARPOUS Ac`ro*car"pous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.) (a) Having a terminal fructification; having the fruit at the end of the stalk. (b) Having the fruit stalks at the end of a leafy stem, as in certain mosses.
ACROCEPHALIC
Ac`ro*ce*phal"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. Cephalic.]
Defn: Characterized by a high skull.
ACROCEPHALY
Ac`ro*ceph"a*ly, n.
Defn: Loftiness of skull.
ACROCERAUNIAN
Ac`ro*ce*rau"ni*an, a. Etym: [L. acroceraunius, fr. Gr.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the high mountain range of "thunder- smitten" peaks (now Kimara), between Epirus and Macedonia. Shelley.
ACRODACTYLUM
Ac`ro*dac"tyl*um, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The upper surface of the toes, individually.
ACRODONT
Ac"ro*dont, n. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of a group of lizards having the teeth immovably united to the top of the alveolar ridge. — a. Of or pertaining to the acrodonts.
ACROGEN
Ac"ro*gen, n. Etym: [Gr. -gen.] (Bot.)
Defn: A plant of the highest class of cryptograms, including the ferns, etc. See Cryptogamia. The Age of Acrogens (Geol.), the age of coal plants, or the carboniferous era.
ACROGENOUS
Ac*rog"e*nous, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Increasing by growth from the extremity; as, an acrogenous plant.
ACROLEIN
A*cro"le*in, n. Etym: [L. acer sharp + olere to smell.] (Chem.)
Defn: A limpid, colorless, highly volatile liquid, obtained by the dehydration of glycerin, or the destructive distillation of neutral fats containing glycerin. Its vapors are intensely irritating. Watts.
ACROLITH
Ac"ro*lith, n. Etym: [L. acrolthus, Gr. with the ends made of stone;
(Arch. & Sculp.)
Defn: A statue whose extremities are of stone, the trunk being generally of wood. Elmes.
ACROLITHAN; ACROLITHIC
A*crol"i*than, Ac`ro*lith"ic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or like, an acrolith.
ACROMEGALY
Ac`ro*meg"a*ly, n. Etym: [NL. acromegalia, fr. Gr. (Med.)
Defn: Chronic enlargement of the extremities and face.
ACROMIAL
A*cro"mi*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. acromial.] (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the acromion. Dunglison.
ACROMION
A*cro"mi*on, n. Etym: [Gr. acromion.] (Anat.)
Defn: The outer extremity of the shoulder blade.
ACROMONOGRAMMATIC
Ac`ro*mon`o*gram*mat"ic, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Having each verse begin with the same letter as that with which the preceding verse ends.
ACRONYC; ACRONYCHAL
A*cron"yc, A*cron"ych*al, a. Etym: [Gr. (Astron.)
Defn: Rising at sunset and setting at sunrise, as a star; — opposed to cosmical.
Note: The word is sometimes incorrectly written acronical, achronychal, acronichal, and acronical.
ACRONYCALLY
A*cron"yc*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In an acronycal manner as rising at the setting of the sun, and vise versâ.
ACRONYCTOUS
Ac"ro*nyc"tous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Astron.)
Defn: Acronycal.
ACROOK
A*crook", adv.
Defn: Crookedly. [R.] Udall.
ACROPETAL
A*crop"e*tal, a. Etym: [Gr. petere to seek.] (Bot.)
Defn: Developing from below towards the apex, or from the circumference towards the center; centripetal; — said of certain inflorescence.
ACROPHONY; ACHROPHONY
A*croph"o*ny, A*chroph"o*ny, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: The use of a picture symbol of an object to represent phonetically the initial sound of the name of the object.
ACROPHONY
A*croph"o*ny, n. [Gr. 'a`kros extreme + sound.]
Defn: The use of a picture symbol of an object to represent phonetically the initial sound of the name of the object.
ACROPODIUM
Ac`ro*po"di*um, n. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The entire upper surface of the foot.
ACROPOLIS
A*crop"o*lis, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: The upper part, or the citadel, of a Grecian city; especially, the citadel of Athens.
ACROPOLITAN
Ac"ro*pol"i*tan, a.
Defn: Pertaining to an acropolis.
ACROSPIRE
Ac"ro*spire, n. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: The sprout at the end of a seed when it begins to germinate; the plumule in germination; — so called from its spiral form.
ACROSPIRE
Ac"ro*spire, v. i.
Defn: To put forth the first sprout.
ACROSPORE
Ac"ro*spore, n. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: A spore borne at the extremity of the cells of fructification in fungi.
ACROSPOROUS
Ac"ro*spor"ous, a.
Defn: Having acrospores.
ACROSS
A*cross" (#; 115), prep. Etym: [Pref. a- + cross: cf. F. en croix.
See Cross, n.]
Defn: From side to side; athwart; crosswise, or in a direction opposed to the length; quite over; as, a bridge laid across a river. Dryden. To come across, to come upon or meet incidentally. Freeman. — To go across the country, to go by a direct course across a region without following the roads.
ACROSS
A*cross", adv.
1. From side to side; crosswise; as, with arms folded across. Shak.
2. Obliquely; athwart; amiss; awry. [Obs.] The squint-eyed Pharisees look across at all the actions of Christ. Bp. Hall.
ACROSTIC
A*cros"tic, n. Etym: [Gr.
1. A composition, usually in verse, in which the first or the last letters of the lines, or certain other letters, taken in order, form a name, word, phrase, or motto.
2. A Hebrew poem in which the lines or stanzas begin with the letters of the alphabet in regular order (as Psalm cxix.). See Abecedarian. Double acrostic, a species of enigma, in which words are to be guessed whose initial and final letters form other words.
ACROSTIC; ACROSTICAL
A*cros"tic, A*cros"ti*cal, n.
Defn: Pertaining to, or characterized by, acrostics.
ACROSTICALLY
A*cros"tic*al*ly, adv.
Defn: After the manner of an acrostic.
ACROTARSIUM
Ac`ro*tar"si*um, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The instep or front of the tarsus.
ACROTELEUTIC
Ac`ro*te*leu"tic, n. Etym: [Gr. (Eccles.)
Defn: The end of a verse or psalm, or something added thereto, to be sung by the people, by way of a response.
ACROTER
Ac"ro*ter, n. Etym: [F. acrotère. See Acroterium.] (Arch.)
Defn: Same as Acroterium.
ACROTERIAL
Ac`ro*te"ri*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to an acroterium; as, ornaments. P. Cyc.
ACROTERIUM Ac`ro*te`ri*um, n.; pl. Acrotplwia. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Arch.) (a) One of the small pedestals, for statues or other ornaments, placed on the apex and at the basal angles of a pediment. Acroteria are also sometimes placed upon the gables in Gothic architecture. J. H. Parker. (b) One of the pedestals, for vases or statues, forming a part roof balustrade.
ACROTIC
A*crot"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)
Defn: Pertaining to or affecting the surface.
ACROTISM
Ac"ro*tism, n. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)
Defn: Lack or defect of pulsation.
ACROTOMOUS
A*crot"o*mous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Min.)
Defn: Having a cleavage parallel with the base.
ACRYLIC
A*cryl"ic, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Of or containing acryl, the hypothetical radical of which acrolein is the hydride; as, acrylic acid.