Aberrational Ab`er·ra"tion·al adjective Characterized by aberration.

Aberuncate Ab`e·run"cate transitive verb [ Latin aberuncare , for aberruncare . See Averruncate .] To weed out. [ Obsolete] Bailey.

Aberuncator Ab`e·run"ca·tor noun A weeding machine.

Abet A·bet" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Abetted ; present participle & verbal noun Abetting .] [ Old French abeter ; a (L. ad ) + beter to bait (as a bear), from Icelandic beita to set dogs on, to feed, originally, to cause to bite, from Icelandic bīta 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. [ Obsolete].

Our duty is urged, and our confidence abetted .
Jer. Taylor.

3. (Law) 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" noun [ Old French abet , from abeter .] Act of abetting; aid. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Abetment A·bet"ment (-m e nt) noun The act of abetting; as, an abetment of treason, crime, etc.

Abettal A·bet"tal noun Abetment. [ R.]

Abetter, Abettor A·bet"ter, A·bet·tor noun One who abets; an instigator of an offense or an offender.

» 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 noun [ Prefix ab- + evacuation .] (Medicine) A partial evacuation. Mayne.

Abeyance A·bey"ance noun [ Old French abeance expectation, longing; a (L. ad ) + baer , beer , to gape, to look with open mouth, to expect, French bayer , Late Latin badare to gape.] 1. (Law) Expectancy; condition of being undetermined.

» 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 noun Abeyance. [ R.] Hawthorne.

Abeyant A·bey"ant adjective Being in a state of abeyance.

Abgeordnetenhaus Ab"ge·ord`ne·ten·haus` noun [ G.] See Legislature , Austria , Prussia .

Abhal Ab"hal noun The berries of a species of cypress in the East Indies.

Abhominable Ab·hom"i·na·ble adjective Abominable. [ 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 adjective [ Latin ab away from + homo , hominis , man.] Inhuman. [ Obsolete] Fuller.

Abhor Ab·hor" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Abhorred ; present participle & verbal noun Abhorring .] [ Latin abhorrere ; ab + horrere to bristle, shiver, shudder: confer French 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. [ Obsolete]

It doth abhor me now I speak the word.
Shak.

3. (Canon Law) To protest against; to reject solemnly. [ Obsolete]

I utterly abhor , yea, from my soul
Refuse you for my judge.
Shak.

Syn. -- To hate; detest; loathe; abominate. See Hate .

Abhor Ab·hor" intransitive verb To shrink back with horror, disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse; -- with from . [ Obsolete] "To abhor from those vices." Udall.

Which is utterly abhorring from the end of all law.
Milton.

Abhorrence Ab·hor"rence noun Extreme hatred or detestation; the feeling of utter dislike.

Abhorrency Ab·hor"ren·cy noun Abhorrence. [ Obsolete] Locke.

Abhorrent Ab·hor"rent adjective [ Latin abhorens , -rentis , present participle 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 adverb With abhorrence.

Abhorrer Ab·hor"rer noun One who abhors. Hume.

Abhorrible Ab·hor"ri·ble adjective Detestable. [ R.]

Abhorring Ab·hor"ring noun 1. Detestation. Milton.

2. Object of abhorrence. Isa. lxvi. 24.

Abib A"bib noun [ Hebrew abīb , lit. an ear of corn. The month was so called from barley being at that time in ear.] 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 noun 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" intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Abode formerly Abid ; present participle & verbal noun Abiding ] [ Anglo-Saxon ābīdan ; prefix ā- (cf. Goth. us- , German er- , orig. meaning out ) + bīdan to bide. See Bide .] 1. To wait; to pause; to delay. [ Obsolete] 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" transitive verb 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.

[ [Obsolete], 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. [ Confused with aby to pay for. See Aby .] To stand the consequences of; to answer for; to suffer for.

Dearly I abide that boast so vain.
Milton.

Abider A·bid"er noun 1. One who abides, or continues. [ Obsolete] "Speedy goers and strong abiders ." Sidney.

2. One who dwells; a resident. Speed.

Abiding A·bid"ing adjective Continuing; lasting.

Abidingly A·bid"ing·ly adverb Permanently. Carlyle.

Abies A"bi·es noun [ Latin , fir tree.] (Botany) 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 noun [ Latin abies , abietis , a fir tree.] A volatile oil distilled from the resin or balsam of the nut pine ( Pinus sabiniana ) of California.

Abietic Ab`i·et"ic adjective 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 noun [ See Abietene .] (Chemistry) 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 adjective Of or pertaining to abietin; as, abietinic acid.

Abietite Ab"i·e·tite noun (Chemistry) A substance resembling mannite, found in the needles of the common silver fir of Europe ( Abies pectinata ). Eng. Cyc.

Abigail Ab"i·gail noun [ The proper name used as an appellative.] 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 (ȧ*bĭl"ĭ*m e nt) noun Habiliment. [ Obsolete]

Ability A·bil"i·ty noun ; plural Abilities [ French habileté , earlier spelling habilité (with silent h ), Latin habilitas aptitude, ability, from habilis apt. See Able .] 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", A·byme" noun [ French abîme . See Abysm .] A abyss. [ Obsolete]

Abiogenesis Ab`i·o·gen"e·sis noun [ Greek 'a priv. + ... life + ..., origin, birth.] (Biol.) 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 adjective (Biol.) Of or pertaining to abiogenesis. Ab`i*o*ge*net"ic*al*ly , adverb

Abiogenist Ab`i·og"e·nist noun (Biol.) One who believes that life can be produced independently of antecedent. Huxley.

Abiogenous Ab`i·og"e·nous adjective (Biol.) Produced by spontaneous generation.

Abiogeny Ab`i·og"e·ny noun (Biol.) Same as Abiogenesis .

Abiological Ab`i·o·log"ic·al adjective [ Greek 'a priv. + English biological .] Pertaining to the study of inanimate things.

Abirritant Ab·ir"ri·tant noun (Medicine) A medicine that diminishes irritation.

Abirritate Ab·ir"ri·tate transitive verb [ Prefix ab- + irritate .] (Medicine) To diminish the sensibility of; to debilitate.

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