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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Ablution Ab·lu`tion noun [ Latin ablutio , from abluere : confer French 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.) 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 adjective Pertaining to ablution.

Abluvion Ab·lu"vi·on noun [ Late Latin abluvio . See Abluent .] That which is washed off. [ R.] Dwight.

Ably A"bly adverb In an able manner; with great ability; as, ably done, planned, said.

Abnegate Ab"ne·gate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Abnegated ; present participle & verbal noun Abnegating .] [ Latin abnegatus ,past participle of abnegare ; ab + negare to deny. See Deny .] To deny and reject; to abjure. Sir E. Sandys. Farrar.

Abnegation Ab`ne·ga"tion noun [ Latin abnegatio : confer French abnégation .] 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 adjective [ Latin abnegativus .] Denying; renouncing; negative. [ R.] Clarke.

Abnegator Ab"ne·ga`tor noun [ Latin ] One who abnegates, denies, or rejects anything. [ R.]

Abnet Ab"net noun [ Hebrew ] The girdle of a Jewish priest or officer.

Abnodate Ab"no·date transitive verb [ Latin abnodatus , past participle of abnodare ; ab + nodus knot.] To clear (tress) from knots. [ R.] Blount.

Abnodation Ab`no·da"tion noun The act of cutting away the knots of trees. [ R.] Crabb.

Abnormal Ab·nor"mal adjective [ For earlier anormal .F. anormal , Late Latin anormalus for anomalus , Greek .... Confused with Latin abnormis . See Anomalous , Abnormous , Anormal .] 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 noun ; plural Abnormalities 1. The state or quality of being abnormal; variation; irregularity. Darwin.

2. Something abnormal.

Abnormally Ab·nor"mal·ly adverb In an abnormal manner; irregularly. Darwin.

Abnormity Ab·nor"mi·ty noun ; plural Abnormities [ Late Latin abnormitas . See Abnormous .] Departure from the ordinary type; irregularity; monstrosity. "An abnormity . . . like a calf born with two heads." Mrs. Whitney.

Abnormous Ab·nor"mous adjective [ Latin abnormis ; ab + norma rule. See Normal .] Abnormal; irregular. Hallam.

A character of a more abnormous cast than his equally suspected coadjutor.
State Trials.

Aboard A·board" adverb [ Prefix a- on, in + board .] 1. 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" preposition 1. On board of; as, to go aboard a ship.

2. Across; athwart. [ Obsolete]

Nor iron bands aboard
The Pontic Sea by their huge navy cast.
Spenser.

Abodance A·bod"ance noun [ See Bode .] An omen; a portending. [ Obsolete]

Abode A·bode" pret. of Abide .

Abode A·bode" noun [ Middle English abad , abood , from abiden to abide. See Abide . For the change of vowel, confer abode , imperfect of abide .] 1. Act of waiting; delay. [ Obsolete] 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" noun [ See Bode , transitive verb ] An omen. [ Obsolete]

High-thundering Juno's husband stirs my spirit with true abodes .
Chapman.

Abode A·bode" transitive verb To bode; to foreshow. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Abode A·bode" intransitive verb To be ominous. [ Obsolete] Dryden.

Abodement A·bode"ment (-m e nt) noun A foreboding; an omen. [ Obsolete] " Abodements must not now affright us." Shak.

Aboding A·bod"ing noun A foreboding. [ Obsolete]

Abolish A·bol"ish transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Abolished ; present participle & verbal noun Abolishing .] [ French abolir , Latin abolere , aboletum ; ab + olere to grow. Confer 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 of 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 adjective [ Confer French abolissable .] Capable of being abolished.

Abolisher A·bol"ish·er noun One who abolishes.

Abolishment A·bol"ish·ment (-m e nt) noun [ Confer French abolissement .] The act of abolishing; abolition; destruction. Hooker.

Abolition Ab"o·li"tion noun [ Latin abolitio , from abolere : confer French abolition . See Abolish .] 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.

» The application of this word to persons is now unusual or obsolete

Abolitionism Ab`o·li"tion·ism noun The principles or measures of abolitionists. Wilberforce.

Abolitionist Ab`o·li"tion·ist noun A person who favors the abolition of any institution, especially negro slavery.

Abolitionize Ab`o·li`tion·ize transitive verb To imbue with the principles of abolitionism. [ R.] Bartlett.

Aboma A·bo"ma noun (Zoology) A large South American serpent ( Boa aboma ).

Abomasum Ab`o·ma"sum Ab`o*ma"sus noun [ New Latin , from Latin ab + omasum (a Celtic word).] (Anat.) The fourth or digestive stomach of a ruminant, which leads from the third stomach omasum . See Ruminantia .

Abominable A·bom"i·na·ble adjective [ French abominable . Latin 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. [ Obsolete]

» Juliana Berners . . . informs us that in her time [ 15th c.], "a bomynable syght of monkes" was elegant English for "a large company of friars." G. P. Marsh.

Abominableness A·bom"i·na·ble·ness noun The quality or state of being abominable; odiousness. Bentley.

Abominably A·bom"i·na·bly adverb In an abominable manner; very odiously; detestably.

Abominate A·bom"i·nate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Abominated ; present participle & verbal noun Abominating .] [ Latin abominatus , past participle or abominari to deprecate as ominous, to abhor, to curse; ab + omen a foreboding. See Omen .] 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 noun [ Middle English abominacioun , -cion , French 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" preposition 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 adjective [ Latin ab . + English oral .] (Zoology) Situated opposite to, or away from, the mouth.

Abord A·bord" noun [ French] Manner of approaching or accosting; address. Chesterfield.

Abord A·bord" transitive verb [ French aborder , à (L. ad ) + bord rim, brim, or side of a vessel. See Border , Board .] To approach; to accost. [ Obsolete] Digby.

Aboriginal Ab`o·rig"i·nal adjective [ 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 noun 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 noun The quality of being aboriginal. Westm. Rev.

Aboriginally Ab`o·rig"i·nal·ly adverb Primarily.

Aborigines Ab`o·rig"i·nes (-rĭj"ĭ*nēz) noun plural [ Latin 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

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