ABSORB, ab-sorb', _v.t._ to suck in: to swallow up: to engage wholly.--_n._ ABSORBABIL'ITY.--_adj._ ABSORB'ABLE, that may be absorbed.--_p.adj._ ABSORBED', swallowed up: entirely occupied.--_advs._ ABSORB'EDLY, ABSORB'INGLY.--_adj._ ABSORB'ENT, imbibing: swallowing.--_n._ that which absorbs.--_n._ ABSORP'TION, the act of absorbing: entire occupation of mind.--_adj._ ABSORP'TIVE, having power to absorb.--_n._ ABSORPTIV'ITY.
[Fr.--L. _ab_, from, _sorb[=e]re_, _-sorptum_, to suck in.]
ABSTAIN, abs-t[=a]n', _v.i._ to hold or refrain from.--_ns._ ABSTAIN'ER, specially one who does not take alcoholic drinks; ABSTEN'TION, a refraining. [Fr. _abstenir_--L. _abs_, from, _ten[=e]re_, to hold. See TENABLE.]
ABSTEMIOUS, abs-t[=e]m'i-us, _adj._ temperate: sparing in food, drink, or enjoyments.--_adv._ ABSTEM'IOUSLY.--_n._ ABSTEM'IOUSNESS. [L.
_abstemius_--_abs_, from, _temetum_, strong wine.]
ABSTERSION, abs-ter'shun, _n._ act of cleansing or washing away impurities.--_v.t._ ABSTERGE', to cleanse, purge.--_adjs._ ABSTER'GENT, serving to cleanse; ABSTER'SIVE, having the quality of cleansing: purgative. [L. _absterg[=e]re_, _-tersum_, to wipe away.]
ABSTINENT, abs'tin-ent, _adj._ abstaining from: temperate.--_n._ ABS'TINENCE, an abstaining or refraining, especially from some indulgence (with _from_)--also ABS'TINENCY.--_adv._ ABS'TINENTLY. [See ABSTAIN.]
ABSTRACT, abs-trakt', _v.t._ to draw away: to separate: to purloin.--_adj._ ABSTRACT'ED, drawn off (with _from_): removed: absent in mind.--_adv._ ABSTRACT'EDLY.--_ns._ ABSTRACT'EDNESS; ABSTRAC'TION, act of abstracting: state of being abstracted: absence of mind: the operation of the mind by which certain qualities or attributes of an object are considered apart from the rest: a purloining.--_adj._ ABSTRACT'IVE, having the power of abstracting.--_n._ anything abstractive: an abstract.--_adv._ ABS'TRACTLY.--_n._ ABS'TRACTNESS. [L. _abs_, away from, _trah[)e]re_, _tractum_, to draw. See TRACE.]
ABSTRACT, abs'trakt, _adj._ general, as opposed to particular or individual (the opposite of _abstract_ is _concrete_--a red colour is an abstract notion, a red rose is a concrete notion; an abstract noun is the name of a quality apart from the thing, as redness).--_n._ summary: abridgment: essence. [L. _abstractus_, as if a quality common to a number of things were drawn away from the things and considered by itself.]
ABSTRUSE, abs-tr[=oo]s', _adj._ hidden: remote from apprehension: difficult to be understood.--_adv._ ABSTRUSE'LY.--_ns._ ABSTRUSE'NESS; ABSTRUS'ITY (_Sir T. Browne_). [L. _abstrusus_, thrust away (from observation)--_trud[)e]re_, _trusum_, to thrust.]
ABSURD, ab-surd', _adj._ obviously unreasonable or false: ridiculous.--_ns._ ABSURD'ITY, ABSURD'NESS, the quality of being absurd: anything absurd.--_adv._ ABSURD'LY. [L. _absurdus_--_ab_, from, _surdus_, harsh-sounding, deaf.]
ABUNDANCE, ab-und'ans, _n._ ample sufficiency: great plenty.--_adj._ ABUND'ANT, plentiful.--_adv._ ABUND'ANTLY. [See ABOUND.]
ABUSE, ab-[=u]z', _v.t._ to use wrongly: to pervert: to revile: to violate.--_ns._ ABUSE (ab-[=u]s'), ill use: misapplication: reproach: vituperation; AB[=U]'SION (_Spens._), abuse: deception: reproach.--_adj._ ABUS'IVE, containing or practising abuse: full of abuses: vituperative.--_adv._ ABUS'IVELY.--_n._ ABUS'IVENESS. [L. _ab_, away (from what is right), _uti_, _usus_, to use.]
ABUT, a-but', _v.i._ to end: to border (on):--_pr.p._ abut'ting; _pa.p._ abut'ted.--_ns._ ABUT'MENT, that which abuts: (_archit._) what a limb of an arch ends or rests on; ABUT'TAL, an abutment: (_pl._) the boundaries.--_p.adj._ ABUT'TING, facing each other: front to front. [Fr.
_abouter_, lit. to join end to end (_a_, to, _bout_, end). See BUTT, the end.]
ABY, ABYE, a-b[=i], _v.t._ or _v.i._ (_arch._) to pay the penalty: to suffer for: to give satisfaction.--ABY occurs in Spens. with sense of 'abide.' [Pfx. _a-_, and A.S. _bycgan_. See BUY.]
ABYSM, a-bizm', _n._ a form of ABYSS.--_adj._ ABYS'MAL, bottomless: unending.--_adv._ ABYSM'ALLY. [O. Fr. _abisme_, from Lat. _abyssimus_, superl. of _abyssus_, bottomless.]
ABYSS, a-bis', _n._ a bottomless gulf: a deep mass of water.--_adj._ ABYSS'AL. [Gr. _abyssos_, bottomless--_a_, without, _byssos_, bottom.]
ACACIA, a-k[=a]'shi-a, _n._ a genus of thorny leguminous plants with pinnate leaves. [L.--Gr. _akakia_--_ak[=e]_, a sharp point.]
ACADEME, ak-a-d[=e]m', _n._ (_obs._) an academy.
ACADEMIC, ak-ad-em'ik, _n._ a Platonic philosopher: a student in a college.
[See ACADEMY.]
ACADEMY, ak-ad'em-i, _n._ (_orig._) the school of Plato: a higher school: a society for the promotion of science or art.--_adjs._ ACADEM'IC, -AL, of an academy: theoretical as opposed to practical.--_adv._ ACADEM'ICALLY.--_n.pl._ ACADEM'ICALS, the articles of dress worn by members of an academy or college.--_ns._ ACADEMIC'IAN, ACAD'EMIST, a member of an academy, or, specially, of the French Academy, or the Royal Academy in London. [Gr. _Akad[=e]mia_, the name of the garden near Athens where Plato taught.]
ACADIAN, a-k[=a]'di-an, _adj._ of or native to Nova Scotia, Acadia being the name given to the country by the first French settlers in 1604.
ACAJOU, ak'a-j[=oo], _n._ the gum or resin of a kind of red mahogany.
[Origin doubtful. See CASHEW.]
ACALEPHA, ak-a-l[=e]'fa, _n._ a class of Radiate marine animals, consisting of soft gelatinous substance. The name was first applied to the Jelly-fish tribe, but later was made to include the true _Medusae_ or jelly-fishes, and others.--Other forms are ACALEPH and ACALEPHAN. [Gr. _akal[=e]ph[=e]_, a nettle.]
ACANTHOPTERYGIAN, ak-an-thop-t[.e]r-ij'i-an, _adj._ having spiny fins. [Gr.
_akantha_, thorn, _pteryx_, _pterygos_, a wing, a fin.]
[Illustration]
ACANTHUS, a-kan'thus, _n._ a prickly plant, called bear's breech or brank-ursine: (_archit._) an ornament resembling its leaves used in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders, &c.--also ACAN'THA.--_adjs._ ACAN'THINE, ACANTH[=A]'CEOUS. [L.--Gr.
_akanthos_--_ak[=e]_, a point, _anthos_, a flower.]
ACARPOUS, a-kar'pus, _adj._ (_bot._) without, or not producing, fruit. [Gr.
_a_, neg., and _karpos_, fruit.]
ACARUS, ak'ar-us, _n._ a genus of minute insects, of the class Arachnides, embracing the mites and ticks:--_pl._ AC'AR[=I]. [L.; Gr. _akares_, minute, too small to cut--_a_, neg., _keirein_, to cut short.]
ACATALECTIC, a-kat-a-lek'tik, _adj._ having the complete number of syllables as a verse: without defect.--_n._ an acatalectic verse. [L.--Gr.
_a_, not, and CATALECTIC.]
ACATALEPSY, a-kat-a-lep'si, _n._ incomprehensibility, a term of the sceptic school of Carneades, who thought nothing could be known to certainty by man.--_adj._ ACATALEP'TIC. [Gr. _akatal[=e]psia_--_a_, neg., _kata_, thoroughly, _l[=e]psis_, a seizing--_lambanein_, to take hold.]
ACATER, a-k[=a]t'[.e]r, _n._ (_obs._) a caterer.--_n.pl._ ACATES', provisions: food. [O. Fr. _acateor_, _achatour_ (Fr. _acheteur_)--Low L.
_accapt[=a]t[=o]r-em_, _accaptare_, to acquire--L. _ad-_, to, and _capt[=a]re_, to seize. See CATES.]
ACAULESCENT, a-kaw-les'ent, _adj._ without a stalk: (_bot._) having no stem above ground, or only a very short one.--Also ACAU'LOUS. [_a_, neg., L.
_caulis_, a stalk, formed on pattern of ARBORESCENT.]
ACCABLE, ak-k[=a]'bl, _v.t._ (_obs._) to crush, to encumber. [Fr.
_accabler_, to crush.]
ACCADIAN, a-k[=a]'di-an, _adj._ of or belonging to Accad, an ancient city mentioned in Gen. x. 10: the language preserved in the earliest form of cuneiform writing.
ACCEDE, ak-s[=e]d', _v.i._ to come to, or arrive at, a place or condition: to join one's self, hence to agree or assent (with _to_).--_ns._ ACCED'ER; ACCED'ING. [L. _acced[)e]re_, _accessum_, to go near to--_ad_, to, _ced[)e]re_, to go. See CEDE.]
ACCELERATE, ak-sel'[.e]r-[=a]t, _v.t._ to increase the speed of: to hasten the progress of.--_n._ ACCELER[=A]'TION, the act of hastening: increase of speed.--_adj._ ACCEL'ERATIVE, quickening.--_n._ ACCEL'ERATOR, one who or that which accelerates: a light van to take mails between a post-office and a railway station.--_adj._ ACCEL'ERATORY. [L. _acceler[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_ad_, to, _celer_, swift. See CELERITY.]
ACCEND, ak-send', _v.i._ (_obs._) to kindle.--_ns._ ACCENDIBIL'ITY, ACCEN'SION.--_adjs._ ACCEND'IBLE, ACCEND'ING.
ACCENT, ak'sent, _n._ modulation of the voice: stress on a syllable or word: a mark used to direct this stress: any mode of utterance peculiar to a country, a province, or an individual: (_poet._) a significant word, or words generally: (_pl._) speech, language.--_v.t._ ACCENT', to express or note the accent.--_adj._ ACCENT'UAL, relating to accent.--_n._ ACCENTUAL'ITY.--_adv._ ACCENT'UALLY.--_v.t._ ACCENT'UATE, to mark or pronounce with accent: to make prominent.--_n._ ACCENTU[=A]'TION, the act of marking or of pronouncing accents. [Fr.--L. _accentus_, a tone or note--_ad_, to, _can[)e]re_, to sing.]
ACCENTOR, ak-sent'or, _n._ the so-called 'hedge-sparrow' (q.v.).
ACCEPT, ak-sept', _v.t._ to receive: to agree to: to promise to pay: (_B._) to receive with favour.--_adj._ ACCEPTABLE (ak-sept'a-bl, or ak'sept-a-bl), to be accepted: pleasing: agreeable.--_ns._ ACCEPT'ABLENESS, ACCEPTABIL'ITY, quality of being acceptable.--_adv._ ACCEPT'ABLY.--_ns._ ACCEPT'ANCE, a favourable reception: an agreeing to terms: an accepted bill; ACCEPT'ANCY, willingness to receive; ACCEPT'ANT, one who accepts--also _adj._; ACCEPT[=A]'TION, a kind reception: the received meaning of a word; ACCEPT'ER, ACCEPT'OR, one who accepts. [L.
_accept[=a]re_--_accip[)e]re_, _acceptum_--_ad_, to, _cap[)e]re_, to take.]
ACCEPTILATION, ak-sept-il-[=a]'shun, _n._ (_Roman_ and _Scots law_) the remission of a debt through an acquittance by the creditor testifying to the receipt of money which never has been paid--a kind of legal fiction for a free remission: (_theol._) the doctrine that the satisfaction rendered by Christ was not in itself really a true or full equivalent, but was merely accepted by God, through his gracious good-will, as sufficient--laid down by Duns Scotus, and maintained by the Arminians. [L. _acceptilatio_.]
ACCESS, ak'ses, or ak-ses', _n._ liberty to come to, approach: increase.--_n._ ACCESSIBIL'ITY.--_adj._ ACCESS'IBLE, that may be approached.--_adv._ ACCESS'IBLY. [See ACCEDE.]
ACCESSARY, ak-ses'ar-i, or ak'ses-ar-i. Same as ACCESSORY. _Accessary_ is now the usual spelling of both the adjective and the noun in their legal sense.
ACCESSION, ak-sesh'un, _n._ a coming to: increase.--A DEED OF ACCESSION (_Scots law_), a deed by which the creditors of a bankrupt approve of a trust settlement executed by the debtor for the general behoof, and consent to the arrangement proposed.
ACCESSORY, ak'ses-sor-i, _adj._ additional: contributing to: aiding: (_law_) participating in a crime, as in reset of theft, and the like.--_n._ anything additional: one who aids or gives countenance to a crime.--_adj._ ACCESS[=O]R'IAL, relating to an accessory.--_adv._ AC'CESSORILY, in the manner of an accessory: by subordinate means.