Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1st 100 Pages). Noah Webster
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 ½father¸ and ½son¸ have, or might have, the abstracts ½paternity¸ and ½filiety.¸
J. S. Mill.
4. (Med.) 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. Ð Abridgment; compendium; epitome; synopsis. See Abridgment.
AbÏstract¶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 Separated or disconnected; withdrawn; removed; apart.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. ½An abstracted scholar.¸
Johnson.
AbÏstract¶edÏly, adv. In an abstracted manner; separately; with absence of mind.
AbÏstract¶edÏness, n. The state of being abstracted; abstract character.
AbÏstract¶er (#), n. One who abstracts, or makes an abstract.
AbÏstrac¶tion (#), n. [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 The act of abstracting, separating, or withdrawing, or the state of being withdrawn; withdrawal.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.) 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.
µ 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.) A separation of volatile parts by the act of distillation.
Nicholson.
AbÏstrac¶tionÏal (#), a. Pertaining to abstraction.
AbÏstrac¶tionÏist, n. An idealist.
Emerson.
Ab·stracÏti¶tious (#), a. Obtained from plants by distillation. [Obs.]
Crabb.
AbÏstrac¶tive (#), a. [Cf. F. abstractif.] Having the power of abstracting; of an abstracting nature. ½The abstractive faculty.¸
I. Taylor.
AbÏstrac¶tiveÏly, adv. In a abstract manner; separately; in or by itself.
Feltham.
AbÏstrac¶tiveÏness, n. The quality of being abstractive; abstractive property.
Ab¶stract·ly (#; 277), adv. In an abstract state or manner; separately; absolutely; by itself; as, matter abstractly considered.
Ab¶stract·ness, n. The quality of being abstract. ½The abstractness of the ideas.¸
Locke.
AbÏstringe¶ (#), v. t. [L ab + stringere, strictum, to press together.] To unbind. [Obs.]
Bailey.
AbÏstrude¶ (#), v. t. [L. abstrudere. See Abstruse.] To thrust away. [Obs.]
Johnson.
AbÏstruse¶ (#), a. [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.
AbÏstruse¶ly, adv. In an abstruse manner.
AbÏstruse¶ness, n. The quality of being abstruse; difficulty of apprehension.
Boyle.
AbÏstru¶sion (#), n. [L. abstrusio. See Abstruse.] The act of thrusting away. [R.]
Ogilvie.
AbÏstru¶siÏty (#), n. Abstruseness; that which is abstruse. [R.]
Sir T. Browne.
AbÏsume¶ (#), v. t. [L. absumere, absumptum; ab + sumere to take.] To consume gradually; to waste away. [Obs.]
Boyle.
AbÏsump¶tion (#; 215), n. [L. absumptio. See Absume.] Act of wasting away; a consuming; extinction. [Obs.]
Sir T. Browne.
AbÏsurd¶ (#), a. [L. absurdus harshÐsounding; ab + (prob) a derivative fr. a root svar to sound; not connected with surd: cf. F. absurde. See Syringe.] 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. Ð Foolish; irrational; ridiculous; preposterous; inconsistent; incongruous. Ð 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 ½putting of the cart before the horse;¸ as, a preposterous suggestion, preposterous conduct, a preposterous regulation or law.
AbÏsurd¶ (#), n. An absurdity. [Obs.]
Pope.
AbÏsurd¶iÏty (#), n.; pl. Absurdities (#). [L. absurditas: cf. F. absurdite.] 1. The quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment. ½The absurdity of the actual idea of an infinite number.¸
Locke.
2. That which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction.