Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1st 100 Pages). Noah Webster
are sometimes also referred to this genus. Ab¶iÏeÏtene (#), n. [L. abies, abietis, a fir tree.] A volatile oil distilled from the resin or balsam of the nut pine (Pinus sabiniana) of California. Ab·iÏet¶ic (#), a. Of or pertaining to the fir tree or its products; as, abietic acid, called also sylvic acid. Watts. Ab¶iÏeÏtin, Ab¶iÏeÏtine } (#), n. [See Abietene.] (Chem.) 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. Ab·iÏtin¶ic (#), a. Of or pertaining to abietin; as, abietinic acid. Ab¶iÏtite (#), n. (Chem.) A substance resembling mannite, found in the needles of the common silver fir of Europe (Abies pectinata). Eng. Cyc. Ab¶iÏgail (#), n. [The proper name used as an appellative.] A lady's waitingÐmaid. Pepys. Her abigail reported that Mrs. Gutheridge had a set of night curls for sleeping in. Leslie. AÏbil¶iÏment (#), n. Habiliment. [Obs.] AÏbil¶iÏty (#), n.; pl. Abilities (#). [F. habilet‚, earlier spelling habilit‚ (with silent h), L. habilitas aptitude, ability, fr. 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.; Ð 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. Ð 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. ½Capacity,¸ says H. Taylor,½is 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. AÏbime¶ or AÏbyme¶ (#), n. [F. abŒme. See Abysm.] A abyss. [Obs.] Ab·iÏoÏgen¶eÏsis (#), n. [Gr. ? 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; Ð 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. Ab·iÏoÏgeÏnet¶ic (#), a. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to abiogenesis. Ð Ab·iÏoÏgeÏnet¶icÏalÏly (#), adv. Ab·iÏog¶eÏnist (#), n. (Biol.) One who believes that life can be produced independently of antecedent. Huxley. Ab·iÏog¶eÏnous (#), a. (Biol.) Produced by spontaneous generation. Ab·iÏog¶eÏny (#), n. (Biol.) Same as Abiogenesis. Ab·iÏoÏlog¶icÏal (#), a. [Gr. ? priv. + E. biological.] Pertaining to the study of inanimate things. AbÏir¶riÏtant (#), n. (Med.) A medicine that diminishes irritation. AbÏir¶riÏtate (#), v. t. [Pref. abÏ + irritate.] (Med.) To diminish the sensibility of; to debilitate. AbÏir·riÏta¶tion (#), n. (Med.) A pathological condition opposite to that of irritation; debility; want of strength; asthenia. AbÏir¶riÏtaÏtive (#), a. (Med.) Characterized by abirritation or debility. AÏbit¶ (#), 3d sing. pres. of Abide. [Obs.] Chaucer. Ab¶ject (#), a. [L. abjectus, p. p. of abjicere to throw away; ab + jacere to throw. See Jet a shooting forth.] 1. Cast down; lowÐlying. [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. ½Base and abject flatterers.¸ Addison. ½An abject liar.¸ Macaulay. And banish hence these abject, lowly dreams. Shak. Syn. Ð Mean; groveling; cringing; meanÐspirited; slavish; ignoble; worthless; vile; beggarly; contemptible; degraded. AbÏject¶ (#), v. t. [From Abject, a.] To cast off or down; hence, to abase; to degrade; to lower; to debase. [Obs.] Donne. Ab¶ject (#), n. 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. AbÏject¶edÏness (#), n. A very abject or low condition; abjectness. [R.] Boyle. AbÏjec¶tion (#), n. [F. abjection, L. abjectio.] 1. The act of bringing down or humbling. ½The 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. Ab¶jectÏly (#), adv. Meanly; servilely. Ab¶jectÏness, n. The state of being abject; abasement; meanness; servility. Grew. AbÏjudge¶ (#), v. t. [Pref. abÏ + judge, v. Cf. Abjudicate.] To take away by judicial decision. [R.] AbÏju¶diÏcate (#), v. t. [L. abjudicatus, p. p. of abjudicare; ab + judicare. See Judge, and cf. Abjudge.] To reject by judicial sentence; also, to abjudge. [Obs.] Ash. AbÏju·diÏca¶tion (#), n. Rejection by judicial sentence. [R.] Knowles. Ab¶juÏgate (#), v. t. [L. abjugatus, p. p. of abjugare.] To unyoke. [Obs.] Bailey. AbÏjunc¶tive (#), a. [L. abjunctus, p. p. of abjungere; ab + jungere to join.] Exceptional. [R.] It is this power which leads on from the accidental and abjunctive to the universal. I. Taylor. Ab·juÏra¶tion (#), n. [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. AbÏju¶raÏtoÏry (#), a. Containing abjuration. AbÏjure¶ (#), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abjured (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Abjuring (#).] [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. ½Magic I here abjure.¸ Shak. Syn. Ð See Renounce. AbÏjure¶, v. i. To renounce on oath. Bp. Burnet. AbÏjure¶ment (#), n. Renunciation. [R.] AbÏjur¶er (#), n. One who abjures. AbÏlac¶tate (#), v. t. [L. ablactatus, p. p. of ablactare; ab + lactare to suckle, fr. lac milk.] To wean. [R.] Bailey. Ab·lacÏta¶tion (#). n. 1. The weaning of a child from the breast, or of young beasts from their dam. Blount. 2. (Hort.) The process of grafting now called inarching, or grafting by approach. AbÏla¶queÏate (#), v. t. [L. ablaqueatus, p. p. of. ablaqueare; fr. ab + laqueus a noose.] To lay bare, as the roots of a tree. [Obs.] Bailey. AbÏla·queÏa¶tion (#), n. [L. ablaqueatio.] The act or process of laying bare the roots of trees to expose them to the air and water. [Obs.] Evelyn. Ab·lasÏtem¶ic (#), a. [Gr. ? priv. + ? growth.] (Biol.) NonÐgerminal. AbÏla¶tion (#), n. [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.) Extirpation. Dunglison. 3. (Geol.) Wearing away; superficial waste. Tyndall. Ab·laÏti¶tious (#), a. Diminishing; as, an ablatitious force. Sir J. Herschel. Ab¶laÏtive (#), a. [F. ablatif, ablative, L. ablativus fr. ablatus. See Ablation.] 1. Taking away or removing. [Obs.] Where the heart is forestalled with misopinion, ablatire directions are found needful to unteach error, ere we can learn truth. Bp. Hall. 2. (Gram.) Applied to one of the cases of the noun in Latin and some other languages, Ð the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away. Ab¶laÏtive, (Gram.) The ablative case. ablative absolute, costruction 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. Ø Ab¶laut (#), n. [Ger., offÐsound; ab off + laut sound.] (Philol.) The substitution of one root vowel for another, thus indicating a corresponding modification of use or meaning; vowel permutation;