A, the first letter in the English alphabet, as well as in the other alphabets derived from the Greek and Latin and ultimately from the Phoenician. As an alphabetical character it represents in English written and printed words a number of different vowel sounds, of which several at least would, in a more perfect alphabet, be represented by separate characters. Its principal sounds are those heard (1) in far, father; (2) man, cat; (3) fall, walk; (4) mate, pare. Of these sounds the first (which we may call the ahsound) is the oldest and the one that may be said to belong most legitimately to the character, being the one also which, approximately at least, attaches to it in most other languages. This is one of those that are considered to be the three primary and original vowel sounds of the Indo-European languages, the others being i and u, pronounced as in chagrin and rule. It is, perhaps, the simplest and easiest of all the vowel sounds, being formed by a simple opening of the mouth and utterance of voice, accompanied by a gentle depression of the back part of the tongue. It is more distinctly vocal than either i or u, these latter having a close affinity with and tendency to merge into the consonantal sounds of y and w, while its vocal character is always unmistakable. It is also regarded as a stronger and more primitive sound than i and u, which, when we trace the history of words, have in a great many instances been found to arise from a weakening of an original ah-sound, while a change in the opposite direction is very rare. The other two vowels, e and o, it may be remarked are still later in character than i and u: the former comes midway between a and i if we change the position of the vocal organs gradually from that necessary for the ahsound to that necessary for i, and in like manner o comes midway between a and u. Many English words exemplify the change of an original ah-sound to some other vowel sound, as for instance, is, do, mother, brother, kin, thin, &c, in all which the root-vowel was originally a. The ah-sound (with which may be ranked the slightly different vocal sound in fast, grant, &c.) now occurs in few English words, in far fewer certainly than in Anglo-Saxon and later, though to what extent the sound formerly prevailed is somewhat difficult to decide. In Anglo-Saxon the letter a represented at least two principal sounds, a shorter and a longer (the latter often marked with an accent). The shorter was no doubt similar in quality to the a of father, though shorter. Many words in which this sound occurred might be written indifferently with o; thus monn as well as mann, hond as well as hand, fram or from, &c. The long or accented a (á, a) had no doubt the same sound as a in father, though perhaps it may have also had a sound similar to our a in fall. This á often represents an older diphthongal ai seen in Gothic; thus A. Sax. hám, home-Goth. haim, G. heim; A. Sax. hlaf, a loaf Goth. hlaif. In modern English it has most commonly passed into long o-comp. A. Sax. hâm, E. home; A. Sax. lar, E lore; A. Sax. rád, E. road, &c. The sound of a in fall is now met with in a large number of English words, especially before; it forms an intermediate step in pronunciation between the ah-sound in father and the o in home. The same sound is also represented by the combinations au, aw, as in vault, claw, which are only diphthongs in appearance. There is also a short sound corresponding to this, namely, that heard in what, want, quality. Intermediate between the ah-sound and the e-sound comes the sound of a in man, now one of those most commonly represented by this character. It is a comparatively modern and peculiarly English modification of the ah-sound, difficult for foreigners to acquire. In AngloSaxon this sound, or a sound very similar, was represented by æ, as in glæd= E. glad; bæc, E. back. The same character was also frequently used to represent our short e-sound, as in A. Sax. lædde E. led; A. Sax. lassa = E. less. It seems often to have represented a local and especially a southern modification of the fuller ah-sound, thus father, one of the few words in which the old ah-sound is still pronounced, was in the Anglo-Saxon of the south written fæder, in the north fadur, fader. This character was hardly used after the beginning of the thirteenth century, being replaced as a rule either by a with the ah-sound or by e. The a-sound (a in man) thus to some extent gave place to the ah-sound, though in modern times it has more than regained its footing. There was also a long or accented ; it has now commonly become ee, or the same sound. Another very common sound of a is what is often called the long or name sound of the letter, that which it has namely when before a final consonant with e mute, as in mare, bare, mate, pale. Here the final e serves merely to mark the modification of the sound of the a, which thus resembles in character as in sound the Ger man a modified (å or ä). _Strictly speaking the a of mare, bare, differs from that of mate, pale, the former being a pure vowel, while the latter, according to what is considered the correct pronunciation, is not a true vowel, but diphthongal in character, a slight i being heard after the a or rather e sound. These are the chief varieties of sound which this letter has to represent. Less important are the sounds heard in any, many, and the obscure sound heard in riband, and in the final a of America. Though a very common letter, a occurs as a final only in the words flea, lea, pea, plea, sea, tea, yea. Formerly (in AngloSaxon) it was common enough in this position. Nor is it ever doubled, in which respect it resembles i and u. -This letter often stands in abbreviations, as in A.D., for anno domini (in the year of our Lord), A. B., A. M., artium baccalaureus, and artium magister, bachelor and master of arts. A, indefinite art., the form of an used before consonants and words beginning with a consonant sound; as, a man, a woman, a year, a union, a eulogy, a oneness. This form first appears about the beginning of the thirteenth century. It is placed before tube, tub, bull; Fate, får, fat, fall; mě, met, hêr; pine, pin; note, not, möve; A nouns of the singular number, and also before plural nouns when few or great many is interposed. In such phrases as a hundred a year, a pound a head, it more clearly retains its power as a numeral, and is practically equal to the distributive pronoun each. See further under AN. A, as a prefix, or initial and generally inseparable particle, is a relic of both Teutonic and Classical particles. 1. As a Teutonic prefix it is of very heterogeneous origin, and in particular cases there is often difficulty in determining with certainty to what older particle or particles it must be referred. It often represents prepositions, especially on, A. Sax. on, an, as in aback (A. Sax. onbac, and also gebac), amidst (A. Sax. on middan). asleep (fell on sleep,' Acts xiii. 36), afoot (also on foot), aboard (also on board), aloft (on loft in Chaucer), alive (on live in Chaucer), asunder (A. Sax. onsundran), &c. This is also the separable prefix a- that is prefixed to verbal nouns, as in a-hunting, a-fishing. It is doubtful, however, whether the a- in all these words directly represents the A. Sax. on; it seems rather to represent the Icel. d, on, upon, which is of course etymologically the same word (comp. Icel. á baki, aback, á lopti, aloft, á lífi, alive, &c.). Another preposition represented by it is of (A. Sax. of, af), as in adown (A. Sax. of dune), off the down or height, downwards. In a-days (in now-a-days) and in a-nights it represents an of with a somewhat different meaning. In afore it represents at (A. Sax. ætfore). Prefixed to verbs it represents the A. Sax. particle a, which was often prefixed with an intensive force, as in arise, awake, arouse, but in many cases it is difficult to discern any distinction in meaning between the compound and the simple word. The particle ge was similarly used, and in abide, abear, the a may represent either. The initial syllable in aright, aware, &c., appears to be of the same doubtful origin. In ago, aby, the a represents the old A. Sax. particle a in another sense, namely, that of away, back. In ashamed, afeared, it represents an old intensive of. Eng. among represents the A. Sax. amang, onmang, ongemang, gemang; along represents andlang, endlong, gelang; and-here-Goth. anda, back, an- in answer. 2. As a classical or Romance prefix it represents: (a) L. ad, to; as, ascend, from ad, and scando, to climb. (b) L. a or ab, from; as, avert, from a, and verto, to turn. (c) L. e or ex, out of; as, amend (Fr. amender, from L. emendare, compounded of e or ex, and menda, a fault). (d) Gr. a, neg. or priv.; as, amorphous, from a, not, and morphe, shape; anonymous, from a, not, and onoma, a name. A, in music, the name of the sixth note of the model or natural diatonic scale of C; the la of continental musicians. It is the first note in the relative minor scale. It is the note sounded by the open second string of the violin, and to it as given by a fixed toned instrument (say the oboe or organ) all the instruments of the orchestra are tuned. A. 1. (With short sound.) An old (and also a oil, pound; ü, Sc. abune; y, Sc. fey. w, wig; wh, whig; zh, azure.--See KEY. A1 modern vulgar) corruption for he, have, I, &c.; as, A babbled of green fields. Shak. I had not thought my body could a yielded. Beau. & Fl. 2. (With long sound.) Scotch or Northern English for all. A1. 1. A combination of characters applied to a vessel of the highest class in Lloyd's register of shipping. Iron vessels are classed Al with a numeral prefixed, as 100 A1, 90 A1 (the numeral denoting that they are built respectively according to certain specifications), and they retain their character so long as on careful survey they are found in a fit and efficient condition to carry dry and perishable cargoes to and from all parts of the world. Wood and composite vessels are classed Al for a term of years (hence such expressions as 12 A1, &c.), subject to survey. Al in red denotes vessels that have already been classed A1 in black, but are now reduced to the second class. The letter A denotes the first-class character of the hull for build and seaworthiness; the figure 1 that the vessel is well found in rigging, gear, &c. When fittings and equipment are insufficient the 1 is omitted. There is now no A 2 class.-E in black marks the third class.-2. Used figuratively as an adjective, to denote excellence generally; first-class; as, an A1 speaker. [Colloq. or vulgar.] Aam (am), n. [Written also Aum, Awm, the same word as D. aam, a liquid measure; G. ahm and ohm, Icel. ama, all from L.L. ama, a tub, a tierce, from L. hama, Gr. ame and hame, a water-bucket, a pail.] A measure of liquids formerly or still to some extent in use in Holland and various countries of northern Europe, usually containing about 30 gals. more or less. Aardvark (ärd'värk), n. [D. aarde, earth, and varken, a pig.1 The ground-hog or earth-pig of South Africa. See ORYCTEROPUS. Aardwolf (ärd'wylf), n. [D. aarde, earth, and wolf, a wolf.] The earth-wolf of South Africa. See PROTELES. Aaron (a'ron), n. A corruption of Arum, sometimes used as the name of a British plant, Arum maculatum. See ARUM. Aaronic, Aaronical (a-ron'ik, a-ron'ik-al), a. [Heb. aaron, perhaps, says Gesenius, the same with haron, a mountaineer, from haram, to be high.] Pertaining to Aaron, the Jewish high-priest, or to the priesthood of which he was the head. Aaronite (a'ron-it), n. A descendant of Aaron, who served as a priest in the sanctuary or in the temple. Aaron's-beard (a'ronz-berd), n. A popular name for Hypericum calycinum, a dwarf evergreen shrub with trailing underground stems, commonly planted on banks and rockeries. Aaron's-rod (a'ronz-rod), n. In arch. a rod with one serpent twined round it: sometimes confounded with caduceus, the rod of Mercury, which has two serpents. Ab. A prefix in words of Latin origin, denoting disjunction, separation, or departure, as abduct, abjure. Before c and t it generally becomes abs, as abscond, abstain, before v and m, a, as avert, amentia. It is a Latin preposition, and etymologically the same as the Skr. apa, Gr. apo, G. ab, Goth. Sw. and Dan. af, E. of, off. Ab (ab), n. [Of Syriac origin.] The eleventh month of the Jewish civil year, and the fifth of the ecclesiastical year, answering to a part of July and a part of August. In the Syriac calendar Ab is the last summer month. Abaca (ab'a-ka), n. The Philippine name of the plant Musa textilis, which yields the Manilla-hemp from which ropes, mats, and fine fabrics are prepared. Abaciscus (ab-a-sis/kus), n. [Dim. of abacus.] In arch. (a) the square compartment of a mosaic pavement or one of the tesseræ used in making such pavements. (b) A small square tablet or bracket used for supporting a vase or other ornamental object. (c) An abacus. [Rare.] Abacist (ab'a-sist), n. One who uses an abacus in casting accounts; a calculator. Aback (a-bak), adv. [Prefix a, and back; A. Sax. onbæc, also gebæc, at, on, or towards the back. See BACK.] 1. Towards the back or rear; backward. They drew abacke, as half with shame confound. 2. On or at the back; behind; from behind. His gallie... being set upon both before and abacke. Knolles. 2 3. Away; aloof. [Scotch.] O would they stay aback frae courts, An' please themsels wi' countra sports. Burns. 4. Naut. pressed aft or against the mast by wind or otherwise: said of sails.-To brace aback, to swing (the yards) round so that the sails may be aback. Brace the foremost yards aback. Falconer. -Taken aback. (a) Naut. said of a vessel's sails when caught suddenly by the wind in Brig laid aback. such a way that it presses them aft against the mast. Hence, (b) Fig. suddenly or unexpectedly checked, confounded, or disappointed: said of a person; as, he was quite taken aback when I told him his plot was found out.-Laid aback (naut.), said of sails (or a vessel) when they are placed in the same position as when they are taken aback, in order to effect an immediate retreat, or to give the ship sternway, so as to avoid some danger discovered before her. Abackt (ab'ak), n. [See ABACUS.] An abacus or something resembling one, as a flat, square stone, or a square compartment. Abacot, Abocock (ab'a-kot, ab'o-kok), n. [As pointed out by Dr. J. A. H. Murray (Athenaeum, Feb. 4, 1882), these forms as well as others, like abococked, abococket, are really spurious, being corruptions by misspelling and prefixing the article a to older bycocket, from 0. Fr. bicoquet, biquoquet, dim. forms like Sp. bicoquin, bicoquete, all applied to some kind of peaked or pointed cap or hood, probably with two points, the origin of first syllable being bi, L. bis, double. Abacot, from great seal of Henry VII. The latter part may be from Fr. coq, a cock.] A kind of cap anciently worn by men of rank. See the following extract. It is, I think, evident that the abocock or bycocket was the cap so frequently seen in illuminations of the fifteenth century, turned up behind, coming to a peak in front, varying and gradually decreasing in height, encircled with a crown when worn by regal personages, and similar to if not identical with what is now called the knight's chapeau. Planche. Abactor (ab-ak'ter), n. [L., from abigo, abactum, to drive away-ab, from, away, and ago, actum, to drive.] In law, one that feloniously drives away or steals a herd or numbers of cattle at once, in distinction from one who steals a single beast or two. [L., dim. of Abaculus (ab-ak'u-lus), n. abacus.] A small tile of glass, marble, or other substance, of various colours, used in making patterns in mosaic pavement. Abacus (ab'a-kus), n. [L. abacus, and abax, an abacus, a gaming-board, a sideboard, &c.; Gr. abax, a square tablet, a slab or board for reckoning on. Origin doubtful; derived by some from Phon. abak, sand strewn on a surface for writing, because the ancients used tables covered with sand on which to make figures and diagrams; by others derived from the names of the first letters of the Greek alphabet.] 1. A tray strewn with dust or sand anciently used for calculating. Abacus for Calculations. 2. A contrivance for calculation, used, with some variations of structure, by the Greeks and Romans, at least in later times, and still used by the Chinese, who call it shwanpan, SO the left end of the engraved abacus represent the number 241,759; end are the spare ones. Ionic Capital. A, The Abacus. those at the right Called also Abacus Pythagoricus. 3. In arch. (a) a table consti tuting the upper member or crowning of a column and its capital. In the Grecian Doric it has simply the form of a flat square tile without either chamfer or moulding, but generally it has a more ornamental character, and in the richer orders it parts with its original form, the four sides or faces of it being arched or cut inwards, and having at the middle of each a rose or other carved ornament. (b) Any rectangular slab or piece, as a square marble or porcelain tablet let into a wall, a compartment in a mosaic floor, or the like.-Abacus harmonicus, in anc. music, a diagram of the notes with their names. - Abacus Pythagoricus. See this word, 2. Abaddon (ab-ad'dun), n. [Heb. abad, to be lost or destroyed.] 1. The destroyer, or angel of the bottomless pit. Rev. ix. 11.-2. The bottomless pit; the depth of hell. Milton. Abaft (a-baft), adv. or prep. [Prefix a, on, at, and bæftan, be-ceftan, after, behind-prefix be, by, and aftan, æft, E. aft, behind. See AFT, AFTER.] Naut. in or at the back or hinder part of a ship, or the parts which lie towards the stern: opposed to afore; relatively, denoting further aft, or towards the stern; as, abaft the main mast.-Abaft the beam implies that the relative situation of the object spoken of is in some part of the horizon contained between a line drawn at right angles to the keel and the point to which the ship's stern is directed. See AFT. Abaisance (a-ba'sans), n. [An altered form of Obeisance, under the influence of Abase.] Same as Obeisance. Johnson. Abaiser (a-ba'sér), n. A name for ivory black or animal charcoal. Weale; Simmonds. Abaissé (a-bas-sa). [Fr.] In her. a term applied to the fesse or any other bearing when it is depressed, or situated below the centre of the shield. Abaist, pp. [See ABASH.] Abashed; disconcerted; amazed. Chaucer. Abalienate (ab-al'yen-at), v.t. pret. & pp. abalienated; ppr. abalienating. [L. abalieno, abalienatum, prep. ab, and alienus, foreign. See ALIENATE, ALIENE.] 1. To transfer the title of from one to another; to make over to another, as goods; a term of the civil law.-2. † To estrange or wholly withdraw. A balienate their minds.' Abp. Sandys. Abalienated † (ab-al'yen-at-ed), a. In old med.: (a) decayed or deranged, as the senses. (b) Benumbed or mortified. Abalienation (ab-al'yen-a"shon), n. The act of transferring or making over the title to property to another; transfer; estrangement. A ballata (a bal-lat'a). [It.] In music, in the manner of a song or ballad. Also, the chorus at the end of a verse. Wilson. Abandt (a-band'), v.t. 1. To abandon (which see). The kingdom to aband.' Spenser.2. To exile; to expel. 'Tis better far the enemies to aband Quite from thy borders. Mir. for Mags. Abandon (a-ban'dun), v. t. [Fr. abandonner, to forsake, to abandon, from prep. à, and O. Fr. bandon, O.E. bandown, bandoune, command, jurisdiction, from L.L. bandum, bannum, edict, proclamation, from the Teut. stem ban, seen in E. ban, banns of marriage. To abandon then is either to put to proclamation, to denounce or proscribe. or to give into the bandon or power of another. See BAN, BANNS, BANNER, BAN ABANDON II. 1. To detach or withdraw one's self from. (a) to desert; to forsake utterly; as, to abandon his home; to abandon duty. (b) To give up and forsake, as desperate or lost; as, to abandon a hopeless enterprise or a sinking ship. (e) To resign; forego; renounce; to relinquish all concern in; as, to abandon the cares of empire. (d) To surrender; to give up to alien control; to yield up without restraint; as, he abandoned the city to the conqueror.-2† To outlaw; to Danish, to drive out or away. Being all this time abandoned from your bed. Shak. İ 3. To reject or renounce. Blessed shall ye be when men shall hate you and abandon your name as evil. Luke vi. 22 (Rheims N. T.). 4. In com. to relinquish to the underwriters all claim to, as ship or goods insured, as a preliminary towards recovering for a total loss-To abandon one's self, to yield one's self up without attempt at control or selfrestraint; as, to abandon one's self to grief. -Forsake, Desert, Abandon. See under FORSAKE-SYN To desert, forsake, resign, forego,surrender, quit, relinquish,renounce, leave Abandon (a-ban'dun), n. [In first meaning borrowed directly from the French in moderu times.] 1. Heartiness, the result of enthusiasm, unchecked by calculation of risks or consequences; dash; the frank, unrestrained demeanour of an impulsive temperament; as, the Inniskillings charged with Characteristic abandon; I was charmed with the abandon of her manners. [In this sense the French pronunciation (ab-an-don) is frequently retained.]-2† One who or that which is abandoned. A friar, an abandon of the world. Sir E. Sandys, 3 The act of giving up or relinquishing; abandonment. These heavy exactions have occasioned an adanden of all mines but what are of the richer sort. Lord Kames. Abandoned (a-ban'dund), p. and a. 1. Deserted, utterly forsaken; left to destruction; as, an abandoned ship.-2. Given up, as to vice, especially to the indulgence of vicious appetites or passions; shamelessly and recklessly wicked; profligate. Pro Where our abandoned youth she sees, Shipwrecked in luxury and lost in ease. Prior. -Profligate, Reprobate, Abandoned. Aigate is applied to one who throws away means and character in pursuit of vice, and conveys the idea of depravity manifested outwardly in conduct; reprobate is itsed with regard to one who has become insensible to reproof, who steels himself against what is good, and even glories in his wickedness; abandoned is applied to one who has recklessly cast himself loose from ail moral restraint, and given himself up to the gratification of his vicious appetites. Next age will see Roscommon. A race more profligate than we. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind. Rom. i. 28. To be negligent of what any one thinks of you, does not only show you arrogant but abandoned. F. Hughes. SYN. Forsaken, deserted, destitute, forlorn, profligate, corrupt, vicious, depraved, reprobate, wicked, heinous, criminal, vile, odious, detestable. In law, one One who Abandonee (a-ban'dun-e'), n. to whom anything is abandoned. Abandoner (a-ban'dun-ér), n. abandons. Abandonment (a-ban'dun-ment), n. 1. The act of abandoning or state of being abandoned; absolute relinquishment; total desertion-2. In marine insurance, the relinquishing to underwriters of all the property saved from loss by shipwreck, capture, or other peril stated in the policy, in order that the insured may be entitled to indemnification for a total loss.-3. In the customs, the giving up of an article by the importer to avoid payment of the duty.-4. In law, (a) the relinquishment to a claim or privilege. (b) The voluntary leaving of a person to whom one is bound by any particular relationship, as a wife, husband, or child; desertion - Abandonment of railways, the giving up any scheme for making a railway and the dissolution of the company, by consent of three-fifths of the stock, and warrant of the Board of Trade.-Abandonment of an action, in Scots law, the act by which the pursuer abandons the cause If this is done the pursuer must pay costs, but may bring a new action. Aban 3 donment of the action is equivalent to the English discontinuance, nolle prosequi, or nonsuit, according to the stage the action has reached. Abandum (a-band'um), n. (See ABANDON.] In old law, anything forfeited or confiscated. Abanet (ab'a-net), n. Same as Abnet. Abanga (ab-ang'ga), n. The fruit of a species of palm in the island of St. Thomas, West Indies, said to have medicinal properties. Abannation, Abannition (ab-an-na'shon, ab-an-ni'shon), n. [L.L. abannitio, abannitionis L. ab, from, annus, a year, and itio, a going away.] A banishment for one or two years for manslaughter. Abaptiston (a-bap-tis'tun), n. [L.L. abaptiston-Gr. a, priv., and baptizo, to dip.] In surg. a name given to the old trepan, the crown of which was made conical to prevent it from penetrating the cranium too suddenly. Abaret (a-bar'), v. t. [A. Sax. abarian. See BARE.] To make bare; to uncover. Abarticulation (ab-ar-tik'ü-la"shon), n. [L. ab, from, and articulus, a joint.] In anat. a term used sometimes as an equivalent to diarthrosis, or a movable articulation; sometimes to synarthrosis, or an immovable articulation. Abas (a-bas), n. [Per. and Ar. Abbas, the ancestor of the Abasi Caliphs.] 1. A Persian coin, worth about 10d., occasionally called Abbajeer.-2. An eastern weight for pearls equal to 24 grains troy, being one-eighth less than a carat. Written also Abassi, Abassis. Abase (a-bas), v. t. pret. & pp. abased; ppr. abasing. [Fr. abaisser, to make low-a, to, and baisser, to lower, from L.L. bassus, low. See BASE.] 1. To lower or depress; to throw or cast down: said of material objects. [Rare.] Spenser. His spear he 'gan abase. And will she yet abase her eyes on me. Shak. 2. To cast down or reduce lower, as in rank, estimation, office, and the like; to depress; to humble; to degrade.-Abase, Debase, Degrade. Abase, to humble, to make of less esteem, to bring lower in state, or cause one to feel lower; debase, to lower morally or in quality, to make unworthy or less worthy of esteem, to mingle more or less of baseness with; degrade, lit. to bring down a step, to lower one's rank: often used as an official term, but also used of lowering a man morally; as, intemperance degrades its victims; a degrading employment. Those that walk in pride he is able to abase. It is a kind of taking of God's name in vain to debase religion with such frivolous disputes. Hooker. O miserable man! to what fall degraded. Milton. SYN. To depress, humble, humiliate, degrade, bring low, debase. Abased, Abaissed (a-bast), p. and a. In her. turned downwards, as the points of the wings of eagles. Also, same as Abaissé. Abasement (a-bas'ment), n. The act of abasing, humbling, or bringing low; a state of depression, degradation, or humiliation. Abash (a-bash'), v.t. [Formerly written abaish, abaysch, &c., from O. Fr. esbahir, to astound, abash, ppr. esbahissant, from baïr, baer, to gape; Mod. Fr. s'ébahir, to be astonished; probably from bah! exclamation of astonishment. French verbs in ir, which form the ppr. in issant, take ish in becoming English, as abolish, from abolir; ravish, from ravir; polish, from polir; &c. The verb abase would no doubt have some effect on the form of this word. The D. bazen, verbazen, to astonish, if connected; with abash, would point to a different origin. Comp. abeyance, bash, bashful, bay.] To confuse or confound, as by exciting suddenly a consciousness of guilt, error, inferiority, &c.; to destroy the self-possession of; to make ashamed or dispirited; to put to confusion. -. Abash, Confuse, Confound. Abash is a stronger word than confuse, but not so strong as confound. We are abashed in the presence of superiors or when detected in vice or misconduct. When we are confused the faculties get more or less beyond our control, the speech falters, and the thoughts lose their coherence. When we are confounded the reason is overpowered, a condition produced by the force of argument, testimony, or detection. Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is. Milton. Confused and sadly she at length replies. Pope. Satan stood awhile as mute, confounded what to say. Millon. ABATIS SYN. To confuse, confound, disconcert, shame, daunt, overawe. Abashment (a-bash'ment), n. The act of abashing, or state of being abashed; confusion from shame; consternation; fear. Which manner of abashment became her not ill. Skelton. That challenge did too peremptory seeme And fild his senses with abashment great. Spenser. Abassi, Abassis (a-basʼsi, a-bas'sis), n. See ABAS, 2. Daniel. Abastardizet (a-bas'tèrd-iz), v.t. To bastardize; to render illegitimate or base. Being ourselves Corrupted and abastardised thus. Abatable (a-bat'a-bl), a. Capable of being abated; as, an abatable writ or nuisance. Abate (a-bat'), v. t. pret. & pp. abated; ppr. abating. [Fr. abattre, to beat down, from batere, a form of L. batuo, batuere, to beat. See BEAT, BATE.] 1. To beat down; to pull or batter down. The king of Scots... sore abated the walls (of the castle of Norham). Hall. 2. To deduct. Nine thousand parishes, abating the odd hundreds. Fuller. 3. To lessen; to diminish; to remit; to mo- . derate; as, to abate zeal; to abate a demand; to abate a tax; to abate pride; to abate courage.-4. To deject; to depress. For misery doth bravest minds abate. Spenser. 5. In law, (a) to cause to fail; to annul; to frustrate by judicial sentence; as, to abate a writ: by the English law, a legacy to a charity is abated by a deficiency of assets. (b) To bring entirely down or put an end to; as, to abate a nuisance.-6.† To deprive; to curtail. She hath abated me of half my train. Shak. 7. In metal. to reduce, as a metal, to a lower temper. Abate (a-bat), v. i. 1. To decrease or become less in strength or violence; as, pain abates; a storm abates.-2. To be defeated or come to naught; to fail; as, a writ abates; by the civil law a legacy to a charity does not abate by deficiency of assets. It was still open to dispute whether it might not Hallam. abate by dissolution. 3. In law, to enter into a freehold after the death of the last occupant, and before the heir or devisee takes possession.-4. In the manege, to perform well a downward motion. A horse is said to abate, or take down his curvets, when, working upon curvets, he puts both his hind legs to the ground at once, and observes the same exactness in all the times. SYN. To subside, decrease, intermit, decline, diminish, lessen. Abate (a-bat'), n. Abatement or decrease. Abate (a-ba'ta), n. [It.] An abbot or abbé. An old abate meek and mild, My friend and teacher when a child. Longfellow. Abatement (a-bat'ment), n. 1. The act of abating, or the state of being abated; diminution, decrease, reduction, or mitigation: as, abatement of grief or pain. 2. The amount, quantity, or sum by which anything is abated; that by which anything is reduced; deduction; decrease.-3. In her, a mark annexed to coat armour in order to denote some dishonourable act of the party bearing the coat of arms. Nine such marks are mentioned by heralds, but no instance of their actual use is on record. The baston or baton, a mark of illegitimacy, is of the nature of an abatement. Throwing down the stars (the nobles and senators) to the ground; putting dishonourable abatements into the fairest coats of arms. Dr. Spencer. 4. In law, (a) removal, as of a nuisance. (b) Defeat or overthrow, as of a writ. (c) The act of intruding upon a freehold vacant by the death of its former owner, and not yet taken up by the lawful heirs. - Plea of abatement, a defence by which a defendant shows cause to the court why he should not be impleaded or sued, or, if impleaded or sued, not in the manner and form adopted by the plaintiff, and prays that the action or suit may abate or cease.-SYN. Decrease, decline, mitigation, reduction, subsidence, diminution, discount, deduction. Abater (a-bat'ér), n. One who or that which abates. Abatial (ab-a'shi-al), a. Same as Abbatical. Abatist (ab'a-tis), n. [L. L.-a, from, and batus, a measure.] In the middle ages, an officer of the stables who had the care of measuring out the provender; an avenor. ABATIS Abatis. See ABATTIS. [Fr., from abattre (see ABATE), and jour, day, light.] A skylight or sloping aperture made in the wall of an apartment for the admission of light. Abator (a-bat'ér), n. One who or that which abates; specifically, in law, (a) a person who without right enters into a freehold on the death of the last possessor, before the heir or devisee. (b) An agent or cause by which an abatement is procured. Abattis, Abatis (ab-a-te or ab'a-tis), n. [Fr. abatis, abattis, from abattre, to beat down. See ABATE.] In fort. a collection of felled trees, from which the smaller branches have been cut off, and which are laid side by side, with the branched ends turned towards assailants, and the branches often sharpened and interlaced, the buttends being secured by pickets, or imbedded in the earth, the whole thus forming an obstruction to the progress of the enemy, and keeping them longer under the defenders' fire. An abattis is usually placed in front of the ditch in field fortifications. See FORTIFICATION. Abattised (ab'a-tist), a. abattis. Abattoir (a-bat-war), n. [Fr., from abattre, to beat or knock down. See ABATE.] A public slaughter-house. Provided with an Abatude (ab'a-tŭd), n. [From abate.] Anything diminished. Bailey. Abature (ab'a-tür), n. [From abate.] The mark or track of a beast of the chase on the grass; foiling. Abat-vent (ab-a-vañ), n. [Fr., from abattre, to lower, and vent, the wind.] The sloping roof of a tower; a pent-house: so named because the slope neutralizes the force of the wind. Abat-voix (ab-ä-vwa), n. [Fr., from abbatre, to lower, and voix, the voice.] The sounding-board over a pulpit or rostrum: so named because it prevents the speaker's voice from rising and being lost or indistinct. Abawe,t v. t. [Ö. Fr. esbahir, to abash. See ABASH.] To abash; to dazzle; to astonish. Abb (ab), n. [A. Sax. ab or ob, the woof.] 1. Yarn for the warp in weaving.-2. The name given in sorting wool according to its fineness to two qualities of wool, called respectively coarse abb and fine abb. Abba (ab'ba), n. [Syr. and Chal. abba, father. The root is in the Heb. ab, a father, which appears in Abraham.] A title (equivalent to 'Father') now or formerly applied, especially in the Eastern church, to monks, superiors of monks, and other ecclesiastics. In the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopic Churches it is given to the bishops, who in turn bestow it, by way of distinction, on the bishop or patriarch of Alexandria. Abbacinate (ab-ba'sin-āt), v.t. [It. abbacin are, to abbacinate-ad, to, and bacino, a basin.] To deprive of sight by applying a red-hot copper basin close to the eyes: a mode of punishment employed in the middle ages. Abbacination (ab-ba'sin-a"shon), n. The act or process of blinding a person by placing a red-hot copper basin close to the eyes. Abbacy (ab'ba-si), n. [L.L. abbatia, an abbey, from L. abbas, abbatis, an abbot. See ABBOT.] The dignity, rights, and privileges of an abbot. According to Felinus, an abbacy is the dignity itself, since an abbot is a term or word of dignity, and not of office. Ayliffe. Abbajeer (ab'ba-jēr), n. See ABBAS, 1. Abbandonamente (ab-ban'don-a-ment"ā), adv. [It.] In music, with self-abandonment; so as to make the time subservient to the expression. Abbat (ab'bat), n. Same as Abbot. Abbatical, Abbatial (ab-bat'ik-al, ab-bā'shi-al), a. Belonging to an abbey. Abbé (ab-bā), n. [Fr., an abbot, from Syr. and Chal. abba, father. See ABBA.] In France, an abbot; but more generally, and especially before the French revolution, a title given to all those Frenchmen who devoted themselves to divinity, or who had at least pursued a course of study in a theological seminary, in the hope that the king would confer on them a real abbey, that is, a certain part of the revenues of a monastery. The abbés were numerous. Some acted as private tutors in families, others were professors of the university, and a great many employed 4 themselves as men of letters. The name is also applied to persons holding a similar semi-clerical position in other Roman Catholic countries. - Abbés commendataires were such abbés as held abbeys in commendam-that is, with the right of administering their revenues or a part of them. See ABBOT. Abbess (ab'bes), n. [Fr. abbesse, L. L. abbatissa, fem. of abbot (which see).] A female superior or governess of a nunnery or convent of nuns. An abbess in the Roman Catholic Church possesses, in general, the same dignity and authority as an abbot, except that she cannot exercise the spiritual functions appertaining to the priesthood. See ABBOT. Abbey (ab'bē), n. [Fr. abbaye, from L.L. abbatia, an abbey. See ABBÉ.] 1. A monastery or convent; a society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world, and devoted to religion and celibacy. The males are called monks, and governed by an abbot; the females are called nuns, and governed by an abbess. Abbeys differ in nothing from priories, except that the latter are governed by priors instead of abbots.-2. In Scotland, the sanctuary afforded by the abbey of Holyrood Palace, as having been a royal residence.-3. A house adjoining a monastery or convent for the residence of the superior. 4. A church attached to a monastery or convent; as, Melrose Abbey. -5. In the early times of the French monarchy, a name given to a duchy or county, the duke or count of which was, though really a secular person, made an abbot in commendam, in consequence of an abbey having been conferred on him by the crown. See ABBOT. 6. A mansion, formerly used as an abbey, now converted to private use; as, Newstead Abbey, the residence of Lord Byron. Abbey-land (ab'bê-land), n. An estate in land annexed to an abbey. Abbey-lubber (ab'be-lub'er), n. [Abbey and lubber.] An old term of contempt for an idle, well-fed, lazy loiterer, who might work, but would not, preferring to depend on the charity of religious houses: frequently applied to the monks themselves in contempt. This is no huge, over-grown, abbeylubber.' Dryden. Abbot (ab'but), n. [Formerly abbat, L. L. abbas, abbatis. See ABBA.] 1. Lit. father; a title originally given to any aged monk, but afterwards limited to the head or superior of a monastery, which from him was called an abbey. As the influence of the religious orders became greater from their being the depositaries of learning, and as their wealth and territorial possessions increased, the power and dignity of the abbots were aggrandized proportionally. Many of them asserted independence of the bishops, assumed the mitre and crozier, exercised the episcopal functions in their own domains, became peers of the realm, and rivalled the prelates in rank and pomp. In the reign of Henry VIII. twenty-six mitred abbots sat in the House of Lords. Abbots are of two kinds, regular, or those who actually discharge the duties of the office, and commendatory. The latter title was formerly given to persons to whom abbeys were intrusted as tutors or trustees, or in commendam, and who applied the whole or part of the revenues to their own uses. Great secular lords frequently received this appointment. Thus Hugo Capet, the founder of the Capetian dynasty, was Abbot of St. Denis. Such abbots were by canon law bound to have received the tonsure, and to enter orders on attaining canonical age, but the obligation was easily evaded. 2. A title formerly given to the chief magistrate of some communities or states, as in Genoa. Abbot of Misrule, in England, Abbot of Unreason, in Scotland, the personage who took the principal part in the Christmas revels of the populace before the Reformation. Abbotship (ab'but-ship), n. The state or office of an abbot. Abbreviate (ab-bre'vi-át), v.t. pret. & pp. abbreviated; ppr. abbreviating. [L. abbre vio, abbreviatum, to shorten-ab, from, and brevis, short. See BRIEF, and ABRIDGE (which is really the same word).] 1. To make briefer; to shorten; to abridge; to make shorter by contraction or omission of a part; to reduce to a smaller compass; as, to abbreviate a writing or word. 2. In math. to reduce to the lowest terms, as fractions. Abbreviate (ab-brē'vi-āt), a. In bot. abbreviated: applied to an organ or part of an organ shorter than a contiguous one. Abbreviation (ab-bre'vi-a"shon), n. 1. The act of abbreviating, shortening, or contracting, or the state of being abbreviated. 2. That which is abbreviated, as a short term or title used for a longer one; a syllable, generally the initial syllable, used for the whole word; a letter, or a series of letters, standing for a word or words; as, esq. for esquire; F.R.S. for Fellow of the Royal Society; A.D. for Anno Domini. This book, as graver authors say, was called Liber Domus Dei, and, by abbreviation, Domesday Book. Sir W. Temple. 3. In math. a reduction of fractions to the lowest terms.-4. In music, a sloping line or Written. Played. lines placed below a note or through its stem to indicate that it is to be divided into a correspond An ing number of short notes. Thus, a minim carrying one line is played as four quavers, or carrying two lines as eight quavers. The same line-mark, standing alone, indicates a repetition of the preceding group of notes. Abbreviation, Contraction. abbreviation of a word, as distinguished from contraction, is strictly a part of it., generally the first syllable, taken for the whole, with no indication of the remaining portion; as, Gen. for Genesis; math for mathematics; Will. for William; while a contraction properly is made by the elision of certain letters or syllables from the body of the word, but in such a manner as to indicate the whole word; as, Recd. payt. for Received payment; contd. for contracted or continued; Wm. for William. In common usage, however, this distinction is not always attended to. Abbreviator (ab-brē'vi-ā-tër), n. [In first sense from the verb; in second from L.L. abbreviator, one of the officials mentioned under 2.] 1. One who abbreviates, abridges, or reduces to a smaller compass; specifically, one who abridges what has been written by another. 'Neither the archbishop nor his abbreviator. Sir W. Hamilton.-2. One of a college of seventy-two persons in the chancery of the Roman Catholic pontiff, whose business is to draw up the pope's briefs, and reduce the petitions, when granted, to a suitable form for bulls. Abbreviatory (ab-bre'vi-a-to-ri), a. Abbreviating or tending to abbreviate; shortening: contracting. Abbreviature † (ab-brē ́vi-a-tür), n. 1. A letter or character used for shortening; an abbreviation. The hand of Providence writes often by abbre viatures, hieroglyphics, or short characters. Sir T. Browne. 2. An abridgment; a compendium. This is an excellent abbreviature of the whole duty of a Christian. Fer. Taylor. Abbroach, Abbrocht (ab-broch'), r.i. [L.L. abrocamentum, buying wholesale and selling by retail, from same root as E. broke, broker.] To forestall the market or monopolize goods. Abbroachment, Abbrochment (abbroch'ment), n. The act of forestalling the market or monopolizing goods. See under FORESTALL. Abb-wool (ab'wul), n. 1. Wool for the abb or warp of a web.-2. A variety of wool of a certain fineness. See ABB. A A, b, c. 1. The first three letters of the alphabet, used generally for the whole; as, the child is learning his A, b, c.-2. A little book for teaching the elements of reading. Called also an A, b, c book. Abd (abd), n. [Ar., a slave, servant] common prefix in Arabic names of persons; as, Abdallah, servant of God; Abd-elKader, servant of the mighty God; Abd-ulLatif, servant of the gracious God; &c. Abdal (ab'dal), n. [Ar. Abdallah, a servant of God.] A dervish; one of a class of Persian religious devotees. Abdalavi, Abdelavi (ab-dal-ä'vi, ab-del-à'vi), n. The native name of the hairy cucumber of Egypt (Cucumis Chate). ABDERIAN Abderian (ab-dë'ri-an), a. [From Abdera, in Thrace, the birthplace of Democritus called the Laughing Philosopher, whence the application of the term.] Pertaining to Abdera or its inhabitants; resembling or recalling in some way the philosopher Democritus of Abdera; hence, a term applied to incessant or continued laughter; given to laughter. Abderite (ab'der-it), n. [L. abderita, Gr. abdėritēs. ] An inhabitant of Abdera, a maritime town in Thrace, and sometimes a term equivalent to a stupid person, the inhabitants of this city being anciently proverbial for their stupidity.-The Abderite, Democritus of Abdera, often called the Laughing Philosopher, one of the most celebrated philosophers among the ancient Greeks. Abdest (ab'dest), n. [Per. abdast-ab, water, and dast, hand. ] Purification or ablution before prayer: a Mohammedan rite. Abdevenham (ab-dev'n-ham), n. In astrol. the head of the twelfth house in a scheme of the heavens. Abdicant (ab'di-kant), n. One who abdicates. Abdicant (ab'di-kant), a. [See ABDICATE.] Abdicating; renouncing. Monks addicant of their orders. Whitlock. Abdicate (ab'di-kāt), v.t. pret. & pp. abdicated: ppr. abdicating. [L. abdico, abdicatum, to give up a right or claim-ab, indicating separation, and dico, dicare, to declare publicly, to consecrate, to set apart, of same root as dicere, to say.] 1. To give up, renounce, abandon, lay down, or withdraw from, as a right or claim, office, duties, dignity, authority, and the like, especially in a voluntary, public, or formal manner. The father will disinherit or abdicate that power he hath rather than suffer it to be forced to a willing injustice Burton. The cross-bearers abdicated their service. Gibbon. He (Charles II.) was utterly without ambition. He detested business, and would sooner have abdicated his crown than have undergone the trouble of really directing the administration. Macaulay. Heros and Lazarus, the Gallic bishops, were denounced as vagabond, turbulent, and intriguing prelates, who had either abdicated or abandoned their sees, and travelled about sowing strife and calumny wherever they went. Milman. 2. To cast away; to take leave of; as, to abdicate one's mental faculties. [Rare or obsolete.]-3. In civil law, to disclaim and expel from a family, as a child; to disinherit during lifetime: said of a father. The father will disinherit or abdicate his child, quite cashier him. Burton. 4. To put away or expel; to banish; to renounce the authority of; to dethrone; to degrade. Scaliger would needs turn down Homer, and abdicate him after the possession of three thousand years. Dryden. SYN To give up, quit, vacate, relinquish, forsake, abandon, resign, renounce, desert. Abdicate (ab'di-kāt), vi. To renounce or give up something; to abandon some claim; to relinquish a right, power, or trust. He cannot abdicate for his children, otherwise than by his own consent in form to a bill from the two houses Swift. Abdication (ab-di-ká'shon), n. The act of abdicating; the abandonment of an office, power or authority, right or trust; a casting off; renunciation: generally applied to giv Ing up the kingly office. The consequences drawn from these facts (were) that they amounted to an abdication of the government, which abdication did not only affect the person of the king himself, but also of all his heirs, and rendered the throne absolutely and completely vacant. Blackstone. Abdicative (ab'di-kāt-iv), a. Causing or implying abdication. Bailey. [Rare.] Abdicator (ab'di-kāt'èr), n. One who abdi cates. Abditive (ab'di-tiv), a. [L. abdo, abditum, to hide-ab, away, and do, to give.] Having the power or quality of hiding. [Rare.] Abditory (ab'di-tô-ri), n. [L. abditorium, from abdo. See ABDITIVE.] A place for hiding or preserving goods, plate, or money; a chest in which relics were kept. Abdomen (ab-do'men or ab'dó-men), n. [L., probably from abdo, to conceal, on type of acumen from acuo, and foramen from foro.] 1. That part of the human body which lies between the thorax and the pelvis. It is lined with a membrane called the peritoneum, and contains the stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, and intestines. It is separated from the breast internally by the diaphragm and externally by the lower ribs. 5 On its outer surface it is divided into certain defined portions called regions. The term is also sometimes applied to the belly of the lower animals. See Abdominal Regions under ABDOMINAL.-2. In entom. the posterior of the three parts of the perfect insect, united to the thorax by a slender connecting portion, and containing the greater portion of the digestive apparatus. It is divided into rings or segments, on the sides of which are small spiracles, or stigmata, for respiration. Abdominal (ab-dom'in-al), a. 1. Pertaining to the abdomen or belly.-Abdominal regions, certain regions into which the abdomen in men is arbitrarily divided. An imaginary line (a a) is drawn transversely from the cartilage of the seventh rib on one side to the corresponding point of the opposite side, and another transverse line (bb) between the anterior superior spines of the ilia. The part above the upper line is called the epigas 5 b G 36 tric region, that between the upper and lower lines the umbilical region, and that beneath the lower line the hypogastric region. These regions are sometimes subdivided by two vertical lines (cc), one being drawn on each side, from the cartilage of the seventh rib to the anterior superior spine of the ilium. The central portion of the epigastric region (1) retains the name of epigastric; the lateral portions (4, 4) are called the right and left hypochondriac regions; the middle part of the umbilical region (2) is still called umbilical, while the parts to the right and left (5, 5) are called lumbar; the hypogastric region is denominated pubic in its central portion (3), and is divided on each side (6, 6) into an iliac and inguinal region. The latter, however, belongs in strictness to the thigh. Posteriorly there are two regions recognized on either side of the backbone the upper, corresponding to the hypochondriac, being called the inferior dorsal; the lower, the lumbar. Abdominal Regions. Abdominal ring, an oblong tendinous ring in both groins, through which pass the spermatic cord in men, and the round ligaments of the uterus in women. Called also Inguinal Ring.-2. In ich. having ventral fins posterior to the pectoral; as, an abdominal fish. Abdominal (ab-dom'in-al), n. One of a Gorgonius sits abdominous and wan, Cowper. Abduce (ab-düs'), v.t. pret. & pp. abduced; ppr. abducing. [L. abduco, to lead awayab, and duco, to lead, to draw. See DUKE.] To draw or conduct away; to withdraw or draw to a different part. If we abduce the eye into either corner, the object will not duplicate. Sir T. Browne. Abducent (ab-düs'ent), a. [L. abducens, abducentis, ppr. of abduco, to abduce.] Drawing away; pulling back; specifically, in anat. applied to those muscles which pull back certain parts of the body from the mesial line, in contradistinction to the adducent muscles or adductors. Abduct (ab-dukt), v. t. 1. Same as Abduce. 2. To take away surreptitiously and by force. The thing is self-evident, that his majesty has been abducted or spirited away, 'enlevé,' by some person or persons unknown. Carlyle. ABEIGH Abduction (ab-duk'shon), n. [L. L. abductio, abductionis, a leading or drawing away. See ABDUCE.] 1. The act of abducing or abducting, or state of being abduced or abducted. 2. In physiol. the action by which muscles withdraw a limb or other part from the axis of the body, as when certain muscles separate the arm from the side or the thumb from the rest of the fingers.-3. In surg. a term formerly applied to a fracture in which the bone near a joint is so divided that the extremities recede from each other.-4. In logic, a kind of syllogism, called by the Greeks apagoge, in which the major is evident, but the minor is not so clear as not to require further proof, as in this syllogism: All whom God absolves are free from sin: God absolves all who are in Christ; therefore all who are in Christ are free from sin.' This mode of reasoning is called abduction, because it withdraws us from the conclusion to the proof of a proposition concealed or not expressed. Fleming, Vocab. of Philos. 5. In law, the fraudulent or unlawful leading away of a person, more especially the taking and carrying away of a child, a ward, a wife, &c., either by fraud, persuasion, or、 open violence. The term is most commonly applied to the taking away of females. The term is also applied to the using of force to prevent a voter from voting in an election. Abductor (ab-duk'têr), n. One who or that which abducts; specifically, in anat a muscle which moves certain parts from the axis of the body; as, the abductor oculi, a muscle which pulls the eye outward: opposed to adductor. Abeam (a-bêm'), adv. [Prefix a, on, and beam.] Naut. on the beam, that is, at right angles to the keel of a ship; thus guns are said to be pointed abeam when they are pointed in a line at right angles to the ship's keel. Abear (a-bār′), v.t. [A. Sax. aberan, to bear, to carry, to suffer, from prefix a, and beran, to carry.] 1. To bear; to behave: with reflexive pronoun. Thus did the gentle knight himself abear. Spenser. 2. To suffer or tolerate. [ Provincial or vulgar.] Gin I mun doy I mun doy, for I couldn abear to see it. Tennyson (Northern Farmer). Abearance (a-bār'ans), n. [From abear (which see).] Behaviour; demeanour. Blackstone. The other species of recognizances with sureties is for the good abearance or good behaviour. Abecedarian (ã'bē-së-dâ′′ri-an), n. [A word formed from the first four letters of the alphabet.] 1. One who teaches the letters of the alphabet, or a learner of the letters. 2. A follower of Stork, an Anabaptist, in the sixteenth century, so called because he rejected all worldly knowledge, even the learning of the alphabet. Abecedarian, Abecedary (a'be-se-dari-an, a-be-se'da-ri), a. Pertaining to or formed by the letters of the alphabet.-Abecedarian psalms, hymns, &c., psalms, hymns, &c., in which (as in the 119th psalm), distinct portions have the verses begin with successive letters of the alphabet. Abeche,t v.t. [O. Fr. abécher; Fr. abéquer, abecquer, to feed with the beak, to feed an infant-a, and bec, the beak.] To feed, as a parent bird feeds its young. Yet should I somedel ben abeched, Gower. Abed (a-bed'), adv. [Prefix a, on, and bed. ] 1. On or in bed. Not to be abed after midnight is to be up betimes. Shak. 2. To bed. Her mother dream'd before she was deliver'd Abee (a-be). [Scotch.] Used in the same sense as be. To let abee, to let alone; to let be. Let abee is used as a noun in the sense of forbearance or connivance.-Let abee for let abee, one act of forbearance meeting another; mutual forbearance. Sir W. Scott. I am for let abee for let abee. -Let abee (adv.), far less; not to mention; as, he couldna sit let abee stand. Abegge,t v.t. [See ABY.] To suffer for, or atone for; to aby. There dorste no wight hond upon him legge, That he ne swore he shuld anon abegge. Chaucer. Abeigh (a-bech'), adv. [O. Fr. abbay, abbois, Fr. abois, the bark of a dog; tenir en abbay, to hold at bay, from baer, baïr, to gape. See |