Dictionary: A-BORT' – A-BRAD'ING

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 |

1234567891011121314151617181920
2122232425262728293031323334353637383940
4142434445464748495051525354555657585960
6162636465666768697071727374757677787980
81828384858687888990919293949596979899100
101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140
141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160
161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180
181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200
201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220
221222223224225226

A-BORT', n.

An abortion. [Not in use.] – Burton.

A-BORT', v.i. [L. aborto; ab and ortus, orior.]

To miscarry in birth. [Not in use.] – Herbert.

A-BOR'TION, n. [L. abortio, a miscarriage; usually deduced from ab and orior.]

  1. The act of miscarrying, or producing young before the natural time, or before the fetus is perfectly formed.
  2. In a figurative sense, any fruit or produce that does not come to maturity, or any thing which fails in its progress, before it is matured or perfect, as a design or project.
  3. The fetus brought forth before it is perfectly formed.

A-BORT'IVE, a.

  1. Brought forth in an immature state; failing, or coming to naught, before it is complete.
  2. Failing in its effect; miscarrying; producing nothing; as, an abortive scheme.
  3. Rendering abortive; as, abortive gulf, in Milton, but not legitimate.
  4. Pertaining to abortion; as, abortive vellum, made of the skin of an abortive calf. – Encyc.
  5. In botany, an abortive flower is one which falls without producing fruit. – Martyn.

A-BORT'IVE, n.

That which is brought forth or born prematurely.

A-BORT'IVE-LY, adv.

Immaturely; in an untimely manner.

A-BORT'IVE-NESS, n.

The state of being abortive; a failing in the progress to perfection or maturity; a failure of producing the intended effect.

A-BORT'MENT, n.

An untimely birth. – Bacon.

A-BOUND', v.i. [L. abundo; Fr. abonder; It. abbondare; Sp. abundar. If this word is from L. unda, a wave, the latter has probably lost its first consonant. Abound may naturally be deduced from the Celtic. Arm. fonn, plenty; fonna, to abound; W. fyniaw, to produce, to generate, to abound, from fwn, a source, the root of fynon, L. fons, or fountain. Or it may be connected with L. bonus, in the sense of extending, enlargement.]

  1. To have or possess in great quantity; to be copiously supplied; followed by with or in; as, to abound with provisions; to abound in good things.
  2. To be in great plenty; to be very prevalent. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. – Rom. v.

A-BOUND'ING, n.

Increase. – South.

A-BOUND'ING, ppr.

Having in great plenty; being in great plenty; being very prevalent; generally prevailing.

A-BOUT', adv.

  1. Near to in quality or degree; as, about as high, or as cold.
  2. Here and there; around; in one place and another. Wandering about from house to house. – 1 Tim. v.
  3. Round, or the longest way, opposed to across, or the shortest way; as, a mile about, and half a mile across. To bring about, to bring to the end; to effect or accomplish a purpose. To come about, to change or turn; to come to the desired point. In a like sense, seamen say go about, when a ship changes her course to go on the other tack. Ready about, about ship, are orders for tacking. To go about, signifies to enter upon; to prepare; to seek the means. Why go ye about to kill me? – John vii.

A-BOUT', prep. [Sax. abutan, onbutan, embutan, about, around; on or emb, coinciding with Gr. αμφι, and butan, without, (see But,) literally, around, on the outside.]

  1. Around; on the exterior part or surface. Bind them about thy neck. – Prov. iii. 3. Isa. 1. Hence,
  2. Near to in place, with the sense of circularity. Get you up from about the tabernacle. – Num. xvi.
  3. Near to in time. He went out about the third hour. – Matt. xxi. 3.
  4. Near to in action, or near to the performance of some act. Paul was about to open his mouth. – Acts xviii. 14. They were about to flee out of the ship. – Acts xxvii. 30.
  5. Near to the person; appended to the clothes. Every thing about him is in order. Is your snuff-box about you? From nearness on all sides, the transition is easy to, a concern with. Hence,
  6. Concerned in, engaged in, relating to, respecting; as, what is he about? I must be about my father's business. – Luke ii. 49. The painter is not to take so much pains about the drapery as about the face. – Dryden.
  7. In compass or circumference; two yards about the stern.
  8. Near to in number or quantity. There fell that day about three thousand men. – Ex. xxxii.

A-BOVE', adv.

  1. Overhead; in a higher place. – Bacon.
  2. Before. – Dryden.
  3. Chief in rank or power. – Deut. xxviii. Above all is elliptical; above all considerations; chiefly; in preference to other things. Above board; above the board or table; in open sight; without trick, concealment or deception. This expression is said by Johnson to be borrowed from gamesters, who, when they change their cards, put their hands under the table.

A-BOVE', prep. [Sax. abufan, bufan, bufon, D. boven.]

  1. Literally, higher in place. The fowls that fly above the earth. – Gen. ii.
  2. Figuratively, superior in any respect. I saw a light above the brightness of the sun. – Acts xxvi. The price of a virtuous woman is above rubies. – Prov. xxxi.
  3. More in number or quantity; as, the weight is above a tun. He was seen by above five hundred brethren at once. – 1 Cor. xv. 6.
  4. More in degree; in a greater degree. Hananiah feared God above many. – Neh. vii. 2. The serpent is cursed above all cattle. – Gen. iii.
  5. Beyond; in excess. In stripes above measure. – 2 Cor. lxi. God will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able. – 1 Cor. x. 13.
  6. Beyond; in a state to be unattainable; as, things above comprehension.
  7. Too proud for; as, this man is above his business.
  8. Too elevated in mind or rank; having too much dignity for; as, this man is above mean actions.
  9. It is often used elliptically, for heaven, or the celestial regions; as, the powers above. Let not God regard it from above. – Job iii.
  10. In a book or writing, it denotes before or in a former place as, what has been said above; supra. This mode of speaking originated in the ancient manner of writing, a strip of parchment, beginning at one end and proceeding to the other. The beginning was the upper end.

A-BOVE'-CI-TED, a.

Cited before, in the preceding part of a book or writing.

A-BOVE'-GROUND, a.

Alive, not buried.

A-BOVE'-MEN-TION-ED, a.

Mentioned before.

A-BOVE'SAID, a.

Mentioned or recited before.

AB-OVO-USQUE-AD-MALA, adv. [Ab ovo usque ad mala. L.]

From the egg to the apples; from the beginning of supper to the end; from the first dish to the last.

ABP, n. [Abp.]

Abbrev. for Archbishop.

A-BRA-CA-DAB'RA, n.

The name of a deity worshiped by the Assyrians; a cabalistic word. The letters of his name, written on paper, in the form of an inverted cone, were recommended by Samonicus as an antidote against certain diseases. – Encyc.

A-BRADE', v.t. [L. abrado, to scrape, from rado.]

To rub or wear off; to waste by friction; used especially to express the action of sharp, corrosive medicines, in wearing away or removing the mucus of the membranes.

A-BRAD'ED, pp.

Rubbed or worn off; worn; scraped.

A-BRAD'ING, ppr.

Rubbing off; wearing.