Emily Dickinson Lexicon

A-BRIDGE', v.t. [abridj'; Fr. abreger, from Gr. {foreign}, short, or its root, from the root of break or a verb of that family.]

1. To make shorter; to epitomize; to contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense in substance-used of writings; as, Justin abridged the history of Trojius Pompeius.
2. To lessen; to diminish; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights. Smith.
3. To deprive; to cut oil from; followed by of; as, to abridge one of his rights, or enjoyments. To abridge from, is now obsolete or improper.
4. In algebra, to reduce a compound quantity or equation to its more simple expression. The equation thus abridged is called a formula.

A-BRIDG'ED, pp.

Made shorter; epitomized; reduced to a smaller compass; lessened; deprived.

A-BRIDGE'MENT, n.

1. An epitome; a compend or summary of a book.
2. Diminution; contraction; reduction – as, an abridgment of expenses.
3. Deprivation; a debarring or restraint; as, an abridgment of pleasures.

A-BRIDG'ER, n.

One who abridges; one who makes a compend.

A-BRIDG'ING, ppr.

Shortening; lessening; depriving; debarring.

A-BROACH', adv. [See Broach.]

Broached; letting out or yielding liquor, or in a posture for letting out; as, a cask is abroach. Figuratively used by Shakspeare for setting loose, or in a state of being diffused, "Set mischief abroach;" but this sense is unusual.

A-BROAD', adv. [abrawd'; See Broad.]

1. In a general sense, at large; widely; not confined to narrow limits. Hence,
2. In the open air.
3. Beyond or out of the walls of a house, as to walk abroad.
4. Beyond the limits of a camp. Deut. xxiii. 10.
5. Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries; as, to go abroad for an education; we have broils at home and enemies abroad.
6. Extensively; before the public at large. He began to blaze abroad the matter. Mark 1. 45. Esther i.
7. Widely; with expansion; as, a tree spreads its branches abroad.

AB'RO-GATE, v.t. [L. abrogo to repeal; from ab and rogo, to ask or propose. See the English reach. Class 4.]

To repeal; to annul by an authoritative act; to abolish by the authority of the maker or his successor; applied to the repeal of laws, decrees, ordinances, the abolition of established customs, &c.

AB'RO-GA-TED, pp.

Repealed; annulled by an act of authority.

AB'RO-GA-TING, ppr.

Repealing by authority; making void.

AB'-RO-GATION, n.

The act of abrogating; repeal by authority of the legislative power.

A-BROOD', adv. [See Brood.]

In the action of brooding. [Not in use.] Sancroft.

A-BROOD'ING, n.

A sitting abrood. [Not in use.] Basset.

A-BROOK', v.t.

To brook, to endure. [Not in use.] See Brook. Shak.

AB-RO-TA-NOID', n. [Gr. {foreign} and {foreign}, form.]

A species of perforated coral or madrepore growing on rocks on the bottom of the sea.

A-BRO'TA-NUM, n. [Gr. {foreign}.]

A species of evergreen plant arranged under the genus Artemisia, called also Southernwood.

AB-RUPT', a. [L. abruptus, from abrumpo, to break off; of ab and rump. See Rupture.]

1. Literally, broken off, or broken short. Hence,
2. Steep, craggy; applied to rocks, precipices and the like.
3. Figuratively, sudden; without notice to prepare the mind for the event; as, an abrupt entrance or address.
4. Unconnected; having sudden transitions from one subject to another; as, an abrupt style. Ben Jonson.
5. In botany, an abrupt pinnate leaf is one which has neither leaflet, nor tendril at the end. Martyn.

AB-RUPT', n.

A chasm or gulf with steep sides. Over the vast abrupt. Milton. [This use of the word is infrequent.]

AB-RUPTED, a.

Torn off; torn asunder.

AB-RUP'TION, n.

A sudden breaking off; a violent separation of bodies. Woodward.

AB-RUPT'LY, adv.

Suddenly; without giving notice, or without the usual forms; as, the Minister left France abruptly.

AB-RUPT'NESS, a.

1. A state of being broken; craggedness; steepness.
2. Figuratively, suddenness; unceremonious haste or vehemence.

AB'SCESS, n. [L. abscessus, from ab and redo, to go from.]

An imposthume. A collection of morbid matter, or pus in the cellular or adipose membrane; matter generated by the suppuration of an inflammatory tumor. Quincy. Hooper.

AB-SCIND', v.t. [L. abscindo.]

To cut off. [Little used.]

AB'SCISS, or AB-SCIS'SA, n. [L. abscissas, from ab and scindo, to cut; Gr. {foreign}. See Scissors.]

In conics, a part of the diameter, or transverse axis of a conic section, intercepted between the vertex or some other fixed point, and a semiordinate. Encyc.