Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AB-SCIS'SION, n. [See Absciss.]

1. A cutting off, or a being cut off. In surgery, the separation of any corrupted or useless part of the body, by a sharp instrument; applied to the soft parts, as amputation is to the bones and flesh of a limb. Quincy.
2. In rhetoric, a figure of speech, when having begun to say a thing, a speaker stops abruptly, as supposing the matter sufficiently understood. Thus, "He is a man of so much honor and candor, and such generosity – but I need say no more."

AB-SCOND', v.i. [L. abscondo, to hide, of abs and condo, to hide, i. e. to withdraw, or to thrust aside or into a corner or secret place.]

1. To retire from public view, or from the place in which one resides or is ordinarily to be found; to withdraw, or absent one's self in a private manner; to be concealed; appropriately used of persons who secrete themselves to avoid legal process.
2. To hide, withdraw or be concealed. The marmot absconds in winter. Ray.

AB-SCOND'ER, n.

One who withdraws from public notice or conceals himself from public view.

AB-SCOND'ING, ppr. [or a.]

Withdrawing privately from public view; as, an absconding debtor, who confines himself to his apartments, or absents himself to avoid the ministers of justice. In the latter sense, it is properly an adjective.

AB'SENCE, n. [L. absens, from absum, abesse, to be away; ab and sum.]

1. A state of being at a distance in place, or not in company. It is used to denote any distance indefinitely, either in the same town, or country, or in a foreign country; and primarily supposes a prior presence; as, speak well of one in his absence.
2. Want; destitution; implying no previous presence. In the absence of conventional law. Ch. Kent.
3. In law, non-appearance; a not being in court to answer.
4. Heedlessness; inattention to things present. Absence of mind is the attention of the mind to a subject which does not occupy the rest of the company, and which draws the mind from things or objects which are present, to others distant or foreign.

AB'SENT, a.

1. Not present; not in company; at such a distance as to prevent communication. It is used also for being in a foreign country; as, a gentleman is absent on his travels. Absent from one another. Gen. xxxi. 49.
2. Heedless; inattentive to persons present, or to subjects of conversation in company; as, an absent man is uncivil to the company.
3. In familiar language, not at home; as, the master of the house is absent. In other words, he does not wish to be disturbed by company.

AB-SENT', v.t.

To depart to such a distance as to prevent intercourse; to retire or withdraw; to forbear to appear in presence; used with the reciprocal pronoun; as, let a man absent himself from the company.

AB-SENT'ED, pp.

Retired or withdrawn.

AB-SEN-TEE', n.

One who withdraws from his country, office or estate; one who removes to a distant place or to another country.

AB-SENT'EE-ISM, n.

Absence from duty or station.

AB-SENT'ER, n.

One who absents himself.

AB-SENT'ING, ppr.

Departing; withdrawing.

AB-SENT'MENT, n.

A state of being absent. Barrow.

AB-SIN'THI-AN, a. [from absinthizan.]

Of the nature of wormwood. Randolph.

AB-SIN'THI-A-TED, a.

Impregnated with wormwood.

AB-SIN'THI-UM, n. [Gr. {foreign}; Per. {foreign} sinthin, the same in Chaldaic. {foreign} in his commentaries on Theophrast, supposes the word composed of a priv. and {foreign}, delight, so named from its bitterness. But it may be an Oriental word.]

The common wormwood; a bitter plant, used as a tonic. A species of Artemisia.

AB'SIS,

In astronomy. [See Apsis.]

AB'SO-LUTE, a. [L. absolutes. See Absolve.]

1. Literally, in a general sense, free, independent of any thing extraneous. Hence,
2. Complete in itself; positive; as, an absolute declaration.
3. Unconditional, as, an absolute promise.
4. Existing independent of any other cause, as, God is absolute.
5. Unlimited by extraneous power or control, as, an absolute government or prince.
6. Not relative, as, absolute space. Stillingfleet. In grammar, the case absolute, is when a word or member of a sentence is not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence in government. A clause independent. Absolute equation, in astronomy, is the aggregate of the optic and eccentric equations. The apparent inequality of a planet's motion in its orbit, arising from its unequal distances from the earth at different times, is called its optic equation: the eccentric inequality is caused by the uniformity of the planet's motion, in an elliptical orbit, which, for that reason, appears not to be uniform. Absolute numbers, in algebra, are such as have no letters annexed as 2a + 36 = 48. The two latter numbers are absolute or pure. Encyc. Absolute space, in physics, is space considered without relation to any other object. Bailey. Absolute gravity, in philosophy, is that property in bodies by which they are said to weigh so much, without regard to circumstances of modification, and this is always as the quantity of matter they contain. Bailey.

AB'SO-LUTE-LY, adv.

1. Completely; wholly; as, a thing is absolutely unintelligible.
2. Without dependence or relation; in a state unconnected. Absolutely we can not discommend, we can not absolutely approve, either willingness to live, or forwardness to die. Hooker.
3. Without restriction or limitation; as, God reigns absolutely.
4. Without condition, as, God does not forgive absolutely, but upon condition of faith and repentance.
5. Positively, peremptorily; as, command me absolutely not to go.

AB'SO-LUTE-NESS, n.

1. Independence; completeness in itself.
2. Despotic authority, or that which is subject to no extraneous restriction, or control.

AB-SO-LU'TION, n.

In the civil law, an acquittal or sentence of a judge declaring an accused person innocent. In the canon law, a remission of sins pronounced by a priest in favor of a penitent. Among Protestants, a sentence by which an excommunicated person is released from his liability to punishment. Ayliffe. South.

AB'SO-LUT-ISM, n.

1. State of being absolute; or principles of absolute government.
2. Doctrine of predestination. Ash.

AB'SO-LU-TO-RY, a.

Absolving; that absolves.

AB-SOLV'A-TO-RY, a. [from absolve.]

Containing absolution, pardon, or release; having power to absolve. Congrave.

AB-SOLVE', v.t. abzolv'. [L. absolvo, from ab and solvo, to loose or release; Ch. {foreign}, shalah, to absolve, to finish; Heb. {foreign} shat, to loose or loosen. See Solve.]

To set free or release from some obligation, debt or responsibility; or from that which subjects a person to a burden or penalty; as, to absolve a person from a promise; to absolve an offender, which amounts to an acquittal and remission of his punishment. Hence, in the civil law, the word was used for acquit; and in the canon law, for forgive, or a sentence of remission. In ordinary language, its sense is to set free or release from an engagement. Formerly, good writers used the word in the sense of finish, accomplish; as, to absolve work, in Milton; but in this sense, it seems to be obsolete.