Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AB-GRE-GA'TION, n.

Separation from a herd or flock. [Obs.]

AB-HOR', v.t. [L. abhorreo, ab and horreo, to set up bristles, to shiver or shake; to look terrible.]

1. To hate extremely, or with contempt; to lothe, detest or abominate. Shak.
2. To despise or neglect. Psal. xxii. 24. Amos vi. 8.
3. To cast off or reject. Psal. lxxxix. 38.

AB-HOR'RED, pp.

Hated extremely, detested.

AB-HOR'RENCE, or AB-HOR'REN-CY, n.

Extreme hated, detestation, great aversion.

AB-HOR'RENT, a.

1. Hating, detesting, struck with abhorrence.
2. Contrary, odious, inconsistent with, expressive of extreme opposition; as, slander is abhorrent to all ideas of justice. In this sense, it should be always followed by to – abhorrent from is not agreeable to the English idiom.

AB-HOR'RENT-LY, adv.

With abhorrence.

AB-HOR'RER, n.

One who abhors.

AB-HOR'RING, ppr.

Having great aversion, detesting. As a noun, it is used in Isaiah lxvi. for the object of hatred – "an abhorring to all flesh."

A'BIB, n. [Heb. אב, ab, swelling, protuberant. Ch. אבב abab, to produce the first or early fruit; אביב, abib, a full grown ear of corn.]

The first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, called also Nisan. It begins at the spring equinox, and answers to the latter part of March and beginning of April. Its name is derived from the full growth of wheat in Egypt, which took place anciently, as it does now, at that season.

A-BIDE', v.i. [pret. and part. abode. Ar. اَبَدَ abada, to be or exist, to continue; W. bod, to be; Sax. bidan, abidan; Sw. bida; D. beiden; Dan. bier for bider; Russ. vitayu, to dwell, rest, continue, stand firm, or be stationary for any time indefinitely. Class Bd. No. 7.]

1. To rest, or dwell. Gen. xxix. 19.
2. To tarry or stay for a short time. Gen. xxiv. 55.
3. To continue permanently or in the same state; to be firm and immovable. Psal. cxix. 90.
4. To remain, to continue. Acts xxvii. 31. Eccles. viii. 15.

A-BIDE', v.t.

1. To wait for; to be prepared for; to await. Bonds and afflictions abide me. Acts xx. 23. [For is here understood.]
2. To endure or sustain. To abide the indignation of the Lord. Joel ii. 11.
3. To bear or endure; to bear patiently; as, I can not abide his impertinence. This verb when intransitive, is followed by in or at before the place, and with before the person; Abide with me – at Jerusalem, or in this land. Sometimes by on; The sword shall abide on his cities. And in the sense of wait, by for; Abide for me, Hosea iii. 3. Sometimes by by; Abide by the crib, Job. xxxix. In general, abide by signifies to adhere to, maintain, defend, or stand to; as, to abide by a promise, or by a friend; or to suffer the consequences, as, to abide by the event, that is, to be fixed or permanent in a particular condition.

A-BID'ER, n.

One who dwells or continues.

A-BID'ING, a.

Continuing, permanent.

A-BID'ING, n.

Continuance; fixed state; residence; an enduring.

A-BID'ING, ppr.

Dwelling; remaining; continuing; enduring; awaiting.

A-BID'ING-LY, adv.

In a manner to continue; permanently. Haweis.

A-BIL'I-TY, n. [Fr. habileté; It. abilità; Sp. habilidad; L. habilitas, ableness, fitness, from habeo, to have or hold.]

1. Physical power, whether bodily or mental; natural or acquired; force of understanding; skill in arts or science. Ability is active power, or power to perform; as opposed to capacity, or power to receive. In the plural, abilities is much used in a like sense; and also for faculties of the mind, and acquired qualifications. Franklin.
2. Riches, wealth, substance, which are the means, or which furnish the power, of doing certain acts. They gave according to their ability to the work. Ezra ii.
3. Moral power, depending on the will – a metaphysical and theological sense.
4. Civil or legal power; the power or right to do certain things; as, an ability to transfer property or dispose of effects – ability to inherit. It is opposed to disability. Cyc.

AB-INITIO, adv. [Ab initio. L.]

From the beginning.

AB-IN-TEST'ATE, a. [L. ab and intestatus, dying without a will, from in and testor, to bear witness; W. tyst; Arm. test, witness. See Test and Testify.]

In the civil law, inheriting the estate of one dying without a will.

AB'JECT, a. [L. abjectus, from abjicio, to throw away, from ab and jacio, to throw.]

1. Sunk to a low condition; applied to persons or things, Hence,
2. Worthless, mean, despicable, low in estimation, without hope or regard.

AB'JECT, n.

A person in the lowest condition and despicable. Psal. xxxv.

AB-JECT', v.t.

To throw away; to cast out. [Obs.] Spenser.

AB-JECT'ED-NESS, n.

A very low or despicable condition. [Little used.]

AB-JEC'TION, n.

A state of being cast away; hence a low state; meanness of spirit; baseness.

AB'JECT-LY, adv.

In a contemptible manner; meanly; servilely.