Emily Dickinson Lexicon

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. שלה, shalah, to absolve, to finish; Heb. של, shal, 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.

AB-SOLV'ED, pp.

Released; acquitted; remitted; declared innocent.

AB-SOLV'ER, n.

One who absolves, also one that pronounces sin to be remitted.

AB-SOLV'ING, ppr.

Setting free from a debt, or charge; acquitting; remitting.

AB'SO-NANT, a. [See Absonous.]

Wide from the purpose; contrary to reason.

AB'SO-NOUS, a. [L. absonus; ab and sonus, sound.]

Unmusical, or untunable. Fotherby.

AB-SORB', v.t. [L. absorbeo, ab and sorbeo, to drink in; Ar. شَرَبَ sharaba; Eth. ሰረበ or ሠረበ id.; Rab. ,שרף sharap, to draw or drink in; whence sirup, sherbet, shrub.]

1. To drink in; to suck up; to imbibe; as a spurge, or as the lacteals of the body.
2. To drink in, swallow up, or overwhelm with water, as a body in a whirlpool.
3. To waste wholly or sink in expenses; to exhaust; as, to absorb an estate in luxury.
4. To engross or engage wholly; as, absorbed in study or the pursuit of wealth.

AB-SORB-A-BIL'I-TY, n.

A state or quality of being absorbable.

AB-SORB'A-BLE, a.

That may be imbibed or swallowed. Kerr's Lavoisier.

AB-SORB'ED, or AB-SORPT', pp.

Imbibed; swallowed; wasted; engaged; lost in study; wholly engrossed.

AB-SORBENT, a.

Imbibing; swallowing.

AB-SORB'ENT, n.

In anatomy, a vessel which imbibes, as the lacteals, lymphatics, and inhaling arteries. In medicine, a testaceous powder, or other substance, which imbibes the humors of the body, as chalk or magnesia. Encyc.

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

Imbibing; engrossing wasting.

AB-SORP'TION, n.

1. The act or process of imbibing or swallowing; either by water, which overwhelms, or by substances, which drink in and retain liquids; as the absorption of a body in a whirlpool, or of water by the earth, or of the humors of the body by dry powders. It is used also to express the swallowing up of substances by the earth in chasms made by earthquakes, and the sinking of large tracts in violent commotion: of the earth.
2. In chimistry, the conversion of a gaseous fluid into a liquid or solid, by union with another substance. Ure.

AB-SORP'TIVE, a.

Having power to imbibe. Darwin,

ABSQUE-HOC, [Absque hoc. L.]

Without this or that; in law, words used in mediating what has been alledged, and is repeated.

AB-STAIN', v.i. [L. abstineo, to keep from; abs and teneo, to hold. See Tenant.]

In a general sense, to forbear, or refrain from, voluntarily; but used chiefly to denote a restraint upon the passions or appetites; to refrain from indulgence; as, to abstain from the use of ardent spirits; to abstain from luxuries. Abstain from meats offered to idols. Acts xv.

AB-STE'MI-OUS, a. [L. abstemius; from abs and temetum, an ancient name of strong wine, according to Fabius and Genius. But Vossius supposes it to be from abstineo, by a change of n to m. It may be from the root of timeo, to fear, that is, to withdraw.]

1. Sparing in diet; refraining from a free use of food and strong drinks. Instances of longevity are chiefly among the abstemious. Arbuthnot.
2. Sparing in the enjoyment of animal pleasures of any kind. [This usage is less common and perhaps not legitimate.]
3. Sparingly used, or used with temperance; belonging to abstinence; an abstentious diet, an abstemious life.

AB-STE'MI-OUS-LY, adv.

Temperately; with a sparing use of meat or drink.

AB-STE'MI-OUS-NESS, n.

The quality of being temperate or sparing in the use of food and strong drinks. This word expresses a greater degree of abstinence than temperance.

AB-STEN'TION, n.

The act of restraining.