‖n. [ L., fir tree. ] (Bot.) A genus of coniferous trees, properly called Fir, as the balsam fir and the silver fir. The spruces are sometimes also referred to this genus. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Heb. abīb, lit. an ear of corn. The month was so called from barley being at that time in ear. ] The first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, corresponding nearly to our April. After the Babylonish captivity this month was called Nisan. Kitto. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of abiding; abode; continuance; compliance (with). [ 1913 Webster ]

The Christians had no longer abidance in the holy hill of Palestine. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

A judicious abidance by rules. Helps. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Abode formerly Abid p. pr. & vb. n. Abiding ] [ AS. ābīdan; pref. ā- (cf. Goth. us-, G. er-, orig. meaning out) + bīdan to bide. See Bide. ] 1. To wait; to pause; to delay. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To stay; to continue in a place; to have one's abode; to dwell; to sojourn; -- with with before a person, and commonly with at or in before a place. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let the damsel abide with us a few days. Gen. xxiv. 55. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To remain stable or fixed in some state or condition; to continue; to remain. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let every man abide in the same calling. 1 Cor. vii. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]

Followed by by:
To abide by. (a) To stand to; to adhere; to maintain. [ 1913 Webster ] The poor fellow was obstinate enough to abide by what he said at first. Fielding. [ 1913 Webster ] (b) To acquiesce; to conform to; as, to abide by a decision or an award. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To wait for; to be prepared for; to await; to watch for; as, I abide my time. “I will abide the coming of my lord.” Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ [ Obs. ], with a personal object. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bonds and afflictions abide me. Acts xx. 23. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To endure; to sustain; to submit to. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Thou ] shalt abide her judgment on it. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To bear patiently; to tolerate; to put up with. [ 1913 Webster ]

She could not abide Master Shallow. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. [ Confused with aby to pay for. See Aby. ] To stand the consequences of; to answer for; to suffer for. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dearly I abide that boast so vain. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who abides, or continues. [ Obs. ] “Speedy goers and strong abiders.” Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who dwells; a resident. Speed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Continuing; lasting. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Permanently. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Geography) The capital city of Cote d'Ivoire. Population (2000) = 106, 786. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. abies, abietis, a fir tree. ] A volatile oil distilled from the resin or balsam of the nut pine (Pinus sabiniana) of California. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to the fir tree or its products; as, abietic acid, called also sylvic acid. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ See Abietene. ] (Chem.) A resinous obtained from Strasburg turpentine or Canada balsam. It is without taste or smell, is insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol (especially at the boiling point), in strong acetic acid, and in ether. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to abietin; as, abietinic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A substance resembling mannite, found in the needles of the common silver fir of Europe (Abies pectinata). Eng. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ The proper name used as an appellative. ] A lady's waiting-maid. Pepys. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her abigail reported that Mrs. Gutheridge had a set of night curls for sleeping in. Leslie. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Habiliment. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Abilities [ F. habileté, earlier spelling habilité (with silent h), L. habilitas aptitude, ability, fr. habilis apt. See Able. ] The quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; -- in the plural, faculty, talent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren. Acts xi. 29. [ 1913 Webster ]

Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The public men of England, with much of a peculiar kind of ability. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Capacity; talent; cleverness; faculty; capability; efficiency; aptitude; aptness; address; dexterity; skill. Ability, Capacity. These words come into comparison when applied to the higher intellectual powers. Ability has reference to the active exercise of our faculties. It implies not only native vigor of mind, but that ease and promptitude of execution which arise from mental training. Thus, we speak of the ability with which a book is written, an argument maintained, a negotiation carried on, etc. It always something to be done, and the power of doing it. Capacity has reference to the receptive powers. In its higher exercises it supposes great quickness of apprehension and breadth of intellect, with an uncommon aptitude for acquiring and retaining knowledge. Hence it carries with it the idea of resources and undeveloped power. Thus we speak of the extraordinary capacity of such men as Lord Bacon, Blaise Pascal, and Edmund Burke. “Capacity, ” says H. Taylor, “is requisite to devise, and ability to execute, a great enterprise.” The word abilities, in the plural, embraces both these qualities, and denotes high mental endowments. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'a priv. + bi`os life + ge`nesis, origin, birth. ] (Biol.) The supposed origination of living organisms from lifeless matter; such genesis as does not involve the action of living parents; spontaneous generation; -- called also abiogeny, and opposed to biogenesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall call the . . . doctrine that living matter may be produced by not living matter, the hypothesis of abiogenesis. Huxley, 1870. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to abiogenesis. Ab`i*o*ge*net"ic*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. (Biol.) One who believes that life can be produced independently of antecedent. Huxley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Produced by spontaneous generation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biol.) Same as Abiogenesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + E. biological. ] Pertaining to the study of inanimate things. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) A medicine that diminishes or alleviates irritation. [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

adj. (Med.) Diminishing or alleviating irritation Stedman. [ AS ]

v. t. [ Pref. ab- + irritate. ] (Med.) To diminish the sensibility to stimulation of. [ 1913 Webster+ AS ]

n. (Med.) A pathological condition opposite to that of irritation; debility; lack of strength; asthenia. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Characterized by abirritation or debility. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

def>3d sing. pres. of Abide. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being absorbable. Graham (Chemistry). [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Geography) The capital city of United Arab Emirates. Population (2000) = 363, 432. [ PJC ]

or n. [ F. abîme. See Abysm. ] A abyss. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. acceptabilitas. ] The quality of being acceptable; acceptableness. “Acceptability of repentance.” Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account; the obligation to bear the consequences for failure to perform as expected; accountableness. “The awful idea of accountability.” R. Hall.
Syn. -- answerability, answerableness [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 the possibility of being achieved or accomplished; -- a property which may be possessed by a contemplated act.
Syn. -- attainability, attainableness [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The quality of being acquirable; attainableness. [ R. ] Paley. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. The quality of being adaptable; suitableness. “General adaptability for every purpose.” Farrar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. admirabilitac. ] Admirableness. [ R. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Adorableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being advisable; advisableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. affabilitas: cf. F. affabilité. ] The quality of being affable; readiness to converse; courteousness in receiving others and in conversation; complaisant behavior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Affability is of a wonderful efficacy or power in procuring love. Elyot [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. agreablete. ] 1. Easiness of disposition. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The quality of being, or making one's self, agreeable; agreeableness. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capability of being alienated. “The alienability of the domain.” Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. altérabilité. ] The quality of being alterable; alterableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. amabilitas. ] Lovableness. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The New English Dictionary (Murray) says this word is “usefully distinct from Amiability.” [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being amenable; amenableness. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being amiable; amiableness; sweetness of disposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every excellency is a degree of amiability. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being amicable; friendliness; amicableness. Ash. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Liability to be removed or dismissed from office. [ R. ] T. Jefferson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. suspended animation in organisms during periods of extreme drought from which they revive when moisture returns. [ WordNet 1.5 ]