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n. [ OF. abaesse, abeesse, F. abbesse, L. abbatissa, fem. of abbas, abbatis, abbot. See Abbot. ] A female superior or governess of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks. See Abbey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Abbeys [ OF. abaïe, abbaïe, F. abbaye, L. abbatia, fr. abbas abbot. See Abbot. ] 1. A monastery or society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy; also, the monastic building or buildings. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The men are called monks, and governed by an abbot; the women are called nuns, and governed by an abbess. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The church of a monastery. [ 1913 Webster ]

In London, the Abbey means Westminster Abbey, and in Scotland, the precincts of the Abbey of Holyrood. The name is also retained for a private residence on the site of an abbey; as, Newstead Abbey, the residence of Lord Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Monastery; convent; nunnery; priory; cloister. See Cloister. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To beslobber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. one who blabr; a tattler; a telltale.
Syn. -- blabbermouth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. someone who gossips indiscreetly.
Syn. -- blabber, tattletale, taleteller, talebearer, telltale. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. tending to talk excessively.
Syn. -- bigmouthed, blabby, talkative. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. prone to revealing secrets; -- of people.
Syn. -- leaky, talebearing(prenominal), tattling(prenominal). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Ir. bainne, baine, milk + clabar mud, mire. ] Coagulated sour milk; loppered milk; curdled milk; -- sometimes called simply clabber. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Bonnyclabber ] Milk curdled so as to become thick. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become clabber; to lopper. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Crab, n. ] 1. Characterized by or manifesting, sourness, peevishness, or moroseness; harsh; cross; cynical; -- applied to feelings, disposition, or manners. [ 1913 Webster ]

Crabbed age and youth can not live together. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Characterized by harshness or roughness; unpleasant; -- applied to things; as, a crabbed taste. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Obscure; difficult; perplexing; trying; as, a crabbed author. “Crabbed eloquence.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

How charming is divine philosophy!
Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Cramped; irregular; as, crabbed handwriting.

-- Crab"bed*ly, adv. -- Crab"bed*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who catches crabs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. That with which one dabs; hence, a pad or other device used by printers, engravers, etc., as for dabbing type or engraved plates with ink. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who associates with drabs; a wencher. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A coarse linen fabric, or duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. Flap, and Aghast. ] To astonish; to strike with wonder, esp. by extraordinary statements. [ Jocular ] Beaconsfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being flabbergasted. [ Jocular ] London Punch. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A liar; a deceiver. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One addicted to idle talk. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who seizes or grabs. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Jabbered p. pr. & vb. n. Jabbering. ] [ Cf. Gibber, Gabble. ] To talk rapidly, indistinctly, or unintelligibly; to utter gibberish or nonsense; to chatter. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To utter rapidly or indistinctly; to gabble; as, to jabber French. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Rapid or incoherent talk, with indistinct utterance; gibberish. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who jabbers. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a jabbering manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Jabber. [ R. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Jobbernowl. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Rabbeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Rabbeting. ] [ F. raboter to plane, plane down, rabot a plane; pref. re- re- + OF. abouter, aboter. See Abut, and cf. Rebut. ] 1. To cut a rabbet in; to furnish with a rabbet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To unite the edges of, as boards, etc., in a rabbet joint. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Rabbet, v., and cf. Rebate, n. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Carp.) A longitudinal channel, groove, or recess cut out of the edge or face of any body; especially, one intended to receive another member, so as to break or cover the joint, or more easily to hold the members in place; thus, the groove cut for a panel, for a pane of glass, or for a door, is a rabbet, or rebate. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Same as Rabbet joint, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rabbet joint (Carp.), a joint formed by fitting together rabbeted boards or timbers; -- called also rabbet. --
Rabbet plane, a joiner's plane for cutting a rabbet. Moxon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Abounding with scabs; diseased with scabs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: Mean; paltry; vile; worthless. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Scabbiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ CF. Scramble. ] A Lenten dish, composed of eggs boiled hard, chopped, and seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper. Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Shabby. [ Obs. ] Wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Slabbered p. pr. & vb. n. Slabbering. ] [ OE. slaberen; akin to LG. & D. slabbern, G. schlabbern, LG. & D. slabben, G. schlabben, Icel. slafra. Cf. Slaver, Slobber, Slubber. ] To let saliva or some liquid fall from the mouth carelessly, like a child or an idiot; to drivel; to drool. [ Written also slaver, and slobber. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To wet and foul spittle, or as if with spittle. [ 1913 Webster ]

He slabbered me over, from cheek to cheek, with his great tongue. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To spill liquid upon; to smear carelessly; to spill, as liquid foed or drink, in careless eating or drinking. [ 1913 Webster ]

The milk pan and cream pot so slabbered and tost
That butter is wanting and cheese is half lost. Tusser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Spittle; saliva; slaver. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See 1st Slab. ] (Mach.) (a) A saw for cutting slabs from logs. (b) A slabbing machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who slabbers, or drools; hence, an idiot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like, or covered with, slabber or slab; slippery; sloppy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, stabs; a privy murderer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) A small marline spike; a pricker. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To swab. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]