2. The water used in cleansing. “Cast the ablutions in the main.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (R. C. Ch.) A small quantity of wine and water, which is used to wash the priest's thumb and index finger after the communion, and which then, as perhaps containing portions of the consecrated elements, is drunk by the priest. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Around; all round; on every side of. “Look about you.” Shak. “Bind them about thy neck.” Prov. iii. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place; by or on (one's person). “Have you much money about you?” Bulwer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lampoons . . . were handed about the coffeehouses. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Roving still about the world. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Near; not far from; -- determining approximately time, size, quantity. “To-morrow, about this time.” Exod. ix. 18. “About my stature.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

He went out about the third hour. Matt. xx. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This use passes into the adverbial sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. In concern with; engaged in; intent on. [ 1913 Webster ]

I must be about my Father's business. Luke ii. 49. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Before a verbal noun or an infinitive: On the point or verge of; going; in act of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Paul was now aboutto open his mouth. Acts xviii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Concerning; with regard to; on account of; touching. “To treat about thy ransom.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

She must have her way about Sarah. Trollope. [ 1913 Webster ]

'Tis time to look about. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; as, a mile about, and a third of a mile across. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Here and there; around; in one place and another. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wandering about from house to house. 1 Tim. v. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence, in quality, manner, degree, etc.; as, about as cold; about as high; -- also of quantity, number, time. “There fell . . . about three thousand men.” Exod. xxii. 28. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To a reserved position; half round; in the opposite direction; on the opposite tack; as, to face about; to turn one's self about. [ 1913 Webster ]

To bring about, to cause to take place; to accomplish. --
To come about, to occur; to take place. See under Come. --
To go about,
To set about, to undertake; to arrange; to prepare. “Shall we set about some revels?” Shak. --
Round about, in every direction around. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Complete in itself; perfect; consummate; faultless; as, absolute perfection; absolute beauty. [ 1913 Webster ]

So absolute she seems,
And in herself complete. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Viewed apart from modifying influences or without comparison with other objects; actual; real; -- opposed to relative and comparative; as, absolute motion; absolute time or space. [ 1913 Webster ]

Absolute rights and duties are such as pertain to man in a state of nature as contradistinguished from relative rights and duties, or such as pertain to him in his social relations. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Loosed from, or unconnected by, dependence on any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In this sense God is called the Absolute by the Theist. The term is also applied by the Pantheist to the universe, or the total of all existence, as only capable of relations in its parts to each other and to the whole, and as dependent for its existence and its phenomena on its mutually depending forces and their laws. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Capable of being thought or conceived by itself alone; unconditioned; non-relative. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It is in dispute among philosopher whether the term, in this sense, is not applied to a mere logical fiction or abstraction, or whether the absolute, as thus defined, can be known, as a reality, by the human intellect. [ 1913 Webster ]

To Cusa we can indeed articulately trace, word and thing, the recent philosophy of the absolute. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Positive; clear; certain; not doubtful. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I am absolute 't was very Cloten. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Authoritative; peremptory. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The peddler stopped, and tapped her on the head,
With absolute forefinger, brown and ringed. Mrs. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Chem.) Pure; unmixed; as, absolute alcohol. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Gram.) Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence in government; as, the case absolute. See Ablative absolute, under Ablative. [ 1913 Webster ]

Absolute curvature (Geom.), that curvature of a curve of double curvature, which is measured in the osculating plane of the curve. --
Absolute equation (Astron.), the sum of the optic and eccentric equations. --
Absolute space (Physics), space considered without relation to material limits or objects. --
Absolute terms. (Alg.), such as are known, or which do not contain the unknown quantity. Davies & Peck. --
Absolute temperature (Physics), the temperature as measured on a scale determined by certain general thermo-dynamic principles, and reckoned from the absolute zero. --
Absolute zero (Physics), the be ginning, or zero point, in the scale of absolute temperature. It is equivalent to -273° centigrade or -459.4° Fahrenheit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Positive; peremptory; certain; unconditional; unlimited; unrestricted; unqualified; arbitrary; despotic; autocratic. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Civil Law) An acquittal, or sentence of a judge declaring and accused person innocent. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (R. C. Ch.) The exercise of priestly jurisdiction in the sacrament of penance, by which Catholics believe the sins of the truly penitent are forgiven. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the English and other Protestant churches, this act regarded as simply declaratory, not as imparting forgiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Eccl.) An absolving from ecclesiastical penalties, -- for example, excommunication. P. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The form of words by which a penitent is absolved. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Delivery, in speech. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Absolution day (R. C. Ch.), Tuesday before Easter. [ 1913 Webster ]

The element of absolutism and prelacy was controlling. Palfrey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Theol.) Doctrine of absolute decrees. Ash. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Metaph.) One who believes that it is possible to realize a cognition or concept of the absolute. Sir. W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That on or against which a body abuts or presses; as (a) (Arch.) The solid part of a pier or wall, etc., which receives the thrust or lateral pressure of an arch, vault, or strut. Gwilt. (b) (Mech.) A fixed point or surface from which resistance or reaction is obtained, as the cylinder head of a steam engine, the fulcrum of a lever, etc. (c) In breech-loading firearms, the block behind the barrel which receives the pressure due to recoil. [ 1913 Webster ]

Both accoutered like young men. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

For this, in rags accoutered are they seen. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Accoutered with his burden and his staff. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

How gay with all the accouterments of war! [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having nice discernment; perceiving or using minute distinctions; penetrating; clever; shrewd; -- opposed to dull or stupid; as, an acute observer; acute remarks, or reasoning. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Having nice or quick sensibility; susceptible to slight impressions; acting keenly on the senses; sharp; keen; intense; as, a man of acute eyesight, hearing, or feeling; acute pain or pleasure. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. High, or shrill, in respect to some other sound; -- opposed to grave or low; as, an acute tone or accent. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Med.) Attended with symptoms of some degree of severity, and coming speedily to a crisis; -- opposed to chronic; as, an acute disease. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

Acute angle (Geom.), an angle less than a right angle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Subtile; ingenious; sharp; keen; penetrating; sagacious; sharp-witted; shrewd; discerning; discriminating. See Subtile. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The faculty of nice discernment or perception; acumen; keenness; sharpness; sensitiveness; -- applied to the senses, or the understanding. By acuteness of feeling, we perceive small objects or slight impressions: by acuteness of intellect, we discern fine distinctions. [ 1913 Webster ]

Perhaps, also, he felt his professional acuteness interested in bringing it to a successful close. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Shrillness; high pitch; -- said of sounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Med.) Violence of a disease, which brings it speedily to a crisis. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Penetration; sagacity; keenness; ingenuity; shrewdness; subtlety; sharp-wittedness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Skillful arrangement in aid; assistance. [ 1913 Webster ]

It was, no doubt, disposed with all the adjutancy of definition and division. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mil.) A regimental staff officer, who assists the colonel, or commanding officer of a garrison or regiment, in the details of regimental and garrison duty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Adjutant general (a) (Mil.), the principal staff officer of an army, through whom the commanding general receives communications and issues military orders. In the U. S. army he is brigadier general. (b) (Among the Jesuits), one of a select number of fathers, who resided with the general of the order, each of whom had a province or country assigned to his care. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) A species of very large stork (Ciconia argala), a native of India; -- called also the gigantic crane, and by the native name argala. It is noted for its serpent-destroying habits. [ 1913 Webster ]