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‖n. [ D., earth-pig. ] (Zool.) An edentate mammal, of the genus Orycteropus (Orycteropus afer), somewhat resembling a pig, common in some parts of Southern Africa. It is a nocturnal ungulate, burrows in the ground with its powerful claws, and feeds entirely on ants and termites, which it catches with its long, extensile, slimy tongue. It is the sole extant representative of the order Tubulidentata. [ Spelled also Aard-vark. ]
Syn. --ant bear, anteater, Orycteropus afer, oryctere, orycterope [ 1913 Webster WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ F. abattre to beat down + voix voice. ] The sounding-board over a pulpit or rostrum. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abbreviated; p. pr. & vb. n. Abbreviating. ] [ L. abbreviatus, p. p. of abbreviare; ad + breviare to shorten, fr. brevis short. See Abridge. ] 1. To make briefer; to shorten; to abridge; to reduce by contraction or omission, especially of words written or spoken. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Math.) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abbreviatus, p. p. ] 1. Abbreviated; abridged; shortened. [ R. ] “The abbreviate form.” Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An abridgment. [ Obs. ] Elyot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Shortened; relatively short; abbreviate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. abbreviatio: cf. F. abbréviation. ] 1. The act of shortening, or reducing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The result of abbreviating; an abridgment. Tylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or letters, standing for a word or phrase of which they are a part; as, Gen. for Genesis; U.S.A. for United States of America. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) One dash, or more, through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quavers, semiquavers, or demi-semiquavers. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL.: cf. F. abbréviateur. ] 1. One who abbreviates or shortens. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of a college of seventy-two officers of the papal court whose duty is to make a short minute of a decision on a petition, or reply of the pope to a letter, and afterwards expand the minute into official form. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Serving or tending to abbreviate; shortening; abridging. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An abbreviation; an abbreviated state or form. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An abridgment; a compendium or abstract. [ 1913 Webster ]

This is an excellent abbreviature of the whole duty of a Christian. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abdicativus. ] Causing, or implying, abdication. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abditivus, fr. abdere to hide. ] Having the quality of hiding. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The European siskin (Carduelis spinus), a small green and yellow finch, related to the goldfinch. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. ab- + evacuation. ] (Med.) A partial evacuation. Mayne. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

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

a. [ L. abjunctus, p. p. of abjungere; ab + jungere to join. ] Exceptional. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

It is this power which leads on from the accidental and abjunctive to the universal. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. ablatif, ablative, L. ablativus fr. ablatus. See Ablation. ] 1. Taking away or removing. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Where the heart is forestalled with misopinion, ablative directions are found needful to unteach error, ere we can learn truth. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Applied to one of the cases of the noun in Latin and some other languages, -- the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Gram.) The ablative case. [ 1913 Webster ]

ablative absolute, a construction in Latin, in which a noun in the ablative case has a participle (either expressed or implied), agreeing with it in gender, number, and case, both words forming a clause by themselves and being unconnected, grammatically, with the rest of the sentence; as, Tarquinio regnante, Pythagoras venit, i. e., Tarquinius reigning, Pythagoras came. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. abluvio. See Abluent. ] That which is washed off. [ R. ] Dwight. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abnegativus. ] Denying; renouncing; negative. [ R. ] Clarke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Abortive. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. same as abortionist. [ PJC ]

a. [ L. abortivus, fr. aboriri. See Abort, v. ] 1. Produced by abortion.as, an abortive child. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

2. Made from the skin of a still-born animal; as, abortive vellum. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Rendering fruitless or ineffectual. [ Obs. ] “Plunged in that abortive gulf.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Coming to naught; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful; as, an abortive attempt. “An abortive enterprise.” Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Biol.) Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile; as, an abortive organ, stamen, ovule, etc. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Med.) (a) Causing abortion; as, abortive medicines. Parr. AS (b) Cutting short the period of an illness; as, abortive treatment of typhoid fever. [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

n. 1. That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fruitless effort or issue. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Med.) A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion; -- also called an abortifacient. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

adv. In an abortive or untimely manner; immaturely; fruitlessly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abortive. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. [ OE. above, aboven, abuffe, AS. abufon; an (or on) on + be by + ufan upward; cf. Goth. uf under. √199. See Over. ] 1. In or to a higher place; higher than; on or over the upper surface; over; -- opposed to below or beneath. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fowl that may fly above the earth. Gen. i. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Figuratively, higher than; superior to in any respect; surpassing; beyond; higher in measure or degree than; as, things above comprehension; above mean actions; conduct above reproach. “Thy worth . . . is actions above my gifts.” Marlowe. [ 1913 Webster ]

I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun. Acts xxxvi. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Surpassing in number or quantity; more than; as, above a hundred. (Passing into the adverbial sense. See Above, adv., 4.) [ 1913 Webster ]

above all, before every other consideration; chiefly; in preference to other things. [ 1913 Webster ]

Over and above, prep. or adv., besides; in addition to. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In a higher place; overhead; into or from heaven; as, the clouds above. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Earlier in order; higher in the same page; hence, in a foregoing page. “That was said above.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Higher in rank or power; as, he appealed to the court above. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. More than; as, above five hundred were present. [ 1913 Webster ]

Above is often used elliptically as an adjective by omitting the word mentioned, quoted, or the like; as, the above observations, the above reference, the above articles. -- Above is also used substantively. “The waters that come down from above.” Josh. iii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ] It is also used as the first part of a compound in the sense of before, previously; as, above-cited, above-described, above-mentioned, above-named, abovesaid, abovespecified, above-written, above-given. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Above the board or table. Hence: in open sight; without trick, concealment, or deception. “Fair and aboveboard.” Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This expression is said by Johnson to have been borrowed from gamesters, who, when they change their cards, put their hands under the table. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Cited before, in the preceding part of a book or writing. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. On deck; and hence, like aboveboard, without artifice. Smart. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Mentioned or named before; aforesaid; mentioned or named earlier in the same text (in written documents). [ 1913 Webster WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Mentioned or recited before. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Producing abrasion. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., a watering place. ] (Masonry) The joint or interstice between stones, to be filled with mortar. Gwilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending or designed to abrogate; as, an abrogative law. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be absolved. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Conferring absolution; absolutory. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Absolved p. pr. & vb. n. Absolving. ] [ L. absolvere to set free, to absolve; ab + solvere to loose. See Assoil, Solve. ] 1. To set free, or release, as from some obligation, debt, or responsibility, or from the consequences of guilt or such ties as it would be sin or guilt to violate; to pronounce free; as, to absolve a subject from his allegiance; to absolve an offender, which amounts to an acquittal and remission of his punishment. [ 1913 Webster ]

Halifax was absolved by a majority of fourteen. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To free from a penalty; to pardon; to remit (a sin); -- said of the sin or guilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

In his name I absolve your perjury. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To finish; to accomplish. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The work begun, how soon absolved. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To resolve or explain. [ Obs. ] “We shall not absolve the doubt.” Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To Absolve, Exonerate, Acquit. We speak of a man as absolved from something that binds his conscience, or involves the charge of wrongdoing; as, to absolve from allegiance or from the obligation of an oath, or a promise. We speak of a person as exonerated, when he is released from some burden which had rested upon him; as, to exonerate from suspicion, to exonerate from blame or odium. It implies a purely moral acquittal. We speak of a person as acquitted, when a decision has been made in his favor with reference to a specific charge, either by a jury or by disinterested persons; as, he was acquitted of all participation in the crime. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. absolvens, p. pr. of absolvere. ] Absolving. [ R. ] Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An absolver. [ R. ] Hobbes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who absolves. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having power, capacity, or tendency to absorb or imbibe. E. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being absorptive; absorptive power. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Absorptiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. abstersif. See Absterge. ] Cleansing; purging. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Something cleansing. [ 1913 Webster ]

The strong abstersive of some heroic magistrate. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abstersive. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]