Syn. -- Reproachful; scurrilous; opprobrious; insolent; insulting; injurious; offensive; reviling.
A*bu"sive*ly, adv. In an abusive manner; rudely; with abusive language.
A*bu"sive*ness, n. The quality of being abusive; rudeness of language, or violence to the person.
Pick out mirth, like stones out of thy ground,
Profaneness, filthiness, abusiveness.
Herbert.
A*but" (&?;), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Abutted; p. pr. & vb. n. Abutting.] [OF. abouter, aboter; cf. F. aboutir, and also abuter; a (L. ad) + OF. boter, buter, to push: cf. F. bout end, and but end, purpose.] To project; to terminate or border; to be contiguous; to meet; -- with on, upon, or against; as, his land abuts on the road.
A*bu"ti*lon (&?;), n. [Ar. aubtln.] (Bot.) A genus of malvaceous plants of many species, found in the torrid and temperate zones of both continents; -- called also Indian mallow.
A*but"ment (*bt"ment), n. 1. State of abutting.
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.
A*but"tal (&?;), n. The butting or boundary of land, particularly at the end; a headland. Spelman.
A*but"ter (&?;), n. One who, or that which, abuts. Specifically, the owner of a contiguous estate; as, the abutters on a street or a river.
A*buzz" (&?;), a. [Pref. a- + buzz.] In a buzz; buzzing. [Colloq.] Dickens.
{ A*by", A*bye" } (&?;), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Abought (&?;).] [AS. bycgan to pay for; pref. - (cf. Goth. us- , Ger. er-, orig. meaning out) + bycgan to buy. See Buy, and cf. Abide.] 1. To pay for; to suffer for; to atone for; to make amends for; to give satisfaction. [Obs.]
Lest to thy peril thou aby it dear.
Shak.