_aor._ aorist.
_abbrev._ abbreviation.
_abl._ ablative.
_acc._ according.
_accus._ accusative.
_adj._ adjective.
_adv._ adverb.
_agri._ agriculture.
_alg._ algebra.
_anat._ anatomy.
_app._ apparently.
_arch._ archaic.
_archit._ architecture.
_arith._ arithmetic.
_astrol._ astrology.
_astron._ astronomy.
_attrib._ attributive.
_augm._ augmentative.
_B._ Bible.
_biol._ biology.
_book-k._ book-keeping.
_bot._ botany.
_c._ (_circa_) about.
_c._, _cent._ century.
_carp._ carpentry.
_cf._ compare.
_chem._ chemistry.
_cog._ cognate.
_coll._, _colloq._ colloquially.
_comp._ comparative.
_conch._ conchology.
_conj._ conjunction.
_conn._ connected.
_contr._ contracted.
_cook._ cookery.
_corr._ corruption.
_crystal._ crystallography.
_dat._ dative.
_demons._ demonstrative.
_der._ derivation.
_dial._ dialect, dialectal.
_Dict._ Dictionary.
_dim._ diminutive.
_dub._ doubtful.
_eccles._ ecclesiastical history.
_e.g._ for example.
_elect._ electricity.
_entom._ entomology.
_esp._ especially.
_ety._ etymology.
_fem._ feminine.
_fig._ figuratively.
_fol._ followed; following.
_fort._ fortification.
_freq._ frequentative.
_fut._ future.
_gen._ genitive.
_gener._ generally.
_geog._ geography.
_geol._ geology.
_geom._ geometry.
_ger._ gerundive.
_gram._ grammar.
_gun._ gunnery.
_her._ heraldry.
_hist._ history.
_hort._ horticulture.
_hum._ humorous.
_i.e._ that is.
_imit._ imitative.
_imper._ imperative.
_impers._ impersonal.
_indic._ indicative.
_infin._ infinitive.
_inten._ intensive.
_interj._ interjection.
_interrog._ interrogative.
_jew._ jewellery.
_lit._ literally.
_mach._ machinery.
_masc._ masculine.
_math._ mathematics.
_mech._ mechanics.
_med._ medicine.
_metaph._ metaphysics.
_mil._ military.
_Milt._ Milton.
_min._ mineralogy.
_mod._ modern.
_Mt._ Mount.
_mus._ music.
_myth._ mythology.
_n._, _ns._ noun, nouns.
_nat. hist._ natural history.
_naut._ nautical.
_neg._ negative.
_neut._ neuter.
_n.pl._ noun plural.
_n.sing._ noun singular.
_N.T._ New Testament.
_obs._ obsolete.
_opp._ opposed.
_opt._ optics.
_orig._ originally.
_ornith._ ornithology.
_O.S._ old style.
_O.T._ Old Testament.
_p._, _part._ participle.
_p.adj._ participial adjective.
_paint._ painting.
_paleog._ paleography.
_paleon._ paleontology.
_palm._ palmistry.
_pa.p._ past participle.
_pass._ passive.
_pa.t._ past tense.
_path._ pathology.
_perf._ perfect.
_perh._ perhaps.
_pers._ person.
_pfx._ prefix.
_phil._, _philos._ philosophy.
_philol._ philology.
_phon._ phonetics.
_phot._ photography.
_phrenol._ phrenology.
_phys._ physics.
_physiol._ physiology.
_pl._ plural.
_poet._ poetical.
_pol. econ._ political economy.
_poss._ possessive.
_Pr.Bk._ Book of Common
Prayer.
_pr.p._ present participle.
_prep._ preposition.
_pres._ present.
_print._ printing.
_priv._ privative.
_prob._ probably.
_Prof._ Professor.
_pron._ pronoun;
pronounced;
pronunciation.
_prop._ properly.
_pros._ prosody.
_prov._ provincial.
_q.v._ which see.
_R.C._ Roman Catholic.
_recip._ reciprocal.
_redup._ reduplication.
_refl._ reflexive.
_rel._ related; relative.
_rhet._ rhetoric.
_sculp._ sculpture.
_Shak._ Shakespeare.
_sig._ signifying.
_sing._ singular.
_spec._ specifically.
_Spens_. Spenser.
_subj._ subjunctive.
_suff._ suffix.
_superl._ superlative.
_surg._ surgery.
_term._ termination.
_teleg._ telegraphy.
_Tenn._ Tennyson.
_Test._ Testament.
_theat._ theatre; theatricals.
_theol._ theology.
_trig._ trigonometry.
_ult._ ultimately.
_v.i._ verb intransitive.
_voc._ vocative.
_v.t._ verb transitive.
_vul._ vulgar.
_zool._ zoology.
* * * * *
Amer. American.
Ar. Arabic.
A.S. Anglo-Saxon.
Austr. Australian.
Bav. Bavarian.
Beng. Bengali.
Bohem. Bohemian.
Braz. Brazilian.
Bret. Breton.
Carib. Caribbean.
Celt. Celtic.
Chal. Chaldean.
Chin. Chinese.
Corn. Cornish.
Dan. Danish.
Dut. Dutch.
Egypt. Egyptian.
Eng. English.
Finn. Finnish.
Flem. Flemish.
Fr. French.
Fris. Frisian.
Gael. Gaelic.
Ger. German.
Goth. Gothic.
Gr. Greek.
Heb. Hebrew.
Hind. Hindustani.
Hung. Hungarian.
Ice. Icelandic.
Ind. Indian.
Ion. Ionic.
Ir. Irish.
It. Italian.
Jap. Japanese.
Jav. Javanese.
L. Latin.
Lith. Lithuanian.
L. L. Low or Late Latin.
M. E. Middle English.
Mex. Mexican.
Norm. Norman.
Norw. Norwegian.
O. Fr. Old French.
Pers. Persian.
Peruv. Peruvian.
Pol. Polish.
Port. Portuguese.
Prov. Provençal.
Rom. Romance.
Russ. Russian
Sans. Sanskrit.
Scand. Scandinavian.
Scot. Scottish.
Singh. Singhalese.
Slav. Slavonic.
Sp. Spanish.
Sw. Swedish.
Teut. Teutonic.
Turk. Turkish.
U.S. United States.
W. Welsh.
* * * * *
CHAMBERS'S
TWENTIETH CENTURY
DICTIONARY.
* * * * *
[Illustration]
the first letter in our alphabet, its corresponding symbol standing first
also in many other alphabets derived from the Phoenician. It originated in
the hieroglyphic picture of an eagle (Old Egyptian _ahom_), the cursive
hieratic form of which was the original of the Phoenician _aleph_, an ox,
from a fancied resemblance to its head and horns.--A, as a note in music,
is the major sixth of the scale of C; A1, the symbol by which first-class
vessels are classed in Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping,
hence first-rate.
A, the indefinite article, a broken-down form of An, and used before words
beginning with the sound of a consonant. [_An_ was a new development, after
the Conquest, of the A.S. numeral _án_, one.]
A, ä or [=a], a _prep._, derived from the old prep. _on_, and still used,
as a prefix, in _a_foot, _a_field, _a_part, _a_sleep, now_a_days,
twice-_a_-day; also with verbal nouns, as _a_-building, to be _a_-doing, to
set _a_-going. It is now admitted only colloquially. [Short for A.S. _an_,
a dialectic form of _on_, on, in, at. See PREFIXES.]
A, ä, a dialectic corruption of _he_ or _she_, as in quoth_a_, (_Shak._)
'_A_ babbled of green fields.'--A, usually written _a'_, Scotch for _all_;
A, a form of the L. prep. _ab_, from, of, used before consonants, as in
Thomas _à_ Kempis, Thomas _à_ Becket, &c.
AARDVARK, ard'vark, _n._ the ground-hog of South Africa. [Dut. _aarde_,
earth; _vark_, found only in dim. _varken_, a pig.]
AARDWOLF, ard'w[=oo]lf, _n._ the earth-wolf of South Africa, a carnivore
belonging to a sub-family of the Hyænidæ. [Dut. _aarde_, earth, _wolf_,
wolf.]
AARONIC, -AL, [=a]-ron'ik, -al, _adj._ pertaining to AARON, the Jewish
high-priest, or to his priesthood.--_n._ AA'RON'S-ROD (_archit._), a rod
having one serpent twined round it.--AARON'S BEARD, a popular name for a
number of cultivated plants--among the best known, a species of Saxifrage
(_S. sarmentosa_), usually grown in hanging pots, from which hang long
stems, bearing clumps of roundish, hairy leaves.
AB, ab, _n._ the eleventh month of the Jewish civil year, and the fifth of
the ecclesiastical year, answering to parts of July and August. [Syriac.]
ABA, ab'a, _n._ a Syrian woollen stuff, of goat's or camel's hair, usually
striped; an outer garment made of this. [Ar.]
ABACA, ab'a-ka, _n._ the native name of the so-called Manilla hemp of
commerce--really a plantain, much grown in the Philippine Islands.
ABACK, a-bak', _adv._ (_naut._) said of sails pressed backward against the
mast by the wind--hence (_fig._) TAKEN ABACK, taken by surprise, [A.S. _on
bæc._ See ON and BACK.]
ABACOT. See BYCOCKET.
ABACTINAL, ab-ak'ti-nal, _adj._ (_zool._) remote from the actinal area,
without rays.--_adv._ ABAC'TINALLY.
ABACTION, ab-ak'shun, _n._ (_law_) the stealing of a number of cattle at
once.--_n._ ABAC'TOR, one who does this. [L. _abig[)e]re_, _abactum_, to
drive off.]
[Illustration]
ABACUS, ab'a-kus, _n._ a counting-frame or table: (_archit._) a level
tablet on the capital of a column, supporting the entablature:--_pl._
AB'AC[=I].--_ns._ ABACIS'CUS, ABAC'ULUS, dims. of ABACUS; AB'ACIST, one who
counts with the abacus. [L.--Gr. _abax_, _abakos_, a board for reckoning
on.]
ABADDON, a-bad'don, _n._ the destroyer, or angel of the bottomless pit:
(_Milton_) the bottomless pit, or abyss of hell itself. [Heb., from
_[=a]bad_, to be lost.]
ABAFT, a-baft', _adv._ and _prep._ on the aft, hind, or stern part of a
ship: behind. [Pfx. _a-_, for A.S. _on_, on, and _bæftan_, after, behind;
itself made up of pfx. _be-_, and _æftan_. See AFT.]
ABALIENATE, ab-[=a]l'yen-[=a]t, _v.t._ Same as ALIENATE.
ABANDON, a-ban'dun, _v.t._ to give up: to desert: to yield (one's self)
without restraint (with _to_).--_v.t._ ABAND' (_Spens._), to abandon.--_n._
ABAN'DON (_n_ to be nasalised), freedom from conventional restraints:
careless freedom of manners.--_adj._ ABAN'DONED, given up, as to a vice:
profligate: completely deserted: very wicked.--_adv._ ABAN'DONEDLY.--_n._
ABAN'DONMENT, act of abandoning: state of being given up: enthusiastic
surrender of self to a cause: (_law_) the renunciation of a claim. [O. Fr.
_bandon_, from the Teut. root _ban_, proclamation, came to mean decree,
authorisation, permission; hence _à bandon_--at will or discretion,
_abandonner_, to give up to the will or disposal of some one. See BAN,
BANNS.]
ABASE, a-b[=a]s', _v.t._ to cast down: to humble: to degrade.--_adjs._
AB[=A]'SED, ABAISSÉ (_her._), depressed.--_n._ ABASE'MENT, state of
humiliation. [O. Fr. _abaissier_, to bring low--L. _ad_, to, and root of
BASE, adj.]
ABASH, a-bash', _v.t._ to confuse with shame or guilt.--_pa.p._ ABASHED'
(with _at_, of an occasion; _by_, of a cause).--_n._ ABASH'MENT, confusion
from shame. [O. Fr. _esbhir_ (Fr. _s'ébahir_), pr.p. _esbahiss-ant_, to be
amazed--L. _ex_, out, and interj. _bah_, expressive of astonishment.]
ABATE, a-b[=a]t', _v.t._ to lessen: to deduct (with _of_): to mitigate:
(_law_) to put an end to, do away with, as of an action or a nuisance, to
render null, as a writ.--_v.i._ to grow less.--_adjs._ AB[=A]T'ABLE,
capable of being abated; AB[=A]T'ED, beaten down or cut away, as the
background of an ornamental pattern in relief.--_n._ ABATE'MENT, the act of
abating: the sum or quantity abated: (_law_) the act of intruding on a
freehold and taking possession before the heir, the abandonment of an
action, or the reduction of a legacy: (_her._) a supposed mark of dishonour
on a coat of arms--apparently never actually used.--ABATED ARMS, those
whose edges have been blunted for the tournament. [O. Fr. _abatre_, to beat
down--L. _ab_, from, and _bat[)e]re_, popular form of _batu[)e]re_, to
beat: conn. with BEAT.]
ABATIS, ABATTIS, a'bat-is, _n.sing._ and _pl._ (_fort._) a rampart of trees
felled and laid side by side, with the branches towards the enemy. [Fr. See
ABATE.]
ABATTOIR, a-bat-wär', _n._ a public slaughter-house. [Fr. See ety. of
ABATE.]