n. The act of abacinating. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abalienatio: cf. F. abaliénation. ] The act of abalienating; alienation; estrangement. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ LL. abannatio; ad + LL. bannire to banish. ] (Old Law) Banishment. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ab + E. articulation : cf. F. abarticulation. See Article. ] (Anat.) Articulation, usually that kind of articulation which admits of free motion in the joint; diarthrosis. Coxe. [ 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. [ L. abdicatio: cf. F. abdication. ] The act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder; commonly the voluntary renunciation of sovereign power; as, abdication of the throne, government, power, authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aberratio: cf. F. aberration. See Aberrate. ] 1. The act of wandering; deviation, especially from truth or moral rectitude, from the natural state, or from a type. “The aberration of youth.” Hall. “Aberrations from theory.” Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A partial alienation of reason. “Occasional aberrations of intellect.” Lingard. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whims, which at first are the aberrations of a single brain, pass with heat into epidemic form. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Astron.) A small periodical change of position in the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer; called annual aberration, when the observer's motion is that of the earth in its orbit, and daily or diurnal aberration, when of the earth on its axis; amounting when greatest, in the former case, to 20.4'', and in the latter, to 0.3''. Planetary aberration is that due to the motion of light and the motion of the planet relative to the earth. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Opt.) The convergence to different foci, by a lens or mirror, of rays of light emanating from one and the same point, or the deviation of such rays from a single focus; called spherical aberration, when due to the spherical form of the lens or mirror, such form giving different foci for central and marginal rays; and chromatic aberration, when due to different refrangibilities of the colored rays of the spectrum, those of each color having a distinct focus. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Physiol.) The passage of blood or other fluid into parts not appropriate for it. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Law) The producing of an unintended effect by the glancing of an instrument, as when a shot intended for A glances and strikes B. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Insanity; lunacy; madness; derangement; alienation; mania; dementia; hallucination; illusion; delusion. See Insanity. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Characterized by aberration. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

n. (Med.) A pathological condition opposite to that of irritation; debility; lack of strength; asthenia. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Rejection by judicial sentence. [ R. ] Knowles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abjuratio: cf. F. abjuration. ] 1. The act of abjuring or forswearing; a renunciation upon oath; as, abjuration of the realm, a sworn banishment, an oath taken to leave the country and never to return. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A solemn recantation or renunciation; as, an abjuration of heresy. [ 1913 Webster ]

Oath of abjuration, an oath asserting the right of the present royal family to the crown of England, and expressly abjuring allegiance to the descendants of the Pretender. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The weaning of a child from the breast, or of young beasts from their dam. Blount. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Hort.) The process of grafting now called inarching, or grafting by approach. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ablaqueatio. ] The act or process of laying bare the roots of trees to expose them to the air and water. [ Obs. ] Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ablatio, fr. ablatus p. p. of auferre to carry away; ab + latus, p. p. of ferre carry: cf. F. ablation. See Tolerate. ] 1. A carrying or taking away; removal. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) Extirpation. Dunglison. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Med.) Removing or destroying of a body tissue, especially by a surgical procedure. Dorland. [ AS ]

4. (Geol.) Wearing away; superficial waste, as of glacial ice or snow. Tyndall. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Aerospace) Wearing away of the outer layers of a protective shield or surface by the heat and aerodynamic forces caused by flying through the atmosphere at hypersonic speed, as during reentry from space; as, ablation of the heat shield during reentry. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. ablegatio. ] The act of sending abroad. [ Obs. ] Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abnegatio: cf. F. abnégation. ] a denial; a renunciation. [ 1913 Webster ]

With abnegation of God, of his honor, and of religion, they may retain the friendship of the court. Knox. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of cutting away the knots of trees. [ R. ] Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. abominacioun, -cion, F. abominatio. See Abominate. ] 1. The feeling of extreme disgust and hatred; abhorrence; detestation; loathing; as, he holds tobacco in abomination. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is abominable; anything hateful, wicked, or shamefully vile; an object or state that excites disgust and hatred; a hateful or shameful vice; pollution. [ 1913 Webster ]

Antony, most large in his abominations. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A cause of pollution or wickedness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Detestation; loathing; abhorrence; disgust; aversion; loathsomeness; odiousness. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. abrenuntiatio. See Abrenounce. ] Absolute renunciation or repudiation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

An abrenunciation of that truth which he so long had professed, and still believed. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abrogatio, fr. abrogare: cf. F. abrogation. ] The act of abrogating; repeal by authority. Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of absenting one's self. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acceleratio: cf. F. accélération. ] The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action; as, a falling body moves toward the earth with an acceleration of velocity; -- opposed to retardation. [ 1913 Webster ]

A period of social improvement, or of intellectual advancement, contains within itself a principle of acceleration. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Astr. & Physics.)
Acceleration of the moon, the increase of the moon's mean motion in its orbit, in consequence of which its period of revolution is now shorter than in ancient times. --
Acceleration and
retardation of the tides. See Priming of the tides, under Priming. --
Diurnal acceleration of the fixed stars, the amount by which their apparent diurnal motion exceeds that of the sun, in consequence of which they daily come to the meridian of any place about three minutes fifty-six seconds of solar time earlier than on the day preceding. --
Acceleration of the planets, the increasing velocity of their motion, in proceeding from the apogee to the perigee of their orbits. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. accentuatio: cf. F. accentuation. ] Act of accentuating; applications of accent. Specifically (Eccles. Mus.), pitch or modulation of the voice in reciting portions of the liturgy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Acceptance; reception; favorable reception or regard; state of being acceptable. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

This is saying worthy of all acceptation. 1 Tim. i. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some things . . . are notwithstanding of so great dignity and acceptation with God. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The meaning in which a word or expression is understood, or generally received; as, term is to be used according to its usual acceptation. [ 1913 Webster ]

My words, in common acceptation,
Could never give this provocation. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acceptilatio entry of a debt collected, acquittance, fr. p. p. of accipere (cf. Accept) + latio a carrying, fr. latus, p. p. of ferre to carry: cf. F. acceptilation. ] (Civil Law) Gratuitous discharge; a release from debt or obligation without payment; free remission. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acclamatio: cf. F. acclamation. ] 1. A shout of approbation, favor, or assent; eager expression of approval; loud applause. [ 1913 Webster ]

On such a day, a holiday having been voted by acclamation, an ordinary walk would not satisfy the children. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Antiq.) A representation, in sculpture or on medals, of people expressing joy. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. In parliamentary usage, the act or method of voting orally and by groups rather than by ballot, esp. in elections; specif. (R. C. Ch.), the election of a pope or other ecclesiastic by unanimous consent of the electors, without a ballot. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Acclamation medals are those on which laudatory acclamations are recorded. Elmes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. acclimation. See Acclimate. ] Acclimatization. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The process of becoming, or the state of being, acclimated, or habituated to a new climate; acclimatization. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of acclimatizing; the process of inuring to a new climate, or the state of being so inured. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ad + E. combination. ] A combining together. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. accommodatio, fr. accommodare: cf. F. accommodation. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of fitting or adapting, or the state of being fitted or adapted; adaptation; adjustment; -- followed by to. “The organization of the body with accommodation to its functions.” Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Willingness to accommodate; obligingness. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Whatever supplies a want or affords ease, refreshment, or convenience; anything furnished which is desired or needful; -- often in the plural; as, the accommodations -- that is, lodgings and food -- at an inn. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An adjustment of differences; state of agreement; reconciliation; settlement. “To come to terms of accommodation.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The application of a writer's language, on the ground of analogy, to something not originally referred to or intended. [ 1913 Webster ]

Many of those quotations from the Old Testament were probably intended as nothing more than accommodations. Paley. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Com.) (a) A loan of money. (b) An accommodation bill or note. [ 1913 Webster ]

Accommodation bill, or
note (Com.), a bill of exchange which a person accepts, or a note which a person makes and delivers to another, not upon a consideration received, but for the purpose of raising money on credit. --
Accommodation coach, or
train, one running at moderate speed and stopping at all or nearly all stations. --
Accommodation ladder (Naut.), a light ladder hung over the side of a ship at the gangway, useful in ascending from, or descending to, small boats. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of accrediting; as, letters of accreditation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. accubatio, for accubitio, fr. accubare to recline; ad + cubare to lie down. See Accumb. ] The act or posture of reclining on a couch, as practiced by the ancients at meals. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. accumulatio; cf. F. accumulation. ] 1. The act of accumulating, the state of being accumulated, or that which is accumulated; as, an accumulation of earth, of sand, of evils, of wealth, of honors. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) The concurrence of several titles to the same proof. [ 1913 Webster ]

Accumulation of energy or
power, the storing of energy by means of weights lifted or masses put in motion; electricity stored. --
An accumulation of degrees (Eng. Univ.), the taking of several together, or at smaller intervals than usual or than is allowed by the rules. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. acusation, F. accusation, L. accusatio, fr. accusare. See Accuse. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of accusing or charging with a crime or with a lighter offense. [ 1913 Webster ]

We come not by the way of accusation
To taint that honor every good tongue blesses. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That of which one is accused; the charge of an offense or crime, or the declaration containing the charge. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ They ] set up over his head his accusation. Matt. xxvii. 37. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Impeachment; crimination; censure; charge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acervatio. ] A heaping up; accumulation. [ R. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of making acetous or sour; the process of converting, or of becoming converted, into vinegar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. achromatisation. ] The act or process of achromatizing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. acidification. ] The act or process of acidifying, or changing into an acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. the process of making active.
Syn. -- energizing, activating [ WordNet 1.5 2. making active and effective (as a bomb). [ 1913 Webster ]

certain devices, as bombs or artillery shells, are designed to be unable to operate until a specific action (activation or arming) is taken to make them operable. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A making actual or really existent; giving the appearance of reality. [ R. ] Emerson.
Syn. -- realization, realisation. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. LL. actuatio. ] A bringing into action; movement. Bp. Pearson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Act of sharpening. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A sharpening; termination in a sharp point; a tapering point. Bp. Pearson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Acupuncture. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. adaptation, LL. adaptatio. ] 1. The act or process of adapting, or fitting; or the state of being adapted or fitted; fitness. “Adaptation of the means to the end.” Erskine. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The result of adapting; an adapted form. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 having a capacity for adaptation. Opposed to maladaptive.
Syn. -- adaptive, adaptative [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. (Palaeontology) the evolutionary generation of multiple specialized life forms from one ancestral form, evidenced in the fossil record. The inverse of extinction. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. adaequatio. ] The act of equalizing; act or result of making adequate; an equivalent. [ Obs. ] Bp. Barlow. [ 1913 Webster ]