‖n. [ Ar. badīl, pl. abdāl, a substitute, a good, religious man, saint, fr. badala to change, substitute. ] A religious devotee or dervish in Persia. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Abdera, a town in Thrace, of which place Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher, was a native. ] Given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. Abderita, Abderites, fr. Gr. 'Abdhri`ths. ] An inhabitant of Abdera, in Thrace. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Abderite, Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Per. ābdast; ab water + dast hand. ] Purification by washing the hands before prayer; -- a Muslim rite. Heyse. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being abdicated. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abdicans, p. pr. of abdicare. ] Abdicating; renouncing; -- followed by of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Monks abdicant of their orders. Whitlock. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who abdicates. Smart. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abdicated p. pr. & vb. n. Abdicating. ] [ L. abdicatus, p. p. of abdicare; ab + dicare to proclaim, akin to dicere to say. See Diction. ] 1. To surrender or relinquish, as sovereign power; to withdraw definitely from filling or exercising, as a high office, station, dignity; as, to abdicate the throne, the crown, the papacy. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The word abdicate was held to mean, in the case of James II., to abandon without a formal surrender. [ 1913 Webster ]

The cross-bearers abdicated their service. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To renounce; to relinquish; -- said of authority, a trust, duty, right, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

He abdicates all right to be his own governor. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

The understanding abdicates its functions. Froude. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To reject; to cast off. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Civil Law) To disclaim and expel from the family, as a father his child; to disown; to disinherit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To give up; quit; vacate; relinquish; forsake; abandon; resign; renounce; desert. -- To Abdicate, Resign. Abdicate commonly expresses the act of a monarch in voluntary and formally yielding up sovereign authority; as, to abdicate the government. Resign is applied to the act of any person, high or low, who gives back an office or trust into the hands of him who conferred it. Thus, a minister resigns, a military officer resigns, a clerk resigns. The expression, “The king resigned his crown, ” sometimes occurs in our later literature, implying that he held it from his people. -- There are other senses of resign which are not here brought into view. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To relinquish or renounce a throne, or other high office or dignity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though a king may abdicate for his own person, he cannot abdicate for the monarchy. Burke. [ 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 ]

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

n. One who abdicates. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

n. [ L. abditorium. ] A place for hiding or preserving articles of value. Cowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abdomen (a word of uncertain etymol.): cf. F. abdomen. ] 1. (Anat.) The belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis. Also, the cavity of the belly, which is lined by the peritoneum, and contains the stomach, bowels, and other viscera. In man, often restricted to the part between the diaphragm and the commencement of the pelvis, the remainder being called the pelvic cavity. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The posterior section of the body, behind the thorax, in insects, crustaceans, and other Arthropoda. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; E. pl. Abdominals, L. pl. Abdominales. A fish of the group Abdominales. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. abdominal. ] 1. Of or pertaining to the abdomen; ventral; as, the abdominal regions, muscles, cavity. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Having abdominal fins; belonging to the Abdominales; as, abdominal fishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abdominal ring (Anat.), a fancied ringlike opening on each side of the abdomen, external and superior to the pubes; -- called also inguinal ring. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., masc. pl. ] (Zool.) A group including the greater part of fresh-water fishes, and many marine ones, having the ventral fins under the abdomen behind the pectorals. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., neut. pl. ] (Zool.) A group of cirripeds having abdominal appendages. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abdomen + Gr. skopei^n to examine. ] (Med.) Examination of the abdomen by means of a laparoscope to detect abdominal diseases. [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

a. Relating to the abdomen and the thorax, or chest. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a protuberant belly; pot-bellied. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gorgonius sits, abdominous and wan,
Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 distension of the stomach area due to overweight.
Syn. -- paunchiness [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abduced p. pr. & vb. n. Abducing. ] [ L. abducere to lead away; ab + ducere to lead. See Duke, and cf. Abduct. ] To draw or conduct away; to withdraw; to draw to a different part. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

If we abduce the eye unto either corner, the object will not duplicate. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a small motor nerve supplying the lateral rectus muscle of the eye.
Syn. -- abducent, abducent nerve, nervus abducens, sixth cranial nerve [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 a small motor nerve supplying the lateral rectus muscle of the eye.
Syn. -- abducent nerve, abducens, nervus abducens, sixth cranial nerve [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. 1 (physiol) drawing away from the midline of the body or from an adjacent part; -- especially of muscles adducent
Syn. -- abducting [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abducted p. pr. & vb. n. Abducting. ] [ L. abductus, p. p. of abducere. See Abduce. ] 1. To take away surreptitiously by force; to carry away (a human being) wrongfully and usually by violence; to kidnap. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To draw away, as a limb or other part, from its ordinary position. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. (Physiol.) drawing away from the midline of the body or from an adjacent part; -- used especially of muscles adducent
Syn. -- abducent [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. abductio: cf. F. abduction. ] 1. The act of abducing or abducting; a drawing apart; a carrying away. Roget. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Physiol.) The movement which separates a limb or other part from the axis, or middle line, of the body. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) The wrongful, and usually the forcible, carrying off of a human being; as, the abduction of a child, the abduction of an heiress. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Logic) A syllogism or form of argument in which the major is evident, but the minor is only probable. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL. ] 1. One who abducts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Anat.) A muscle which serves to draw a part out, or form the median line of the body; as, the abductor oculi, which draws the eye outward. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. Gr. bde`llion; cf. Heb. b'dolakh bdellium (in sense 1). ] 1. An unidentified substance mentioned in the Bible (Gen. ii. 12, and Num. xi. 7), variously taken to be a gum, a precious stone, or pearls, or perhaps a kind of amber found in Arabia. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A gum resin of reddish brown color, brought from India, Persia, and Africa. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Indian bdellium or false myrrh is an exudation from Balsamodendron Roxburghii. Other kinds are known as African bdellium, Sicilian bdellium, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. bde`lla leech + -oid. ] (Zool.) The order of Annulata which includes the leeches. See Hirudinea. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. bde`lla leech + -meter. ] (Med.) A cupping glass to which are attached a scarificator and an exhausting syringe. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖pos>n. [ NL., fr. Gr. bde`lla leech + morfh` form. ] (Zool.) An order of Nemertina, including the large leechlike worms (Malacobdella) often parasitic in clams. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Brobdingnag, a country of giants in “Gulliver's Travels.” ] Colossal; of extraordinary height; gigantic. -- n. A giant. [ Spelt often Brobdignagian. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., Gr. cha`rybdis. ] A dangerous whirlpool on the coast of Sicily opposite Scylla on the Italian coast. It is personified as a female monster. See Scylla. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Sucked by cubs. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. hebdomas, -adis, Gr. "ebdoma`s the number seven days, fr. &unr_; seventh, &unr_; seven. See Seven.] A week; a period of seven days. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

adv. In periods of seven days; weekly. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. hebdomadalis, LL. hebdomadarius: cf. F. hebdomadaire. ] Consisting of seven days, or occurring at intervals of seven days; weekly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. hebdomadarius: cf. F. hebdomadier. ] (R. C. Ch.) A member of a chapter or convent, whose week it is to officiate in the choir, and perform other services, which, on extraordinary occasions, are performed by the superiors. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. hebdomaticus, Gr. &unr_;. ] Weekly; hebdomadal. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) See Ladanum. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. la`mbda. ] 1. The name of the Greek letter Λ, λ, corresponding with the English letter L, l. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Anat.) The point of junction of the sagittal and lambdoid sutures of the skull. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Phys.) A subatomic particle carrying no charge, having a mass equal to 2183 times that of an electron; it decays rapidly, typically forming a nucleon and a pion. MW10 [ PJC ]

Lambda moth (Zool.), a moth so called from a mark on its wings, resembling the Greek letter lambda (Λ). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. lambdacismus, Gr. &unr_;, fr. la`mbda the letter lambda (Λ). ] 1. A fault in speaking or in composition, which consists in too frequent use of the letter l, or in doubling it erroneously. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A defect in pronunciation of the letter l when doubled, which consists in giving it a sound as if followed by y, similar to that of the letters lli in billion. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The use of the sound of l for that of r in pronunciation; lallation; as, Amelican for American. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;, la`mbda the letter lambda (Λ) + e"i^dos shape.] Shaped like the Greek letter lambda (Λ); as, the lambdoid suture between the occipital and parietal bones of the skull. [1913 Webster]

a. Same as Lambdoid. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. malako`s soft + &unr_; a leech. ] (Zool.) A genus of nemertean worms, parasitic in the gill cavity of clams and other bivalves. They have a large posterior sucker, like that of a leech. See Illust. of Bdellomorpha. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A salt of molybdic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]