n. [ For obeisance; confused with F. abaisser, E. abase. ] Obeisance. [ Obs. ] Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Behavior. [ Obs. ] Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. the state or condition of being aberrant; a wandering from the right way; deviation from truth, rectitude, etc.
Syn. -- aberrance, aberration, deviance [ 1913 Webster WordNet 1.5 ]

Aberrancy of curvature (Geom.), the deviation of a curve from a circular form. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. abeance expectation, longing; a (L. ad) + baer, beer, to gape, to look with open mouth, to expect, F. bayer, LL. badare to gape. ] 1. (Law) Expectancy; condition of being undetermined. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When there is no person in existence in whom an inheritance (or a dignity) can vest, it is said to be in abeyance, that is, in expectation; the law considering it as always potentially existing, and ready to vest whenever a proper owner appears. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Suspension; temporary suppression. [ 1913 Webster ]

Keeping the sympathies of love and admiration in a dormant state, or state of abeyance. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of abiding; abode; continuance; compliance (with). [ 1913 Webster ]

The Christians had no longer abidance in the holy hill of Palestine. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

A judicious abidance by rules. Helps. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Bode. ] An omen; a portending. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. (h)abundaunce, abundance, F. abondance, L. abundantia, fr. abundare. See Abound. ] An overflowing fullness; ample sufficiency; great plenty; profusion; copious supply; superfluity; wealth: -- strictly applicable to quantity only, but sometimes used of number. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is lamentable to remember what abundance of noble blood hath been shed with small benefit to the Christian state. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Exuberance; plenteousness; plenty; copiousness; overflow; riches; affluence; wealth. -- Abundance, Plenty, Exuberance. These words rise upon each other in expressing the idea of fullness. Plenty denotes a sufficiency to supply every want; as, plenty of food, plenty of money, etc. Abundance express more, and gives the idea of superfluity or excess; as, abundance of riches, an abundance of wit and humor; often, however, it only denotes plenty in a high degree. Exuberance rises still higher, and implies a bursting forth on every side, producing great superfluity or redundance; as, an exuberance of mirth, an exuberance of animal spirits, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of accepting; a receiving what is offered, with approbation, satisfaction, or acquiescence; esp., favorable reception; approval; as, the acceptance of a gift, office, doctrine, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

They shall come up with acceptance on mine altar. Isa. lx. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. State of being accepted; acceptableness. “Makes it assured of acceptance.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Com.) (a) An assent and engagement by the person on whom a bill of exchange is drawn, to pay it when due according to the terms of the acceptance. (b) The bill itself when accepted. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An agreeing to terms or proposals by which a bargain is concluded and the parties are bound; the reception or taking of a thing bought as that for which it was bought, or as that agreed to be delivered, or the taking possession as owner. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Law) An agreeing to the action of another, by some act which binds the person in law. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ What acts shall amount to such an acceptance is often a question of great nicety and difficulty. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In modern law, proposal and acceptance are the constituent elements into which all contracts are resolved. [ 1913 Webster ]

acceptance of a bill of exchange,
acceptance of a check,
acceptance of a draft, or
acceptance of an order, is an engagement to pay it according to the terms. This engagement is usually made by writing the word “accepted” across the face of the bill.
Acceptance of goods, under the statute of frauds, is an intelligent acceptance by a party knowing the nature of the transaction. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Meaning; acceptation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Acceptance of persons, partiality, favoritism. See under Accept. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. acordance. ] Agreement; harmony; conformity. “In strict accordance with the law.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Harmony; unison; coincidence. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. accoustumance, F. accoutumance. ] Custom; habitual use. [ Obs. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. achevance. ] Achievement. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Elyot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. aqueintance, OF. acointance, fr. acointier. See Acquaint. ] 1. A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of friendship or intimacy; as, I know the man; but have no acquaintance with him. [ 1913 Webster ]

Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man. Sir W. Jones. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted. [ 1913 Webster ]

Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In this sense the collective term acquaintance was formerly both singular and plural, but it is now commonly singular, and has the regular plural acquaintances. [ 1913 Webster ]

To be of acquaintance, to be intimate. --
To take acquaintance of or
with, to make the acquaintance of. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Familiarity; intimacy; fellowship; knowledge. -- Acquaintance, Familiarity, Intimacy. These words mark different degrees of closeness in social intercourse. Acquaintance arises from occasional intercourse; as, our acquaintance has been a brief one. We can speak of a slight or an intimate acquaintance. Familiarity is the result of continued acquaintance. It springs from persons being frequently together, so as to wear off all restraint and reserve; as, the familiarity of old companions. Intimacy is the result of close connection, and the freest interchange of thought; as, the intimacy of established friendship. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our admiration of a famous man lessens upon our nearer acquaintance with him. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

We contract at last such a familiarity with them as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call off our minds. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is in our power to confine our friendships and intimacies to men of virtue. Rogers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A state of being acquainted; acquaintance. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. aquitance, fr. aquiter. See Acquit. ] 1. The clearing off of debt or obligation; a release or discharge from debt or other liability. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand. [ 1913 Webster ]

You can produce acquittances
For such a sum, from special officers. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To acquit. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. same as adamancy.
Syn. -- obstinacy, obduracy, unyieldingness, adamancy [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adv. Dancing. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. admirance. ] Admiration. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of admitting. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Permission to enter; the power or right of entrance; also, actual entrance; reception. [ 1913 Webster ]

To gain admittance into the house. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

He desires admittance to the king. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

To give admittance to a thought of fear. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Concession; admission; allowance; as, the admittance of an argument. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Admissibility. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Eng. Law) The act of giving possession of a copyhold estate. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Admission; access; entrance; initiation. -- Admittance, Admission. These words are, to some extent, in a state of transition and change. Admittance is now chiefly confined to its primary sense of access into some locality or building. Thus we see on the doors of factories, shops, etc. “No admittance.” Its secondary or moral sense, as “admittance to the church, ” is almost entirely laid aside. Admission has taken to itself the secondary or figurative senses; as, admission to the rights of citizenship; admission to the church; the admissions made by one of the parties in a dispute. And even when used in its primary sense, it is not identical with admittance. Thus, we speak of admission into a country, territory, and other larger localities, etc., where admittance could not be used. So, when we speak of admission to a concert or other public assembly, the meaning is not perhaps exactly that of admittance, viz., access within the walls of the building, but rather a reception into the audience, or access to the performances. But the lines of distinction on this subject are one definitely drawn. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Elec.) The reciprocal of impedance. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Advanced p. pr. & vb. n. Advancing #). ] [ OE. avancen, avauncen, F. avancer, fr. a supposed LL. abantiare; ab + ante (F. avant) before. The spelling with d was a mistake, a- being supposed to be fr. L. ad. See Avaunt. ] 1. To bring forward; to move towards the van or front; to make to go on. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To raise; to elevate. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

They . . . advanced their eyelids. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To raise to a higher rank; to promote. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ahasueres . . . advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes. Esther iii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To accelerate the growth or progress; to further; to forward; to help on; to aid; to heighten; as, to advance the ripening of fruit; to advance one's interests. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To bring to view or notice; to offer or propose; to show; as, to advance an argument. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some ne'er advance a judgment of their own. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To make earlier, as an event or date; to hasten. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To furnish, as money or other value, before it becomes due, or in aid of an enterprise; to supply beforehand; as, a merchant advances money on a contract or on goods consigned to him. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To raise to a higher point; to enhance; to raise in rate; as, to advance the price of goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To extol; to laud. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Greatly advancing his gay chivalry. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To raise; elevate; exalt; aggrandize; improve; heighten; accelerate; allege; adduce; assign. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To move or go forward; to proceed; as, he advanced to greet me. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To increase or make progress in any respect; as, to advance in knowledge, in stature, in years, in price. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To rise in rank, office, or consequence; to be preferred or promoted. [ 1913 Webster ]

Advanced to a level with ancient peers. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. avance, fr. avancer. See Advance, v. ] 1. The act of advancing or moving forward or upward; progress. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Improvement or progression, physically, mentally, morally, or socially; as, an advance in health, knowledge, or religion; an advance in rank or office. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An addition to the price; rise in price or value; as, an advance on the prime cost of goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The first step towards the attainment of a result; approach made to gain favor, to form an acquaintance, to adjust a difference, etc.; an overture; a tender; an offer; -- usually in the plural. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ He ] made the like advances to the dissenters. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A furnishing of something before an equivalent is received (as money or goods), towards a capital or stock, or on loan; payment beforehand; the money or goods thus furnished; money or value supplied beforehand. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall, with pleasure, make the necessary advances. Jay. [ 1913 Webster ]

The account was made up with intent to show what advances had been made. Kent. [ 1913 Webster ]

In advance (a) In front; before. (b) Beforehand; before an equivalent is received. (c) In the state of having advanced money on account; as, A is in advance to B a thousand dollars or pounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Before in place, or beforehand in time; -- used for advanced; as, an advance guard, or that before the main guard or body of an army; advance payment, or that made before it is due; advance proofs, advance sheets, pages of a forthcoming volume, received in advance of the time of publication. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. In the van or front. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In the front or before others, as regards progress or ideas; as, advanced opinions, advanced thinkers. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Far on in life or time. [ 1913 Webster ]

A gentleman advanced in years, with a hard experience written in his wrinkles. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Advanced guard, a detachment of troops which precedes the march of the main body. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. avancement, F. avancement. See Advance, v. t. ] 1. The act of advancing, or the state of being advanced; progression; improvement; furtherance; promotion to a higher place or dignity; as, the advancement of learning. [ 1913 Webster ]

In heaven . . . every one (so well they love each other) rejoiceth and hath his part in each other's advancement. Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

True religion . . . proposes for its end the joint advancement of the virtue and happiness of the people. Horsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An advance of money or value; payment in advance. See Advance, 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) Property given, usually by a parent to a child, in advance of a future distribution. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Settlement on a wife, or jointure. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who advances; a promoter. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A second branch of a buck's antler. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. afiaunce trust, confidence, OF. afiance, fr. afier to trust, fr. LL. affidare to trust; ad + fidare to trust, fr. L. fides faith. See Faith, and cf. Affidavit, Affy, Confidence. ] 1. Plighted faith; marriage contract or promise. [ archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Trust; reliance; faith; confidence. [ archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Such feelings promptly yielded to his habitual affiance in the divine love. Sir J. Stephen. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lancelot, my Lancelot, thou in whom I have
Most joy and most affiance. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. affianced p. pr. & vb. n. affiancing ] [ Cf. OF. afiancier, fr. afiance. ] 1. To betroth; to pledge one's faith to for marriage, or solemnly promise (one's self or another) in marriage. [ 1913 Webster ]

To me, sad maid, he was affianced. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To assure by promise. [ Obs. ] Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who makes a contract of marriage between two persons. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. afermance. ] 1. Confirmation; ratification; confirmation of a voidable act. [ 1913 Webster ]

This statute . . . in affirmance of the common law. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A strong declaration; affirmation. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. agrevance, fr. agrever. See Aggrieve. ] Oppression; hardship; injury; grievance. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. aidance. ] Aid. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Aidance 'gainst the enemy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Allegation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. alegeaunce; pref. a- + OF. lige, liege. The meaning was influenced by L. ligare to bind, and even by lex, legis, law. See Liege, Ligeance. ] 1. The tie or obligation, implied or expressed, which a subject owes to his sovereign or government; the duty of fidelity to one's king, government, or state. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Devotion; loyalty; as, allegiance to science. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Loyalty; fealty. -- Allegiance, Loyalty. These words agree in expressing the general idea of fidelity and attachment to the “powers that be.” Allegiance is an obligation to a ruling power. Loyalty is a feeling or sentiment towards such power. Allegiance may exist under any form of government, and, in a republic, we generally speak of allegiance to the government, to the state, etc. In well conducted monarchies, loyalty is a warm-hearted feeling of fidelity and obedience to the sovereign. It is personal in its nature; and hence we speak of the loyalty of a wife to her husband, not of her allegiance. In cases where we personify, loyalty is more commonly the word used; as, loyalty to the constitution; loyalty to the cause of virtue; loyalty to truth and religion, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hear me, recreant, on thine allegiance hear me! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

So spake the Seraph Abdiel, faithful found, . . .
Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified,
His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. aliaunce, OF. aliance, F. alliance, fr. OF. alier, F. allier. See Ally, and cf. LL. alligantia. ] 1. The state of being allied; the act of allying or uniting; a union or connection of interests between families, states, parties, etc., especially between families by marriage and states by compact, treaty, or league; as, matrimonial alliances; an alliance between church and state; an alliance between France and England. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any union resembling that of families or states; union by relationship in qualities; affinity. [ 1913 Webster ]

The alliance of the principles of the world with those of the gospel. C. J. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

The alliance . . . between logic and metaphysics. Mansel. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The persons or parties allied. Udall. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Connection; affinity; union; confederacy; confederation; league; coalition. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To connect by alliance; to ally. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. alouance. ] 1. Approval; approbation. [ Obs. ] Crabbe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of allowing, granting, conceding, or admitting; authorization; permission; sanction; tolerance. [ 1913 Webster ]

Without the king's will or the state's allowance. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Acknowledgment. [ 1913 Webster ]

The censure of the which one must in your allowance o'erweigh a whole theater of others. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. License; indulgence. [ Obs. ] Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. That which is allowed; a share or portion allotted or granted; a sum granted as a reimbursement, a bounty, or as appropriate for any purpose; a stated quantity, as of food or drink; hence, a limited quantity of meat and drink, when provisions fall short. [ 1913 Webster ]

I can give the boy a handsome allowance. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Abatement; deduction; the taking into account of mitigating circumstances; as, to make allowance for the inexperience of youth. [ 1913 Webster ]

After making the largest allowance for fraud. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (com.) A customary deduction from the gross weight of goods, different in different countries, such as tare and tret. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Allowancing ] [ See Allowance, n. ] To put upon a fixed allowance (esp. of provisions and drink); to supply in a fixed and limited quantity; as, the captain was obliged to allowance his crew; our provisions were allowanced. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Allurement. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ambulance, hôpital ambulant, fr. L. ambulare to walk. See Amble. ] (Mil.) (a) A field hospital, so organized as to follow an army in its movements, and intended to succor the wounded as soon as possible. Often used adjectively; as, an ambulance wagon; ambulance stretcher; ambulance corps. (b) An ambulance wagon or cart for conveying the wounded from the field, or to a hospital. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. See Amenable. ] Behavior; bearing. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Statistics) a statistical technique by which the results of an observation or experiment are analyzed to determine the relative contributions of the different possible causative factors or variables to the outcome. Abbreviated ANOVA. [ PJC ]

. [ F. -ance, fr. L. -antia and also fr. -entia. ] A suffix signifying action; also, quality or state; as, assistance, resistance, appearance, elegance. See -ancy. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ All recently adopted words of this class take either -ance or -ence, according to the Latin spelling. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. ancestre, auncestre, also ancessour; the first forms fr. OF. ancestre, F. ancêtre, fr. the L. nom. antessor one who goes before; the last form fr. OF. ancessor, fr. L. acc. antecessorem, fr. antecedere to go before; ante before + cedere to go. See Cede, and cf. Antecessor. ] 1. One from whom a person is descended, whether on the father's or mother's side, at any distance of time; a progenitor; a fore father. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) An earlier type; a progenitor; as, this fossil animal is regarded as the ancestor of the horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) One from whom an estate has descended; -- the correlative of heir. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Ancestral. Grote. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With regard to ancestors. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of, pertaining to, derived from, or possessed by, an ancestor or ancestors; as, an ancestral estate. “Ancestral trees.” Hemans. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female ancestor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. ancesserie. See Ancestor. ] 1. Condition as to ancestors; ancestral lineage; hence, birth or honorable descent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Title and ancestry render a good man more illustrious, but an ill one more contemptible. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A series of ancestors or progenitors; lineage, or those who compose the line of natural descent. [ 1913 Webster ]