‖n. [ F. abbé. See Abbot. ] The French word answering to the English abbot, the head of an abbey; but commonly a title of respect given in France to every one vested with the ecclesiastical habit or dress. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ After the 16th century, the name was given, in social parlance, to candidates for some priory or abbey in the gift of the crown. Many of these aspirants became well known in literary and fashionable life. By further extension, the name came to be applied to unbeneficed secular ecclesiastics generally. Littré. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. abaesse, abeesse, F. abbesse, L. abbatissa, fem. of abbas, abbatis, abbot. See Abbot. ] A female superior or governess of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks. See Abbey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Abbeys [ OF. abaïe, abbaïe, F. abbaye, L. abbatia, fr. abbas abbot. See Abbot. ] 1. A monastery or society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy; also, the monastic building or buildings. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The men are called monks, and governed by an abbot; the women are called nuns, and governed by an abbess. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The church of a monastery. [ 1913 Webster ]

In London, the Abbey means Westminster Abbey, and in Scotland, the precincts of the Abbey of Holyrood. The name is also retained for a private residence on the site of an abbey; as, Newstead Abbey, the residence of Lord Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Monastery; convent; nunnery; priory; cloister. See Cloister. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To beslobber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. one who blabr; a tattler; a telltale.
Syn. -- blabbermouth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. someone who gossips indiscreetly.
Syn. -- blabber, tattletale, taleteller, talebearer, telltale. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. tending to talk excessively.
Syn. -- bigmouthed, blabby, talkative. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. prone to revealing secrets; -- of people.
Syn. -- leaky, talebearing(prenominal), tattling(prenominal). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Ir. bainne, baine, milk + clabar mud, mire. ] Coagulated sour milk; loppered milk; curdled milk; -- sometimes called simply clabber. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Bonnyclabber ] Milk curdled so as to become thick. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become clabber; to lopper. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Crab, n. ] 1. Characterized by or manifesting, sourness, peevishness, or moroseness; harsh; cross; cynical; -- applied to feelings, disposition, or manners. [ 1913 Webster ]

Crabbed age and youth can not live together. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Characterized by harshness or roughness; unpleasant; -- applied to things; as, a crabbed taste. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Obscure; difficult; perplexing; trying; as, a crabbed author. “Crabbed eloquence.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

How charming is divine philosophy!
Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Cramped; irregular; as, crabbed handwriting.

-- Crab"bed*ly, adv. -- Crab"bed*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who catches crabs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. That with which one dabs; hence, a pad or other device used by printers, engravers, etc., as for dabbing type or engraved plates with ink. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who associates with drabs; a wencher. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A coarse linen fabric, or duck. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. Flap, and Aghast. ] To astonish; to strike with wonder, esp. by extraordinary statements. [ Jocular ] Beaconsfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being flabbergasted. [ Jocular ] London Punch. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A liar; a deceiver. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One addicted to idle talk. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who seizes or grabs. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Jabbered p. pr. & vb. n. Jabbering. ] [ Cf. Gibber, Gabble. ] To talk rapidly, indistinctly, or unintelligibly; to utter gibberish or nonsense; to chatter. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To utter rapidly or indistinctly; to gabble; as, to jabber French. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Rapid or incoherent talk, with indistinct utterance; gibberish. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who jabbers. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a jabbering manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Jabber. [ R. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Jobbernowl. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Rabbeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Rabbeting. ] [ F. raboter to plane, plane down, rabot a plane; pref. re- re- + OF. abouter, aboter. See Abut, and cf. Rebut. ] 1. To cut a rabbet in; to furnish with a rabbet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To unite the edges of, as boards, etc., in a rabbet joint. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Rabbet, v., and cf. Rebate, n. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Carp.) A longitudinal channel, groove, or recess cut out of the edge or face of any body; especially, one intended to receive another member, so as to break or cover the joint, or more easily to hold the members in place; thus, the groove cut for a panel, for a pane of glass, or for a door, is a rabbet, or rebate. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Same as Rabbet joint, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rabbet joint (Carp.), a joint formed by fitting together rabbeted boards or timbers; -- called also rabbet. --
Rabbet plane, a joiner's plane for cutting a rabbet. Moxon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Abounding with scabs; diseased with scabs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: Mean; paltry; vile; worthless. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Scabbiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ CF. Scramble. ] A Lenten dish, composed of eggs boiled hard, chopped, and seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper. Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Shabby. [ Obs. ] Wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Slabbered p. pr. & vb. n. Slabbering. ] [ OE. slaberen; akin to LG. & D. slabbern, G. schlabbern, LG. & D. slabben, G. schlabben, Icel. slafra. Cf. Slaver, Slobber, Slubber. ] To let saliva or some liquid fall from the mouth carelessly, like a child or an idiot; to drivel; to drool. [ Written also slaver, and slobber. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To wet and foul spittle, or as if with spittle. [ 1913 Webster ]

He slabbered me over, from cheek to cheek, with his great tongue. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To spill liquid upon; to smear carelessly; to spill, as liquid foed or drink, in careless eating or drinking. [ 1913 Webster ]

The milk pan and cream pot so slabbered and tost
That butter is wanting and cheese is half lost. Tusser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Spittle; saliva; slaver. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See 1st Slab. ] (Mach.) (a) A saw for cutting slabs from logs. (b) A slabbing machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who slabbers, or drools; hence, an idiot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like, or covered with, slabber or slab; slippery; sloppy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, stabs; a privy murderer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) A small marline spike; a pricker. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To swab. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ D. zwabber; cf.D. zwabberen to swab, G. schwabbern, Dan. svabre, Sw. svab a swab, svabla to swab. ] 1. One who swabs a floor or desk. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) Formerly, an interior officer on board of British ships of war, whose business it was to see that the ship was kept clean. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Same as Swobber, 2. [ 1913 Webster ]