Her abigail reported that Mrs. Gutheridge had a set of night curls for sleeping in. Leslie. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not a few abstained from voting. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To refrain; forbear; withhold; deny one's self; give up; relinquish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whether he abstain men from marrying. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To declare by acclamations. [ 1913 Webster ]

While the shouting crowd
Acclaims thee king of traitors. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To shout; as, to acclaim my joy. [ 1913 Webster ]

Before a man can speak on any subject, it is necessary to be acquainted with it. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Isa. liii. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To communicate notice to; to inform; to make cognizant; -- followed by with (formerly, also, by of), or by that, introducing the intelligence; as, to acquaint a friend with the particulars of an act. [ 1913 Webster ]

Acquaint her here of my son Paris' love. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I must acquaint you that I have received
New dated letters from Northumberland. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To familiarize; to accustom. [ Obs. ] Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

To be acquainted with, to be possessed of personal knowledge of; to be cognizant of; to be more or less familiar with; to be on terms of social intercourse with. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To inform; apprise; communicate; advise. [ 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 ]

Dull and addle-pated. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The later Jews used its vowel points to fill out the tetragrammaton Yhvh, or Ihvh, “the incommunicable name, ” and in reading substituted “Adonai”. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely; as, an affair of honor, i. e., a duel; an affair of love, i. e., an intrigue. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mil.) An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Action; endeavor. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And with his best affair
Obeyed the pleasure of the Sun. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A material object (vaguely designated). [ 1913 Webster ]

A certain affair of fine red cloth much worn and faded. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word expresses a less degree of fear than terrified or frightened. It is followed by of before the object of fear, or by the infinitive, or by a dependent clause; as, to be afraid of death. “I am afraid to die.” “I am afraid he will chastise me.” “Be not afraid that I your hand should take.” Shak. I am afraid is sometimes used colloquially to soften a statement; as, I am afraid I can not help you in this matter. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Fearful; timid; timorous; alarmed; anxious. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Another time; once more; anew. [ 1913 Webster ]

If a man die, shall he live again? Job xiv. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Once repeated; -- of quantity; as, as large again, half as much again. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. In any other place. [ Archaic ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. On the other hand. “The one is my sovereign . . . the other again is my kinsman.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Moreover; besides; further. [ 1913 Webster ]

Again, it is of great consequence to avoid, etc. Herschel. [ 1913 Webster ]

Again and again, more than once; often; repeatedly. --
Now and again, now and then; occasionally. --
To and again, to and fro. [ Obs. ] De Foe. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Again was formerly used in many verbal combinations, as, again-witness, to witness against; again-ride, to ride against; again-come, to come against, to encounter; again-bring, to bring back, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Albeit that it is again his kind. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Jacob saw the angels of God come against him. Tyndale. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. From an opposite direction so as to strike or come in contact with; in contact with; upon; as, hail beats against the roof. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. In opposition to, whether the opposition is of sentiment or of action; on the other side; counter to; in contrariety to; hence, adverse to; as, against reason; against law; to run a race against time. [ 1913 Webster ]

The gate would have been shut against her. Fielding. [ 1913 Webster ]

An argument against the use of steam. Tyndale. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. By of before the time that; in preparation for; so as to be ready for the time when. [ Archaic or Dial. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Urijah the priest made it, against King Ahaz came from Damascus. 2 Kings xvi. 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

Against the sun, in a direction contrary to that in which the sun appears to move. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An inflammation or sore under or around the nail; also, a hangnail. [ 1913 Webster ]

You speedy helpers . . .
Appear and aid me in this enterprise. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To help; assist; support; sustain; succor; relieve; befriend; coöperate; promote. See Help. [ 1913 Webster ]

An unconstitutional mode of obtaining aid. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The person or thing that promotes or helps in something done; a helper; an assistant. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is not good that man should be alone; let us make unto him an aid like unto himself. Tobit viii. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Eng. Hist.) A subsidy granted to the king by Parliament; also, an exchequer loan. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Feudal Law) A pecuniary tribute paid by a vassal to his lord on special occasions. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An aid-de-camp, so called by abbreviation; as, a general's aid. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aid prayer (Law), a proceeding by which a defendant beseeches and claims assistance from some one who has a further or more permanent interest in the matter in suit. --
To pray in aid, to beseech and claim such assistance. [ 1913 Webster ]

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