n.; pl. Abilities [ F. habileté, earlier spelling habilité (with silent h), L. habilitas aptitude, ability, fr. habilis apt. See Able. ] The quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; -- in the plural, faculty, talent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren. Acts xi. 29. [ 1913 Webster ]

Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The public men of England, with much of a peculiar kind of ability. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Capacity; talent; cleverness; faculty; capability; efficiency; aptitude; aptness; address; dexterity; skill. Ability, Capacity. These words come into comparison when applied to the higher intellectual powers. Ability has reference to the active exercise of our faculties. It implies not only native vigor of mind, but that ease and promptitude of execution which arise from mental training. Thus, we speak of the ability with which a book is written, an argument maintained, a negotiation carried on, etc. It always something to be done, and the power of doing it. Capacity has reference to the receptive powers. In its higher exercises it supposes great quickness of apprehension and breadth of intellect, with an uncommon aptitude for acquiring and retaining knowledge. Hence it carries with it the idea of resources and undeveloped power. Thus we speak of the extraordinary capacity of such men as Lord Bacon, Blaise Pascal, and Edmund Burke. “Capacity, ” says H. Taylor, “is requisite to devise, and ability to execute, a great enterprise.” The word abilities, in the plural, embraces both these qualities, and denotes high mental endowments. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Abnormalities 1. The state or quality of being abnormal; variation; irregularity. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Something abnormal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Abnormities [ LL. abnormitas. See Abnormous. ] Departure from the ordinary type; irregularity; monstrosity. “An abnormity . . . like a calf born with two heads.” Mrs. Whitney. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being aboriginal. Westm. Rev. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being absorbable. Graham (Chemistry). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Absorptiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Abstruseness; that which is abstruse. [ R. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Absurdities [ L. absurditas: cf. F. absurdite. ] 1. The quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment. “The absurdity of the actual idea of an infinite number.” Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction. [ 1913 Webster ]

His travels were full of absurdities. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capacity of being kindled, or of becoming inflamed; inflammability. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being accentual. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. acceptabilitas. ] The quality of being acceptable; acceptableness. “Acceptability of repentance.” Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. accessibilitas: cf. F. accessibilité. ] The quality of being accessible, or of admitting approach; receptibility. Langhorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being accidental; accidentalness. [ R. ] Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Acclivities [ L. acclivitas, fr. acclivis, acclivus, ascending; ad + clivus a hill, slope, fr. root kli to lean. See Lean. ] A slope or inclination of the earth, as the side of a hill, considered as ascending, in opposition to declivity, or descending; an upward slope; ascent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or state of being an accomplice. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account; the obligation to bear the consequences for failure to perform as expected; accountableness. “The awful idea of accountability.” R. Hall.
Syn. -- answerability, answerableness [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. acerbité, L. acerbitas, fr. acerbus. See Acerb. ] 1. Sourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Harshness, bitterness, or severity; as, acerbity of temper, of language, of pain. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. acetositas. See Acetous. ] The quality of being acetous; sourness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acetum vinegar + Gr. &unr_; substance. See -yl. ] (Chem.) A complex, hypothetical radical, composed of two parts of carbon to three of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Its hydroxide is acetic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. (Chem.) receive substitution of an acetyl group; of chemical compounds
Syn. -- acetylize [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. (Chem.) 1 introduce an acetyl group into a chemical compound
Syn. -- acetylize [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. a neurotransmitter released by the transmitting dendron at autononmous synapses and at neuromuscular junctions. It is a quaternary amine with an obligatory negative counterion. The nominal formula for the hydroxide form is C7H17NO3. Structural formula (CH3)3N(+)CH2CH2.O.CO.CH3.OH(-). Acetylcholine is the first recognized and best-studied of the neurotransmitters. At receptors it is recycled into choline by the action of acetylcholinesterase. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors therefore function as nerve poisons. For biochemical studies it is prepared typically in the chloride or bromide forms. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. an enzyme which exists in nerve cells and hydrolyses acetylcholine into choline and acetic acid. It is essential for neurotransmission at autonomous synapses and neuromuscular junctions, and its inhibition by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can paralyze or kill an animal.
Syn. -- ACE [ PJC ]

n. (Chem.) A gaseous compound of carbon and hydrogen, in the proportion of two atoms of the former to two of the latter. It is a colorless gas, with a peculiar, unpleasant odor, and is produced for use as an illuminating gas in a number of ways, but chiefly by the action of water on calcium carbide. Its light is very brilliant. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 the possibility of being achieved or accomplished; -- a property which may be possessed by a contemplated act.
Syn. -- attainability, attainableness [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Achromatism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acidites, fr. acidus: cf. F. acidité. See Acid. ] The quality of being sour; sourness; tartness; sharpness to the taste; as, the acidity of lemon juice. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; anything cup-shaped. See Cotyledon. ] (Bot.) A plant which has no cotyledons, as the dodder and all flowerless plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no seed lobes, as the dodder; also applied to plants which have no true seeds, as ferns, mosses, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being acquirable; attainableness. [ R. ] Paley. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ n. The quality of being acrid or pungent; irritant bitterness; extreme bitterness; acrimony; as, the acridity of a plant, of a speech.
Syn. -- acridness [ 1913 Webster ]

2. having an acrid smell.
Syn. -- pungency [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. acritas, fr. acer sharp: cf. F. âcreté. ] Sharpness; keenness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; topmost + &unr_; finger. ] (Zool.) The upper surface of the toes, individually. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Activities [ Cf. F. activité, LL. activitas. ] The state or quality of being active; nimbleness; agility; vigorous action or operation; energy; active force; as, an increasing variety of human activities. “The activity of toil.” Palfrey. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Liveliness; briskness; quickness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Actualities The state of being actual; reality; as, the actuality of God's nature. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Abundant activity. [ Obs. ] Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. acuitas: cf. F. acuité. ] Sharpness or acuteness, as of a needle, wit, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; finger. ] (Zool.) (a) Without fingers or without toes. (b) Without claws on the feet (of crustaceous animals). [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. The quality of being adaptable; suitableness. “General adaptability for every purpose.” Farrar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quantity of being addible; capability of addition. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. The state of being fat; fatness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Hinduism) one of 7 to 12 sons of Aditi; gods of celestial light. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. admirabilitac. ] Admirableness. [ R. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Admiralties [ F. amirauté, for an older amiralté, office of admiral, fr. LL. admiralitas. See Admiral. ] 1. The office or jurisdiction of an admiral. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The department or officers having authority over naval affairs generally. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The court which has jurisdiction of maritime questions and offenses. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In England, admiralty jurisdiction was formerly vested in the High Court of Admiralty, which was held before the Lord High Admiral, or his deputy, styled the Judge of the Admiralty; but admiralty jurisdiction is now vested in the probate, divorce, and admiralty division of the High Justice. In America, there are no admiralty courts distinct from others, but admiralty jurisdiction is vested in the district courts of the United States, subject to revision by the circuit courts and the Supreme Court of the United States. Admiralty jurisprudence has cognizance of maritime contracts and torts, collisions at sea, cases of prize in war, etc., and in America, admiralty jurisdiction is extended to such matters, arising out of the navigation of any of the public waters, as the Great Lakes and rivers. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The system of jurisprudence of admiralty courts. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The building in which the lords of the admiralty, in England, transact business. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. admissibilité. ] The quality of being admissible; admissibleness; as, the admissibility of evidence. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Adorableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aduncitas. See Aduncous. ] Curvature inwards; hookedness. [ 1913 Webster ]

The aduncity of the beaks of hawks. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being adverbial. Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Adversities [ OE. adversite, F. adversité, fr. L. adversitas. ] 1. Opposition; contrariety. [ Obs. ] Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

Adversity is not without comforts and hopes. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Affliction; distress; misery; disaster; trouble; suffering; trial. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being advisable; advisableness. [ 1913 Webster ]