n. [ Cf. F. abaissement. ] The act of abasing, humbling, or bringing low; the state of being abased or humbled; humiliation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. abatement, F. abattement. ] 1. The act of abating, or the state of being abated; a lessening, diminution, or reduction; removal or putting an end to; as, the abatement of a nuisance is the suppression thereof. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The amount abated; that which is taken away by way of reduction; deduction; decrease; a rebate or discount allowed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Her.) A mark of dishonor on an escutcheon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) The entry of a stranger, without right, into a freehold after the death of the last possessor, before the heir or devisee. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Defense in abatement,
Plea in abatement, (Law), plea to the effect that from some formal defect (e.g. misnomer, lack of jurisdiction) the proceedings should be abated. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Renunciation. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A foreboding; an omen. [ Obs. ] “Abodements must not now affright us.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Abortment; abortion. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a shortened version .
Syn. -- condensation, abridgment [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Physics) A unit of conductance equal to 109 mhos; -- the inverse of the abohm.
Syn. -- abmho [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. academia. See Academy. ] An academy. [ Poetic ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Acclimation. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. accoucher to be delivered of a child, to aid in delivery, OF. acouchier orig. to lay down, put to bed, go to bed; L. ad + collocare to lay, put, place. See Collate. ] Delivery in childbed [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. accouplement. ] 1. The act of coupling, or the state of being coupled; union. [ R. ] Caxton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which couples, as a tie or brace. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. an item of clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of one's main clothing.
Syn. -- accessory, accouterment [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } n. pl. [ F. accoutrement, earlier also accoustrement, earlier also accoustrement. See Accouter. ] Dress; trappings; equipment; specifically, the devices and equipments worn by soldiers. [ 1913 Webster ]

How gay with all the accouterments of war! [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol.) Pertaining to accremention. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See accresce, Increment. ] (Physiol.) The process of generation by development of blastema, or fission of cells, in which the new formation is in all respects like the individual from which it proceeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. acusement. See Accuse. ] Accusation. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] Savage fierceness; ferocity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. achèvement, E. Hatchment. ] 1. The act of achieving or performing; an obtaining by exertion; successful performance; accomplishment; as, the achievement of his object. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A great or heroic deed; something accomplished by valor, boldness, or praiseworthy exertion; a feat. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ The exploits ] of the ancient saints . . . do far surpass the most famous achievements of pagan heroes. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

The highest achievements of the human intellect. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Her.) An escutcheon or ensign armorial; now generally applied to the funeral shield commonly called hatchment. Cussans. [ 1913 Webster ]

/mhw>, n. 1. The act of acknowledging; admission; avowal; owning; confession. “An acknowledgment of fault.” Froude. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of owning or recognizing in a particular character or relationship; recognition as regards the existence, authority, truth, or genuineness; a statement acknowledging something or someone. [ 1913 Webster +WordNet 1.5 ]

Immediately upon the acknowledgment of the Christian faith, the eunuch was baptized by Philip. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The owning of a benefit received; courteous recognition; the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged; an expression of thanks. Shak.
Syn. -- recognition [ 1913 Webster +WordNet 1.5 ]

4. Something given or done in return for a favor, message, etc. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A declaration or avowal of one's own act, to give it legal validity; as, the acknowledgment of a deed before a proper officer. Also, the certificate of the officer attesting such declaration. [ 1913 Webster ]

Acknowledgment money, in some parts of England, a sum paid by copyhold tenants, on the death of their landlords, as an acknowledgment of their new lords. Cowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Confession; concession; recognition; admission; avowal; recognizance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of acquiring, or that which is acquired; attainment. “Rules for the acquirement of a taste.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

His acquirements by industry were . . . enriched and enlarged by many excellent endowments of nature. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Acquisition, Acquirement. Acquirement is used in opposition to a natural gift or talent; as, eloquence, and skill in music and painting, are acquirements; genius is the gift or endowment of nature. It denotes especially personal attainments, in opposition to material or external things gained, which are more usually called acquisitions; but this distinction is not always observed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of adoring; adoration. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 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. [ F. avertisement, formerly also spelled advertissement, a warning, giving notice, fr. avertir. ] 1. The act of informing or notifying; notification. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

An advertisement of danger. Bp. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Admonition; advice; warning. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Therefore give me no counsel:
My griefs cry louder than advertisement. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A public notice, especially a paid notice in some public print; anything that advertises; as, a newspaper containing many advertisements. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. avisement, F. avisement, fr. aviser. See Advise, and cf. Avisement. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Counsel; advice; information. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And mused awhile, waking advisement takes of what had passed in sleep. Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Consideration; deliberation; consultation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tempering the passion with advisement slow. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. ] 1. A fortress; a fortification for defense. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A reënforcement; a strengthening. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. affranchissement. ] The act of making free; enfranchisement. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Previously mentioned; before-mentioned. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. agrandissement. ] The act of aggrandizing, or the state of being aggrandized or exalted in power, rank, honor, or wealth; exaltation; enlargement; as, the emperor seeks only the aggrandizement of his own family. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Augmentation; exaltation; enlargement; advancement; promotion; preferment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. agrément. ] 1. State of agreeing; harmony of opinion, statement, action, or character; concurrence; concord; conformity; as, a good agreement subsists among the members of the council. [ 1913 Webster ]

What agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? 2 Cor. vi. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

Expansion and duration have this further agreement. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Concord or correspondence of one word with another in gender, number, case, or person. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) (a) A concurrence in an engagement that something shall be done or omitted; an exchange of promises; mutual understanding, arrangement, or stipulation; a contract. (b) The language, oral or written, embodying reciprocal promises. Abbott. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Bargain; contract; compact; stipulation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Alignment. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ The Eng. form alinement is preferable to alignment, a bad spelling of the French ]. New Eng. Dict. (Murray). [ 1913 Webster ]

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

With many complaints and allegements. Bp. Sanderson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act alluring; temptation; enticement. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though Adam by his wife's allurement fell. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which allures; any real or apparent good held forth, or operating, as a motive to action; as, the allurements of pleasure, or of honor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. any of various South American plants of the genus Alstroemeria valued for their handsome umbels of beautiful flowers. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 one of many families or subfamilies into which some classification systems subdivide the Liliaceae but not widely accepted; sometimes included in subfamily Amaryllidaceae.
Syn. -- family Alstroemeriaceae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. The condition of being amazed; bewilderment [ Obs. ]; overwhelming wonder, as from surprise, sudden fear, horror, or admiration. [ 1913 Webster ]

His words impression left
Of much amazement. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Frenzy; madness. [ Obs. ] Webster (1661). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. amerciment. ] The infliction of a penalty at the discretion of the court; also, a mulct or penalty thus imposed. It differs from a fine, in that the latter is, or was originally, a fixed and certain sum prescribed by statute for an offense; but an amercement is arbitrary. Hence, the act or practice of affeering. [ See Affeer. ] Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word, in old books, is written amerciament. [ 1913 Webster ]

Amercement royal, a penalty imposed on an officer for a misdemeanor in his office. Jacobs. [ 1913 Webster ]

v., n., a., n. Same as Amortize, Amortization, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. amortissement. ] Same as Amortization. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ } n. [ Ampère + meter. ] (Physics) An instrument for measuring the strength of an electrical current in ampères. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. amusement. ] 1. Deep thought; muse. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Here I . . . fell into a strong and deep amusement, revolving in my mind, with great perplexity, the amazing change of our affairs. Fleetwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being amused; pleasurable excitement; that which amuses; diversion. [ 1913 Webster ]

His favorite amusements were architecture and gardening. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Diversion; entertainment; recreation; relaxation; pastime; sport. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Horol.) (a) The common recoil escapement. (b) A variety of the lever escapement with a wide impulse pin. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Angle + -meter. ] An instrument to measure angles, esp. one used by geologists to measure the dip of strata. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of announcing, or giving notice; that which announces; proclamation; publication. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. antemeridianus; ante + meridianus belonging to midday or noon. See Meridian. ] Being before noon; in or pertaining to the forenoon. (Abbrev. a. m.) [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. anti- + emetic. ] (Med.) Tending to check vomiting. -- n. A remedy to check or allay vomiting. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. (Med.) Same as Antemetic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. apo- + Gr. &unr_; body. ] (Zool.) One of the processes of the shell which project inwards and unite with one another, in the thorax of many Crustacea. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. apostema, Gr. &unr_; the separation of corrupt matter into an ulcer, fr. &unr_; to stand off: cf. F. apostème. See Apostasy. ] (Med.) An abscess; a swelling filled with purulent matter. [ Written corruptly imposthume. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of appeasing, or the state of being appeased; pacification. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Appraise. Cf. Apprizement. ] The act of setting the value; valuation by an appraiser; estimation of worth. [ 1913 Webster ]