{ } n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect in Africa (4th century), mentioned by St. Augustine, who states that they married, but lived in continence, after the manner, as they pretended, of Abel. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ L. abolitio, fr. abolere: cf. F. abolition. See Abolish. ] The act of abolishing, or the state of being abolished; an annulling; abrogation; utter destruction; as, the abolition of slavery or the slave trade; the abolition of laws, decrees, ordinances, customs, taxes, debts, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The application of this word to persons is now unusual or obsolete [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. relating to or favoring abolition, especially the abolition of slavery. WordNet 1.5 ]

2. of or pertaining to abolition [ PJC ]

n. The principles or measures of abolitionists. Wilberforce. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person who favors the abolition of any institution, especially negro slavery. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To imbue with the principles of abolitionism. [ R. ] Bartlett. [ 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. 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. 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. 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. (Min.) Needle ore. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

n. [ L. acrolthus, Gr. 'akroli`qos with the ends made of stone; 'a`kros extreme + li`qos stone. ] (Arch. & Sculp.) A statue whose extremities are of stone, the trunk being generally of wood. Elmes. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Pertaining to, or like, an acrolith. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to an acropolis. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, ray + -lite. ] (Min.) A bright green variety of amphibole occurring usually in fibrous or columnar masses. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Min.) Of the nature of, or containing, actinolite. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

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

n. Adorableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

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

n. [ Aëro- + -lite: cf. F. aérolithe. ] (Meteor.) A stone, or metallic mass, which has fallen to the earth from distant space; a meteorite; a meteoric stone. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Some writers limit the word to stony meteorites. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Aërolite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Aëro- + lithology. ] The science of aërolites. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to aërolites; meteoric; as, aërolitic iron. Booth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being aërial; unsubstantiality. [ R. ] De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. affabilitas: cf. F. affabilité. ] The quality of being affable; readiness to converse; courteousness in receiving others and in conversation; complaisant behavior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Affability is of a wonderful efficacy or power in procuring love. Elyot [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being affectible. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'a`galma, 'a`galmatos, image, statue + -lite: cf. F. agalmatolithe. ] (Min.) A soft, compact stone, of a grayish, greenish, or yellowish color, carved into images by the Chinese, and hence called figure stone, and pagodite. It is probably a variety of pinite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. agilié, L. agilitas, fr. agilis. ] 1. The quality of being agile; the power of moving the limbs quickly and easily; nimbleness; activity; quickness of motion; as, strength and agility of body. [ 1913 Webster ]

They . . . trust to the agility of their wit. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wheeling with the agility of a hawk. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Activity; powerful agency. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The agility of the sun's fiery heat. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. [ Pref. a- + glitter. ] Glittering; in a glitter. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. agreablete. ] 1. Easiness of disposition. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The quality of being, or making one's self, agreeable; agreeableness. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being à la mode; conformity to the mode or fashion; fashionableness. [ R. ] Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. albus white + -lith. ] A kind of plastic cement, or artificial stone, consisting chiefly of magnesia and silica; -- called also albolite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality of being alible. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capability of being alienated. “The alienability of the domain.” Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ala wing + truncus trunk. ] (Zool.) The segment of the body of an insect to which the wings are attached; the thorax. Kirby. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. a- + liturgical. ] (Eccl.) Applied to those days when the holy sacrifice is not offered. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or characterized by alliteration. [ 1913 Webster ]