a. [ From Abdera, a town in Thrace, of which place Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher, was a native. ] Given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. Abderita, Abderites, fr. Gr. 'Abdhri`ths. ] An inhabitant of Abdera, in Thrace. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Abderite, Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Behavior. [ Obs. ] Sir. T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abecedarius. A word from the first four letters of the alphabet. ] 1. One who is learning the alphabet; hence, a tyro. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One engaged in teaching the alphabet. Wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Pertaining to, or formed by, the letters of the alphabet; alphabetic; hence, rudimentary. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abecedarian psalms,
hymns, etc., compositions in which (like the 119th psalm in Hebrew) distinct portions or verses commence with successive letters of the alphabet. Hook. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Detestable. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Detestation. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Object of abhorrence. Isa. lxvi. 24. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) A medicine that diminishes or alleviates irritation. [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

adj. (Med.) Diminishing or alleviating irritation Stedman. [ AS ]

v. t. [ Pref. ab- + irritate. ] (Med.) To diminish the sensibility to stimulation of. [ 1913 Webster+ AS ]

n. (Med.) A pathological condition opposite to that of irritation; debility; lack of strength; asthenia. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Characterized by abirritation or debility. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abligurito, fr. abligurire to spend in luxurious indulgence; ab + ligurire to be lickerish, dainty, fr. lingere to lick. ] Prodigal expense for food. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Aborigines. ] 1. First; original; indigenous; primitive; native; as, the aboriginal tribes of America. “Mantled o'er with aboriginal turf.” Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to aborigines; as, a Hindu of aboriginal blood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An original inhabitant of any land; one of the aborigines. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An animal or a plant native to the region. [ 1913 Webster ]

It may well be doubted whether this frog is an aboriginal of these islands. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

adv. Primarily. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ L. Aborigines; ab + origo, especially the first inhabitants of Latium, those who originally (ab origine) inhabited Latium or Italy. See Origin. ] 1. The earliest known inhabitants of a country; native races. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The original fauna and flora of a geographical area [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Apricot. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abridged p. pr. & vb. n. Abridging. ] [ OE. abregen, OF. abregier, F. abréger, fr. L. abbreviare; ad + brevis short. See Brief and cf. Abbreviate. ] 1. To make shorter; to shorten in duration; to lessen; to diminish; to curtail; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights. “The bridegroom . . . abridged his visit.” Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

She retired herself to Sebaste, and abridged her train from state to necessity. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense; as, to abridge a history or dictionary. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To deprive; to cut off; -- followed by of, and formerly by from; as, to abridge one of his rights. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 shortened by condensing or rewriting; -- said of texts: an abridged version [ Narrower terms: half-length ] unabridged, full-length
Syn. -- condensed [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

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

n. One who abridges. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. abregement. See Abridge. ] 1. The act of abridging, or the state of being abridged; diminution; lessening; reduction or deprivation; as, an abridgment of pleasures or of expenses. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An epitome or compend, as of a book; a shortened or abridged form, esp. of a written work; an abbreviation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ancient coins as abridgments of history. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which abridges or cuts short; hence, an entertainment that makes the time pass quickly. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

What abridgment have you for this evening? What mask? What music? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. a diminution or curtailment, as of legal rights. [ PJC ]

Syn. -- Abridgment, Compendium, Epitome, Abstract, Synopsis. An abridgment is made by omitting the less important parts of some larger work; as, an abridgment of a dictionary. A compendium is a brief exhibition of a subject, or science, for common use; as, a compendium of American literature. An epitome corresponds to a compendium, and gives briefly the most material points of a subject; as, an epitome of history. An abstract is a brief statement of a thing in its main points. A synopsis is a bird's-eye view of a subject, or work, in its several parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L ab + stringere, strictum, to press together. ] To unbind. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; thorn + &unr_; wing, fin. ] (Zool.) A group of teleostean fishes having spiny fins. See Acanthopterygii. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a family of fishes consisting of the surgeonfishes. fish family
Syn. -- family Acanthuridae [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. very small free-living arachnid that is parasitic on animals or plants; related to ticks. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. the family of arachnids of the order Acarina consisting of mites.
Syn. -- family Acaridae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ See Acarus. ] (Zool.) One of a group of arachnids, including the mites and ticks. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; a mite. ] (Zool.) The order of Arachnida which includes the mites and ticks. Many species are parasitic, and cause diseases like the itch and mange. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Of or caused by acari (acarids, or mites); as, acarine diseases. [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

n. (Med.) A member of the order Acarina. [ PJC ]

adv. In the manner of an accessary. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being accessary. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to an accessory; as, accessorial agency, accessorial guilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of an accessory; auxiliary. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being accessory, or connected subordinately. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a family of birds consisting of the hawks; -- this family includes the Old World vultures; kites; harriers; and eagles.
Syn. -- family Accipitridae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 in some classifications an alternative name for the Falconiformes.
Syn. -- order Accipitriformes. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Cf. F. accipitrin. ] (Zool.) Like or belonging to the Accipitres; raptorial; hawklike. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. ac- (for ad to) + criminari. ] To accuse of a crime. [ Obs. ] -- Ac*crim`i*na"tion n. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

a. Accusatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. By way accusation. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Customarily. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; a point, a center. ] Not centered; without a center. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. acer maple. ] Pertaining to, or obtained from, the maple; as, aceric acid. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. acetaria, n. pl., salad, fr. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour. ] Used in salads; as, acetarious plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. See acetone; Urine. ] (Med.) Excess of ketone bodies (including acetone, acetoacetic acid and beta-hydroxybutyric acid) in the urine, as in starvation or diabetes
Syn. --ketonuria [ AS ]

n. A stony meteor lacking chondrules. [ WordNet 1.5 ]