n. 1. an examination taken by 11 and 12 year old students to select suitable candidates for grammar school. [ formerly in England ]
Syn. -- eleven-plus [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ Gr. 'abaki`skos, dim of 'a`bax. See Abacus. ] (Arch.) One of the tiles or squares of a tessellated pavement; an abaculus. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Abaculi [ L., dim. of abacus. ] (Arch.) A small tile of glass, marble, or other substance, of various colors, used in making ornamental patterns in mosaic pavements. Fairholt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; E. pl. Abacuses ; L. pl. Abaci [ L. abacus, abax, Gr. 'a`bax ] 1. A table or tray strewn with sand, anciently used for drawing, calculating, etc. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A calculating table or frame; an instrument for performing arithmetical calculations by balls sliding on wires, or counters in grooves, the lowest line representing units, the second line, tens, etc. It is still employed in China. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Arch.) (a) The uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave. See Column. (b) A tablet, panel, or compartment in ornamented or mosaic work. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A board, tray, or table, divided into perforated compartments, for holding cups, bottles, or the like; a kind of cupboard, buffet, or sideboard. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abacus harmonicus (Mus.), an ancient diagram showing the structure and disposition of the keys of an instrument. Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a protuberant belly; pot-bellied. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gorgonius sits, abdominous and wan,
Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 distension of the stomach area due to overweight.
Syn. -- paunchiness [ WordNet 1.5 ]

prop. n. 1. 1 A genus of tropical coarse herbs having large lobed leaves and often yellow flowers.
Syn. -- genus Abelmoschus [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ G. ] See Legislature, Austria, Prussia. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. (Biol.) Produced by spontaneous generation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Diminishing; as, an ablatitious force. Sir J. Herschel. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. [ Pref. a- + blush. ] Blushing; ruddy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abnormis; ab + norma rule. See Normal. ] Abnormal; irregular. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

A character of a more abnormous cast than his equally suspected coadjutor. State Trials. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖‖ } n. [ NL., fr. L. ab + omasum (a Celtic word). ] (Anat.) The fourth or digestive stomach of a ruminant, which leads from the third stomach omasum. See Ruminantia. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a fetus which has been aborted; same as abortion{ 2 }. [ PJC ]

adj. 1. having no gills; -- same as abranchiate. branchiate
Syn. -- abranchiate, abranchial, gill-less [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ LL. absentaneus. See absent ] Pertaining to absence. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. absonus; ab + sonus sound. ] Discordant; inharmonious; incongruous. [ Obs. ] “Absonous to our reason.” Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abstemius; ab, abs + root of temetum intoxicating drink. ] 1. Abstaining from wine. [ Orig. Latin sense. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Under his special eye
Abstemious I grew up and thrived amain. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Sparing in diet; refraining from a free use of food and strong drinks; temperate; abstinent; sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions. [ 1913 Webster ]

Instances of longevity are chiefly among the abstemious. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Sparingly used; used with temperance or moderation; as, an abstemious diet. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Marked by, or spent in, abstinence; as, an abstemious life. “One abstemious day.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Promotive of abstemiousness. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Such is the virtue of the abstemious well. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abstemious, temperate, or sparing in the use of food and strong drinks. It expresses a greater degree of abstinence than temperance. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Characterized by abstinence; self-restraining. Farrar. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Obtained from plants by distillation. [ Obs. ] Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abstrusus, p. p. of abstrudere to thrust away, conceal; ab, abs + trudere to thrust; cf. F. abstrus. See Threat. ] 1. Concealed or hidden out of the way. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The eternal eye whose sight discerns
Abstrusest thoughts. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Remote from apprehension; difficult to be comprehended or understood; recondite; as, abstruse learning. [ 1913 Webster ]

Profound and abstruse topics. Milman. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an abstruse manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abstruse; difficulty of apprehension. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abstrusio. See Abstruse. ] The act of thrusting away. [ R. ] Ogilvie. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

a. That may be abused. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Abuse. [ Obs. ] Whately (1634). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. abus, L. abusus, fr. abuti. See Abuse, v. t. ] 1. Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language. [ 1913 Webster ]

Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power. Madison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Physical ill treatment; injury. “Rejoice . . . at the abuse of Falstaff.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abuse after disappeared without a struggle.. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling. [ 1913 Webster ]

The two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to blows. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Or is it some abuse, and no such thing? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abuse of distress (Law), a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Invective; contumely; reproach; scurrility; insult; opprobrium. -- Abuse, Invective. Abuse is generally prompted by anger, and vented in harsh and unseemly words. It is more personal and coarse than invective. Abuse generally takes place in private quarrels; invective in writing or public discussions. Invective may be conveyed in refined language and dictated by indignation against what is blameworthy. C. J. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abused p. pr. & vb. n. Abusing. ] [ F. abuser; L. abusus, p. p. of abuti to abuse, misuse; ab + uti to use. See Use. ] 1. To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

This principle (if one may so abuse the word) shoots rapidly into popularity. Froude. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To use ill; to maltreat; to act injuriously to; to punish or to tax excessively; to hurt; as, to abuse prisoners, to abuse one's powers, one's patience. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To revile; to reproach coarsely; to disparage. [ 1913 Webster ]

The . . . tellers of news abused the general. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To dishonor. “Shall flight abuse your name?” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To violate; to ravish. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To deceive; to impose on. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Their eyes red and staring, cozened with a moist cloud, and abused by a double object. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To maltreat; injure; revile; reproach; vilify; vituperate; asperse; traduce; malign. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of abuse; abusive. [ R. ] “Abuseful names.” Bp. Barlow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who abuses [ in the various senses of the verb ]. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. abusion, abusioun, OF. abusion, fr. L. abusio misuse of words, f. abuti. See Abuse, v. t. ] Evil or corrupt usage; abuse; wrong; reproach; deception; cheat. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. abusif, fr. L. abusivus. ] 1. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am . . . necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Given to misusing; also, full of abuses. [ Archaic ] “The abusive prerogatives of his see.” Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Practicing abuse; prone to ill treat by coarse, insulting words or by other ill usage; as, an abusive author; an abusive fellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Containing abuse, or serving as the instrument of abuse; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. “An abusive lampoon.” Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Tending to deceive; fraudulent; cheating. [ Obs. ] “An abusive treaty.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Reproachful; scurrilous; opprobrious; insolent; insulting; injurious; offensive; reviling. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an abusive manner; rudely; with abusive language. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abusive; rudeness of language, or violence to the person. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pick out mirth, like stones out of thy ground,
Profaneness, filthiness, abusiveness. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; calyx. ] (Bot.) Without a calyx, or outer floral envelope. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Armed with prickles, as a plant. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the family of plants of which the acanthus is the type. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; thorn + &unr_; fruit. ] (Bot.) Having the fruit covered with spines. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Having a spiny head, as one of the Acanthocephala. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; spine + fe`rein to bear. ] Spine-bearing. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; thorn + &unr_;, &unr_;, foot. ] (Bot.) Having spinous petioles. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; spine + &unr_; wing. ] 1. (Zool.) Spiny-winged. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Acanthopterygious. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Having fins in which the rays are hard and spinelike; spiny-finned. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 shaped like a spine or thorn
Syn. -- spinous [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. type genus of the family Acanthuridae; doctorfishes.
Syn. -- genus Acanthurus [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n.; pl. E. Acanthuses /plu>, L. Acanthi [ L., from Gr. &unr_;. Cf. Acantha. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous prickly plants, found in the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and India; bear's-breech. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Arch.) An ornament resembling the foliage or leaves of the acanthus (Acanthus spinosus); -- used in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. a- not + carpel. ] (Bot.) Having no carpels. Opposite of carpellate.
Syn. -- acarpe [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; 'a priv. + karpo`s fruit. ] (Bot.) Not producing fruit; unfruitful. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Acari [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; the cheese mite, tick. ] (Zool.) A genus including many species of small mites. [ 1913 Webster ]