a. [ L. abdicativus. ] Causing, or implying, abdication. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abditivus, fr. abdere to hide. ] Having the quality of hiding. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

a. [ L. abjunctus, p. p. of abjungere; ab + jungere to join. ] Exceptional. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

It is this power which leads on from the accidental and abjunctive to the universal. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. ablatif, ablative, L. ablativus fr. ablatus. See Ablation. ] 1. Taking away or removing. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Where the heart is forestalled with misopinion, ablative directions are found needful to unteach error, ere we can learn truth. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Applied to one of the cases of the noun in Latin and some other languages, -- the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Gram.) The ablative case. [ 1913 Webster ]

ablative absolute, a construction in Latin, in which a noun in the ablative case has a participle (either expressed or implied), agreeing with it in gender, number, and case, both words forming a clause by themselves and being unconnected, grammatically, with the rest of the sentence; as, Tarquinio regnante, Pythagoras venit, i. e., Tarquinius reigning, Pythagoras came. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abnegativus. ] Denying; renouncing; negative. [ R. ] Clarke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Abortive. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abortivus, fr. aboriri. See Abort, v. ] 1. Produced by abortion.as, an abortive child. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

2. Made from the skin of a still-born animal; as, abortive vellum. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Rendering fruitless or ineffectual. [ Obs. ] “Plunged in that abortive gulf.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Coming to naught; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful; as, an abortive attempt. “An abortive enterprise.” Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Biol.) Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile; as, an abortive organ, stamen, ovule, etc. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Med.) (a) Causing abortion; as, abortive medicines. Parr. AS (b) Cutting short the period of an illness; as, abortive treatment of typhoid fever. [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

n. 1. That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fruitless effort or issue. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Med.) A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion; -- also called an abortifacient. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

adv. In an abortive or untimely manner; immaturely; fruitlessly. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

prep. [ OE. above, aboven, abuffe, AS. abufon; an (or on) on + be by + ufan upward; cf. Goth. uf under. √199. See Over. ] 1. In or to a higher place; higher than; on or over the upper surface; over; -- opposed to below or beneath. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fowl that may fly above the earth. Gen. i. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Figuratively, higher than; superior to in any respect; surpassing; beyond; higher in measure or degree than; as, things above comprehension; above mean actions; conduct above reproach. “Thy worth . . . is actions above my gifts.” Marlowe. [ 1913 Webster ]

I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun. Acts xxxvi. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Surpassing in number or quantity; more than; as, above a hundred. (Passing into the adverbial sense. See Above, adv., 4.) [ 1913 Webster ]

above all, before every other consideration; chiefly; in preference to other things. [ 1913 Webster ]

Over and above, prep. or adv., besides; in addition to. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In a higher place; overhead; into or from heaven; as, the clouds above. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Earlier in order; higher in the same page; hence, in a foregoing page. “That was said above.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Higher in rank or power; as, he appealed to the court above. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. More than; as, above five hundred were present. [ 1913 Webster ]

Above is often used elliptically as an adjective by omitting the word mentioned, quoted, or the like; as, the above observations, the above reference, the above articles. -- Above is also used substantively. “The waters that come down from above.” Josh. iii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ] It is also used as the first part of a compound in the sense of before, previously; as, above-cited, above-described, above-mentioned, above-named, abovesaid, abovespecified, above-written, above-given. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Above the board or table. Hence: in open sight; without trick, concealment, or deception. “Fair and aboveboard.” Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This expression is said by Johnson to have been borrowed from gamesters, who, when they change their cards, put their hands under the table. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Cited before, in the preceding part of a book or writing. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. On deck; and hence, like aboveboard, without artifice. Smart. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Mentioned or named before; aforesaid; mentioned or named earlier in the same text (in written documents). [ 1913 Webster WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Mentioned or recited before. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Producing abrasion. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending or designed to abrogate; as, an abrogative law. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Absolved p. pr. & vb. n. Absolving. ] [ L. absolvere to set free, to absolve; ab + solvere to loose. See Assoil, Solve. ] 1. To set free, or release, as from some obligation, debt, or responsibility, or from the consequences of guilt or such ties as it would be sin or guilt to violate; to pronounce free; as, to absolve a subject from his allegiance; to absolve an offender, which amounts to an acquittal and remission of his punishment. [ 1913 Webster ]

Halifax was absolved by a majority of fourteen. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To free from a penalty; to pardon; to remit (a sin); -- said of the sin or guilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

In his name I absolve your perjury. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To finish; to accomplish. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The work begun, how soon absolved. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To resolve or explain. [ Obs. ] “We shall not absolve the doubt.” Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To Absolve, Exonerate, Acquit. We speak of a man as absolved from something that binds his conscience, or involves the charge of wrongdoing; as, to absolve from allegiance or from the obligation of an oath, or a promise. We speak of a person as exonerated, when he is released from some burden which had rested upon him; as, to exonerate from suspicion, to exonerate from blame or odium. It implies a purely moral acquittal. We speak of a person as acquitted, when a decision has been made in his favor with reference to a specific charge, either by a jury or by disinterested persons; as, he was acquitted of all participation in the crime. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. absolvens, p. pr. of absolvere. ] Absolving. [ R. ] Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An absolver. [ R. ] Hobbes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who absolves. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having power, capacity, or tendency to absorb or imbibe. E. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being absorptive; absorptive power. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. abstersif. See Absterge. ] Cleansing; purging. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Something cleansing. [ 1913 Webster ]

The strong abstersive of some heroic magistrate. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abstersive. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. abstractif. ] Having the power of abstracting; of an abstracting nature. “The abstractive faculty.” I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a abstract manner; separately; in or by itself. Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abstractive; abstractive property. [ 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. Relating to acceleration; adding to velocity; quickening. Reid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Fit for acceptance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Ready to accept. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Additional. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Acclivous. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ad + complere, completum, to fill up. ] Tending to accomplish. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to accretion; increasing, or adding to, by growth. Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to acculturation (definition 3).
Syn. -- acculturational [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Characterized by accumulation; serving to collect or amass; cumulative; additional. -- Ac*cu"mu*la*tive*ly, adv. -- Ac*cu"mu*la*tive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. accusatif, L. accusativus (in sense 2), fr. accusare. See Accuse. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Producing accusations; accusatory. “This hath been a very accusative age.” Sir E. Dering. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Applied to the case (as the fourth case of Latin and Greek nouns) which expresses the immediate object on which the action or influence of a transitive verb terminates, or the immediate object of motion or tendency to, expressed by a preposition. It corresponds to the objective case in English. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Gram.) The accusative case. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In an accusative manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In relation to the accusative case in grammar. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Heaped up; tending to heap up. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Achieved p. pr. & vb. n. Achieving ] [ OE. acheven, OF. achever, achiever, F. achever, to finish; à (L. ad) + OF. chief, F. chef, end, head, fr. L. caput head. See Chief. ] 1. To carry on to a final close; to bring out into a perfected state; to accomplish; to perform; -- as, to achieve a feat, an exploit, an enterprise. [ 1913 Webster ]

Supposing faculties and powers to be the same, far more may be achieved in any line by the aid of a capital, invigorating motive than without it. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To obtain, or gain, as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some are born great, some achieve greatness. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou hast achieved our liberty. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ [ Obs ]., with a material thing as the aim. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

He hath achieved a maid
That paragons description. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To finish; to kill. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To accomplish; effect; fulfill; complete; execute; perform; realize; obtain. See Accomplish. [ 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 ]