*abel*

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. [ NL. abelmoschus, fr. Ar. abu-l-misk father of musk, i. e., producing musk. See Musk. (or Ar. &hsdot_;abb-al-mosk, musk seed RHUD 1.3 ] (Bot.) An evergreen shrub (Abelmoschus moschatus -- formerly Hibiscus moschatus), of the East and West Indies and Northern Africa, whose musky seeds are used in perfumery and to flavor coffee; -- sometimes called musk mallow. The seeds produce ambrette-seed oil. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

{ } 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. [ Heb. Bābel, the name of the capital of Babylonia; in Genesis associated with the idea of “confusion.” ] 1. The city and tower in the land of Shinar, where the confusion of languages took place. [ 1913 Webster ]

Therefore is the name of it called Babel. Gen. xi. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: A place or scene of noise and confusion; a confused mixture of sounds, as of voices or languages. [ 1913 Webster ]

That babel of strange heathen languages. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

The grinding babel of the street. R. L. Stevenson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + flabellate. ] (Zool.) Flabellate on both sides. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Sp. cascabel a little bell, also (fr. the shape), a knob at the breech end of a cannon. ] The projection in rear of the breech of a cannon, usually a knob or breeching loop connected with the gun by a neck. In old writers it included all in rear of the base ring. [ See Illust. of Cannon. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Fabellae [ NL., dim. of L. faba a bean. ] (Anat.) One of the small sesamoid bones situated behind the condyles of the femur, in some mammals. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. flabellum a fan, dim. of flabrum a breeze, fr. flare to blow. ] A fan. [ Obs. ] Huloet. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. flabellatus, p. p. of flabellare to fan, fr. flabellum. See Flabbel. ] (Bot.) Flabelliform. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of keeping fractured limbs cool by the use of a fan or some other contrivance. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. flabellum a fan + -form: cf. F. flabeliforme. ] Having the form of a fan; fan-shaped; flabellate. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. flabellum a fan + E. nerve. ] (Bot.) Having many nerves diverging radiately from the base; -- said of a leaf. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. See Flabel. ] (Eccl.) A fan; especially, the fan carried before the pope on state occasions, made in ostrich and peacock feathers. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. gabelle, LL. gabella, gabulum, gablum; of uncertain origin. Cf.Gavel tribute. ] (O. Eng. Law) A rent, service, tribute, custom, tax, impost, or duty; an excise. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

He enables St. Peter to pay his gabel by the ministry of a fish. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (O. Eng. Law) A collector of gabels or taxes. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. See Gabel. ] A tax, especially on salt. [ France ] Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A gabeler. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Glabellæ [ NL., fr. L. glabellus hairless, fr. glaber bald. ] (Anat.) The space between the eyebrows, also including the corresponding part of the frontal bone; the mesophryon. -- Gla*bel"lar a. [1913 Webster]

‖n.; pl. Glabella [ NL. See Glabella. ] (Zool.) The median, convex lobe of the head of a trilobite. See Trilobite. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ n., } [ F. isabelle. ] See Isabella.

{ n., . [ Said to be named from the Spanish princess Isabella, daughter of king Philip II., in allusion to the color assumed by her shift, which she wore without change from 1601 to 1604, in consequence of a vow made by her. ] A brownish yellow color. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) A favorite sweet American grape of a purple color. See Fox grape, under Fox. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) A common American moth (Pyrrharctia isabella), of an isabella color. The larva, called woolly bear and hedgehog caterpillar, is densely covered with hairs, which are black at each end of the body, and red in the middle part. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of an isabel or isabella color. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. label sort of ribbon or fringe, label in heraldry, F. lambeau shred, strip, rag; of uncertain origin; cf. L. labellum, dim. of labrum lip, edge, margin, G. lappen flap, patch, rag, tatter (cf. Lap of a dress), W. llab, llabed, label, flap, Gael. leab, leob, slice, shred, hanging lip. ] 1. A tassel. [ Obs. ] Huloet. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A slip of silk, paper, parchment, etc., affixed to anything, and indicating, usually by an inscription, the contents, ownership, destination, etc.; as, the label of a bottle or a package. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A slip of ribbon, parchment, etc., attached to a document to hold the appended seal; also, the seal. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A writing annexed by way of addition, as a codicil added to a will. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Her.) A barrulet, or, rarely, a bendlet, with pendants, or points, usually three, especially used as a mark of cadency to distinguish an eldest or only son while his father is still living. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A brass rule with sights, formerly used, in connection with a circumferentor, to take altitudes. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Gothic Arch.) The name now generally given to the projecting molding by the sides, and over the tops, of openings in mediæval architecture. It always has a square form, as in the illustration. Arch. Pub. Soc. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. In mediæval art, the representation of a band or scroll containing an inscription. Fairholt. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Labeled r Labelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Labeling or Labelling. ] 1. To affix a label to; to mark with a name, etc.; as, to label a bottle or a package. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To affix in or on a label. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who labels. [ Written also labeller. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. L. Labella E. Labellums [ L., dim. of labrum lip. ] 1. (Bot.) The lower or apparently anterior petal of an orchidaceous flower, often of a very curious shape. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A small appendage beneath the upper lip or labrum of certain insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or , prop. n. pl., sing. Matabele. [ Written also Matabili. ] (Ethnol.) A warlike South African Kaffir tribe. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. L. sabulum gravel. ] (Zool.) A genus of tubicolous annelids having a circle of plumose gills around the head. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to the doctrines or tenets of Sabellius. See Sabellian, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Eccl. Hist.) A follower of Sabellius, a presbyter of Ptolemais in the third century, who maintained that there is but one person in the Godhead, and that the Son and Holy Spirit are only different powers, operations, or offices of the one God the Father. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Eccl.) The doctrines or tenets of Sabellius. See Sabellian, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Sabella + -oid. ] (Zool.) Like, or related to, the genus Sabella. -- Sa*bel"loid, n. [1913 Webster]