*abr*

n. [ L. Of unknown origin. ] A mystical word or collocation of letters written as in the figure. Worn on an amulet it was supposed to ward off fever. At present the word is used chiefly in jest to denote something without meaning; jargon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A material used for grinding, as emery, sand, powdered glass, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abraded; p. pr. & vb. n. Abrading. ] [ L. abradere, abrasum, to scrape off; ab + radere to scrape. See Rase, Raze. ] To rub or wear off; to waste or wear away by friction; as, to abrade rocks. Lyell. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. Same as Abraid. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to Abraham, the patriarch; as, the Abrachamic covenant. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ OE. abraiden, to awake, draw (a sword), AS. ābredgan to shake, draw; pref. ā- (cf. Goth. us-, Ger. er-, orig. meaning out) + bregdan to shake, throw. See Braid. ] To awake; to arouse; to stir or start up; also, to shout out. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a genus of European fishes.
Syn. -- genus Abramis [ WordNet 1.5 ]

it>or n. [ Possibly in allusion to the parable of the beggar Lazarus in Luke xvi. Murray (New Eng. Dict. ). ] One of a set of vagabonds who formerly roamed through England, feigning lunacy for the sake of obtaining alms. Nares. [ 1913 Webster ]

To sham Abraham, to feign sickness. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Abranchiate. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_;, pl., the gills of fishes. ] (Zool.) A group of annelids, so called because the species composing it have no special organs of respiration. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Without gills. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

a. [ L. abrasus, p. p. of abradere. See Abrade. ] Rubbed smooth. [ Obs. ] “An abrase table.” B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abrasio, fr. abradere. See Abrade. ] 1. The act of abrading, wearing, or rubbing off; the wearing away by friction; as, the abrasion of coins. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The substance rubbed off. Berkeley. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Med.) (a) A superficial excoriation of skin or mucous membranes. AS (b) Erosion of the tooth substance AS [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Producing abrasion. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

or /mhw>, n. [ Ger., fr. abräumen to remove. ] A red ocher used to darken mahogany and for making chloride of potassium. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ A name adopted by the Egyptian Gnostic Basilides, containing the Greek letters α, β, ρ, α, ξ, α, σ, which, as numerals, amounted to 365. It was used to signify the supreme deity as ruler of the 365 heavens of his system. ] A mystical word used as a charm and engraved on gems among the ancients; also, a gem stone thus engraved. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. [ A false form from the preterit abraid, abrayde. ] See Abraid. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. ab- + reaction, after G. Abreagirung. ] (Psychotherapy) the purging of emotional tensions. See Catharsis, below.
Syn. -- catharsis, katharsis [ Webster 1913 Suppl. WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + breast. ] 1. Side by side, with breasts in a line; as, “Two men could hardly walk abreast.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) Side by side; also, opposite; over against; on a line with the vessel's beam; -- with of. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Up to a certain level or line; equally advanced; as, to keep abreast of [ or with ] the present state of science. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. At the same time; simultaneously. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Abreast therewith began a convocation. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. See Abridge. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. abrenuntiare; ab + renuntiare. See Renounce. ] To renounce. [ Obs. ] “They abrenounce and cast them off.” Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. abrenuntiatio. See Abrenounce. ] Absolute renunciation or repudiation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

An abrenunciation of that truth which he so long had professed, and still believed. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abreptus, p. p. of abripere to snatch away; ab + rapere to snatch. ] A snatching away. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., a watering place. ] (Masonry) The joint or interstice between stones, to be filled with mortar. Gwilt. [ 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. [ OE. abrochen, OF. abrochier. See Broach. ] To set abroach; to let out, as liquor; to broach; to tap. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + broach. ] 1. Broached; in a condition for letting out or yielding liquor, as a cask which is tapped. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hogsheads of ale were set abroach. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: In a state to be diffused or propagated; afoot; astir. “Mischiefs that I set abroach.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + broad. ] 1. At large; widely; broadly; over a wide space; as, a tree spreads its branches abroad. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fox roams far abroad. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Without a certain confine; outside the house; away from one's abode; as, to walk abroad. [ 1913 Webster ]

I went to St. James', where another was preaching in the court abroad. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries; as, we have broils at home and enemies abroad. “Another prince . . . was living abroad.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Before the public at large; throughout society or the world; here and there; widely. [ 1913 Webster ]

He went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter. Mark i. 45. [ 1913 Webster ]

To be abroad. (a) To be wide of the mark; to be at fault; as, you are all abroad in your guess. (b) To be at a loss or nonplused. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 ratlike rodent of the Andes with soft fur and large ears.
Syn. -- chinchilla rat, rat chinchilla [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Capable of being abrogated. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abrogatus, p. p. ] Abrogated; abolished. [ Obs. ] Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abrogated; p. pr. & vb. n. Abrogating. ] [ L. abrogatus, p. p. of abrogare; ab + rogare to ask, require, propose. See Rogation. ] 1. To annul by an authoritative act; to abolish by the authority of the maker or his successor; to repeal; -- applied to the repeal of laws, decrees, ordinances, the abolition of customs, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let us see whether the New Testament abrogates what we so frequently see in the Old. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whose laws, like those of the Medes and Persian, they can not alter or abrogate. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To put an end to; to do away with. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To abolish; annul; do away; set aside; revoke; repeal; cancel; annihilate. See Abolish. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abrogatio, fr. abrogare: cf. F. abrogation. ] The act of abrogating; repeal by authority. Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

n. One who repeals by authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + brood. ] In the act of brooding. [ Obs. ] Abp. Sancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. a- + brook, v. ] To brook; to endure. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abruptus, p. p. of abrumpere to break off; ab + rumpere to break. See Rupture. ] 1. Broken off; very steep, or craggy, as rocks, precipices, banks; precipitous; steep; as, abrupt places. “Tumbling through ricks abrupt, ” Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious. “The cause of your abrupt departure.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Having sudden transitions from one subject to another; unconnected. [ 1913 Webster ]

The abrupt style, which hath many breaches. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Bot.) Suddenly terminating, as if cut off. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Sudden; unexpected; hasty; rough; curt; unceremonious; rugged; blunt; disconnected; broken. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abruptum. ] An abrupt place. [ Poetic ] “Over the vast abrupt.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To tear off or asunder. [ Obs. ] “Till death abrupts them.” Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. abruptio, fr. abrumpere: cf. F. abruption. ] A sudden breaking off; a violent separation of bodies. Woodward. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In an abrupt manner; without giving notice, or without the usual forms; suddenly. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Precipitously. [ 1913 Webster ]