*re*

n. [ F. abatture, fr. abattre. See Abate. ] Grass and sprigs beaten or trampled down by a stag passing through them. Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abbreviated; p. pr. & vb. n. Abbreviating. ] [ L. abbreviatus, p. p. of abbreviare; ad + breviare to shorten, fr. brevis short. See Abridge. ] 1. To make briefer; to shorten; to abridge; to reduce by contraction or omission, especially of words written or spoken. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Math.) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abbreviatus, p. p. ] 1. Abbreviated; abridged; shortened. [ R. ] “The abbreviate form.” Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An abridgment. [ Obs. ] Elyot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Shortened; relatively short; abbreviate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. abbreviatio: cf. F. abbréviation. ] 1. The act of shortening, or reducing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The result of abbreviating; an abridgment. Tylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or letters, standing for a word or phrase of which they are a part; as, Gen. for Genesis; U.S.A. for United States of America. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) One dash, or more, through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quavers, semiquavers, or demi-semiquavers. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL.: cf. F. abbréviateur. ] 1. One who abbreviates or shortens. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of a college of seventy-two officers of the papal court whose duty is to make a short minute of a decision on a petition, or reply of the pope to a letter, and afterwards expand the minute into official form. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Serving or tending to abbreviate; shortening; abridging. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An abbreviation; an abbreviated state or form. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An abridgment; a compendium or abstract. [ 1913 Webster ]

This is an excellent abbreviature of the whole duty of a Christian. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Extreme hatred or detestation; the feeling of utter dislike. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Abhorrence. [ Obs. ] Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abhorens, -rentis, p. pr. of abhorrere. ] 1. Abhorring; detesting; having or showing abhorrence; loathing; hence, strongly opposed to; as, abhorrent thoughts. [ 1913 Webster ]

The persons most abhorrent from blood and treason. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

The arts of pleasure in despotic courts
I spurn abhorrent. Clover. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Contrary or repugnant; discordant; inconsistent; -- followed by to. “Injudicious profanation, so abhorrent to our stricter principles.” Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Detestable. “Pride, abhorrent as it is.” I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With abhorrence. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who abhors. Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abjured p. pr. & vb. n. Abjuring ] [ L. abjurare to deny upon oath; ab + jurare to swear, fr. jus, juris, right, law; cf. F. abjurer. See Jury. ] 1. To renounce upon oath; to forswear; to disavow; as, to abjure allegiance to a prince. To abjure the realm, is to swear to abandon it forever. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To renounce or reject with solemnity; to recant; to abandon forever; to reject; repudiate; as, to abjure errors. “Magic I here abjure.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- See Renounce. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To renounce on oath. Bp. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Renunciation. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who abjures. [ 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. pl. [ L., hawks. ] (Zool.) The order that includes rapacious birds. They have a hooked bill, and sharp, strongly curved talons. There are three families, represented by the vultures, the falcons or hawks, and the owls. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of acclimating, or the state of being acclimated. [ R. ] Caldwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accoutered or Accoutred p. pr. & vb. n. Accoutering or Accoutring. ] [ F. accouter, OF. accoutrer, accoustrer; à (L. ad) + perh. LL. custor, for custos guardian, sacristan (cf. Custody), or perh. akin to E. guilt. ] To furnish with dress, or equipments, esp. those for military service; to equip; to attire; to array. [ 1913 Webster ]

Both accoutered like young men. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

For this, in rags accoutered are they seen. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Accoutered with his burden and his staff. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. provided with necessary articles of equipment for a specialized purpose especially military; as, troops accoutered for battle [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. an item of clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of one's main clothing.
Syn. -- accessory, accouterment [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } n. pl. [ F. accoutrement, earlier also accoustrement, earlier also accoustrement. See Accouter. ] Dress; trappings; equipment; specifically, the devices and equipments worn by soldiers. [ 1913 Webster ]

How gay with all the accouterments of war! [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accredited; p. pr. & vb. n. Accrediting. ] [ F. accréditer; à (L. ad) + crédit credit. See Credit. ] 1. To put or bring into credit; to invest with credit or authority; to sanction. [ 1913 Webster ]

His censure will . . . accredit his praises. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

These reasons . . . which accredit and fortify mine opinion. Shelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To send with letters credential, as an ambassador, envoy, or diplomatic agent; to authorize, as a messenger or delegate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beton . . . was accredited to the Court of France. Froude. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To believe; to credit; to put trust in. [ 1913 Webster ]

The version of early Roman history which was accredited in the fifth century. Sir G. C. Lewis. [ 1913 Webster ]

He accredited and repeated stories of apparitions and witchcraft. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To credit; to vouch for or consider (some one) as doing something, or (something) as belonging to some one. [ 1913 Webster ]

To accredit (one)
with (something), to attribute something to him; as, Mr. Clay was accredited with these views; they accredit him with a wise saying. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of accrediting; as, letters of accreditation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol.) Pertaining to accremention. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See accresce, Increment. ] (Physiol.) The process of generation by development of blastema, or fission of cells, in which the new formation is in all respects like the individual from which it proceeds. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. accrescere. See Accrue. ] 1. To accrue. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To increase; to grow. [ Obs. ] Gillespie. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. accrescentia. ] Continuous growth; an accretion. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The silent accrescence of belief from the unwatched depositions of a general, never contradicted hearsy. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. accrescens, -entis, p. pr. of accrescere; ad + crescere to grow. See Crescent. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Growing; increasing. Shuckford. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Growing larger after flowering. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Characterized by accretion; made up; as, accrete matter. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Grown together. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ From L. accretus, p. p. of accrescere to increase. ] 1. To grow together. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To adhere; to grow (to); to be added; -- with to. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make adhere; to add. Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. accretio, fr. accrescere to increase. Cf. Crescent, Increase, Accrue. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of increasing by natural growth; esp. the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of increasing, or the matter added, by an accession of parts externally; an extraneous addition; as, an accretion of earth. [ 1913 Webster ]

A mineral . . . augments not by growth, but by accretion. Owen. [ 1913 Webster ]

To strip off all the subordinate parts of his narrative as a later accretion. Sir G. C. Lewis. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Concretion; coherence of separate particles; as, the accretion of particles so as to form a solid mass. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A growing together of parts naturally separate, as of the fingers or toes. Dana. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Law) (a) The adhering of property to something else, by which the owner of one thing becomes possessed of a right to another; generally, gain of land by the washing up of sand or soil from the sea or a river, or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark. (b) Gain to an heir or legatee, by failure of a coheir to the same succession, or a co-legatee of the same thing, to take his share. Wharton. Kent. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. Marked or produced by accretion. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

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

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acquired p. pr. & vb. n. Acquiring ] [ L. acquirere, acquisitum; ad + quarere to seek for. In OE. was a verb aqueren, fr. the same, through OF. aquerre. See Quest.. ] To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own; as, to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits. [ 1913 Webster ]

No virtue is acquired in an instant, but step by step. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Descent is the title whereby a man, on the death of his ancestor, acquires his estate, by right of representation, as his heir at law. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To obtain; gain; attain; procure; win; earn; secure. See Obtain. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 (Biol.) gotten through environmental forces. Contrasted with inherited. acquired characteristics cannot be passed on noninheritable (vs. inheritable), nonheritable
Syn. -- nurtural [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The act of acquiring, or that which is acquired; attainment. “Rules for the acquirement of a taste.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

His acquirements by industry were . . . enriched and enlarged by many excellent endowments of nature. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Acquisition, Acquirement. Acquirement is used in opposition to a natural gift or talent; as, eloquence, and skill in music and painting, are acquirements; genius is the gift or endowment of nature. It denotes especially personal attainments, in opposition to material or external things gained, which are more usually called acquisitions; but this distinction is not always observed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person who acquires. [ 1913 Webster ]