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ABACUS (in Architecture) is the uppermoft member or capital of a column, which ferves as a fort of crowning both to the capital and column, tho' fome erroneoufly make it to be the capital itself.

The ABACUS is fomething different, in different orders. It is a flat fquare member in the Tufcan, Dorick, and ancient Ionick orders. In the richer orders, the Corinthian and Compofit, it lofes its native form, having its four fides or faces.arch'd or cut inward with fome ornament, as a rofe, fome other flower, a fifh's tail, &c.

But there are other liberties taken in the Abacus, by feveral architects. Some make it a perfect Ogee in the Ionick, and crown it with a fillet. In the Dorick, fome place a Cymatium over it, and for do not make it the uppermost member. In the Tuscan order, where it is the largest and most maffive, and takes up one third part of the whole capital, they fometimes call it the Die of the capital: and Scamozzi ufes the name Abacus for a

concave moulding in the capital of the Tufcan pedeftal.

To ABANDON (F. abandonner, derived, according to Menage, from the Italian abandonar; which fignifies to forfake his colours; bandum (vexillum) deferere. Pafquier thinks it a coalition of a ban donner, | to give up to a profcription: in which fenfe we at this day mention the Ban of the empire. Ban, in our old dialect, fignifies a curfe; and to abandon, if confidered as a compound between French and Saxon, is exactly equivalent to diris devovere) fignifies, according to the different authors, 1. To give up, refign, or quit to. 2. To defert. 3. To forfake, generally with a tendency to an ill Senfe.

To ABANDON over, to give up to, to refign.'

ABANDONED, given up, forfaken, deferted; corrupted in the highest degree, given up to wickedness.

ABANDONMENT (abandonnement, F.) 1. The act of abandoning. 2. The ftate of being abandoned.

To ABA'SE (Sea term) to lower or take in, as to lower or take in a flag.

ABA'SED (in Heraldry) is a term ufed of the vol or wing of eagles, &c. when the top or angle looks downwards towards the point of the fhield; or when the wings are fhut: the natural way of bearing them being fpread with the tip pointing to the chief or the angles.

A Bend, a Cheveron, a Pale, &c. are faid to be abafed, when their points terminate in or below the centre of the fhield.

An Ordinary is faid to be abafed, when below its due fituation.

To ABATE (from the F. abbatre, to beat down.). To leffen, to diminish. 2. To deject, or deprefs the mind. 3. In commerce, to let down the price in felling, fome

times to beat down the price in buying.

To ABATE, to grow lefs; as, his paffion abates; the ftorm abates. It is ufed fometimes with the particle of before the thing leffened; a difeafe abates of its virulence.

To ABATE (in common Law) it is in law ufed both actively and neuterly, as to abate a caftle, to beat it down. To abate a writ, is by fome exception to defeat or overthrow it. A ftranger abateth, that is, entereth upon a houfe or land, void by the death of him, that laft poffefled it, before the heir take his poffeffion, and fo keepeth him out. Wherefore, as he who putteth out him in poffeffion, is faid to diffife; fo he that steppeth in between the former poffeffor and his heir, is faid to abate. In the neuter fignification thus the writ of the demandant shall abate; that is, fhall be disabled, frustrated, or overthrown.

ABATEMENT of bonour (with Heralds) is fometimes an abfolute reverfion or overturning of the whole efcutcheon, or else only a mark of diminution, as a Point dexter parted tenne, a Goar finifter, a Delf, &c. Thefe marks must be either tawney, or murrey; otherwife instead of diminutions, they become additions of honour.

AB'BESS (of 'Abbaleia, Gr. Abutesse, Sax.) a Governess of nuns.

ABBEY (of Calsia, Gr. Abborrice, ABBY Sax. a government or kingdom) a convent or monaftery, a house for religious perfons.

ABBOT (of Abod, Sax.) the chief ruler of an abbey of monks and friars, who were at first lay perfons, and subject to the bishop and ordinary priests of the diocefe, in which the monastery or abby was built; and these being for the most part in remote and folitary places, they had no concern in the affairs of the church; but like other lay men were used to attend divine fervice in their refpective parish churches on Sundays and holy-days; and if the abby was at too great a distance from the parish church, then a prieft was sent to them to adminifter the Sacrament,

Bishop ABBOTS, abbots, whofe abbies have been erected into bishopricks.

Cardinal ABBOTS, abbots, who are also called cardinals.

Commendatory ABBOTS, or abbots in Commendam, are feculars, and do not perform any fpiritual offices, nor have any fpiritual jurifdiction over their monks, altho' they have undergone the tonfure, and are obliged by their bulls to take the orders, when they come of age.

Crozier'd ABBOTS, are fuch as bear the crofier or paftoral staff.

Mitred ABBOTS, are fo called, because they wear a mitre when they officiate, and are independent upon any perfon but the pope, being free from the bishops's jurifdiction, and having the fame authority within their bounds,

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ABBUTTALS (of aboutire, F. to limit er bound, or of butan or onbutan, Sax.) the buttings and boundings of lands, highways, &c. either towards the eaft, weft, north, or fouth

ABDICA'TIVE (abdicativus, L.) belonging to abdication; also negative.

ABDOMEN (of abdo, L. to hide, and mentum, the caul.)

ABDOMEN (with Anatomifts) the lowermost of the three Ventres, or great cavities, which contains the ftomach, liver, bladder, fpleen, guts, ..

A BELE-tree (with Botanists) a finer kind of white poplar.

A'BER (Old British) the fall of a leffer water into a greater, as of a brook into a river, a river into a lake or fea. The mouth of a river; as Aberconway, &c.

ABERE-MURDER (of abene appareat, and mod murder, Sax.) plain or downright murder, in diftinction from manslaughter and chance medley.

ABETITORS (in Law) are alfo those perfons, who without caufe procure others to fue out falfe appeals of felony or murder against | perfons, that they may thereby render them infamous.

ABGATO'RIA (of abgbittin, Irish) the alphabet A B C, &c.

To ABHOR (abborreo, L.) to hate with acrimony; to deteft to extremity; to loath. ABHORRENCE (from abbor) 1. The aft of abborring, deteftation, 2. The difpofition to abbor, hatred.

ABHORRENCY. The fame with ab

borrence.

ABHORRENT (from abbor) 1. Struck with abborrence. 2. Contrary to, foreign, inconfiftent with; it is ufed with the particles from or to, but more properly with from. ABHORRER (from abbor) the perfon that abbors, a hater, detefter.

ABILITY (babileté, F.) 1. The power to do any thing, whether depending upon fkill, or riches, or strength, or any other quality. 2. Capacity. 3. When in the plural number, Abilities frequently fignify the faculties or powers of the mind, and fometimes the force of understanding given by nature, as diftinguished from acquired qualifications. To AB'JUGATE (abjugatum, L.) to unyoke, to uncouple.

ABJURATION (in our Old Customs) signified a voluntary banishment of a man's felf from his native country or kingdom for ever. ABJURATION (in a Law Senfe) fignifics a folemn promising, never to yield or give

obedience or the affiftance of a subject to any other perfon claiming a right to the crown in prejudice of the king then reigning

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To AB'LEGATE ablegatum, L.) to fend abroad upon fome employment; alfo to fend a perfon out of the way that one is weary of, AB'LENESS (of bibilitas, L.) capablenefs to perform.

AB'LUENT (abluens, L.) washing away cleansing.

ABLU'TION, a cleanfing or purifying by washing.

This ceremony was firft ufed by the Jewish priefts before the offering of facrifice; for which purpose king Solomon made a great laver or sea of brass, into which the priests having first thrown the afhes of the facrifice, they wash'd themselves.

The ancient Romans likewise, in imitation of this ceremony, were wont to wash their head, hands, feet, or whole body, before they began the office of Lacrififing.

The modern Roman Catholicks apply it to what the priest, who confecrates the water or host, washes his hands with; and alfo to that fmall quantity of vine and water that they drink after fwallowing the wafer or hoft to wash it down.

ABNEGATION, a denying a matter point

blank.

ABOMINABLE (abominari, according to the native fenfe of the word, from ab and omen, L. fignifies to account a thing for an ill omen, or an unlucky fign, and therefore to pray against it by certain forms of speech) fit or deferving to be abhorred, loathed or hated.

To ABOMINATE (abominari, oi ab and omen) properly fignifies to take a thing for an il fign or unlucky omen; to pray against it, or with the contrary, by certain forms and fpeeches; we ufe it for to abhor, hate or loath.

A'BON (with the ancient Britains) A'VONS fignified a river, and was a general name for all rivers.

To ABORT (aborto, L.) to bring forth before the time; to mifcarry.

ABORTION (abortio, L.) 1. The act of bringing forth untimely. 2. The produce of an untimely birth.

ABORTIVE, that which is born before the due time.

ABORTIVE (abortivus, L.) 1. That which is brought forth before the due time of birth. 2. Figuratively, that which fails for want of time. 3. That which brings forth nothing.

ABORTIVELY (from abortive) born without the due time; immaturely; untimely. ABORTIVENESS (from abortive) the flate of abortion.

ABORTMENT (from abort) the thing brought forth out of time; an untimely birth.

ABORTION (with Gardeners) a term used of fruits that are produced too early before their time, as trees happening to be blasted by

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noxious winds, are fubject to this malady, never bringing their fruit to maturity. ABORTIVENESS, miscarriage; alfo unfuccefsfulness.

ABOVE (from a and buran, Sax. boven, Dutcb.) 1. Higher in place. 2. More in quantity or number. 3. Higher in rank, power or excellence. 4. Superior to, unattainable by. 5. Beyond, more than. 6. Too proud for, too high for; a phrafe chiefly ufed in familiar expression.

ABOVE.

1. Overhead. 2. In the regi

ons of heaven. 3. Before.
From ABOVE. 1. From an higher place.

2. From heaven.

ABOVE-All. In the first place; chiefly. ABOVE-Board. In open fight, without artifice or trick.

ABOVE-Cited. Cited before. ABOVE-Ground. An expreffion ufed to fignify, that a man is alive; not in the grave.

ABOUT (abutan or abuton, Sax. Which feems to fignify encircling on the outside) J. Round, furround, encircling. 2. Near to. 3. Concerning, with regard to, relating to. 4. Engaged in, employed upon. 5. Appendant to the perfon, as cloaths, &c. 6. lation to the perfon, as a fervant.

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(In Conick Sections, or other

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ABSCIS'S Curvilineal Figures) are the parts of the axis cut off by the ordinates, and accounted downwards from the vertex of the fection; thus Vb or V B are Abfeia in this figure. Some writers call these the Intercepted Axes or intercepted diameters. ABSENCE. 1. The state of being abfent, oppofed to prefent. 2. Want of appearance in the legal fenfe. Absence is of 2 fourfold kind, or fpecies. The ift, is a neceffary abfence, as in banished perfons; this is entirely neceffary. A 2d, neceffary and voluntary; as upon the account of the common wealth. The 3d, the Civilians call a probable abfence; as that of ftudents on the core of study. The 4th, an absence entirely voluntary; as on the account of trade, merchandize, or the like.

To ABSENT one's felf, to be voluntarily abfent, not to appear, to keep out of the way.

ABSINTHIATED (abfinthiatus, L.) Re-mingled with wormwood.

ABOUT. 1. Circularly. 2. In Circuit. 3. Nearly. 4. Here and there, every where. 5. With to before a verb; as about to fly, upon the point, within a fmall distance of. 6. The longest way, in oppofition to the fhort ftrait way. 7. To bring about, to bring to the point or ftate defired; as be bas brought about bis purposes. 8. To come about; to come to fome certain state or point. 9. To go about a thing; to prepare to do it.

To ABRA'DE (abṛadere, L.) to shave off. ABRA'SION (with Surgeons) at fuperficial rafing of the skin.

ABRASION (in a Medicinal Senfe) the wearing away the natural mucus, which covers the membranes, particularly thofe of the tomach and guts, by corrofive or fharp

humours.

AB'SOLUTE (with Grammarians) without regimen or government, as an ablative abfolute.

ABSOLUTE Nouns Adjectives (withGram.) fuch adjectives as are in the pofitive degree, as great, little, low, lefs.

ABSOLUTE Nouns Subftantives, such nouns whofe fignifications imply a fimple idea; as a Man, a Horfe, Earth, Air, &c.

ABSOLUTE (in Theology) is fometimes ufed to denote a thing being without any cause, in which fenfe God is abfolute.

ABSOLUTE is alfo ufed to fignify free from condition, as the decrees of God are faid to be abfolute in refpect to men.

ABSOLUTE (with Remanifs) is used in oppofition to Declaratory, as they hold that a prieft can forgive fins abfolutely; but the proteftants fay only declaratively and minifte

ABRASION (with Philofophers) that mat-rially. ter which is worn off by attrition of bodies one against another.

ABRIDG'MENT (abregement, F.) an abridging, &c. wherein the lefs material things are infifted on but briefly, and fo the whole brought into a leffer compafs.

ABRIDGMENT of account, &c. (in Law) is the making it shorter, by abftracting fome of its circumftances.

The ABRUPT (abruptum, L.) the uneven, rough, broken, or craggy part of the aby is. Milton.

ABRUPITNESS, the breaking or being broken off on a fudden; alfo cragginefs of a rock, mountain, &c.

To ABSCINID (abfcindere, L.) to

cut

ABSOLUTE Motion, fignifies the change of place in any moving body.

ABSOLUTE Numbers (in Algebra) a number which poffeffes one intire part or fide of an equation, and is always a known quantity, and the rectangle or folid under the unknown roots in Quadraticks and Cubicks ; thus in this equation; a a+16 a=36, the abfolute number is 36, which is equal to the product of the two roots or values, multiplied one into another; this is call'd also" Homogenum Comparationis, by Vieta.

ABSOLUTE Place, is that part of infinite and immoveable space, that any body poffeffes.

ABSOLUTELY (with Geometricians) is ufed to fignify intirely, compleatly, as a circle Or

or fphere is faid to be abfolutely round, in contradiftinction to a figure that is partly so, as an Oval, a Spheroid, &c.

ABSOLUTION (in the Canon Law) a juridical act, whereby a priest as a judge, and by virtue of a power delegated to him from Chrift, remits fins.

ABSOLUTION (in the Civil Law) figniLes a definitive sentence, whereby a man accufed of any crime is acquitted.

ABSOLÚTION (in the Reformed Churches is ufually understood of a sentence by which a perfon standing excommunicated, is freed or released from the excommunication.

ABSOLUTOʻRIUM (with Phyficians) an abfolute remedy, or most effectual medicine; alío a certain cure or perfect recovery, L.

AB'SOLUTENESS (of abfolu, F. abfolutus, L.) arbitrarinefs, freedom from conditions, &c.

To ABSORB (with Gardeners, &c.) is a term applied to those greedy branches, that growing on fruit trees, do drink up and rob the other branches of the nutritious juice, that they ftand in need of for their nourishment and augmentation.

ABSTER'SIVE Medicines, fuch as are used to clear the skin and outward parts of the body from filth.

ABSTRACT (in Philofopby) that which is feparated from fome other thing by an operation of the mind called abâraction.

An ABSTRACT-Idea, is fome fimple idea, detach'd and separated from any particular fubject or complex idea, for the fake of viewing and confidering it more diftinctly, as it is in itself, its own nature, &c.

ABSTRACTED Mathematicks, is used in oppofition to mix'd mathematicks; the former fignifying pure arithmetick, geometry, or algebra.

ABSTRACTED Nouns Subftanftives (with Grammarians, &c.) are fuch nouns as denote a thing; the existence of which is real, and in the nature of the thing; but fubfifts only in the understanding; as Humanity, Truth, Vigilance, &c.

ABSTRU'SE (abftrufus. L.) far remov'd from the common apprehenfions or ways of conceiving.

ABSURD'NESS (abfurditas, L.) disagreeableness to reafon, impertinence, folly; an error or offence against some generally allowed truth or principle.

ABUNDANTIA, an allegorical divinity, which was represented under the figure of a young virgin amidst all forts of good things, in good plight of body, having a fresh lively colour, holding in her hand a horn, said to be that of Abelous.

Self ABU'SE, the crime called otherwife, felf-pollution.

ABYS'MAL, pertaining to an abyfs. ABYSS ('Aliaceos, Gr.) a bottomless pit or gulf, or any prodigious deep, where no bottom can be found, or is fuppofed to have no bottom; a vaff unfathomable depth of waters, fuch as is supposed to be inclosed in the bowels of the earth.

ACADEMY, is a fort of collegiate school or feminary, where young perfons are inftructed in a private way, in the liberal arts and sciences.

ACADEMY (of Horsemanship) is alfo ufed to fignify a riding-school, a place where perfons are taught to ride the great horse, and other exercises, as fencing, &c.

ACATALEP'TICK (of 'Azalaλewlor, Gr.) incomprehenfible.

ACATHARSI'A ('Anabapsia, of a neg. and Katipo, Gr.) to purge or cleanfe) that filth or impurity in a diseased body, which is not yet purged off.

To ACCE'DE, (accedere, L.) to come to, to draw near to, to enter into.

ACCELERATED Motion (in Mechan.) a motion which receives continual increments or acceffions of velocity.

ACCELERATION (with Philofophers) a continual increase of motion in any heavy bodies tending towards the centre of the earth, by the force of gravity.

ACCELERATION (with the ancient Aftronomers) a term used in refpect to the fixed ftars, and fignified the difference between the revolution of the Primum Mobile and the folar revolution, which was computed at 3 minutes and 56 feconds.

ACCELERATORES (Anatomy) certain muscles, fo called of accelerandi, i. e. haftening.

To ACCEN'D (accendere, L.) to kindle, to set on fire.

ACCEN'SION (Pbilofopby) the inkindling or fetting any natural body on fire.

ACCENT (with Rhetoricians) a tone or modulation of the voice, ufed fometimes to denote the intention of the orator or speaker, to give a good or ill fignification to his words.

Grave ACCENT (with Gram.) is this mark [] over a vowel, to fhew that the voice is to be depreffed.

Acute ACCENT is this mark [] over a vowel, to fhew that the voice is to be raised.

Circumflex ACCENT is this mark [~] over a vowel, in Greek, and points out a kind of undulation of the voice.

The Long ACCENT (in Gram.) fhews that the voice is to ftop upon the vowel that has that mark, and is expreffed thus [-]

The Short ACCENT (in Gram.) fhews that the time of pronouncing ought to be fhort, and is marked thus [~]

To ACCENTUATE (accentuatum, L.) ABU'SIVENESS, offenfiyençfs, affront-to pronounce in reading or fpeaking according

ingness, &c.

to the accent,

ACCEN

ACCENTUATION, a pronouncing or marking a word, fo as to lay a ftrefs of the voice upon the right vowel or fyllable.

To ACCEPT (accipio, L. accepter, F.) 1. To take with pleasure; to receive kindly; to admit with Approbation. It is diftinguished from receive, as specifick from general; noting a particular manner of receiving. 2. It is ufed in a kind of juridical fenfe; as, to accept terms, accept a treaty. 3. In the language of the Bible, to accept perfons, is to act with perfonal and partial regard. 4. It is fometimes used with the particle of; as to accept of a perfon.

ACCEPTABILITY, the quality of being

acceptable.

ACCEPTABLE (accéptable, F. from the L.) It is pronounced by fome with the accent in the first fyllable, as by Milton; by others with the accent in the fecond. That which Is likely to be accepted, grateful, pleafing. It it ufed with the particle to before the perfon accepting.

ACCEPTABLENESS (from acceptable) the quality of being acceptable.

ACCEPTABLY (from acceptable, F.) in an acceptable manner, fo as to please, with the particle to.

ACCEPTANCE (acceptance Fr.) 1. Reception with approbation. 2. The meaning of a Word, as it is received or understood; acceptation.

ACCEPTANCE (in Law) the receiving of a Rent, whereby the giver binds himself, for ever, to allow a former fact, done by another, whether good or bad.

ACCEPTANCE (in Law) a tacit ACCEPTATION agreement: thus if a man and his wife, feized of land in right of his wife, do join in making a lease by deed, referving rent, the husband dying, the wife receives or accepts of the rent, the leafe fhall be made good by this acceptance in her, and shall bar her from bringing the writ Cui in vita against the tenant.

ACCESS (in fome of its Senfes it seems derived from acceffus; in others from acceffio, L. acces, F.) 1. The way by which any thing may be approached. 2. The means, or liberty, of approaching either to things or men. 3. Encrease, enlargement, or addition. 4. It is fometimes ufed after the French, to fignify the returns of fits of a distemper; but this fenfe feems yet fcarcely received into our language.

ACCESSION (acceffio, L. acceffion, F.) 1. Encrease by fomething added, enlargement, augmentation. 2. The act of coming to; joining one's felf to; as acceffion to a Confederacy. 3. The act of arriving at; as the King's acceffion to the Throne.

ACCES'SION (with Phyficians) the fit, or time of being worst in any intermittent; the fame as Paroxyfmus.

ACCESSORY (by Statute) a person who

encourages, advifes, or conceals an offender, who is guilty of felony by statute.

PER ACCIDENS (with Pbilofophers) that which does not follow from the nature of the thing, but from some accidental qua⚫ lity of it.

Lat.

ACCIDENT (accidens, L.) a contingent effect, or fomething produced cafually and without any fore-knowledge or deftination of it in the agent that produced it, or to whom it happens.

A thing is alfo frequently filed an accident, in reference to its caufe, or at least as to our knowledge of it, and by this an effect either cafually produced, or which appears to have been fo to us, is commonly understood.

Common ACCIDENTS (with Logicians) is the fifth of the univerfal ideas, and are when the object is a true mode, which may be separated, at leaft by the mind, from the thing of which it is faid to be an accident, and yet the idea of that thing fhall not be destroy'd; as round, bard, just, prudent, &c.

Entitive ACCIDENTS (in Metaphyficks) are either primary or fecondary.

Primary entitive ACCIDENTS, are fuch as are abfolute, as Quantity and Quality.

Refpective entitive ACCIDENT (with Logicians) is relation.

Modificative entitive ACCIDENTS (with Metaphyficians) are quando, when; fitus, fituation; habitus, habit.

Prædicable ACCIDENT (with Logicians) implies a common quality, which may be, or may not be in the fubject, as a particular colour, as redness in a wall.

Predicamental ACCIDENT (with Logici ans) is when it is in its effence or nature to fubfift in, inhere or cleave to fome substance, and cannot be alone.

ACCIDENT (with Physicians) is fuch as does not flow immediately from the first caufe, but from cafual interpofitions; some ufe the expreffion in much the fame fenfe as symptom.

Abfolute ACCIDENT (with Roman Catholicks) is an accident which does, or may poffible fubfift, at least miraculously, or by fome fupernatural power, without a subject.

ACCIDENTS (in Heraldry) are the principal points in an efcutcheon.

(of accidentalis,

ACCIDENTALNESS L.) the happening by chance. ACCLAIM, acclamation. Milton. ACCLIVIS (in Anatomy) a mufcle called alfo Obliquus afcendens,

ACCLIVITY (acclivitas, Lat.) is a fleepness reckoned upwards on a flope; declivity is a steepness downwards; thus BA is an acclivity, and AB a declivity.

B

A

ACCLIVOUS

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