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An American Dictionary of the English Language

by Noah Webster

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

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  1. A-brōod’, adv.p. 6In the act of brooding. [Obs.] Sancroft.
  2. A-brōok', v. t.p. 6To brook; to endure. [Obs.] Shak.
  3. A-brŏt'a-nŭm, n.p. 6(Bot.) A species of artemisia (A. abrotanum), commonly called southernwood. London.
  4. Ab-rŭpt′, a.p. 6Broken, steep, craggy, as rocks, precipices, and the like; precipitous. “Tumbling through rocks abrupt.” Thomson. 2. Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden. “Your abrupt departure.”…
  5. Ab-rŭpt’, n.p. 6An abrupt place. [Rare.] “Over the vast abrupt.” Milton.
  6. Ab-rūpt', v. t.p. 6To tear off or asunder. [Obs.] “Till death abrupts them.” Browne.
  7. Ab-rŭp'tion, n.p. 6A sudden breaking off; a violent separation of bodies. Woodward.
  8. Ab-rŭpt'ly, adv.p. 6In an abrupt manner; without giving notice, or without the usual forms; suddenly. Abruptly pinnate (Bot.), pinnate without an odd leaflet at the end. Gray.
  9. Ab-rúpt'ness, n.p. 6The state of being abrupt or broken; craggedness; steepness. 2. Suddenness; unceremonious haste or vehemence; as, abruptness of style or manner.
  10. Ăb'scess, n.p. 6(Med.) A collection of pus or purulent matter in an accidental cavity of the body.
  11. Ab-scĕs’sion, n.p. 6An abscess. [Obs.] Barrough.
  12. Ab-scĭnd′, v. t.p. 6To cut off. [Rare.] “Two syllables . . . abscinded from the rest.” Johnson.
  13. Ab'sciss, n.p. 6See ABSCISSA.
  14. Ab-sçis'să, n.p. 6(Geom.) One of the elements of reference by which a point, as of a curve, is referred to a system of fixed rectilineal coordinate axes. When referred to two intersecting axes, one of them called the…
  15. Ab-scis'sion, n.p. 6The act or process of cutting off. “Not to be cured without the abscission of a member.” Taylor. 2. The state of being cut off. Browne. 3. (Rhet.) A figure of speech, when, having begun to say a…
  16. Ab-scŏnd', v. i.p. 7To retire from public view; to secrete one's self; — used especially of persons who withdraw to avoid a legal process; as, an absconding debtor. 2. To hide, withdraw, or be concealed. The marmot…
  17. Ab-scŏnd', v. t.p. 7To hide or conceal. [Rare.] Bentley.
  18. Ab-scŏnd'ançe, n.p. 7Concealment. Phillips.
  19. Ab-scŏnd'er, n.p. 7One who absconds.
  20. Ab'sence, n.p. 7A state of being absent or withdrawn from a place or from companionship. The advantage of his absence took the king. Shak. 2. Want; destitution. “In the absence of conventional law.” Kent. 3.…
  21. Ab'sent, a.p. 7Withdrawn from, or not present in, a place. “Expecting absent friends.” Shak. 2. Inattentive to what is passing; heedless. What is commonly called an absent man is commonly either a very weak or a…
  22. Ab-sēnt′, v. t.p. 7To take or withdraw to such a distance as to prevent intercourse; — used with the reciprocal pronoun. If after due summons any member absents himself, he is to be fined. Addison. 2. To cause the…
  23. Ăb'sen-tā'ne-oūs, a.p. 7Pertaining to absence; habitually absent. Bailey.
  24. Ăb'sen-tā'tion, n.p. 7The act of absenting one's self. Wakefield.
  25. Ăb'sen-teē', n.p. 7One who absents himself from his country, office, post, or duty, and the like; especially a landholder who lives at a distance from his estate; as, an Irish absentee. Edgeworth.
  26. Ab'sen-tee'ism, n.p. 7The state or habit of an absentee; absence from duty or station; the practice of living at a distance from one's estate.
  27. Ab-sĕnt'er, n.p. 7One who absents himself.
  28. Ab-sĕnt'ment, n.p. 7A state of being absent. Barrow.
  29. Ab-sĭnthe', n.p. 7A cordial of brandy flavored with wormwood. Bescherelle.
  30. Ab-sĭn'thi-an, a.p. 7Of the nature of wormwood. Randolph.
  31. Ab-sin'thi-âte, v. t.p. 7To impregnate with wormwood. Ogilvie.
  32. Ab-sin’thi-ā’ted, p. a.p. 7Impregnated with wormwood.
  33. Ab-sĭnth'ine, n.p. 7(Chem.) The bitter principle of wormwood, or Artemisia absinthium. Gregory.
  34. Ab-sĭn'thi-ŭm, n.p. 7(Bot.) The common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), a bitter plant, used as a tonic.
  35. Ab'sis, n.p. 7See Apsis.
  36. Ab-sĭst', v. i.p. 7To stand or leave off; to relinquish. [Obs.] Bailey.
  37. Ab-sĭst'ençe, n.p. 7A standing off.
  38. Ăb'so-lūte, a.p. 7Completed, or regarded as complete; finished; perfect; total; as, absolute perfection, absolute beauty. So absolute she seems, And in herself complete. Milton. 2. Freed or loosed from any limitation…
  39. Ăb'so-lūte-ly, adv.p. 7In an absolute, independent, or unconditional manner; wholly; positively.
  40. Ab'so-lūte-ness, n.p. 7The quality of being absolute; independence of every thing extraneous; completeness; positiveness. Wright.
  41. Ab'so-lū'tion, n.p. 7(Civ. Law.) An acquittal, or sentence of a judge declaring an accused person innocent. 2. (Rom. Cath. Church.) A remission of sin pronounced in favor of one who makes due confession thereof. Hook. ❧…
  42. Ab'so-lū'tiṣm, n.p. 7State of being absolute, or principles of absolute government. The element of absolutism and prelacy was controlling. Palfrey. 2. Doctrine of absolute decrees. Ash.
  43. Ab'so-lū'tist, n.p. 7One who is in favor of an absolute government.
  44. Ab'so-lū-tist'ic, a.p. 7Pertaining to absolutism.
  45. Ab-sōl'ū-to-ry, a.p. 7Absolving; that absolves. “An absolutory sentence.” Ayliffe.
  46. Ab-sōlv'a-ble, a.p. 7That may be absolved.
  47. Ab-sŏlv'a-to-ry, a.p. 7Containing absolution, pardon, or release; having power to absolve. Cotgrave.
  48. Ab-sŏlve', v. t.p. 7To set free or release from, as from some obligation, debt, or responsibility, or from that which subjects a person to a burden or penalty; as, to absolve a person from a promise; to absolve an…
  49. Ab-sōl'ver, n.p. 7One who absolves.
  50. Ab'so-nant, a.p. 7Discordant; contrary; opposed to consonant. “Absonant to nature.” Quarles.
  51. Āb'so-nāte, v. t.p. 7To avoid. [Obs.] Ash.
  52. Ăb'so-noŭs, a.p. 7Untunable, unmusical. Fotherby. 2. Opposed; contrary. “Absonous to our reason.” Glanville.
  53. Ab-sōrb', v. t.p. 7To drink in; to suck up; to imbibe; as a sponge, or as the lacteals of the body. Bacon. 2. Hence, to swallow up, or overwhelm; to engross or engage wholly; as, absorbed in study or the pursuit of…
  54. Ab-sôrb'a-bĭl'i-ty, n.p. 7A state or quality of being absorbable.
  55. Ab-sôrb'a-ble, a.p. 7Capable of being imbibed or swallowed. Kerr.
  56. Ab-sörb'ent, a.p. 7Imbibing; swallowing. Absorbent ground (Paint.), a ground prepared for a picture, chiefly with distemper, or water colors, by which the oil is immediately absorbed, and thus the work hastened. Brande.
  57. Ab-sŏrb'ent, n.p. 7(Med.) Any substance which absorbs liquids, as sponge, &c.; or which absorbs the acidity of the stomach, as magnesia, chalk, &c.; or which serves to dry up humors, &c. Dunglison. 2. (Physiol.) One of…
  58. Ăb'sor-bĭ'tion, n.p. 7Absorption. [Obs.] Ogilvie.
  59. Ab-sôrp't, p. p.p. 7Same as ABSORBED. “Absorpt in care.” Pope.
  60. Ab-sôrp'tion, n.p. 7The act or process of being absorbed and made to disappear by mechanical means; as, the absorption of bodies in a whirlpool. Nichol. 2. The process or act of being made passively to disappear in some…