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in manhood; hence, able to beget; marriageable. [Obs.] Being not of ripe years, not viripotent. Holinshed.

Having upright intentions or honorable purposes. Dutchmen who had sold themselves to France, as the wellintentioned party. Macaulay.

Contrary or repugnant; discordant; inconsistent; -- followed by to. "Injudicious profanation, so abhorrent to our stricter principles." Gibbon.

esources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain; able to play on a piano.

Having a sound, strong body; physically competent; robust. "Able-bodied vagrant." Froude. -- A`ble-bod"ied*ness, n..

In concern with; engaged in; intent on. I must be about my Father's business. Luke ii. 49.

Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind); as, absence of mind. "Reflecting on the little absences and distractions of mankind." Addison. To conquer that abstraction which is called absence. Landor.

Inattentive to what is passing; absent-minded; preoccupied; as, an absent air. What is commonly called an absent man is commonly either a very weak or a very affected man. Chesterfield.

Loosed from, or unconnected by, dependence on any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing.

diction in the sacrament of penance, by which Catholics believe the sins of the truly penitent are forgiven.

l abstinence. The abstinence from a present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one. Locke.

To draw off in respect to interest or attention; as, his was wholly abstracted by other objects. The young stranger had been abstracted and silent. Blackw. Mag.

Inattentive to surrounding objects; absent in mind. "An abstracted scholar." Johnson.

Absence or absorption of mind; inattention to present objects.

Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and fiatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream. This proffer is absurd and reasonless. Shak. 'This phrase absurd to call a vi…

The quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment. "The absurdity of the actual idea of an infinite number." Locke.

esembling, an abyss; bottomless; unending; profound. Geology gives one the same abysmal extent of time that astronomy does of space. Carlyle.

In an accidental manner; unexpectedly; by chance; unintentionally; casually; fortuitously; not essentially.

h particulars, being confessedly knotty and difficult can never be accorded but by a competent stock of critical learning. South.

Destitute of tentacles, as certain mollusks.