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One dash, or more, through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quavers, semiquavers, or demi-semiquavers. Moore.

Given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment.

An inhabitant of Abdera, in Thrace. The Abderite, Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher.

To relinquish or renounce a throne, or other high office or dignity. Though a king may abdicate for his own person, he cannot abdicate for the monarchy. Burke.

To childbed (in the phrase "brought abed," that is, delivered of a child). Shak.

ing; having or showing abhorrence; loathing; hence, strongly opposed to; as, abhorrent thoughts. The persons most abhorrent from blood and treason. Burke. The arts of pleasure in despotic courts I spurn abhorrent. Clover.

y: To abide by. (a) To stand to; to adhere; to maintain. The poor fellow was obstinate enough to abide by what he said at first. Fielding.

spirit or hope; degraded; servile; groveling; despicable; as, abject posture, fortune, thoughts. "Base and abject flatterers." Addison. "An abject liar." Macaulay. And banish hence these abject, lowly dreams. Shak.

ic] And with thy blood abolish so reproachful blot. Spenser. His quick instinctive hand Caught at the hilt, as to abolish him. Tennyson.

and adv. Above. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] Aboon the pass of Bally-Brough. Sir W. Scott. The ceiling fair that rose aboon. J. R. Drake.

Brought forth prematurely.

Coming to naught; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful; as, an abortive attempt. "An abortive enterprise." Prescott.

Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout. Lampoons . . . were handed about the coffeehouses. Macaulay. Roving still about the world. Milton.

One of a set of vagabonds who formerly roamed through England, feigning lunacy for the sake of obtaining alms. Nares. To sham Abraham, to feign sickness. Goldsmith.

Before the public at large; throughout society or the world; here and there; widely. He went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter. Mark i. 45. 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.…

craggy, as rocks, precipices, banks; precipitous; steep; as, abrupt places. "Tumbling through ricks abrupt," Thomson.

A separating; removal; also, an abscess. [Obs.] Gauden. Barrough.

Capable of being thought or conceived by itself alone; unconditioned; non-relative.

ealed or hidden out of the way. [Obs.] The eternal eye whose sight discerns Abstrusest thoughts. Milton.

To endure; to abide. [Obs.] But nought that wanteth rest can long aby. Spenser.