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; to contract; to moderate; toto cut short; as, to abate a demand; to abate pride, zeal, hope. His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. Deut. xxxiv. 7.

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.

ging to the Abdominales; as, abdominal fishes. Abdominal ring (Anat.), a fancied ringlike opening on each side of the abdomen, external and superior to the pubes; -- called also inguinal ring.

The European siskin (Carduelis spinus), a small green and yellow finch, related to the goldfinch.

A genus of coniferous trees, properly called Fir, as the balsam fir and the silver fir. The spruces are sometimes also referred to this genus.

A substance resembling mannite, found in the needles of the common silver fir of Europe (Abies pectinata). Eng. Cyc.

Sunk to a law condition; down in 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.

Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property.

A representative of the pope charged with important commissions in foreign countries, one of his duties being to bring to a newly named cardinal his insignia of office.

The water used in cleansing. "Cast the ablutions in the main." Pope.

Rendered abortive or sterile; undeveloped; checked in normal development at a very early stage; as, spines are aborted branches. The eyes of the cirripeds are more or less aborted in their mature state. Owen.

Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile; as, an abortive organ, stamen, ovule, etc.

valent; to be plentiful. The wild boar which abounds in some parts of the continent of Europe. Chambers. Where sin abounded grace did much more abound. Rom. v. 20.

On the point or verge of; going; in act of. Paul was now aboutto open his mouth. Acts xviii. 14.

Above the board or table. Hence: in open sight; without trick, concealment, or deception. "Fair and aboveboard." Burke.

Absorbed. [Arcahic.] "Absorpt in care." Pope.

Marked by, or spent in, abstinence; as, an abstemious life. "One abstemious day." Pope.

g from an indulgence of appetite, or from customary gratifications of animal or sensual propensities. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating beverages, -- called also total abstinence. The abstinence from a present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one. Locke.…

Expressing a particular property of an object viewed apart from the other properties which constitute it; -- opposed to Ant: concrete; as, honesty is an abstract word. J. S. Mill.

The act process of leaving out of consideration one or more properties of a complex object so as to attend to others; analysis. Thus, when the mind considers the form of a tree by itself, or the color of the leaves as separate from their size or figure, the act is called abstraction. So, also, when it considers whitene…