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le of glass, marble, or other substance, of various colors, used in making ornamental patterns in mosaic pavements. Fairholt.

Behind; toward the stern from; as, abaft the wheelhouse. Abaft the beam. See under Beam.

tely; to forsake entirely ; to renounce utterly; to relinquish all connection with or concern on; to desert, as a person to whom one owes allegiance or fidelity; to quit; to surrender. Hope was overthrown, yet could not be abandoned. I. Taylor.

A female superior or governess of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks. See Abbey.

-- said of authority, a trust, duty, right, etc. He abdicates all right to be his own governor. Burke. The understanding abdicates its functions. Froude.

commonly the voluntary renunciation of sovereign power; as, abdication of the throne, government, power, authority.

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

shrub (Hibiscus -- formerly Abelmoschus- moschatus), of the East and West Indies and Northern Africa, whose musky seeds are used in perfumery and to flavor coffee; -- sometimes called musk mallow.

o do away with wholly; to annul; to make void; -- said of laws, customs, institutions, governments, etc.; as, to abolish slavery, to abolish folly.

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

A narrow pass or defile; a break in a mesa; the mouth of a cañon. [Southwestern U. S.]

Of the nature of wormwood. "Absinthian bitterness." T. Randolph.

Not immediately dependent on the other parts of the sentence in government; as, the case absolute. See Ablative absolute, under Ablative. Absolute curvature (Geom.), that curvature of a curve of double curvature, which is measured in the osculating plane of the curve. -- Absolute equation (Astron.), the sum of the opt…

An absolving, or setting free from guilt, sin, or penalty; forgiveness of an offense. "Government . . . granting absolution to the nation." Froude.

ystem or doctrine of the absolute; the principles or practice of absolute or arbitrary government; despotism. The element of absolutism and prelacy was controlling. Palfrey.

One who is in favor of an absolute or autocratic government.

bstract name which stands for an attribute of a thing. A practice has grown up in more modern times, which, if not introduced by Locke, has gained currency from his example, of applying the expression "abstract name" to all names which are the result of abstraction and generalization, and consequently to all general na…

taking surreptitiously for one's own use part of the property of another; purloining. [Modern]

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

[Obs.] Here the word "baron" is not to be taken in that restrictive sense to which the modern acception hath confined it. Fuller. Acception of persons or faces (Eccl.), favoritism; partiality. [Obs.] Wyclif.