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Something cleansing. The strong abstersive of some heroic magistrate. Milton.

sities. 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.

separated from a complex object, or from other ideas which naturally accompany it; as the solidity of marble when contemplated apart from its color or figure. -- Abstract terms, those which express abstract ideas, as beauty, whiteness, roundness, without regarding any object in which they exist; or abstract terms are…

he 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 whitenes…

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.

fusion; copious supply; superfluity; wealth: -- strictly applicable to quantity only, but sometimes used of number. It is lamentable to remember what abundance of noble blood hath been shed with small benefit to the Christian state. Raleigh.

ld; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority. This principle (if one may so abuse the word) shoots rapidly into popularity. Froude.

One holding the philosophy of Socrates and Plato; a Platonist. Hume.

The articles of dress prescribed and worn at some colleges and universities.

A member of an academy, or society for promoting science, art, or literature, as of the French Academy, or the Royal Academy of arts.

A garden or grove near Athens (so named from the hero Academus), where Plato and his followers held their philosophical conferences; hence, the school of philosophy of which Plato was head.

A group of Coelenterata, including the Medusæ or jellyfishes, and hydroids; -- so called from the stinging power they possess. Sometimes called sea nettles.

An order of fishes having some of the rays of the dorsal, ventral, and anal fins unarticulated and spinelike, as the perch.

A genus of herbaceous prickly plants, found in the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and India; bear's-breech.

toward the earth with an acceleration of velocity; -- opposed to retardation. A period of social improvement, or of intellectual advancement, contains within itself a principle of acceleration. I. Taylor. (Astr. & Physics.) Acceleration of the moon, the increase of the moon's mean motion in its orbit, in consequence of…

A superior force of voice or of articulative effort upon some particular syllable of a word or a phrase, distinguishing it from the others.

A genus of European birds (so named from their sweet notes), including the hedge warbler. In America sometimes applied to the water thrushes.

To receive with a consenting mind (something offered); as, to accept a gift; -- often followed by of. If you accept them, then their worth is great. Shak. To accept of ransom for my son. Milton. She accepted of a treat. Addison.

An assent and engagement by the person on whom a bill of exchange is drawn, to pay it when due according to the terms of the acceptance.

state of being acceptable. [Obs.] This is saying worthy of all acceptation. 1 Tim. i. 15. Some things . . . are notwithstanding of so great dignity and acceptation with God. Hooker.