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The dignity, estate, or jurisdiction of an abbot.

Belonging to an abbey; as, abbatial rights.

Abbatial. [Obs.]

The French word answering to the English abbot, the head of an abbey; but commonly a title of respect given in France to every one vested with the ecclesiastical habit or dress.

rness of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks. See Abbey.

A monastery or society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy; also, the monastic building or buildings.

The superior or head of an abbey.

The state or office of an abbot.

To make briefer; to shorten; to abridge; to reduce by contraction or omission, especially of words written or spoken. It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. Bacon.

Shortened; relatively short; abbreviate.

The result of abbreviating; an abridgment. Tylor.

One who abbreviates or shortens.

Serving or tending to abbreviate; shortening; abridging.

An abbreviation; an abbreviated state or form. [Obs.]

A religious devotee or dervish in Persia.

Given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment.

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

Purification by washing the hands before prayer; -- a Mohammedan rite. Heyse.

Capable of being abdicated.

Abdicating; renouncing; -- followed by of. Monks abdicant of their orders. Whitlock.