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n or reduce from a higher to a lower state, number, or degree; to lessen; to diminish; 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.

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.

The form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or letters, standing for a word or phrase of which they are a part; as, Gen. for Genesis; U.S.A. for United States of America.

To shrink back with horror, disgust, or dislike; to be contrary or averse; -- with from. [Obs.] "To abhor from those vices." Udall. Which is utterly abhorring from the end of all law. Milton.

Contrary or repugnant; discordant; inconsistent; -- followed by to. "Injudicious profanation, so abhorrent to our stricter principles." Gibbon.

To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense; as, to abridge a history or dictionary.

Discordant; contrary; -- opposed to consonant. "Absonant to nature." Quarles.

Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and fiatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream. This proffer is absurd and reasonless. Shak. 'This phrase absurd to call a vi…

That which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction. His travels were full of absurdities. Johnson.

sexual intercourse. During coverture, access of the husband shall be presumed, unless the contrary be shown. Blackstone.

ngs demanding that the defendant shall render his just account, or show good cause to the contrary; -- called also an action of account. Cowell.

[R.] The silent accrescence of belief from the unwatched depositions of a general, never contradicted hearsy. Coleridge.

of that of friendship or intimacy; as, I know the man; but have no acquaintance with him. Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man. Sir W. Jones.

ee under Cautery. -- Actual sin (Theol.), that kind of sin which is done by ourselves in contradistinction to "original sin."

motion. Johnson. Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition; and, on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it. Addison.

due, or in aid of an enterprise; to supply beforehand; as, a merchant advances money on a contract or on goods consigned to him.

Expressing contrariety, opposition, or antithesis; as, an adversative conjunction (but, however, yet, etc. ); an adversative force. -- Ad*ver"sa*tive*ly, adv.

Acting against, or in a contrary direction; opposed; contrary; opposite; conflicting; as, adverse winds; an adverse party; a spirit adverse to distinctions of caste.

In an adverse manner; inimically; unfortunately; contrariwise.

Opposition; contrariety. [Obs.] Wyclif. Adversity is not without comforts and hopes. Bacon.