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

To take away surreptitiously by force; to carry away (a human being) wrongfully and usually by violence; to kidnap.

The wrongful, and usually the forcible, carrying off of a human being; as, the abduction of a child, the abduction of an heiress.

Diminishing; as, an ablatitious force. Sir J. Herschel.

Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to e…

Ability of body or mind; force; vigor. [Obs. or R.]

The principles or measures of abolitionists. Wilberforce.

elerated motion (Mech.), motion with a continually increasing velocity. -- Accelerating force, the force which causes accelerated motion. Nichol.

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

The act by which one power becomes party to engagements already in force between other powers. Kent.

An instrument for measuring and recording the variations in the actinic or chemical force of rays of light. Nichol.

The measurement of the force of solar radiation. Maury.

on of acting or moving, as opposed to rest; the doing of something; exertion of power or force, as when one body acts on another; the effect of power exerted on one body by another; agency; activity; operation; as, the action of heat; a man of action. One wise in council, one in action brave. Pope.

In action; actually proceeding; working; in force; -- opposed to quiescent, dormant, or extinct; as, active laws; active hostilities; an active volcano.

ality of being active; nimbleness; agility; vigorous action or operation; energy; active force; as, an increasing variety of human activities. "The activity of toil." Palfrey.

A word or words added to quality or amplify the force of other words; as, the History of the American Revolution, where the words in italics are the adjunct or adjuncts of "History."

Inflamed or scorched; fiery. "The Libyan air adust." Milton.

To give the force or form of an adverb to.

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

Characterized by the absence of power or force. Adynamic fevers, malignant or putrid fevers attended with great muscular debility.