AB R 



A B 8 



words, Ab, Sen, li\tach-hak^lfsf>. <F:uhrr, 

 Son, and Holy Ghost), ar.d !!. Oreek 

 words, 'S.carr^itx. otto xi/lou (MklYfttion 

 from the cross); but more probably, it 

 is made up of the Greek numerals, =1, 

 ,3=2, ? = 100, = 1, <r=200, =1, { = 60, 

 which together make 36.5: for it was, 1. 

 The name of the supreme god under 

 whom the Basilidians supposed 3fi5 de- 

 pendent deities, who had the government 

 of so many celestial orbs. It >vas the 

 principle of the Gnostic hierarchy whence 

 sprung the multitude of (eons. 2. An 

 antique gem or stone with the word 

 abraxas engraven on it. There are many 

 of various figures, e. g. of beetles, ser- 

 pents, human heads, mostly as old as the 

 third century. The letters are mostly 

 Komun, Greek, and Pho?uician. They 

 appear to have been early sought after 

 as amulets. 



ABRA/SION, from abrado (of Lat. abrado, 

 to scrape off). In physics, the effect pro- 

 duced by attrition. In medicine, the 

 effect produced by corrosive applications. 



ABRA.TM, a red clay brought from the 

 Isle of Wight, with which cabinet-makers 

 darken and polish mahogany. 



ABRAXAS, in entomology, a subgenus in 

 the classification of Leach, including the 

 Pkaltena Grossulariata (magpie), and Pha- 

 Itena Ulmata (clouded magpie), of La- 

 treille. Feed on the leaves of the currant 

 and gooseberry. 



ABRAZITE, Zeagonite or Gismondine.a 

 mineral which occurs in semi-globular 

 masses (sometimes in octahedral crystals 

 with a square base), in the volcanic rocks 

 of Capo di Hove, near Rome. Conts. Si- 

 lica. 41'4 ; lime, 48 4 C ; alumina, 2'5; mag- 

 nesia, 1'5 ; oxide of iron, 2'5. Philips. 



ABREAST, (a and breast), in nautical lan- 

 guage, the position of two or more ships 

 which have their sides parallel, and their 

 heads equally advanced. Abreast within 

 ship, means in a line with the beam, 

 raaln hatchway, &c. From this point 

 the position is reckoned fore or aft. 



ABRIDG'MENT, from abridge (of $a x %uf, 

 short), an epitome ; a summary of a book. 

 In law, shortening a count or declaration ; 

 e. a. in assize, a man is said to abridge 

 his plaint, and a woman her demand in 

 action of dower, if any land be put there- 

 in, which is not in the tenure of the 

 defendant: for, on a plea of non-tenure 

 in abatement of the writ, the plaintiff 

 may leave out those lands, and pray that 

 the tenant may answer to the remainder. 



ABROOA'TION, from abrogate, to annul 

 T>y an authoritative act. The act of abo- 

 lishing by authority of the legislative 

 power. The term is derived from abrogo, 

 froisi rogo, to ask, in allusion to the 

 Roman custom which admitted no law 

 to be Talid to which the consent of the 



people had not been obtiined by asking; 

 or ti'wogiitcd, but in the same way, by 

 gaining the popular consent. 



ABRO'MA, from at, not, and j3^a-j.ot, food. 

 A semis of plants of the polyadelphia 

 dodecandrla class and order; containing 

 two species, the A. auyiista, and the A. 

 jiiKtiinxii. They grow freely in common 

 garden soil, and arc easily propagated by 

 seeds and cuttings. The first is a native 

 of the East Indies, and the other of New 

 South "Wales. 



AiiKo'rvNi'M, southernwood, from 

 fyorovov (of , not, and /3jTO;, mortal, 

 because it never decays). A species of 

 plant arranged under the genus artemisia. 

 U. shrub. 



ABRUPT, Lat. abruptus, broken ; applied 

 to the leaves of plants when the extre- 

 mity of the leaf Is, as it were, cut off by 

 a transverse line. 



ABRCPTLY-PINNATE, dbrupte-pinnaha, a 

 term applied in botany to a leaf which is 

 pinnate, and terminates abruptly, with- 

 out an odd leaflet or cirrus. 



A'BRUS, the knob-rooted wild liquorice, 

 from etpgos, soft, in reference to the soft- 

 ness of its leaves. A genus of plants of 

 the class and order diadelphia decandria. 

 There is only one species known in 

 Europe, the abnts precato'rins. It grows 

 wild in both East and West Indies, and 

 in Africa, and produces those beautiful 

 red seeds, called Angela seeds, marked 

 with a black spot or eye at the one 

 end, which have been so much used as 

 beads for making necklaces and rosaries 

 (whence the specific name precatorim of 

 the plant). 



ABSCE'DENT, Lat. abscedens (of abscedo, 

 to depart). Applied to a decayed pnrt of 

 an organised body, which is separated 

 from the sound. 



AB'SCESS. Lat. abscessns (of ab and cedo, 

 to go from), an imposthumc; a collection 

 of morbid matter or pus in the cellular 

 or adipose membrane ; matter generated 

 by the suppuration of an inflammatory 

 tumour. 



ABSCISS, or ABSCISSA, from ab and scindo, 

 to cut. In conies, any part of the diame- 

 ter or axis of a curve, intercepted between 

 the vertex, or some other fixed point, 

 and another line called an ordinate. An 

 absciss and ordinate considered together 

 are called co-ordinates. By means of these 

 the equation of the curve is defined. 



ABSCIS'SIOX, from absrindo lo cut off. 

 In surpety, the separation of any soft part 

 of the body, by an edged instrument, 

 and as amputation is when bones are cm. 



^BSCO'XSIO, from abscondo, to hide. In 

 anatomy, the cavity of a bone which re- 

 ceives and conceals the head of aooth 

 bone. Lat. 



ABICONSA. from abteanda. to hide. A 



