GLOSSAET. 



Ab'acns (Lat. a slab or board). An in- 

 strument for calculating, consisting 

 of an oblong frame, across which are 

 stretched wires, each supplied with 

 ten balls; in architecture, a table 

 forming the upper part or crowning 

 of a column and its capital. 



Abattoir' (Fr. abattre, to fell or strike 

 down). A public slaughter-house. 



Abdo'men (Lat. abdo, I hide). That 

 cavity of the animal body in verte- 

 brates which contains the organs of 

 digestion ; in insects, the hinder 

 part of the body, which appears 

 united to the fore part by a thread. 



Abdom'inal (Lat. abdomen). Belong- 

 ing to the abdomen : applied to an 

 order of fishes which have the ventral 

 fins attached under the abdomen 

 behind the pectoral fins. 



Abdu'cent (Lat. ab, from ; duco, I 

 lead). Drawing away or separating. 



Abduc'tion (Lat. ab, from ; duco, I 

 lead). A drawing away. 



Abduc'tor (Lat. ab, from ; duco, I 

 lead). A leader or drawer away : 

 applied to certain muscles. 



Aber'rant (Lat. ab, from ; erro, I 

 wander). Deviating from the type 

 of the natural group. 



Aberra'tion (Lat. ab, from ; erro, I 

 wander). A wandering away; in 

 optics, spherical aberration is indis- 

 tinctness in the optical image pro- 

 duced by a convex lens, from the 

 formation of images on the exterior 

 part of the lens ; chromatic aberra- 

 tion, false colouring of an optical 

 image from the decomposition of 



light by a lens into its primary 

 colours ; in astronomy, an apparent 

 motion of the fixed stais, by which 

 they appear at a small distance 

 from their real place ; in medicine, 

 insanity. 



Ablacta'tion (Lat. ab, from ; lac, 

 milk). Weaning. 



Abla'tion (Lat. ab, from; latus, car- 

 ried). A taking away. 



Ablative (Lat. ab, away ; latus, borne) . 

 Taking away ; in grammar, applied 

 to a case of nouns, denoting an 

 action of taking away. 



Ablu'tion (Lat. a6,from ; law, I wash). 

 A washing. 



Abnor'mal (Lat. ab, from ; norma, a 

 rule). Not according to rule ; un- 

 natural. 



Aboma'sum (Lat. ab, from ; omasum, 

 the paunch). The fourth stomach 

 of ruminant animals. 



Aboriginal (Lat. ab, from ; orlgo, an 

 origin). First ; primitive ; original. 



Aborig'ines (Lat. ab, from ; origo, an 

 origin). The first or primitive in- 

 habitants of a country. 



Abor'tion (Lat. aborto, I miscarry). 

 The expulsion of a foetus before the 

 proper term ; a miscarriage ; an in- 

 complete formation. 



Abor'tive (Lat. aborto, I miscarry). 

 Unfruitful ; incomplete ; having the 

 property of arresting development. 



Abran'cMate (Gr. a, a, not ; fyayx"*, 

 bran'chia, gills). Without gills. 



Abra'sion (Lat. ab, from ; rado, I 

 shave). A tearing or rubbing off, 

 as of a piece of skin. 



