aberrant 
aberrant (ab-er'ant), a. [< L. abeiran(t-)x, 
ppr. of aberrare : see aberrate.'] 1. Wander- 
ing ; straying from the right or usual course. 
An aberrant berg appears about three hundred miles 
west-south-west of Ireland, in latitude 51, longitude 18 
west. Science, III. 343. 
2. In 2007. and bot., differing in some of its 
characters from the group in which it is 
placed : said of an individual, a species, a 
genus, etc. 
In certain aberrant Rotalines the shell is commonly . . . 
of a rich crimson hue. IT. B. Carpenter, Micros. , 459. 
The more aberrant any form is, the greater must have 
been the number of connecting forms which have been 
exterminated or utterly lost. 
Darunn, Origin of Species, p. 387. 
Aberrant duct of the testis, in (., a slender tube 
or diverticulum from the lower part of the canal of the 
epididymis, or from the beginning of the excretory duct 
of the testis (vas deferens). It varies from 2 to 14 inches 
in length, is coiled up into a fusiform mass extending up 
the spermatic cord 2 or 3 inches, and terminates blindly. 
Two or more such tubes are occasionally found together, 
but they are sometimes entirely wanting. See testw. Also 
called vas aberrant!, vaxctthiw aberrant. 
aberrate (ab-er'at), v. . ; pret. and pp. aber- 
rated, ppr. aberrating. [<L. aberratm, pp. of 
aberrare, stray from, < ab, from, + errare, to 
stray: see err.'] To wander or deviate from 
the right way; diverge. [Rare.] 
The product of their defective and aberrating vision. 
Df- Quiix'fii. 
aberration (ab-e-ra'shon), n. [<L. aberra- 
tio(u-), < aberrare : see aberrate.] 1. The act 
of wandering away ; deviation ; especially, 
in a figurative sense, the act of wandering 
from the right way or course ; hence, deviation 
from truth or moral rectitude. 
So then we draw near to God, when, repenting us of our 
former aberrations from him, we renew our covenants 
with him. Bp. Hall, Sermon on James iv. 8. 
The neighbouring churches, both by petitions and mes- 
sengers, took such happy pains with the church of Salem, 
as presently recovered that holy flock to a sense of his 
[Roger Williams's] aberration*. 
C. Mather, Mag. Chris., vli. 1. 
2. In pathol. : (a) A wandering of the intel- 
lect ; mental derangement. (6) Vicarious hem- 
orrhage, (c) Diapedesis of blood-corpuscles. 
(d) Congenital malformation. 3. In zool. and 
bot., deviation from the type ; abnormal struc- 
ture or development. 
In whichever light, therefore, insect aberration is viewed 
by us, ... we affirm that it does . . . exist. 
Wollaiiton, Var. of Species, p. 2. 
4. In optics, a deviation in the rays of light 
when unequally refracted by a lens or reflected 
by a mirror, so that they do not converge and 
meet in a point or focus, but separate, form- 
ing an indistinct image of the object, or an 
indistinct image with prismatically colored 
edg^es. It is called spherical when, as in the former case, 
the imperfection or blurring arises from the form of curva- 
ture of the lens or reflector, and chromatic when, as in the 
latter case, there is a prismatic coloring of the image aris- 
ing from the different refrangibility of the rays compos- 
ing white light, and the consequent fact that the loci for 
the different colors do not coincide. Thus, in fig. 1, the 
rays passing through the lens L L near its edge have a 
focus at A, while those which pass near the axis have a 
focus at B; hence, an image formed on a screen placed 
at m m would appear more or less distorted or indistinct. 
Fig. I, diagram illustrating the spherical aberration of a lens. Fig. 2, 
diagram illustrating the chromatic aberration. 
In flg. 2 the violet rays ( D) have a focus at V, while the 
less refrangible red rays (r r) come to a focus at R. A 
spot of light with a red border would be observed on a 
screen placed at a a, and one with a blue border on a 
screen at b b. In the eye the iris and crystalline lens par- 
tially eliminate these aberrations. Optical instruments 
corrected for chromatic aberration are called achromatic. 
5. In astron., the apparent displacement of a 
10 
heavenly body due to the joint effect of the 
motion of the rays of light proceeding from 
it and the motion of the earth. Thus, when the 
light from a star that is not directly in the line of the 
earth's motion is made to fall centrally into a telescope, 
the telescope is in reality inclined slightly away from the 
true direction of the star toward that in which the 
earth is moving ; just as one running under a vertically 
falling shower of rain, and holding in his hand a long- 
necked flask, must incline its mouth forward if he does 
not wish the sides of the neck to be wetted. This phe- 
nomenon, discovered and explained by Bradley (1728), is 
termed the aberration of light, and its effect in displacing 
a star is called the aberration of the star. The ami mil 
aberration, due to the motion of the earth in its orbit, 
amounts to 20".4 in the maximum ; the diurnal aberration, 
due to the rotation of the earth, is only 0".3 at most. 
See planetary aberration, below. Circle of aberration, 
the circle ol colored light observed in experiments with 
convex lenses between the point where the violet rays 
meet and that where the red rays meet. Constant of 
aberration. See constant. Crown of aberration, a 
luminous circle surrounding the disk of the sun, depend- 
ing on the aberration of its rays, by which its apparent 
diameter is enlarged. Planetary aberration (see 5, 
above), better called the equation of light, an apparent 
displacement ol a moving body, as a planet, owing to its 
not being in the same position at the moment the light 
reaches the earth that it was when the light left it. = Syn. 
1. Deviation, divergence, departure. 2. (u) Derangement, 
hallucination, illusion, delusion, eccentricity, mania. 
aberrational (ab-e-ra'shon-al), a. Character- 
ized by aberration ; erratic. 
abenmcatet (ab-e-rung'kat), f. t. ; pret. and 
pp. aberiincated, ppr. aberuncating. [An erro- 
neous form of averruncate, as 
if < L. *aberuncare, < ab, from, 
+ e for ex, out, + runcare, 
uprootj weed ; hence the un- 
authorized sense given by 
Bailey. See arerruncate.] To 
pull up by the roots ; extir- 
pate utterly. Johnson. 
Aberuncated, pulled up by the 
roots, weeded. Bailey. 
aberuncationt (ab-e-rung-ka'- 
shon), . [< abernncate.] 
Eradication ; extirpation ; re- 
moval. 
aberuncator (ab-e-rung'ka- 
tor), M. [< abemncate. Cf. L. Aberuncators. 
rimcator, a weeder.] 1. An 
implement for extirpating weeds ; a weeder 
or weeding-machine. 2. An instrument for 
pruning trees when their branches are beyond 
easy reach of the hand. There are various forms of 
these implements, but they all consist ol two blades, similar 
to those of stout shears, one of which is fixed rigidly to a 
long handle, while the other lorms one arm ol a lever, to 
which a cord passing over a pulley is attached. Also writ- 
ten, more properly, avrmtncator. 
abet (a-bef), v. t. ; pret. and pp. abetted, ppr. 
abetting. [< ME. abetten, < OF. abetter, abeter, 
instigate, deceive, < a- (< L. ad-), to, + beter, 
bait, as a bear, < Icel. beita, bait, cause to bite : 
see bait, r.; also bet 1 , a shortened form of 
abet.] 1. To encourage by aid or approval: 
used with a personal object, and chiefly in a 
bad sense. 
They abetted both parties in the civil war, and always 
furnished supplies to the weaker side, lest there should 
be an end put to these fatal divisions. 
Addition, Freeholder, No. 28. 
Note, too, how lor having abetted those who wronged the 
native Irish, England has to pay a penalty. 
H. Spencer, Social Statics, p. 487. 
2f. To maintain ; support ; uphold. 
" Then shall I soone," quoth he, " so God me grace, 
Abett that virgins cause disconsolate." 
Spenser, F. Q., I. x. 64. 
3. In law, to encourage, counsel, incite, or as- 
sist in a criminal act implying, in the case 
of felony, personal presence. Thus, in militani 
law, it is a grave crime to aid or abet a mutiny or sedi- 
tion, or excite resistance against lawful orders. In Scots 
law, a person is said to be abetting though he may only 
protect a criminal, conceal him from justice, or aid him 
in making his escape. 
Hence 4. To lead to or encourage the com- 
mission of. 
Would not the fool abet the stealth 
Who rashly thus exposed his wealth? 
Gay, Fables, ii. 12. 
=Syn. To support, encourage, second, countenance, aid, 
assist, back, connive at, stand by, further. 
abett (a-bef), n. [< ME. abet, instigation, < OF. 
abet, instigation, deceit (ML. abettum), < abeter : 
see abet, ?.] The act of aiding or encouraging, 
especially in a crime. Chaucer. 
abetment (a-bet'ment), n. [< abet + -m#nt.] 
The act of abetting; that which serves to abet 
or encourage, 
abettal (a-bet'al), . [< abet + -al.] The act of 
abetting'; aid. Bailey. [Rare.] 
abetter, abettor (a-bet'er, -or, or -or), 11. 
[Formerly abettour; < abet + -er 1 , -or 2 .] 1. 
abhor 
One who abets or incites ; one who aids or en- 
courages another to commit a crime ; a sup- 
porter or encourager of something bad. Abet- 
tor is the form used in law. 
But let th 1 ahfltnr of the Panther's crime 
Learn to make fairer wars another time. 
Ih-ildeti, Hind and Panther, 1. 1647. 
In law, an abettor, as distinguished from an accessory, is 
more especially one who, being present, gives aid or en- 
couragement. 
2. One who aids, supports, or encourages : in 
a good sense. 
It has been the occasion of making me friends and open 
abettors of several gentlemen of known sense and wit. 
Pope, Letters, June 16, 1711. 
Syn. 1. Abettor, Accessory, Accomplice. See accomplice. 
abevacuation (ab-e-vak-u-a'shon), . [< NL. 
abevacuatio(n-) : see ab- and eracuatioii .] In 
med., variously used to signify a morbid evacu- 
ation, whether excessive or deficient. 
ab extra (ab eks'tra). [L.] From without: 
opposed to 06 intra (which see). 
Those who are so fortunate as to occupy the philosophi- 
cal position of spectators ab extra are very lew in auy 
generation. Lowell, Among my Books, 1st ser., p. 140. 
abeyance (a-ba'ans), . [< OF. abeiance, abey- 
ance, <o- (<L. ad-), to, at, + beance (*beiance), 
expectation, desire, < beant, expecting, think- 
ing, ppr. of beer, baer (F. bayer), gape, gaze 
at, expect anxiously, < ML. badare, gape.] 
1 . In law, a state of expectation or contempla- 
tion. Thus, the lee simple or inheritance of lands and 
tenements is in abeyance when there is 110 person in being 
in whom it can vest, so that it is in a state of expectancy 
or waiting until a proper person shall appear. So also 
where one man holds land for life, with remainder to the 
heirs ol another, and the latter is yet alive, the remainder 
is in abeyance, since no man can have an heir until his 
death. Titles ol honor and dignities are said to be in 
abeyance when it is uncertain who shall enjoy them. 
Thus, in Eng. law, when a nobleman holding a dignity 
descendible to his heirs general dies leaving daughters, 
the king by his prerogative may grant the dignity to auy 
one ol the daughters he pleases, or to the male issue ol 
one ol such daughters. While the title to the dignity is 
thus in suspension it is said to be in abeyance. 
2. A state of suspended action or existence, or 
temporary inactivity. 
Upon awaking from slumber, I could never gain, at 
once, thorough possession of my senses ; . . . the mental 
faculties in general, but the memory in especial, being in 
a condition ol absolute abeyance. Poe, Tales, I. 333. 
abeyancy (a-ba'an-si), n. The state or con- 
dition of being in abeyance. Hawthorne. 
abeyant (a-ba'ant), a. [Inferred from abey- 
ance: see -ance and -ant 1 .] In law, being in 
abeyance. 
abgregatet (ab'gre-gat), r. t. [< L. abgregatns, 
pp. of abgregare, lead away from the flock, 
< ab, from, + grex (greg-), flock. Cf. congre- 
gate, segregate.] To separate from a flock. 
Cockeram, 1612. 
abgregationt (ab-gre-ga'shon), n. [< ML. ab- 
</regatio(n-), < L. abgregare: see abgregate.] 
The act of separating from a flock. Bailey. 
abhal (ab'hal), n. A name given in the East 
Indies to the berries of the common juniper, 
Juniperm commimis. Also spelled abhel and 
abhtil. 
abhel, . See abhal. 
abhominable (ab-hom'i-na-bl), a. An old 
mode of spelling abominable, on the supposi- 
tion that it was derived from ab homine, from 
or repugnant to man. ridiculed as pedantic by 
Shakspere in the character of the pedant 
Holofernes. 
This is abhoininable (which he would call abominable) 
Shalt., L. L. L, v. 1. 
{Abhominable occurs in the Promptorium Parvulorum 
(c. 1440), and in Gower ; abhominacyoun is in Wycltf's 
New Testament, abhominacioun in Chaucer, and abhomy- 
nacimin in Mandeville. Fuller has abhominal, a form 
made to suit the false etymology.] 
abhor (ab-hor'), c.; pret. and pp. abhorred, ppr. 
abhorring. [< L. abhorrere, shrink from, \ ab, 
from, + horrere, bristle (with fear) : see hor- 
rid.] I. trans. 1. Literally, to shrink back 
from with horror or dread ; hence, to regard 
with repugnance ; hate extremely or with loath- 
ing; loathe, detest, or abominate : as, to abhor 
evil ; to abhor intrigue. 
Thou didst not abhor the virgin's womb. Te Deum. 
Nature abhors the old, and old age seems the only dis- 
ease. Emerson, Essays, 1st ser., p. 289. 
2t. To fill with horror and loathing; horrify. 
He [Alexander] caused the women that were captive to 
sing before him such songes as abhorred the ears of the 
Macedons not accustomed to such things. 
J. Brende, tr. of Quintus Curtius, vi. 
How abhorred my imagination is ; my gorge rises at it. 
Shak., Hamlet, v. 1. 
= Syn. 1. Hate, Abhor, Detest, etc. See hate. 
