abut 
H. trims. To cause to terminate against or 
in contiguity with ; project, or cause to im- 
pinge upon. 
Sometimes shortened to hit/. 
27 
I'.ut nought that wanteth rest can long aby. 
f<l:i'ii.ifr, K. 1)., ill. vii. 3. 
Abyla (ab'i-lii), n. [NL. ; prob. after Abyla 
(Gr. 'A.fti-'fai), a promontory in Africa opposite the 
Rock of Gibraltar.] A genus of calycophoran 
oceanic hydrozoans of the family Dijriiyida: 
',""'.'/ ""'' (laiiniinl. Also called Abylug. ' See 
cut under dij>liy:ooid. 
Abutilon (a-bu'ti-lon), n. [NL., < Ar. aubutilun. 
a name given by Avicenna to this or an allied 
genus.] A genus of polypetalous plants, nat- 
ural order Malvaeeie, including over 70 species _ 
distributed through the wanner regions of the abymet, . Same as abysm. 
globe. They are often very ornamental, and several abysmt (a-bizm'), n. l<OF.abisme(\&teTabime : 
species (A. utriniinii, mimtitiu. iimii/uf, etc.) are frequent ] 
in gardens and ^rt-cnbouses. Some Indian species fur- 
nish filler for ropes, anil in Brazil the flowers of A.emi- 
lentwn are used as a vegt'tulile. 
abutment (a-but'ment), . [< abut + -ment."\ \. 
V. iibiiiii') = Pr. abixme = Sp. Pg. abismo, < 
ML. *nbiiu<iuiii.i, a superl. form of ML. abin- A. 0. 
xim, < L. iibyioiun, an abyss: see abyss. The 
spelling iibi/Kin (with i/ instead of ) is sophisti- 
acacio 
dwelling among the oaks: .(</(// or .1. 
also Oakley [<AS. .idea], literally, oak-lea. 
ac-. A prefix, assimilated form of ml- before c 
ami i[, as in ntfiili, na/iiirf, etc.; also an ac- 
commodated form of other prefixes, as in </<- 
fiirxi', iifflni/, iiffi/inlier, etc. See these words. 
-ac. [= F. -<i<iut', <Ij. -III--IIS, Gr. -a/tof : see -if. \ 
An adjective-suffix of Greek or Latin origin, as 
in cnriKac, maniac, iliac, etc. It is always pre- 
ceded by -'- and, like -ic, may take the addi- 
tional suffix -al. 
An abbreviation of (1) Latin unti- Chris- 
tum, before Christ, used in chronology in the 
same sense as B. C. ; (2) i 
The state or condition' of abutting. 2. That cated > to bring it nearer the Greek ] A gulf ; acacia (a-ka'shia), n. [= Sp. Pg. It. D. aeaeia 
i 'i _i___j _ __ 1 an tt nva SIH "trip finii&m nr hAll " Sh/il: A_ n ,,,.,,,.;,, /T. ,,,,.,,.;,, / d-*. ,*. ., *l, ,.,.... 
an abyss: as, 
and C., iii. 11. 
the abysm of hell," Shak., A. 
which abuts or borders on some- 
thing else; the part abutting or . 
abutted upon or against. Spe- abysmal (a-biz'mal), fl, (< abysm + -al; = Sp 
ciflcally - (a) Any Ixidy or surface de- Pg. abimnal.] 1 . Pertaining to an abyss ; bot- 
tomless ; profound ; fathomless ; immeasurable. 
Let me hear thy voice through this deep and black 
Abymnal night. Whittier, My Soul and I. 
The . . . Jews were struck dumb with abysmal terror. 
iferivale, Hist. Rom., V. 410. 
rimad'to resist the thrust or reaction 
of any material structure, vapor, gas, 
or liquid that may press upon it ; par- 
I ticularly, in arch., the portion of a pier 
r or other structure that receives the 
Ab tment thrust of an arch or vault ; a stationary 
A, A, arch'-abut- wedge, block, or surface against which 
menis ; B, B, current- water, gas, or steam may react, as in a 
or ice-abutments. rotary pump or engine ; the lower part 
of a dock or bridge-pier designed to 
resist ice or currents in a stream, etc. See bridge, and 
Specifically 2. Pertaining to great depths in 
the ocean: thus, species of plants found only 
at great depths are called abysmal species, and 
also abyssal (which see). 
impost, (b) In carp. : (1) The shoulder of a joiner's plane -i....,'!-!.., / hi7'mnl n nrfr TTnfatiinmblv 
between which and the plane-bit the wedge is driven. E. aDysmaiiy (,a-Diz mal-i;, aav. unratnomaDiy. 
//. Knight. (2) Two pieces of wood placed together with Iweorge Ahpt. 
the grain of each at a right angle with the other. Their abyss (a-bis'), n. [<L. abyssus, ML. a6sss(> 
meeting forms an abutting joint. _ Pg. It. 6i*so), a bottomless gulf ,< Gr. d/3wji70v, 
without bottom, < d-priv. + ffvaofy, depth, akin 
to /3vd6( and /3d0of, depth, < paOvc, deep: see 
bathos.] 1 . A bottomless gulf ; any deep, im- 
measurable space ; anything profound and un- 
fathomable, whether literally or figuratively; 
specifically, hell ; the bottomless pit. 
Some laboured to fathom the abysses of metaphysical 
= G. acacie, < L. acacia, < Gr. d/tax/a, a thorny 
Egyptian tree, the acacia, appar. reduplicated 
from *y an, seen in d/uf, a point, thorn, a*//, a 
point, L. acutus, sharp, acus, needle, etc. : see 
acute.] 1. [cap."] A genus of shrubby or arbore- 
ous plants, natural order Leguminosa; suborder 
Mimoseai, natives of the warm regions of both 
hemispheres, especially of Australia and Africa. 
It numbers about 430 species, and is the largest genus of 
the order, excepting Astragalus. It is distinguished by 
small regular flowers in globose heads or cylindrical 
spikes, and very numerous free stamens. The leaves are 
bipinnate, or in very many of the Australian species are 
reduced to phyllodia, with their edges always vertical. 
Several species are valuable for the gum which they 
Sometimes shortened to butment. 
abutment - crane (a-but'ment-kran), . [< 
abutment + cram; 2^] A hoisting-crane or der- 
rick used in 
building piers, 
towers, chim- 
neys, etc. It 
stands at the edge 
of a platform rest- 
ing on the top of 
the work, and 
may be gradually 
raised as the work 
proceeds. 
abuttal (a- 
but'al), n. 
That part of a 
piece of land 
which abuts 
On Or is COn- Abutment-crane. 
tiguous to an- 
theology. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iii. 
2. In her., the center of an escutcheon ; the 
fesse-point. 
abyss (a-bis'), t. [< abyss, .] To engulf. 
The drooping sea-weed hears, in night abyased, 
Far anil more far the wave's receding shocks. 
Lowell, Sea-weed. 
abyssal (a-bis'al), a. 1. Relating to or like an 
abyss; aliysmal. 2. Inhabiting or belonging 
to the depths of the ocean : as, an abyssal mol- 
lusk. 
Both classes of animals, the pelagic and the abyssal, . . . 
possess the feature of phosphorescence. 
The American, V. 286. 
Abyssal zone, in phm. geog., the lowest of eight biolog- 
ical zones into which Professor E. Forbes divided the 
bottom of the JKgean sea when describing its plants and 
animals ; the zone furthest from the shore, and more than 
105 fathoms deep. 
other; a boundary; a line of contact: used 
mostly in the plural, 
abutter (a-but'er), . One whose property 
abuts: as, the abutters on the street. 
abutua (a-bu'tu-a), n. The native Brazilian 
name of the "root of a tall woody menisper- 
maceous climber, Chondrodendron tomentosum, Abyssinet a . and . [A lso Abissine, Abassine; 
known in commerce under the Portuguese *s a noun, usually in pi. J6vssJes, etc., = F. 
name of paretra bravo, (which see). Also called 
butua. 
abuyt (a-bi'), r. t. [A more consistent spelling 
of aby*, which is composed of a-* and btiy.] 
To pay the penalty of. 
When a holy man abtiyx so dearly such a slight frailty, 
of a credulous mistaking, what shall become of our hei- 
nous and presumptuous sins ? 
Bp. Hall, Seduced Prophet (Ord. MS.). 
abuzz, abUZ (a-buz'), prep. phr. as adv. or a. 
[<a 3 , prep., cmj+ buzz, n.~] Buzzing; filled with 
buzzing sounds. 
The court was all astir and alruzz. 
as a noun, usually in pi. Abyssines, etc,, 
Abyssins = Sp. Abisinios = Pg. Abexins; < ML. 
Abissini, Abassini, Abyssinians (> Abissinia, 
Abassinia, Abyssinia), < Abassia, < Ar. Habasha, 
, . ' V, i A i_ J A 1- BUtJCieS lOnilS Hie UUIieVlIU Ul i unum I i i M.IMI .-.JHI n .^ 
Abyssinia, Habasli, an Abyssinian, said to have fu TO j s h excellent timber, and many others are cultivated 
reference to the mixed composition of the peo- for ornament A. Farnesiana both for ornament and for 
pie, < habasii, mixture. The natives call them- the perfume of its flowers, 
selves Itiopyavan, their country Itiopia, i. e., 2. Aplant of the genus AcacM. 3. 
Ethiopia.] Same as Abyssinian. lar name of several plants of otlu,. 6 
ATviraaitiiaTl (sCh i sin'i nnl a and K Abll<s- The !>reen-barlted acacia of Arizona is Parkinsm 
Abyssinian (.a D-l i-an;, o. ana n. |> Jimjs- a , IM /,;, an d f*M(ord acacia are names sol 
sine (Abyssima) + -ian.\ I. a. Belonging to applied to the locust-tree, Robinia Pseudacacia. ' 
Abyssinia, a country of eastern Africa, lying or bristly acacia is Robinia hispida. The nam 
to the south of Nubia, or to its inhabitants. thmwsd acacia is sometimes given to the honey-loci 
?Ta,e of Two Cities, ix. H- "g^X-8 ^^0^1^ 4^ ~ the inspissated juice of several 
. -. , > r/T ,, *. AHU tvoys gpec i es of A cac i a popularly known as gum ara- 
i-u-ashon), H [<L ,. ab, smian Church. _ This churchjvas organized about the J w ,., , 'der ,2f _5. A name riven 
exude. The bark and pods are frequently used in tan- 
ning, and the aqueous extract of the wood of some Indian 
species forms the catechu of commerce. Many species 
abvacuationt (ab-vak- . 
from, + vacuatio(n-) : see abevacuation.] Same 
as abevacuation. 
abvolation (ab-vo-la'shon), n. [See avolation.] 
The act of flying from or away. [Rare.] 
abyH (a-bi'), . t. ; pret. and pp. abought or 
abied, ppr. abying. [< ME. abi/en, abien, abyg- 
f/en, abuggen, etc. (pret. aboughte), <AS. dbyc- 
i/nii, pay for, buy off, < - + bycgan, buy: see crucmxes. ronuus niaie is accoumeu uy mem saim 
a- 1 and buy.] To give or pay an equivalent because he washed his hands of innocent blood. The 
for ; pay the penalty of ; atone for ; suffer for. 
Also spelled abye and abuy. 
Ye shul it deere abeye.. Chaucer, Doctor's Tale, 1. 100. 
Whoso bardie hand on her doth lay, 
It dearely shall aby, and death for handsell pay. 
Spenxer, F. Q., VI. xi. 15. 
middle of the fourth century by Frumentius, a missionary 
from Alexandria. In doctrine it is Monophysite (which 
see). It observes the Jewish Sabbath together with the 
Christian Sunday, forbids eating the flesh of unclean 
beasts, retains as an object of worship the model of a sa- 
cred ark called the ark of Zion, practises a form of cir- 
cumcision, and celebrates a yearly feast of lustration, at 
which all the people are rebaptized. The Abyssinians Acacian (a-ka snian), n. 
honor saints and pictures, but not images ; crosses, but not 
crucifixes. Pontius Pilate is accounted by them a saint 
because he washed his hands of innocent blood. The 
priests may be married men, but may not marry after or- 
dination. The abuna, or head of the Abyssinian Church, 
is appointed by the patriarch of Alexandria. 
abzug (ab'z6g; G. pron. ap'tsoch), n. [G., < 
abzielien, draw off, < ab-, = E. off, + ziehen, re- 
bic (which see, under gnim 2 ). 5. A name given 
by antiquaries to an object resembling a roll 
of cloth, seen in the hands of consuls and em- 
perors of the Lower Empire as represented on 
medals. It is supposed to have been unfurled by them 
at festivals as a signal for the games to begin. 
cacian (a-ka'shian), n. [The proper name 
Acacius, Gr. 'Axdmof, is equiv. to Innocent, < Gr. 
dxo/cof , innocent, guileless : see acacy. ] In eccles. 
hist., a member of a sect or school of moderate 
Arians of the fourth century, named Acacians 
from their leader, Acacius, bishop of Ca?sarea. 
Some of the Acacians maintained that the Son, though 
similar to the Father, was not the same ; others, that he 
was both distinct and dissimilar. As a body they finally 
