ABO 
ecliptic. In Mercury it is only 4|", and 
much less in the other planets. The aber- 
ration in declination and right ascension de- 
pends on the situation of the planet in the 
zodiac. The aberration in longitude, being 
equal to the geocentric motion, will be more 
or less, according as that motion may be. 
It will be least when the planet is station- 
ary; and greatest in the superior planets, 
when they are in opposition ; but in the in- 
ferior planets the aberration is greatest at 
the time of their superior conjunction. 
Aberration, in optics, a deviation of 
the rays of light, when reflected, whereby 
they are prevented from meeting in the 
same point. Aberrations are of two kinds ; 
one arising from the figure of the reflecting 
body, the other from the dilferent refran- 
gibility of the rays themselves : this last is 
called the Newtonian aberration, from the 
name of the discoverer. 
ABETTOR, or Abbettor, in law, the 
person who promotes or procures a crime 
to be committed : thus, an abettor of mur- 
der is one who commands or counsels an- 
other to commit it. An abettor, according 
as he is present or absent at the time of 
committing the fact, is punishable as a prin- 
cipal or accessary. See Accessary. 
An abettor is the same with one who is 
deemed art and part, by the law of Scot- 
land. 
ABEYANCE, in law, is that which is in 
expectation, remembrance, and intendment 
of law. By a principle of law, in every 
land there is a fee simple in somebody, or 
it is in abeyance ; that is, though at present 
it be in no man, yet it is, in expectancy, be- 
longing to him that is next to enjoy the 
land. Where no person is seen or known, 
in whom the inheritance can vest, it may be 
in abeyance, as in limitation to several per- 
sons, and the survivor, and the heirs of such 
survivor, because it is uncertain who will be 
the survivor, yet the freehold cannot, be- 
cause there must be a tenant to the praecipe 
always. 
ABJURATION, in law, is used for re- 
nouncing, disclaiming, and denying the Pre- 
tender to have any manner of right to the 
throne of these kingdoms : and that upon oath, 
which is required to be taken upon divers 
pains and penalties by many statutes, par- 
ticularly 1 W. and M. 13 W. III. 1 Anne, 
1 Geo. I. 
ABOLITION, in law, denotes the re- 
pealing any law or statute, and prohibiting 
some custom, ceremony, &c. Sometimes 
also it signifies leave granted by the king, 
ABR 
or a judge, to a criminal accuser to forbear 
any farther prosecution. 
Abolition is also used by ancient civilians 
and lawyers, for desisting from, or annulling, 
a legal prosecution ; for remitting the 
punishment of a crime; and for cancelling 
or discharging a public debt. 
ABOMASUS, Abomasum, or Aboma- 
sius, in comparative anatomy, names used 
for the fourth stomach of ruminating beasts, 
or such as chew' the cud. These have four 
stomachs, the first of which is called venter ; 
the second, reticulum; the third, omasus ; 
and the fourth, abomasus. This last is the 
place where the chyle is formed, and from 
which the food descends immediately into 
the intestines. 
ABORTION, in medicine, an untimely 
or premature birth of a feetus, otherwise 
called a miscarriage ; but if this happen be- 
fore the second month of pregnancy, it is 
only called a false conception. See Medi- 
cine, Midwifery, &c. 
Abortion, in law, if caused by giving 
a potion to, or striking a pregnant woman, 
was murder, but now is said to be a great 
misprision only, and not murder, unless the 
child be born alive, and die thereof. 
ABOUT, in military affairs, a word to 
express the movement by which a body of 
troops changes its front, by facing according 
to any given word of command. 
ABRA, a silver coin of Poland, nearly 
equivalent to the English shilling. See Coin. 
ABREAST, a sea term, expressing the 
situation of two or more ships, that lie with 
their sides parallel to each other, and their 
heads advanced. When the line of battle 
at sea is formed abreast, the whole squadron 
advances uniformly. Abreast within the ship, 
denotes on a line with the beam, or by the 
side of any object aboard. 
ABRIDGMENT, in law, the shortening a 
count, or declaration : thus, in assize, a man 
is said to abridge his plaint, and a woman 
her demand in action of dower, if any land 
is put therein, 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. The 
reason is, that these writs run in general, 
and therefore shall be good for the rest. 
ABROMA, in botany, a word signifying 
not Jit for food, is used in opposition to 
Theobroma, as a genus of plants belonging 
to the natural order of Columniferae, and 
the eighteenth class of Poiyadelphia Dode- 
candria. There are two species, viz. the 
B 2 
