nence, in oppofition to covetous,,rapacious, or luxurious. 
It is ufed chiefly of perfons. 
ABSTINENTS, or Abstinentes, a fe6t of heretics 
that appeared in France and Spain about the end of the 
third century. They are fuppofed to have borrowed part 
of their opinions iromthe Gnoflics and Manicheans, be- 
caufe they oppoled marriage,' condemned the ufe of flefli 
meat, and placed the Holy Gholt in the clafs of created 
beings. 
ABSTORTED, adj. [ abjlortus , Lat.] Forced away, 
wrung from another by violence. 
To ABSTRACT, v. a. \_abfraho, I.at.] To take one 
thing from another. To feparate by diltillation. To fe- 
parate ideas. To reduce to an epitome.—If we would fix 
in the memory the difcourfes we hear, or what we delign 
to fpeak, let us abfraEl them into brief compends, and re¬ 
view them often. Watts. 
Abstract, ad], \_ahfraElus , Lat.] Separated from 
fomething elfe; generally ufed with relation to mental 
perceptions; as, abfraEl mathematics, abjlraEl terms, in 
oppofition to concrete. 
Abstract, f A fmaller quantity, containing the vir¬ 
tue or power of a greater. An epitome made by taking 
out the principal parts. The ftate of being abftrabted or 
■disjoined. In literature, a compendious view of any large 
Work; fhorter and more fuperficial than an abridgment. 
Abstract Idea, adj. in metaphyfics, is a partial idea 
of a complex objett, limited to one or more of the com¬ 
ponent parts or properties, laying alide or abftrafting from 
the reft. Thus, in viewing an objedf with the eye, or re¬ 
collecting it in the mind, we can eafily ab(tract from fome 
of its parts and properties, and attach ourfelves toothers: 
we can attend to the rednefs of a cherry, without regard 
to its figure, tafte, or confidence. 
Abstract Terms, words that are ufed to exprefs 
abftraift ideas. Thus beauty, uglinefs, whitenefs, round- 
nefs, life, death, are abftraft terms. 
Abstract Numbers, are alfemblages of units, con- 
fidered in themfelves without denoting any particular and 
determined particulars. Thus 6 is an abftraCf number, 
when not applied to any thing; but, if we fay 6 feet, 6 
becomes a concrete number. Seethe article Number. 
- Abstract Mathematics, otherwife called Pure 
Mathematics, is that which treats of magnitude or quantity, 
abfolutely and generally confidered, without reftriCtion to 
any fpecies of particular magnitude; fuch are Arithme¬ 
tic and Geometry. In this fenfe, abftratl mathematics is 
oppofed to mixed mathematics; wherein Ample and ab- 
ftract properties, and the relations-of quantities primitively 
confidered in pure'mathematics, are applied to fe'nfible ob¬ 
jects, and by that means become intermixed with phylical 
confiderations; fuch are Hydroftatics, Optics, Naviga¬ 
tion, &c. 
ABSTR ACTED, part. adj. Separated; disjoined. Re¬ 
fined, purified. .. Abftrufe; difficult. Abfent of mind, 
inattentive to prefent obieCts; as, an ab/fraEled fcholar. 
ABSTRACTEDLY, adv. With ‘abftraction, Amply, 
feparately from all contingent circumftances.. 
ABSTRACTION, / \_abf radio, Lat.] TheaCtof ab- 
ftraCting. The ftate of being abftracted.' Abfence of 
mind; inattention. Difregard to worldly objects. 
Abstraction, in metaphyfics, the operation of the 
mind when occupied bv abftraCt ideas. A large oak fixes 
our attention, and abftraCts us from the fhrubs that fur- 
round it. In the fame manner a beautiful woman in a 
crowd, abftraCts our thoughts, and engroffes our attention 
folely to herfelf. Thefe are examples of real abftraction : 
when thefe, or any others of a fimilar kind, are recalled 
to tire mind after the objeCts themfelves are removed from 
our fight, they form what are called abjlraEt ideas. 
AbftraCtion is chiefly employed thefe three ways, Firft, 
When the mind confiders any one part of a thing, in fome 
i-efpeft diftinCt from the whole; as a man’s arm without 
the confideration of the reft of the body. Secondly, When 
we confider the mode of any fubfiance, omitting the fub- 
A B S 
fiance itfelf; or when we feparately confider feveral modes 
which fubfift together in one fubjeft. This abftradtion the 
geometricians make ufe of when they confider the length 
of a body feparately, which they call a line, omitting the 
confideration of its breadth and thicknefs. Thirdly, It is 
by abftraction that the mind forms general or univerfal 
ideas; omitting the modes and relations of the particular 
objects whence they are formed. Thus, when we would 
underftand a thinking being in general, we gather from 
our felt-confcioufnefs what it is to think; and, omitting 
thofe things which have a particular relation to our own 
minds, or to the human mind, we conceive a thinking be¬ 
ing in general. Ideas formed in this manner, which are 
what we properly call abjlraEl ideas, become general re- 
prefentatives of all objects of the fame kind; and their 
names applicable to whatever exifts conformable to fuch 
ideas. Thus the idea of colour that we receive from 
chalk, fnow, milk, &c. is a reprefentative of all of that 
kind; and has a name given it, whitenej's, which dignifies 
the fame quality wherever found or imagined. 
ABSTRACTIVE, adj. Having the power or quality 
of abftracting. 
ABSTRACTLY, adv. In an abftradt manner, abfo¬ 
lutely, without reference to any thing elfe. 
ABSTRACTNESS,/! Subtilty; feparation from all 
matter or common notion.—I have taken fome pains to 
make plain and familiar to your thoughts, truths, Which 
eftabliftied prejudice, or the abJlraEtncfs of the ideas them¬ 
felves, might render difficult. Locke. 
ABSTRACTED, part. adj. [abJlriElus, Lat.] Unbound, 
To ABSTRINGE, v. a. 'To unbind. 
To ABSTRUDE, v. a. \_abJlrudo, Lat.] To thruft oft", 
or pull away. 
ABSTRUSE, adj. \abfirufus, Lat. thruft out of fight.] 
Hidden. Difficult; remote from conception or apprehen- 
fion. It is oppofed to obvious and eajy; 
Th’ eternal eye, whole fight difeerns 
Abjlrufejl thoughts, from forth his holy mount. 
And from within the golden lamps that burn 
Nightly before him, faw, without their light. 
Rebellion riling. Milton. 
ABSTRUSELY, adv. In an abftrufe manner; obfeure- 
ly, not plainly, or obvioufly. 
ABSTRUSENESS, f. The quality of being abftrufe; 
difficulty, obfeurity.—It is not oftentimes fo much what 
the feripture fays, as what fome men perfuade others it 
fays, that makes it feem obfeure, and that as to fome other 
paflages w hich are fo indeed, fince it is the abjlrujenejs of 
what is taught in them, that makes them almoft inevitably 
fo ; it is little lefs fancy, upon fuch a fcore, to find fault 
with the ftyle of the feripture, than to do fo with the Au¬ 
thor for making us but men. Boyle. 
ABSTRUSITY,/! Abftrufenefs. That which is ab¬ 
ftrufe. A word feldom ufed. 
To ABSUME, v. a. \abfumo, Lat.] To bring to an end 
by a gradual w'afte ; to eat up. An uncommon word. 
ABSURD, adj. [qmirdus, Lat.] Unreafonable; with¬ 
out judgment, as ufed of men. Inconfiftent, contrary to 
reafon, ufed of fentiments or practices.—Thus, it would 
be abfurd to fay that 6 and 6 make only io, or to deny 
that twfice 6 make 12. When the term abfurd is applied 
to aitions, it lias the fame import as ridiculous. 
ABSURDITY, / The quality of being abfurd; want 
of judgment, applied to men; want of propriety, applied 
to things. That which is abfurd; as, His travels were full 
of abfurdities. In which fenfe it has a plural.—Thefatis- 
faftion we receive from the opinion of fome pre-eminence 
in ourfelves, when we fee the abfurdities of another, or 
when we refleft on any pad abfurdities of our own. Addifcn. 
ABSURDLY, adv. After an abfurd manner; impro¬ 
perly; unreafonably.—We may proceed yet further with 
the atheift, and convince him, that not only his principle 
is abfurd, but his confequenees alfo as abfurdly deduced 
from it. Bent by. 
ABSURDNESS.. 
