A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers : to which are prefixed a history of the language, and an English grammar (Volume 1).

  • Johnson, Samuel, 1709-1784.
Date:
1819
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers : to which are prefixed a history of the language, and an English grammar (Volume 1). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    To ABSTATN, ab-stane'. v. n. [abstineo, Lat.] To forbear, to deny one's self any gratification; with the particle/row. If thou judge it hard and difficult, Conversing, looking, loving, to abstain From love's due rites, nuptial embraces sweet; And, with desires, to languish without hope. •Milton's Paradise Lost, b. x. I. 993. To be perpetually longing, and impatiently desi- rous of any thing, so that a man cannot abstain from it, is to lose a man's liberty, and to become a servant of meat and drink, or smoke. Taylor's Rule of living holy. Even then the doubtful billows scarce abstain From the toss'd vessel on the troubled main. Dryd. Virgil. ABSTE'MIOUS, ab-ste'-me-us. adj. [ab- stemius, Lat.] Temperate, sober, absti- nent, refraining from excess or plea- sures. It is used of persons; as, an ab- stemious hermit: and of things; as, an abstemious diet. It is spoken likewise of things that cause temperance. The instances of longevity are chiefly amongst tte abstemious. Abstinence in extremity will prove a mortal disease; but the experiments of it are very rare. Arbuthnot on Aliments. Clytorean streams the love of wine expel; Such is the virtue of th' abstemious well; Whether the colder nymph that rules the flood, Extinguishes, and balks the drunken god; Or that Melampus (so have some assur'd) When the mad Praetides with charms he cur'd, And pow'rful herbs, both charms and simples cast Into the sober spring, where still their virtues last. Dryd. Fab. Abste'miously, ab-ste'-me-us-le. adv. [from abstemious.] Temperately, sober- ly, without indulgence. Abste'miousness, ab-ste'-me-us-ness. n. s. [See Abstemious.] The quality of being abstemious. Abste'ntion, ab-sten'-shvin. n. s. [from abstineo, Lat.] The act of holding off, or restraining; restraint. Diet. To ABSTE'RGE, ab-sterje7. v. a. [ab- stergOy Lat.] To cleanse by wiping; to wipe. Abste'rgent, ab-ster'-jent. adj. Clean- sing; having a cleansing quality. To Abste'rse, ab-sterse'. [See Ab- sterge.] To cleanse, to purify: a word very little in use, and less analogical than absterge. Nor will we affirm, that iron receiveth, in the stomach of the ostrich, no alteration; but we sus- pect this effect, rather from corrosion than diges- tion ; not any tendence to chilification by the na- tural heat, but rather some attrition from an acid and vitriolous humidity in the stomach, which may absterse and shave the scorious parts thereof. Brown's Vulgar Errours, b. iii. Abste'rsion, ab-ster'-shun. n. s. [abster- sioy Lat.] The act of cleansing. See Ab- sterge. Abstersion is plainly a scouring off, or incision of the more viscous humours, and making the hu- mours more fluid, and cutting between them and the part; as is found in nitrous water, which scoureth linen cloth speedily from the foulness. Bacon's Natural History, No. 42. Abste'rsive, ab-ster'-siv.428 adj. [from absterge.'] That has the quality of ab- sterging or cleansing. It is good, after purging, to use apozemes and broths; not so much opening, as those used before purging: but abstersive and mundifying clysters also are good to conclude with, to draw away the reliques of the humours. Bacon's Natural History. A tablet stood of that abstersive tree, Where iEthiops' swarthy bird did build to nest. Sir John Denham. There, many a flow'r abstersive grew, Thy fav'rite flow'rs of yellow hue. Swift's Miscel. A'bstinence, ab'ste-nense. n. s. [absti- nentia, Lat.] 1. Forbearance of any thing; with the par- ticle from. Because the abstinence from a present pleasure, that offers itself, is a pain; nay, oftentimes a veiy great one: it is no wonder that that operates after the same manner pain does; and lessens, in our thoughts, what is future; and so forces, us as it were, blindfold into its embraces. Locke. 2. Fasting, or forbearance of necessary food. It is generally distinguished from temperance, as the greater degree from the less: sometimes as single perform- ances, from habits; as, a day of absti- nence, and a life of temperance. Say, can you fast? your stomachs are too young; And abstinence ingenders maladies. Shaksp. Love's Labour Lost. And the faces of them, which have used absti- nence, shall shine above the stars; whereas our faces shall be blacker than darkness. 2 Esdras, vii. 55. Religious men, who hither must be sent As awful guides of heavenly government; To teach you penance, fasts, and abstinence, To punish bodies for the soul's offence. Dryden's Indian Emp. A'bstinency, ab'-ste-nen-se. n. s. The same with Abstinence. Were our rewards, for the abstinencies or riots of this present life, under the prejudices of short or finite: the promises and threats of Christ would lose much of their virtue and energy. Hammond's Fundam. A'bstinent, ab'-ste-nent. adj. [abstinens, Lat.] That uses abstinence; in opposi- tion to covetous, rapacious, or luxuri- ous. It is used chiefly of persons. AssTo'RTEDjdb'-stort-ed. adj. [abstortus, Lat.] Forced away, wrung from an- other by violence. Diet. To ABSTRA'CT, ab-strakt'. v. a. [ab- straho, Lat.] 1. To take one thing from another. Could we abstract from these pernicious effects, and suppose this were innocent, it would be too light, to be matter of praise. Decay of Piety. 2. To separate by distillation. Having dephlegmed spirit of salt, and gently ab- stracted the whole spirit, there remaineth in the re- tort a styptical substance. Boyle. 3. To separate ideas. Those, who cannot distinguish, compare, and ab- stract, would hardly be able to understand and make use of language, or judge or reason to any tolerable degree. Locke. 4. To reduce to an epitome. If we would fix in the memory the discourses we hear, or what we design to speak, let us abstract them into brief compends, and review them often. Watts's Imp. of the Mind. A'bstract, ab-strakt'. adj. [abstractus, Lat. See the verb To Abstract.] 1. Separated from something else: gene- rally used, with relation to mental per- ceptions; as, abstract mathematicks, ab- stract terms, in opposition to concrete. Mathematics, in its latitude, is usually divided into pure and mixed: and, though the pure do han- dle only abstract quantity in general, as geometry, arithmetic; yet that, which is mixed, doth consider the quantity of some particular determinate subject- so astronomy handles the quantity of heavenly mo- tions; music, of sounds; and mechanics, of weights and powers. Wilkin's Mathematical Magick. Abstract terms signify the mode or quality of a befog, without any regard to the subject in which it is; as, whiteness, roundness, length, breadth, wis- dom, mortality, life, death. Watts's Logick. 2. With the particle from. Another fruit from the considering things in themselves, abstract from our opinions, and other men's notions and discourses on them, will be, that each man will pursue his thoughts in that method, which will be most agreeable to the nature of the thing, and to his apprehension of what it suggests to him. Locke. A'bstract, ab'-strakt.*92 n. s. [from the verb.] 1. A smaller quantity, containing the vir- tue or power of a greater. You shall there find a man, who is the abstract Of all faults all men follow. Shaksp. Antony and Cleopatra. If you are false, these epithets are small; You're then the things, and abstract of them all. Dryd. Jhr. 2. An epitome, made by taking out the principal parts. When Mnemon came to the end of a chapter, he recollected the sentiments he had remarked; so that he could give a tolerable analysis and abstract of every treatise he had read, just after he had finished it. Watts's Imp. of the Mind. 3. The state of being abstracted, or dis- joined. The hearts of great princes, if they be consider- ed, as it were in abstract, without the necessity of states, and circumstances of time, can take no full and proportional pleasure in the exerise of any nar- row bounty. Wolton. Abstracted, ab-strak'-ted. fiart. adj. [from abstract.] 1. Separated* disjoined. That space, the evil one abstracted stood From his own evil; and, for the time, remain'd Stupidly good. Milton. 2. Refined, purified. Abstracted spiritual love, they like Their souls exhal'd. Donne. 3. Abstruse; difficult. 4. Absent of mind, inattentive to present objects; as, an abstracted scholar. Abstractedly, ab-strak'-ted-le. adv. With abstraction, simply, separately from all contingent circumstances. Or whether more abstractedly we look, Or on the writers, or the written book; Whence, but from heav'n, could men unskill'd in arts, In several ages born, in several parts, Weave such agreeing truths? or how, or why Should all conspire, to cheat us with a lie? Unask'd their pains, ungrateful their advice, Starving their gain, and martyrdom their price! Dryden's Religio Laki. Abstraction, ab-strak'-shun. n. s. [ab- stract™, Lat.] 1. The act of abstracting. The word abstraction signifies a withdrawing some part of an idea, from other parts of it; by which means such abstracted ideas are formed, as neither represent any thing corporeal or spiritual; that is, any thing peculiar or proper to mind or body. Watts's Logkh 2. The state of being abstracted. 3. Absence of mind; inattention. 4. Disregard of worldly objects. A hermit wishes to be praised for his abstraction- Pope's Letters. Abstractive, ab-strak'-tiv. adj. [from