1. One who abbreviates or shortens.
2. One of a college of seventy-two officers of the papal court whose duty is to make a short minute of
a decision on a petition, or reply of the pope to a letter, and afterwards expand the minute into official
form.
Abbreviatory
(Ab*bre"vi*a*to*ry) a. Serving or tending to abbreviate; shortening; abridging.
Abbreviature
(Ab*bre"vi*a*ture) n.
1. An abbreviation; an abbreviated state or form. [Obs.]
2. An abridgment; a compendium or abstract.
This is an excellent abbreviature of the whole duty of a Christian.
Jer. Taylor.
Abb wool
(Abb" wool) See Abb.
A B C
(A B C")
1. The first three letters of the alphabet, used for the whole alphabet.
2. A primer for teaching the alphabet and first elements of reading. [Obs.]
3. The simplest rudiments of any subject; as, the A B C of finance.
A B C book, a primer. Shak.
Abdal
(||Ab"dal) n. [Ar. badil, pl. abdal, a substitute, a good, religious man, saint, fr. badala to change,
substitute.] A religious devotee or dervish in Persia.
Abderian
(Ab*de"ri*an) a. [From Abdera, a town in Thrace, of which place Democritus, the Laughing
Philosopher, was a native.] Given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment.
Abderite
(Ab*de"rite) n. [L. Abderita, Abderites, fr. Gr. 'Abdhri`ths.] An inhabitant of Abdera, in Thrace.
The Abderite, Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher.
Abdest
(Ab"dest) n. [Per. abdast; ab water + dast hand.] Purification by washing the hands before
prayer; — a Mohammedan rite. Heyse.
Abdicable
(Ab"di*ca*ble) a. Capable of being abdicated.
Abdicant
(Ab"di*cant) a. [L. abdicans, p. pr. of abdicare.] Abdicating; renouncing; — followed by of.
Monks abdicant of their orders.
Whitlock.
Abdicant
(Ab"di*cant), n. One who abdicates. Smart.
Abdicate
(Ab"di*cate) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abdicated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Abdicating.] [L. abdicatus, p.
p. of abdicare; ab + dicare to proclaim, akin to dicere to say. See Diction.]
1. To surrender or relinquish, as sovereign power; to withdraw definitely from filling or exercising, as a
high office, station, dignity; as, to abdicate the throne, the crown, the papacy.
