Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter A - Page 4
Ability (n.) [C] [U] 能力；能耐 [+to-v]；才能；專門技能 [P1] The quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; -- in the plural, faculty, talent.
Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren. -- Acts xi. 29.
Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study. -- Bacon.
The public men of England, with much of a peculiar kind of ability. -- Macaulay.
Syn: Capacity; talent; cleverness; faculty; capability; efficiency; aptitude; aptness; address; dexterity; skill.
Usage: Ability, Capacity. These words come into comparison when applied to the higher intellectual powers. Ability has reference to the active exercise of our faculties. It implies not only native vigor of mind, but that ease and promptitude of execution which arise from mental training. Thus, we speak of the ability with which a book is written, an argument maintained, a negotiation carried on, etc. It always something to be done, and the power of doing it. Capacity has reference to the receptive powers. In its higher exercises it supposes great quickness of apprehension and breadth of intellect, with an uncommon aptitude for acquiring and retaining knowledge. Hence it carries with it the idea of resources and undeveloped power. Thus we speak of the extraordinary capacity of such men as Lord Bacon, Blaise Pascal, and Edmund Burke. "Capacity," says H. Taylor, "is requisite to devise, and ability to execute, a great enterprise." The word abilities, in the plural, embraces both these qualities, and denotes high mental endowments. Abime
Ability (n.) The quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment [ant: inability, unfitness].
Ability (n.) Possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done; "danger heightened his powers of discrimination" [syn: ability, power] [ant: inability].
Ability, (n.) The natural equipment to accomplish some small part of the meaner ambitions distinguishing able men from dead ones. In the last analysis ability is commonly found to consist mainly in a high degree of solemnity. Perhaps, however, this impressive quality is rightly appraised; it is no easy task to be solemn.
Abime (n.) Alt. of Abyme.
Abyme (n.) A abyss. [Obs.]
Compare: Abyss
Abyss (n.) 深淵；深坑；深處 [C]；任何深不可測的事物；（智力等的）深邃 [C] [U]；【宗】（創世之前的）混沌A deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm.
Abyss (n.) Anything profound, unfathomable, or infinite: The abyss of time.
Abyss (n.) a. The primal chaos before Creation.
Abyss (n.) b. The infernal regions; hell.
Abyss (n.) c: A subterranean ocean.
Abiogenesis (n.) 【生】自然發生（論）；無生源說 The supposed origination of living organisms from lifeless matter; such genesis as does not involve the action of living parents; spontaneous generation; -- called also abiogeny, and opposed to biogenesis.
Abiogenetic (a.) 自然發生的 Of or pertaining to abiogenesis.
Abiogenist (n.) 自然發生論者 One who believes that life can be produced independently of antecedent.
Abiogenous (a.) 自然發生的 Produced by spontaneous generation.
Abiogeny (n.) (Biol.) 【生】自然發生（論）；無生源說 Same as Abiogenesis.
Abiological (a.) 非生物學的 Pertaining to the study of inanimate things.
Abirritant (n.) 鎮定劑 A medicine that diminishes or alleviates irritation.
Abirritant (a.) (Med.) 減輕刺激的 Diminishing or alleviating irritation -- Stedman.
Abirritate (v. t.) 鎮靜 To diminish the sensibility to stimulation of.
Abirritation (n.) 減輕刺激 A pathological condition opposite to that of irritation; debility; want of strength; asthenia.
Abirritative (a.) 鎮靜的，消除緊張的 Characterized by abirritation or debility.
Compare: Debility
Debility (n.) 衰弱 Weakness, infirmity.
Compare : Infirmity
Infirmity (n.) 體弱，虛弱；薄弱；疾病，病症；弱點 The quality or state of being infirm.
Infirmity (n.) The condition of being feeble : Frailty.
Infirmity (n.) Disease, Malady.
Infirmity (n.) A personal failing : Foible.
// One of the besetting infirmities of living creatures is egotism. -- A. J. Toynbee
Abit () 3d sing. pres. of Abide.
Abject (a.) 不幸的，可憐的，悲慘的 Cast down; low-lying. [Obs.]
From the safe shore their floating carcasses And broken chariot wheels; so thick bestrown Abject and lost lay these, covering the flood. -- Milton.
Abject (a.) Degraded; servile; groveling; despicable; as, abject posture, fortune, thoughts. "Base and abject flatterers." -- Addison. "An abject liar." -- Macaulay.
And banish hence these abject, lowly dreams. -- Shak.
Abject (a.) Sunk to a low condition; down in spirit or hope; miserable; -- of persons.
Abject (a.) Humiliating; degrading; wretched; -- of situations; as, abject poverty.
Syn: Mean; groveling; cringing; mean-spirited; slavish; ignoble; worthless; vile; beggarly; contemptible; degraded.
Abject (v. t.) To cast off or down; hence, to abase; to degrade; to lower; to debase. [Obs.] -- Donne.
Abject (n.) 流浪者；被棄者 A person in the lowest and most despicable condition; a castaway. [Obs.]
Shall these abjects, these victims, these outcasts, know any thing of pleasure? -- I. Taylor.
Abject (a.) Extremely bad or severe.
Abject (a.) Very humble : feeling or showing shame.
Abject (a.) Very weak : lacking courage or strength.
Abject (a.) Sunk to or existing in a low state or condition <to lowest pitch of abject fortune thou art fallen -- John Milton>.
Abject (a.) Cast down in spirit : Servile, Spiritless <a man made abject by suffering>.
Abject (a.) Showing hopelessness or resignation <abject surrender>.
Abject (a.) Expressing or offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit <abject flattery> <an abject apology>.
Abject (a.) (Formal) (Extreme) Abject misery, poverty, failure, etc. 極其苦惱／赤貧／極度恐怖等 The state of being extremely unhappy, poor, unsuccessful, etc.
// They live in abject poverty.
// This policy has turned out to be an abject failure.
Abject (a.) (Not proud) 卑躬屈膝的；下賤的；奴性的 Showing no pride or respect for yourself.
// An abject apology.
// He is almost abject in his respect for his boss.
Ablation (n.) Cast down; low-lying. [Obs.]
From the safe shore their floating carcasses And broken chariot wheels; so thick bestrown Abject and lost lay these, covering the flood. -- Milton.
Ablation (n.) Degraded; servile; groveling; despicable; as, abject posture, fortune, thoughts. "Base and abject flatterers." -- Addison. "An abject liar." -- Macaulay.
And banish hence these abject, lowly dreams. -- Shak.
Ablation (n.) Sunk to a low condition; down in spirit or hope; miserable; -- of persons.
Ablation (n.) Humiliating; degrading; wretched; -- of situations; as, abject poverty.
Syn: Mean; groveling; cringing; mean-spirited; slavish; ignoble; worthless; vile; beggarly; contemptible degraded.
Abject (a.) Of the most contemptible kind; "abject cowardice"; "a low stunt to pull"; "a low-down sneak"; "his miserable treatment of his family"; "You miserable skunk!"; "a scummy rabble"; "a scurvy trick" [syn: abject, low, low-down, miserable, scummy, scurvy].
Abject (a.) Most unfortunate or miserable; "the most abject slaves joined in the revolt"; "abject poverty."
Abject (a.) Showing utter resignation or hopelessness; "abject surrender" [syn: abject, unhopeful].
Abject (a.) Showing humiliation or submissiveness; "an abject apology."
Abjectedness (n.) A very abject or low condition; abjectness. [R.] -- Boyle.
Abjection (n.) The act of bringing down or humbling. "The abjection of the king and his realm." -- Joye.
Abjection (n.) The state of being rejected or cast out. [R.]
An abjection from the beatific regions where God, and his angels and saints, dwell forever. -- Jer. Taylor.
Abjection (n.) A low or downcast state; meanness of spirit; abasement; degradation. That this should be termed baseness, abjection of mind, or servility, is it credible? -- Hooker.
Abjection (n.) A low or downcast state; "each confession brought her into an attitude of abasement" -- H.L.Menchken [syn: abasement, degradation, abjection].
Abjectly (adv.) Meanly; servilely.
Abjectly (adv.) In a hopeless resigned manner; "she shrugged her shoulders abjectly" [syn: abjectly, resignedly].
Abjectness (n.) The state of being abject; abasement; meanness; servility. -- Grew.
Abjudge (v. t.) To take away by judicial decision. [R.]
Abjudicate (v. t.) To reject by judicial sentence; also, to abjudge. [Obs.] -- Ash.
Abjudication (n.) Rejection by judicial sentence. [R.] -- Knowles.
Abjugate (v. t.) To unyoke. [Obs.] -- Bailey.
Abjunctive (a.) Exceptional. [R.]
It is this power which leads on from the accidental and abjunctive to the universal. -- I. Taylor.
Abjuration (n.) The act of abjuring or forswearing; a renunciation upon oath; as, abjuration of the realm, a sworn banishment, an oath taken to leave the country and never to return.
Abjuration (n.) A solemn recantation or renunciation; as, an abjuration of heresy.
Oath of abjuration, an oath asserting the right of the present royal family to the crown of England, and expressly abjuring allegiance to the descendants of the Pretender. -- Brande & C.
Abjuration (n.) A disavowal or taking back of a previous assertion [syn: retraction, abjuration, recantation].
Abjuration. () A renunciation of allegiance to a country by oath.
Abjuration. () The act of Congress of the 14th of April, 1802, 2 Story's Laws, U.S. 850, requires that when an alien shall apply to be admitted a citizen of the United States, he shall declare on oath or affirmation before the court where the application shall be made, inter alia, that he doth absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity which he owes to any foreign prince, &c., and particularly, by name, the prince, &c., whereof he was before a citizen or subject. Rawle on the Const. 98.
Abjuration. () In England the oath of abjuration is an oath by which an Englishman binds himself not to acknowledge any right in the Pretender to the throne of England.
Abjuration. () It signifies also, according to 25 Car. H., an oath abjuring to certain doctrines of the church of Rome.
Abjuration. () In the ancient English law it was a renunciation of one's country and taking an oath of perpetual banishment. A man who had committed a felony, and for safety flea to a sanctuary might within forty days' confess the fact, and take the oath of abjuration and perpetual banishment; he was then transported. This was abolished by Stat. 1 Jac. 1, c. 25. Ayl. Parerg. 14.
Abjuratory (a.) Containing abjuration.
Abjured (imp. & p. p.) of Abjure.
Abjuring (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Abjure.
Abjure (v. t.) 發誓放棄 To renounce upon oath; to forswear; to disavow; as, to abjure allegiance to a prince. To abjure the realm, is to swear to abandon it forever.
Abjure (v. t.) To renounce or reject with solemnity; to recant; to abandon forever; to reject; repudiate; as, to abjure errors. "Magic I here abjure." -- Shak.
Syn: See Renounce.
Abjure (v. i.) To renounce on oath. -- Bp. Burnet.
Abjure (v.) Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure; "He retracted his earlier statements about his religion"; "She abjured her beliefs" [syn: {abjure}, {recant}, {forswear}, {retract}, {resile}].
Abjure (v.) [ T ] (Formal) 公開放棄，聲明棄絕 To say formally or publicly that you no longer agree with a belief or way of behaving.
// He abjured his religion/ his life of dissipation.
Abjurement (n.) Renunciation. [R.]
Abjurer (n.) One who abjures.
Abjurer (n.) A person who abjures.
Ablactate (v. t.) To wean. [R.] -- Bailey.
Ablactate (v.) Gradually deprive (infants and young mammals) of mother's milk; "she weaned her baby when he was 3 months old and started him on powdered milk"; "The kitten was weaned and fed by its owner with a bottle" [syn: wean, ablactate].
Ablactation (n.) 斷奶 The weaning of a child from the breast, or of young beasts from their dam. -- Blount.
Ablactation (n.) (Hort.) The process of grafting now called inarching, or grafting by approach.
Ablactation (n.) The cessation of lactation.
Ablactation (n.) The act of substituting other food for the mother's milk in the diet of a child or young mammal [syn: {weaning}, {ablactation}].
Ablaqueate (v. t.) To lay bare, as the roots of a tree. [Obs.] -- Bailey.
Ablaqueation (n.) (Uncountable) The act or process of laying bare the roots of trees to expose them to the air and water. [Obs.] -- Evelyn.
Ablastemic (a.) (Biol.) 不形成芽基的；非芽生的；不發芽的 Non-germinal.
Ablation (n.) 【醫學】部分切除 (術)；【醫學】脫落；【地質學；地理學】消融，冰面融化；【化學】燒蝕 A carrying or taking away; removal. -- Jer. Taylor.
Ablation (n.) (Med.) Extirpation. -- Dunglison.
Ablation (n.) (Med.) Removing or destroying of a body tissue, especially by a surgical procedure. -- Dorland.
Ablation (n.) (Geol.) Wearing away; superficial waste , as of glacial ice or snow. -- Tyndall.
Ablation (n.) (Aerospace) Wearing away of the outer layers of a protective shield or surface by the heat and aerodynamic forces caused by flying through the atmosphere at hypersonic speed, as during reentry from space; as, ablation of the heat shield during reentry.
Ablation (n.) Surgical removal of a body part or tissue [syn: ablation, extirpation, cutting out, excision].
Ablation (n.) The erosive process that reduces the size of glaciers.
Ablatitious (a.) Diminishing; as, an ablatitious force. -- Sir J. Herschel.
Ablative (a.) Taking away or removing. [Obs.]
Where the heart is forestalled with misopinion, ablative directions are found needful to unteach error, ere we can learn truth. -- Bp. Hall.
Ablative (a.) (Gram.) Applied to one of the cases of the noun in Latin and some other languages, -- the fundamental meaning of the case being removal, separation, or taking away.
Ablative () (Gram.) The ablative case.
Ablative absolute, A construction in Latin, in which a noun in the ablative case has a participle (either expressed or implied), agreeing with it in gender, number, and case, both words forming a clause by themselves and being unconnected, grammatically, with the rest of the sentence; as, Tarquinio regnante, Pythagoras venit, i. e., Tarquinius reigning, Pythagoras came.
Ablative (a.) Relating to the ablative case.
Ablative (a.) Tending to ablate; i.e. to be removed or vaporized at very high temperature; "ablative material on a rocket cone."
Ablative (n.) The case indicating the agent in passive sentences or the instrument or manner or place of the action described by the verb [syn: ablative, ablative case].
Ablaut (n.) (Philol.) The substitution of one root vowel for another, thus indicating a corresponding modification of use or meaning; vowel permutation; as, get, gat, got; sing, song; hang, hung. -- Earle.
Ablaut (n.) A vowel whose quality or length is changed to indicate linguistic distinctions (such as sing sang sung song).
Ablaze (adv. & a.) (a.) 著火的，閃亮的，激昂的 (adv.) 著火，閃耀 On fire; in a blaze, gleaming. --Milman.
All ablaze with crimson and gold. -- Longfellow.
Ablaze (adv. & a.) In a state of glowing excitement or ardent desire.
The young Cambridge democrats were all ablaze to assist Torrijos. -- Carlyle.
Ablaze (a.) keenly excited (especially sexually) or indicating excitement; "his face all ablaze with excitement" -- Bram Stoker; "he was aflame with desire" [syn: ablaze, aflame, aroused].
Ablaze (a.) Lighted up by or as by fire or flame; "forests set ablaze (or afire) by lightning"; "even the car's tires were aflame"; "a night aflare with fireworks"; "candles alight on the tables"; "houses on fire" [syn: ablaze(p), afire(p), aflame(p), aflare(p), alight(p), on fire(p)].
Ablaze (a.) Resembling flame in brilliance or color; "maple trees ablaze in autumn."
Ablaze (a.) Lighted with red light as if with flames; "streets ablaze with lighted Christmas trees"; "the inflamed clouds at sunset"; "reddened faces around the campfire" [syn: ablaze(p), inflamed, reddened].
Able (a.) 能，可，會 [F] [+to-v]；有能力的；能幹的 Fit; adapted; suitable. [Obs.]
A many man, to ben an abbot able. -- Chaucer.
Able (a.) Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain; able to play on a piano.
Able (a.) Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever; powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able speech.
No man wrote abler state papers. -- Macaulay.
Able (a.) (Law) Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property.
Note: Able for, is Scotticism.
"Hardly able for such a march." -- Robertson.
Syn: Competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; capable; skillful; clever; vigorous; powerful.
Able (v. t.) [Obs.] To make able; to enable; to strengthen. -- Chaucer.
Able (v. t.) To vouch for. "I 'll able them." -- Shak.
-able () An adjective suffix now usually in a passive sense; able to be; fit to be; expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense; as, movable, able to be moved; amendable, able to be amended; blamable, fit to be blamed; salable.
Note: The form -ible is used in the same sense.
Note: It is difficult to say when we are not to use -able instead of -ible. "Yet a rule may be laid down as to when we are to use it. To all verbs, then, from the Anglo-Saxon, to all based on the uncorrupted infinitival stems of Latin verbs of the first conjugation, and to all substantives, whencesoever sprung, we annex -able only." -- Fitzed. Hall.
Able (a.) (Usually followed by `to') Having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something; "able to swim"; "she was able to program her computer"; "we were at last able to buy a car"; "able to get a grant for the project" [ant: unable].
Able (a.) Have the skills and qualifications to do things well; "able teachers"; "a capable administrator"; "children as young as 14 can be extremely capable and dependable" [syn: able, capable].
Able (a.) Having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity; "able to learn"; "human beings are able to walk on two feet"; "Superman is able to leap tall buildings."
Able (a.) Having a strong healthy body; "an able seaman"; "every able-bodied young man served in the army" [syn: able, able-bodied].
ABLE, () A simple language for accountants.
["ABLE, The Accounting Language, Programming and Reference Manual," Evansville Data Proc Center, Evansville, IN, Mar 1975].
[Listed in SIGPLAN Notices 13(11):56 (Nov 1978)].
(1994-11-08)
Able-bodied (a.) 強壯的，健全的；熟練的 Having a sound, strong body; physically competent; robust. "Able-bodied vagrant." -- Froude. -- A`ble-bod"ied*ness, n..
Able-bodied (a.) Having a strong healthy body; "an able seaman"; "every able-bodied young man served in the army" [syn: able, able-bodied].
Ablegate (v. t.) To send abroad. [Obs.] -- Bailey.
Ablegate (n.) (R. C. Ch.) 天主教教宗為某特殊任務而派遣外地之特使，羅馬教皇特使 A representative of the pope charged with important commissions in foreign countries, one of his duties being to bring to a newly named cardinal his insignia of office.
Ablegation (n.) The act of sending abroad. [Obs.] -- Jer. Taylor.
Able-minded (a.) 能幹的 Having much intellectual power. -- A`ble-mind"ed*ness, n.
Ableness (n.) Ability of body or mind; force; vigor. [Obs. or R.]
Ablepsy (n.) Blindness. [R.] -- Urquhart.
Abler (a.) (comp.) of Able. -- A"blest, a., superl. of Able. Ablet
Able (a.) [comp. Abler; superl. Ablest.] Fit; adapted; suitable. [Obs.]
A many man, to ben an abbot able. -- Chaucer.
Able (a.) Having sufficient power, strength, force, skill, means, or resources of any kind to accomplish the object; possessed of qualifications rendering competent for some end; competent; qualified; capable; as, an able workman, soldier, seaman, a man able to work; a mind able to reason; a person able to be generous; able to endure pain; able to play on a piano.
Able (a.) Specially: Having intellectual qualifications, or strong mental powers; showing ability or skill; talented; clever; powerful; as, the ablest man in the senate; an able speech.
No man wrote abler state papers. -- Macaulay.
Able (a.) (Law) Legally qualified; possessed of legal competence; as, able to inherit or devise property.
Note: Able for, is Scotticism.
"Hardly able for such a march." -- Robertson.
Syn: Competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; capable; skillful; clever; vigorous; powerful.
Able (a.) (Usually followed by `to') having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something; "able to swim"; "she was able to program her computer"; "we were at last able to buy a car"; "able to get a grant for the project" [ant: unable].
Able (a.) Have the skills and qualifications to do things well; "able teachers"; "a capable administrator"; "children as young as 14 can be extremely capable and dependable" [syn: able, capable].
Able (a.) Having inherent physical or mental ability or capacity; "able to learn"; "human beings are able to walk on two feet"; "Superman is able to leap tall buildings."
Able (a.) Having a strong healthy body; "an able seaman"; "every able-bodied young man served in the army" [syn: able, able-bodied].
ABLE, () A simple language for accountants.
["ABLE, The Accounting Language, Programming and Reference Manual," Evansville Data Proc Center, Evansville, IN, Mar 1975].
[Listed in SIGPLAN Notices 13(11):56 (Nov 1978)].
(1994-11-08)
Ablet (n.) Alt. of Ablen.
Ablen (n.) (Zool.) 【魚類】（淡水產）銀鯉 A small fresh-water fish ({Leuciscus alburnus); the bleak.
Compare: Common bleak
Common bleak (n.) 歐白魚 The common bleak (Alburnus alburnus) is a small freshwater coarse fish of the cyprinid family. [1]
The body of the bleak is elongated and flat. The head is pointed and the relatively small mouth is turned upwards. The anal fin is long and has 18 to 23 fin rays. The lateral line is complete. The bleak has a shiny silvery colour; and the fins are pointed and colourless. The maximum length is approximately 25 cm.
In Europe the bleak can easily be confused with many other species. In England, young common bream and silver bream can be confused with young bleak, though the pointed upward turned mouth of the bleak is already distinctive at young stages. Young roach and ruffe have a wider body and a short anal fin.
歐白魚（學名：Alburnus alburnus）為輻鰭魚綱鯉形目鯉科的其中一種，廣泛分布於歐洲各地，本魚背鰭硬棘2至4枚；背鰭軟條7至9枚；臀鰭硬棘3；臀鰭軟條14至20枚；脊椎骨41至44枚，體長可達25公分，棲息在低地河流，屬肉食性，以昆蟲及無脊椎動物等為食，成魚出現在淺灘接近水表面，主要捕食浮游生物，包括甲殼動物與昆蟲，可做為食用魚、養殖魚及遊釣魚類。
Abligate (v. t.) To tie up so as to hinder from. [Obs.]
Abligurition (n.) Prodigal expense for food. [Obs.] -- Bailey.
Ablins (adv.) Perhaps. [Scot.]
Aiblins, Ablins, (adv.) [See Able.] Perhaps; possibly. [Scotch] -- Burns.
Abloom (adv.) 開著花（的）；開滿花（的） In or into bloom; in a blooming state. -- Masson.
Abloom (a.) Bursting into flower; "flowering spring trees" [syn: abloom, efflorescent].
Ablude (v. t.) To be unlike; to differ. [Obs.] -- Bp. Hall.
Abluent (a.) 洗淨的 Washing away; carrying off impurities; detergent.
Abluent (n.) (Med.) 【醫】清潔劑 A detergent.
Ablush (adv. & a.) Blushing; ruddy.
Ablution (n.) 【宗】沐浴（儀式），洗手（儀式），洗禮；洗禮儀式用的水；（常用複）沐浴，洗澡 The act of washing or cleansing; specifically, the washing of the body, or some part of it, as a religious rite.
Ablution (n.) The water used in cleansing. "Cast the ablutions in the main." -- Pope.
Ablution (n.) (R. C. Ch.) A small quantity of wine and water, which is used to wash the priest's thumb and index finger after the communion, and which then, as perhaps containing portions of the consecrated elements, is drunk by the priest.
Ablution (n.) The ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels.
Ablution, () Or washing, was practised, (1.) When a person was initiated into a higher state: e.g., when Aaron and his sons were set apart to the priest's office, they were washed with water previous to their investiture with the priestly robes (Lev. 8:6).
Ablution, () Before the priests approached the altar of God, they were required, on pain of death, to wash their hands and their feet to cleanse them from the soil of common life (Ex. 30:17-21). To this practice the Psalmist alludes, Ps. 26:6.
Ablution, () There were washings prescribed for the purpose of cleansing from positive defilement contracted by particular acts. Of such washings eleven different species are prescribed in the Levitical law (Lev. 12-15).
Ablution, () A fourth class of ablutions is mentioned, by which a person purified or absolved himself from the guilt of some particular act. For example, the elders of the nearest village where some murder was committed were required, when the murderer was unknown, to wash their hands over the expiatory heifer which was beheaded, and in doing so to say, "Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it" (Deut. 21:1-9). So also Pilate declared himself innocent of the blood of Jesus by washing his hands (Matt. 27:24). This act of Pilate may not, however, have been borrowed from the custom of the Jews. The same practice was common among the Greeks and Romans.
The Pharisees carried the practice of ablution to great excess, thereby claiming extraordinary purity (Matt. 23:25). Mark (7:1-5) refers to the ceremonial ablutions. The Pharisees washed their hands "oft," more correctly, "with the fist" (R.V., "diligently"), or as an old father, Theophylact, explains it,"up to the elbow." (Compare also Mark 7:4; Lev. 6:28; 11: 32-36; 15:22) (See WASHING.)
Ablution (n.) (Formal) [ U ] 沐浴；淨體（禮）；洗手（禮） The act of washing yourself.
// Ablution is part of some religious ceremonies.
Ablutions (n. pl.) (Humorous) 沐浴，洗澡，淨體 Your ablutions are the things you do when you wash yourself.
// I need to perform my ablutions!
Ablutionary (a.) 洗淨的 Pertaining to ablution.
Ablutionary (a.) Cleansing the body by washing; especially ritual washing of e.g. hands; "ablutionary rituals" [syn: ablutionary, cleansing].
Abluvion (n.) That which is washed off. [R.] -- Dwight.
Ably (adv.) 能幹地；巧妙地；出色地 In an able manner; with great ability; as, ably done, planned, said.
-ably () A suffix composed of -able and the adverbial suffix -ly; as, favorably.
Ably (adv.) With competence; in a competent capable manner; "they worked competently" [syn: competently, aptly, ably, capably] [ant: displaying incompetence, incompetently].
Abnegated (imp. & p. p.) of Abnegate.
Abnegating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Abnegate.
Abnegate (v. t.) 放棄（權力等）；克制（慾望等） To deny and reject; to abjure. -- Sir E. Sandys. Farrar.
Abnegate (v.) Deny oneself (something); restrain, especially from indulging in some pleasure; "She denied herself wine and spirits" [syn: {deny}, {abnegate}].
Abnegate (v.) Surrender (power or a position); "The King abnegated his power to the ministers."
Abnegate (v.) Deny or renounce; "They abnegated their gods."
Abnegate (v.) [ T ] (Formal) 放棄，捨棄，戒禁 To not allow yourself to have something, especially something you like or want.
Abnegate (v.) [ T ] (Formal) To not accept something, or to say that you do not have something.
// To abnegate responsibility/ guilt.
Abnegation (n.) 拒絕，放棄；自制；自我犧牲 A denial; a renunciation.
With abnegation of God, of his honor, and of religion, they may retain the friendship of the court. -- Knox.
Abnegation (n.) The denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief; "abnegation of the Holy Trinity."
Abnegation (n.) Renunciation of your own interests in favor of the interests of others [syn: abnegation, self-abnegation, denial, self-denial, self-renunciation].
Abnegative (a.) Denying; renouncing; negative. [R.] -- Clarke.
Abnegator (n.) [L.] 克制者；放棄者 One who abnegates, denies, or rejects anything. [R.]
Abnet (n.) [Heb.] The girdle of a Jewish priest or officer.
Abnodate (v. t.) To clear (tress) from knots. [R.] -- Blount.
Abnodation (n.) The act of cutting away the knots of trees. [R.] -- Crabb.
Abnormal (a.) [Z] 不正常的，反常的；不規則的；異乎尋常的，例外的；變態的；畸形的 Not conformed to rule or system; deviating from the type; anomalous; irregular. "That deviating from the type; anomalous; irregular. " -- Froude.
Abnormal (a.) Not normal; not typical or usual or regular or conforming to a norm; "abnormal powers of concentration"; "abnormal amounts of rain"; "abnormal circumstances"; "an abnormal interest in food" [syn: abnormal, unnatural] [ant: normal].
Abnormal (a.) Departing from the normal in e.g. intelligence and development; "they were heartbroken when they learned their child was abnormal"; "an abnormal personality" [ant: normal].
Abnormal (a.) Much greater than the normal; "abnormal profits"; "abnormal ambition."
Abnormal (a.) Not conforming to standard. In matters of thought and conduct, to be independent is to be abnormal, to be abnormal is to be detested. Wherefore the lexicographer adviseth a striving toward the straiter [sic] resemblance of the Average Man than he hath to himself. Whoso attaineth thereto shall have peace, the prospect of death and the hope of Hell.
Abnormal (a.) (C1) 反常的，異常的，變態的（尤指不好的） Different from what is usual or average, especially in a way that is bad.
// Abnormal behaviour/ weather/ conditions.
// Tests revealed some abnormal skin cells.
Abnormalcy (n.) An abnormal condition [syn: {abnormality}, {abnormal condition}] [ant: {normality}].
Abnormalcy (n.) An abnormal physical condition resulting from defective genes or developmental deficiencies [syn: abnormality, abnormalcy] [ant: normalcy, normality].
Abnormalcy (n.) (pl. Abnormalcies) （通常指身體的）反常，異常，變態，紊亂 Something abnormal, usually in the body.
Abnormalcy (n.) Abnormality.
Abnormalities (n. pl. ) of Abnormality.
Abnormality (n.) 不正常，反常 The state or quality of being abnormal; variation; irregularity. -- Darwin.