AND

A.

As the first letter of the English alphabet, as it is of all other alphabets, except the Ethiopic, of which is the thirteenth, and the Runic, of which it is the The reason of this is probably on account is representing the first vocal sound naturally formed by the organs of speech, uttered by merely p the mouth. The name of the letter is the sand of ay in day; but it has at least four distint sounds:-1. The name or long sound, as in babe, bake, nation, 2. The Italian sound, as in fir farmer, father. 3. The German or broad wed, as in all, bald, halt. 4. The shut or close

as in man, amalgam. The first three sds, when unaccented, are merely shortened in antity. The fourth sound, when unaccented, apprimates in some instances to the sound of u are in batter, as in mortar, dollar, &c. In Gram

, d is usually denominated the indefinite article, because, when placed before a noun, it does net particularize. A before a vowel, or silent h, as changed into an, as, an agreement, an heir; but it is not so altered before u long, as that letter be the power of the consonant y in you. It is pared before a participle or a participial noun, as; is gone a hunting. When prefixed to many or fea, A sometimes implies a whole number, or an rate of few or many taken collectively. As a pritz in words from the Greek, it is generally privative, as, achromatic without colour; in which

, as well as when an article, it takes n between it and the following vowel. In Pharmacy, 4.4. A., abbreviations of the Greek ana, signify ach, separately, or that things mentioned should be taken in quantities of the same measure. 4. 4. 4., in Chemistry, stand for amalgam, or Azamation. In Commerce, A. stands for accepted. 4, in Music, is the nominal of the sixth ole in the natural diatonic scale, called by Guido a. In Burlesque Poetry, 4 is sometimes used to out a syllable without adding to the sense. For cloves and nutmegs to the line-a, And even for oranges from China.-Dryden.

lengthen

AAM-ABACISCUS.

A, among the ancients, stood as a numeral for 500, and with a dash over it, A, for 5000. In the Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldee, and Samaritan, it denotes one, or unity. In the Julian Calendar, A is the first of the seven dominical letters. Among Logicians, A., as an abbreviation, stands for a universal affirmative proposition. A. asserts, and E. denies : thus, in barbara, A, thrice repeated, denotes so many of the propositions to be universal. Among the Romans, 4. was used to signify a negative or dissent. A. stands for antequo, I oppose or object to the proposed law. In criminal trials, A. stood for absolvo, I acquit. A. D.. anno domini, the year of our Lord. A. U. C., anno urbe condita, from the building of the city of Rome. A. M. ante meridian, before noon; or artium magister, master of arts. A has many significations in our old writers and in our provincial dialects, of which the following are some-alı, he, they, all, on, have, one, always, yes, even, &c. awm, s. A Dutch liquid measure, equal to 41 wine gallons at Amsterdam, 364 at Antwerp, 384 at Hamburgh, and 39 at Frankfort.-Macculloch. AARONIC, ay-ron ́ik, a. Pertaining to the AARONICAL, ay-ron'e-kal, priesthood of Aaron. AARONITE, a'ro-nite, s. A descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses, who served as a priest at the sanctuary.-Kitto.

AAM, AUM, AHM,

AB, ab, s. At the beginning of the names of places generally denotes its connection with an abbey, as Abbington; as a prefix of Latin origin, it signifies from. Ab is the Hebrew name of father, and that of the eleventh month of the Jewish civil year, and the fifth of the ecclesiastical year, including part of our July and August. It is the name of the last summer month in the Syriac calendar. ABABILO, a-bab'e-lo, 8. A fabulous animal mentioned in the Koran, said to have had the feet of a dog and the beak of a bird.

ABACISCUS, a-ba-sis ́kus, a. In Architecture, the square compartment of a mosaic pavement, enclos

In Architecture, same as abacus; a square surface (not in use in either of these senses.) In the centre or midst of the pegm, there was an aback. or square, in which this elegy was written.-Ben Jonson. In Marine language, it denotes the situation of the sails when pressed back to or against the mast. Taken aback, is when the sails are carried back suddenly by the wind. Laid aback, is when the sails are purposely placed in that situation to give the ship sternway.

ABACOT, ab'a-kot, s. A cap of state, wronght up into the figure of two crowns, and worn anciently by the kings of England.- Cowel. ABACTOR, a-bak'tur, s. (Latin; from abigo, to drive away.) One who feloniously steals or drives away a herd of cattle, or cattle in considerable numbers. -An old law term. ABACTED, a-bak'ted, part. Driven away by violence. -Obsolete.

ABACUS, ab'a-kus, s. (Latin; from abar, a slab or board, Gr.) A counting table, anciently used in calculations. In Architecture, the upper member of the capital of a column, serving as a crowning both to the capital and to the whole column. It is usually square, but sometimes its sides are arched inwards. The name is also given to a concave moulding on the capital of the Tuscan pedestal, and to the plinth above the boultin in the Tuscan or Doric orders. Abacus harmonicus, the structure and disposition | of the keys of a musical instrument. Abacus major, a trough used in mines to wash ores in. Abacus Pythagoricus, the multiplication table, invented by Pythagorus.

ABADA, ab'a-da, s. An African animal of the deer or antelope kind.

ABADDON, a-bad'don, s. (Greek; from 18. destruction.) The destroyer, the name given in the Apocalypse to the angel of death. Wherever the same Hebrew word occurs in the Old Testament it signifies destruction, or the place of destruction, i. e. the subterranean world, Hades, the region of

the dead. AB.ESUM, a-be'sum, s. The oxide which forms on the iron of wheels, formerly used as medicine. ABAFT, a-baft', ad. or prep. (beaftan, behind, Sax.) Near, or at the stern or hinder part of a ship; towards the stern, as, abaft the mainmast. Abaft the beam, is that arch of the horizon which is between a line drawn at right angles with the keel and the point to which the stern is directed. ABAGUN, ab'a-gun, s. The name of a fowl in Ethiopia, remarkable for its beauty, and for a sort of horn growing on its head. The word signifies stately abbot.

ABAISANCE, a-ba'sans, s. Obeisance,-which see. ABAISSED, a-ba'zd, a. Ashamed; abashed—(obABASED, solete.)

And unboxome y-be,
Nouht abaissed to agulte

God and alle good men,

So gret was mine herte.-Piers' Ploughman.

ABALIENATE, a-bale'yen-ate, r. a. In Law, to allenate; to transfer property from one to another; to estrange; to withdraw the affections.-Not used.

The devil and his deceitful angels do so bewitch them, Svabalenote their minds, and trouble their memories.Abp. wijs.

ABALIENATION, a-bale-yen-a'shun, s. The act of transferring title to property; allenation of property.

ABAMURUS, a-ba-ma'rus, s. (ab, and murus, a wall, Gr.) A buttress or second wall built to strengthen another. Not in use.

ABAND, a-band', r. a. (contracted from Abandon.) To forsake.-Obsolete.

They stronger are

Than they which sought at first their helping hand, And Vortiger enforc'd the kingdom to aband.-Spenser. ABANDON, a-ban'dun, v. a. (abandonner, Fr. abandonare, Ital. abandonar, Span.) To forsake entirely; to renounce; to leave with a view never to return; to resign or yield up, as, to abandon the cares of empire-Gibbon; to give up or resign without control, as, to abandon oneself to sorrow. In Marine Insurance, to relinquish all claim to a ship or goods insured, as a preliminary towards recovering for a total loss;-s. one who totally deserts or forsakes-(obsolete);

A friar, an abandon of the world.—Sir E. Sandys. a relinquishment.-Not used.

Those heavy exactions have occasioned an abandon of all mines but what are of the richer sort.-Lord Kames.

ABANDONED, a-ban'dund, a. Given up, as to a vice; extremely wicked; sinning without restraint. ABANDONEE, a-ban-don-e', s. In Law, one to whom anything is abandoned. ABANDONER, a-ban'dun-ur, s. deserts, or forsakes. ABANDONING, a-ban'dun-ing, s.

One who abandons,

Abandonment.