being often condemned to the mines, baniſhment, and ſometimes capitally.
ABIGEATUS, or Abactus, among phyſicians, ſignifies a miſcarriage effected by art.
ABIGIES, a term in the Roman law, applied to one who had been guilty of the crime Abigeat; which ſee.
ABILITY, a term in law, denoting a power of doing certain actions in the acquiſition or tranſferring of property.
ABINGDON, a town of Berkſhire, England, ſeated on the Thames, about 55 miles W. of London, and gives title of Earl to the noble family of Bertie.
AB-INTESTATE, in the civil law, is applied to a person who inherits the right of one who died intestate, or without making a will. See Intestate.
ABISHERING, a term found in old law books, denoting a liberty or freedom from all amerciaments, and a right to exact forfeitures of others.
ABIT, or Aboit, obſolete terms for ceruſe or white lead. See Ceruse and Chemistry.
ABJURATION, in our ancient cuſtoms, implied an oath, taken by a perſon guilty of felony, and who had fled to a place of ſanctuary, whereby he ſolemnly engaged to leave the kingdom for ever.
Abjuration, is now used to ſignify the renouncing, diſclaiming, and denying, upon oath, the Pretender to have any kind of right to the crown of theſe kingdoms.
Abjuration of heresy, the solemn recantation of any doctrine as falſe and wicked.
ABLAC, a ſmall river in Swabia, which falls into the Danube not far from Furſtenburg.
ABLACTATION, the weaning of a child from the breaſt. See Weaning.
Ablactation, in gardening, ſignifies grafting by approach. See Grafting and Gardening.
ABLACQUEATION, an old term in gardening, ſignifies the operations of removing the earth and baring the roots of trees in winter, to expoſe them more freely to the air, rain, ſnows, &c.
ABLATIVE, is the 6th caſe in Latin grammar, and peculiar to that language. It is oppoſed to the dative, which expreſſes the action of giving, and the ablative that of taking away.
ABLAY, or Ablai, a country of Great Tartary, whoſe inhabitants, called Bochars, are vaſſals of the Ruſſians. It lies to the east of the Irtis, and extends 500 leagues along the ſouthern frontiers of Siberia.
ABLECTI, in Roman antiquity, a ſelect body of soldiers choſen from among thoſe called Extraordinarii, which ſee.
ABLEGMINA, among the ancient Romans, ſignified thoſe parts in the intrails of victims which were ſprinkled with flour, and burnt upon the altar, in ſacrificing to the gods.
ABLET, or Ablen, an obſolete name of the fiſh called Cyprinus. See Cyrprinus.
ABLUENTS, in medicine, are the ſame with diluters.
ABLUTION, a ceremony uſed by the ancient Romans before they began the ſacrifice, which conſiſted in waſhing the body. They very probably learned this ceremoy from the Jews, as have alſo the Mahometans, who ſtill practiſe it with the utmoſt ſtrictneſs.
Ablution, among chemiſts, the ſweetening any matter impregnated with ſalts, by repeatedly waſhing it with pure water. See Chemistry.
Ablution, with phyſicians, is either the waſhing of any external part by bathing, or of the ſtomach and inteſtines by diluting liquors.
ABO, a city of Sweden, capital of Finland, ſeated at the mouth of the river Aurojocks on the gulph of Bothnia, 24. 0. N. E. of Stockholm, in lat. 60. 30. N. and long. 21. 20. E.
ABOARD, ſignifies any part of the deck or inſide of a ſhip; hence any perſon who goes on the deck, or into the apartments of a ſhip, is ſaid to go aboard.
ABOLITION, implies the act of annulling, deſtroying, making void, or reducing to nothing. In law, it ſignifies the repealing of any law or ſtatute.
ABOLLA, the name of a military worn by the Greeks and Romans.
ABOMASUS, Asomasum, or Abomasius, names of the fourth ſtomach of ruminating animals, The firſt ſtomach is called venter, the ſecond reticulum, the third omaſus, and the fourth abomaſis. The third ſtomach, omaſis, is endued with the ſingular quality of curdling milk. But the truth is, the ſtomachs of almoſt all animals, whether they ruminate or not, will produce the ſame effect, though not perhaps in an equal degree, as the ſtomachs of calves or lambs. See Milk, Runnet.
ABOMINATION, a term uſed in ſcripture to expreſs idols, idolatry, &c.
ABORIGINES, an epithet applied to the original or firſt inhabitents of any country, but particularly uſed to ſignify the ancient inhabitants of Latium, or country now called Campagna di Roma, when Æneas with his Trojans came into Italy.
ABORTION, in midwifery, the birth of a fœtus before it has acquired a ſufficient degree of perfection to enable it to perform reſpiration and other vital functions. See Midwifery, title, Of abortions.
Abortion, among gardeners, ſignifies ſuch fruits as, being produced too eaſy, never arrive at maturity.
ABORTIVE, in a general ſenſe, implied any thing which comes before its proper time, or miſcarries in the execution.
ABOY, a ſmall town in Ireland, in the province of Leinſter.
ABRA, a ſilver coin in Poland, in value nearly equivalent to an Engliſh ſhilling.
ABRACADABRA, a magical word of ſpell, which being written as many times as the word contains letters, and omitting the laſt letter of the former every time, was, in the ages of ignorance and ſuperſtition, worn about the neck, as an antidote againſt agues and ſeveral other diſeaſes.
ABRAHAM's balm, in botany, See Cannabis.
ABRAHAMITES, an order of monks exterminated for idolatry by Theophilus in the ninth century. Alſo the name of another ſect of heretics who had adopted the errors of Paulus. See Paulicians.
ABRAMIS, an obſolete name for the fiſh cyprinus, See Cyprinus.
