Part 14

Ab`i*o*ge*net"ic (&?;), a. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to abiogenesis. Ab`i*o*ge*net"ic*al*ly, adv.

Ab`i*og"e*nist (&?;), n. (Biol.) One who believes that life can be produced independently of antecedent. Huxley.

Ab`i*og"e*nous (&?;), a. (Biol.) Produced by spontaneous generation.

Ab`i*og"e*ny (&?;), n. (Biol.) Same as Abiogenesis.

Ab`i*o*log"ic*al (&?;), a. [Gr. 'a priv. + E. biological.] Pertaining to the study of inanimate things.

Ab*ir"ri*tant (&?;), n. (Med.) A medicine that diminishes irritation.

Ab*ir"ri*tate (&?;), v. t. [Pref. ab- + irritate.] (Med.) To diminish the sensibility of; to debilitate.

Ab*ir`ri*ta"tion (&?;), n. (Med.) A pathological condition opposite to that of irritation; debility; want of strength; asthenia.

Ab*ir"ri*ta*tive (&?;), a. (Med.) Characterized by abirritation or debility.

A*bit" (&?;), 3d sing. pres. of Abide. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ab"ject (&?;), a. [L. abjectus, p. p. of abjicere to throw away; ab + jacere to throw. See Jet a shooting forth.] 1. 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.

2. Sunk to a law condition; down in spirit or hope; 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.

Syn. -- Mean; groveling; cringing; mean-spirited; slavish; ignoble; worthless; vile; beggarly; contemptible; degraded.

Ab*ject" (&?;), v. t. [From Abject, a.] To cast off or down; hence, to abase; to degrade; to lower; to debase. [Obs.] Donne.

Ab"ject (&?;), n. 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.

Ab*ject"ed*ness (&?;), n. A very abject or low condition; abjectness. [R.] Boyle.

Ab*jec"tion (&?;), n. [F. abjection, L. abjectio.] 1. The act of bringing down or humbling. "The abjection of the king and his realm." Joe.

2. The state of being rejected or cast out. [R.]

An adjection from the beatific regions where God, and his angels and saints, dwell forever. Jer. Taylor.

3. 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.

Ab"ject*ly (&?;), adv. Meanly; servilely.

Ab"ject*ness, n. The state of being abject; abasement; meanness; servility. Grew.

Ab*judge" (&?;), v. t. [Pref. ab- + judge, v. Cf. Abjudicate.] To take away by judicial decision. [R.]

Ab*ju"di*cate (&?;), v. t. [L. abjudicatus, p. p. of abjudicare; ab + judicare. See Judge, and cf. Abjudge.] To reject by judicial sentence; also, to abjudge. [Obs.] Ash.