Part 12

<hw>Ab"bess</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OF.<ets>abaesse</ets>, <ets>abeesse</ets>, F. <ets>abbesse</ets>, L. <ets>abbatissa</ets>, fem. of <ets>abbas</ets>, <ets>abbatis</ets>, abbot. See <er>Abbot</er>.]</ety> <def>A female superior or governess of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks. See <er>Abbey</er>.</def>

<h1>Abbey</h1> <Xpage=2>

<hw>Ab"bey</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Abbeys</plw> <tt>(#)</tt>.</plu> <ety>[OF. <ets>aba\'8be</ets>, F. <ets>abbaye</ets>, L. <ets>abbatia</ets>, fr. abbas abbot. See <er>Abbot</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>A monastery or society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy; also, the monastic building or buildings.</def>

<note>&hand; The men are called <it>monks</it>, and governed by an abbot; the women are called <i>nuns</i>, and governed by an abbess.</note>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The church of a monastery.</def>

<hr> <page="3"> Page 3<p>

<note>In London, <i>the Abbey</i> means Westminster Abbey, and in Scotland, the precincts of the Abbey of Holyrood. The name is also retained for a private residence on the site of an abbey; as, Newstead <i>Abbey</i>, the residence of Lord Byron.</note>

<syn>Syn. -- Monastery; convent; nunnery; priory; cloister. See <er>Cloister</er>.</syn>

<h1>Abbot</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab"bot</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>abbod</ets>, <ets>abbad</ets>, L. <ets>abbas</ets>, <ets>abbatis</ets>, Gr. <?/, fr. Syriac <ets>abb\'be</ets> father. Cf. <er>Abba</er>, <er>Abb\'90</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>The superior or head of an abbey.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>One of a class of bishops whose sees were formerly abbeys.</def>

<i>Encyc. Brit.</i>

<cs><col>Abbot of the people</col>. <cd>a title formerly given to one of the chief magistrates in Genoa.</cd> -- <mcol><col>Abbot of Misrule</col> (or <col>Lord of Misrule</col>)</mcol>, <cd>in medi\'91val times, the master of revels, as at Christmas; in Scotland called the <er>Abbot of Unreason</er>.</cd></cs>

<i>Encyc. Brit.</i>

<h1>Abbotship</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab"bot*ship</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[<ets>Abbot</ets> + <ets>-ship</ets>.]</ety> <def>The state or office of an abbot.</def>

<h1>Abbreviate</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab*bre"vi*ate</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>v.t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p.p.</tt> <er>Abbreviated</er> <tt>(#)</tt>; <tt>p.pr. & vb.n.</tt> <er>Abbreviating</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[L. <ets>abbreviatus</ets>, p.p. of <ets>abbreviare</ets>; <ets>ad + breviare</ets> to shorten, fr. <ets>brevis</ets> short. See <er>Abridge</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To make briefer; to shorten; to abridge; to reduce by contraction or omission, especially of words written or spoken.</def>

<blockquote>It is one thing to <b>abbreviate</b> by contracting, another by cutting off.

<i>Bacon.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Math.)</fld> <def>To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction.</def>

<h1>Abbreviate</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab*bre"vi*ate</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>abbreviatus</ets>, p.p.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Abbreviated; abridged; shortened.</def> <mark>[R.]</mark> "The <i>abbreviate</i> form."

<i>Earle.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Biol.)</fld> <def>Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type.</def>

<h1>Abbreviate</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab*bre"vi*ate</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>An abridgment.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>