Part 14

<hw>Ab"dal</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Ar. <ets>bad\'c6l</ets>, pl. <ets>abd\'bel</ets>, a substitute, a good, religious man, saint, fr. <ets>badala</ets> to change, substitute.]</ety> <def>A religious devotee or dervish in Persia.</def>

<h1>Abderian</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab*de"ri*an</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[From <ets>Abdera</ets>, a town in Thrace, of which place Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher, was a native.]</ety> <def>Given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment.</def>

<h1>Abderite</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab*de"rite</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>Abderita</ets>, <ets>Abderites</ets>, fr. Gr. '<?/.]</ety> <def>An inhabitant of Abdera, in Thrace.</def>

<cs><col>The Abderite</col>, <cd>Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher.</cd></cs>

<h1>Abdest</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab"dest</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Per. <ets>\'bebdast</ets>; <ets>ab</ets> water + <ets>dast</ets> hand.]</ety> <def>Purification by washing the hands before prayer; -- a Mohammedan rite.</def>

<i>Heyse.</i>

<h1>Abdicable</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab"di*ca*ble</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Capable of being abdicated.</def>

<h1>Abdicant</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab"di*cant</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>abdicans</ets>, p.pr. of <ets>abdicare</ets>.]</ety> <def>Abdicating; renouncing; -- followed by <i>of</i>.</def>

<blockquote>Monks <b>abdicant</b> of their orders. <i>Whitlock.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Abdicant</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab"di*cant</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One who abdicates.</def>

<i>Smart.</i>

<h1>Abdicate</h1> <Xpage=3>

<hw>Ab"di*cate</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>v.t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p.p.</tt> <er>Abdicated</er> <tt>(#)</tt>; <tt>p.pr. & vb.n.</tt> <er>Abdicating</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[L. <ets>abdicatus</ets>, p.p. of <ets>abdicare</ets>; <ets>ab + dicare</ets> to proclaim, akin to <ets>dicere</ets> to say. See <er>Diction</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To surrender or relinquish, as sovereign power; to withdraw definitely from filling or exercising, as a high office, station, dignity; <as>as, to <ex>abdicate</ex> the throne, the crown, the papacy</as>.</def>

<note>&hand; The word <i>abdicate</i> was held to mean, in the case of James II., to abandon without a formal surrender.</note>

<blockquote>The cross-bearers <b>abdicated</b> their service. <i>Gibbon.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To renounce; to relinquish; -- said of authority, a trust, duty, right, etc.</def>

<blockquote>He <b>abdicates</b> all right to be his own governor. <i>Burke.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>The understanding <b>abdicates</b> its functions. <i>Froude.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To reject; to cast off.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Bp. Hall.</i>

<p><b>4.</b> <fld>(Civil Law)</fld> <def>To disclaim and expel from the family, as a father his child; to disown; to disinherit.</def>

<syn>Syn. -- To give up; quit; vacate; relinquish; forsake; abandon; resign; renounce; desert.</syn> <usage> -- To <er>Abdicate</er>, <er>Resign</er>. <i>Abdicate</i> commonly expresses the act of a monarch in voluntary and formally yielding up sovereign authority; <as>as, to <ex>abdicate</ex> the government</as>. <i>Resign</i> is applied to the act of any person, high or low, who gives back an office or trust into the hands of him who conferred it. Thus, a minister <i>resigns</i>, a military officer <i>resigns</i>, a clerk <i>resigns</i>. The expression, "The king <i>resigned</i> his crown," sometimes occurs in our later literature, implying that he held it from his people. -- There are other senses of <i>resign</i> which are not here brought into view.</usage>