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1828.mshaffer.com › Word [abstract]
ABSTRACT', v.t. [L. abstraho, to draw from or separate; from abs and traho, which is the Eng. draw. See Draw.] 1. To draw from, or to separate; as to abstract an action from its evil effects; to abstract spirit from any substance by distillation; but in this sense extract is now more generally used.2. To separate ideas by the operation of the mind; to consider one part of a complex object, or to have a partial idea of it in the mind.3. To select or separate the substance of a book or writing; to epitomize or reduce to a summary.4. In chimistry, to separate, as the more volatile parts of a substance by repeated distillation, or at least by distillation.
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Evolution (or devolution) of this word [abstract]
1828 Webster | 1844 Webster | 1913 Webster |
ABSTRACT', v.t. [L. abstraho, to draw from or separate; from abs and traho, which is the Eng. draw. See Draw.] 1. To draw from, or to separate; as to abstract an action from its evil effects; to abstract spirit from any substance by distillation; but in this sense extract is now more generally used.2. To separate ideas by the operation of the mind; to consider one part of a complex object, or to have a partial idea of it in the mind.3. To select or separate the substance of a book or writing; to epitomize or reduce to a summary.4. In chimistry, to separate, as the more volatile parts of a substance by repeated distillation, or at least by distillation. | AB'STRACT, a. [L. abstractus.]- Separate; distinct from something else. An abstract idea, in metaphysics, is an idea separated from a complex object, or from other ideas which naturally accompany it; as the solidity of marble contemplated apart from its color or figure. – Encyc.
Abstract terms are those which express abstract ideas, as beauty, whiteness, roundness, without regarding any subject in which they exist; or abstract terms are the names of orders, genera, or species of things, in which there is a combination of similar qualities. – Stewart.
Abstract numbers are numbers used without application to things, as 6, 8, 10: but when applied to any thing, as 6 feet, 10 men, they become concrete.
Abstract or pure mathematics, is that which treats of magnitude or quantity, without restriction to any species of particular magnitude, as arithmetic and geometry; opposed to which is mixed mathematics, which treats of simple properties, and the relations of quantity, as applied to sensible objects, as hydrostatics, navigation, optics, &c. – Encyc.
- Separate, existing in the mind only; as an abstract subject; an abstract question; and hence, difficult, abstruse.
AB'STRACT, n.- A summary, or epitome, containing the substance, a general view, or the principal heads of a treatise or writing. – Watts.
- Formerly, an extract, or a smaller quantity, containing the essence of a larger.
In the abstract, in a state of separation, as a subject considered in the abstract, i. e. without reference to particular persons or things.
AB-STRACT', v.t. [L. abstraho, to draw from or separate; from abs and traho, which is the Eng. draw. See Draw.]- To draw from, or to separate; as, to abstract an action from its evil effects; to abstract spirit from any substance by distillation; but in this sense extract is now more generally used.
- To separate ideas by the operation of the mind; to consider one part of a complex object, or to have a partial idea of it in the mind. – Horne.
- To select or separate the substance of a book or writing; to epitomize or reduce to a summary. – Watts.
- In chimistry, to separate, as the more volatile parts of a substance by repented distillation, or at least by distillation.
| Ab"stract`
- Withdraw; separate.
- To withdraw] to separate; to take
away.
- To perform the process
of abstraction.
- That which comprises or
concentrates in itself the essential qualities of a larger thing or of
several things. Specifically: A summary or an epitome, as of a treatise or
book, or of a statement; a brief.
- Considered apart from any application to a
particular object; separated from matter; existing in the mind only; as,
abstract truth, abstract numbers. Hence: ideal; abstruse;
difficult.
- To draw off in respect to interest or attention;
as, his was wholly abstracted by other objects.
- A state of separation from other things; as, to
consider a subject in the abstract, or apart from other associated
things.
- Expressing a
particular property of an object viewed apart from the other properties
which constitute it; -- opposed to concrete; as, honesty is an
abstract word.
- To separate, as ideas, by the operation of the
mind; to consider by itself; to contemplate separately, as a quality or
attribute.
- An abstract term.
- Abstracted; absent in mind.
- To epitomize; to abridge.
- A powdered solid extract of a
vegetable substance mixed with sugar of milk in such proportion that one
part of the abstract represents two parts of the original
substance.
- To take secretly or dishonestly; to purloin; as,
to abstract goods from a parcel, or money from a till.
- To separate, as the more volatile
or soluble parts of a substance, by distillation or other chemical
processes. In this sense extract is now more generally
used.
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1828 Webster | 1844 Webster | 1913 Webster |
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Enlightening Grace
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Abstract ABSTRACT', verb transitive [Latin abstraho, to draw from or separate; from abs and traho, which is the Eng. draw. See Draw.] 1. To draw from, or to separate; as to abstract an action from its evil effects; to abstract spirit from any substance by distillation; but in this sense extract is now more generally used. 2. To separate ideas by the operation of the mind; to consider one part of a complex object, or to have a partial idea of it in the mind. 3. To select or separate the substance of a book or writing; to epitomize or reduce to a summary. 4. In chimistry, to separate, as the more volatile parts of a substance by repeated distillation, or at least by distillation. AB'STRACT, adjective [Latin abstractus.] 1. separate; distinct from something else. An abstract idea, in metaphysics, is an idea separated from a complex object, or from other ideas which naturally accompany it, as the solidity of marble contemplated apart from its color or figure. ABSTRACT terms are those which express abstract ideas, as beauty, whiteness, roundness, without regarding any subject in which they exist; or abstract terms are the names of orders, genera, or species of things, in which there is a combination of similar qualities. ABSTRACT numbers are numbers used without application to things, as, 6, 8, 10: but when applied to anything, as 6 feet, 10 men, they become concrete. ABSTRACT or pure mathematics, is that which treats of magnitude or quantity, without restriction to any species of particular magnitude, as arithmetic and geometry; opposed to which is mixed mathematics, which treats of simple properties, and the relations of quantity, as applied to sensible objects, as hydrostatics, navigation, optics, etc. 2. Separate, existing in the mind only; as an abstract subject; an abstract question: and hence difficult, abstruse. AB'STRACT, noun 1. A summary, or epitome, containing the substance, a general view, or the principal heads of a treatise or writing. 2. Formerly, an extract, or a smaller quantity, containing the essence of a larger. In the abstract in a state of separation, as a subject considered in the abstract i. e. without reference to particular persons or things.
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Hard-cover Edition |
340 |
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520 |
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Compact Edition |
324 |
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227 |
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CD-ROM |
282 |
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186 |
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* As a note, I have purchased each of these products. In fact, as we have been developing the Project:: 1828 Reprint, I have purchased several of the bulky hard-cover dictionaries. My opinion is that the 2000-page hard-cover edition is the only good viable solution at this time. The compact edition was a bit disappointing and the CD-ROM as well. |
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