Pronounciation Nation

noun improper use of words; unidiomatic or ungrammatical language.

adjective using, containing, or characterized by harshly or coarsely insulting language: an abusive author; abusive remarks. treating badly or injuriously; mistreating, especially physically: his abusive handling of the horse. wrongly used; corrupt: an abusive exercise of power.

noun frequent or habitual absence from work, school, etc.: rising absenteeism in the industry. the practice of being an absentee landlord.

verb (used without object),a·but·ted, a·but·ting. to be adjacent; touch or join at the edge or border (often followed by on, upon, or against): This piece of land abuts on a street. verb (used with object),a·but·ted, a·but·ting. to be adjacent to; border on; end at. to support by an abutment.

adverb in an absent-minded manner; inattentively.

noun a green, aromatic liqueur that is 68 percent alcohol, is made with wormwood and other herbs, and has a bitter, licorice flavor: now banned in most Western countries. wormwood (def. 2).

adverb without exception; completely; wholly; entirely: You are absolutely right. without doubt or reservation; positively; certainly: I'll absolutely support your candidacy. (of a transitive verb) without an object. interjection (used emphatically to express complete agreement or unqualified assent): Do you think it will work? Absolutely!

adjective free from imperfection; complete; perfect: absolute liberty. not mixed or adulterated; pure: absolute alcohol. complete; downright: an absolute lie; an absolute denial; They made absolute fools of themselves at the party last night. free from restriction or limitation; not limited in any way: absolute command; absolute freedom. unrestrained or unlimited by a constitution, counterbalancing group, etc., in the exercise of governmental power, especially when arbitrary or despotic: an absolute monarch. viewed independently; not comparative or relative; intrinsic: absolute knowledge. positive; certain: absolute in opinion; absolute evidence. Grammar. relatively independent syntactically: the construction It being Sunday in It being Sunday, the family went to church is an absolute construction. (of a usually transitive verb) used without an object, as the verb give in The charity asked him to give. (of an adjective) having its noun understood, not expressed, as rich in The rich get richer. characterizing the phonological form of a word or phrase occurring by itself, not influenced by surrounding forms, as not in is not (as opposed to isn't), or will in they will (as opposed to they'll).: Compare sandhi. Physics. independent of arbitrary standards or of particular properties of substances or systems: absolute humidity. pertaining to a system of units, as the centimeter-gram-second system, based on some primary units, especially units of length, mass, and time. pertaining to a measurement based on an absolute zero or unit: absolute temperature. Education. noting or pertaining to the scale of a grading system based on an individual's performance considered as representing their knowledge of a given subject regardless of the performance of others in a group: The math department grades on an absolute scale. : Compare curve (def. 10). Climatology. noting or pertaining to the highest or lowest value of a meteorological quantity recorded during a given, usually long, period of time: absolute maximum temperature. Computers. machine-specific and requiring no translation (opposed to symbolic): absolute coding; absolute address. noun something that is not dependent upon external conditions for existence or for its specific nature, size, etc. (opposed to relative). the absolute, something that is free from any restriction or condition. something that is independent of some or all relations. something that is perfect or complete. (in Hegelianism) the world process operating in accordance with the absolute idea.

adjective dissonant; discordant (usually followed by from or to): behavior that is absonant to nature.

verb (used with object) to suck up or drink in (a liquid); soak up: A sponge absorbs water. to swallow up the identity or individuality of; incorporate: The empire absorbed many small nations. to involve the full attention of; to engross or engage wholly: so absorbed in a book that he did not hear the bell. to occupy or fill: This job absorbs all of my time. to take up or receive by chemical or molecular action: Carbonic acid is formed when water absorbs carbon dioxide. to take in without echo, recoil, or reflection: to absorb sound and light; to absorb shock. to take in and utilize: The market absorbed all the computers we could build. Can your brain absorb all this information? to pay for (costs, taxes, etc.): The company will absorb all the research costs. Archaic. to swallow up.

adjective deeply interested or involved; preoccupied: He had an absorbed look on his face.

nounElectricity. the centimeter-gram-second unit of electrical power, equivalent to 10−7 watt.

noun the German high-command service for espionage, counterintelligence, and sabotage during World War II.

verb (used with object),past and past participle a·bought. Archaic. to pay the penalty of. verb (used without object),past and past participle a·bought.Obsolete. to endure; continue. to undergo suffering as a penalty.

noun an ancient ruined city in central Egypt, near Thebes: temples and necropolis. an ancient town in NW Asia Minor, at the narrowest part of the Hellespont.

noun,plural ab·scis·sas, ab·scis·sae [ab-sis-ee]. Mathematics. (in plane Cartesian coordinates) the x-coordinate of a point: its distance from the y-axis measured parallel to the x-axis.

verb (used without object),ab·scised, ab·scis·ing.Botany. to separate by abscission, as a leaf from a stem.

verb (used with object) to sever.

nounPathology. a localized collection of pus in the tissues of the body, often accompanied by swelling and inflammation and frequently caused by bacteria.

noun the code name for an FBI investigation (1978–80) of bribery, involving members of Congress.

noun the third and favorite son of David, who rebelled against his father and was slain by Joab. 2 Samuel 13–18. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “father of peace.”

plural nounInformal. abdominal muscles.

noun Duke of the Prince Luigi Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta, 1873–1933, Italian naval officer, mountain climber, and Arctic explorer.

adverb without warning; suddenly or unexpectedly: Not noticing that the car in front of him had stopped abruptly, he rear-ended it. in few words and without using any polite formulas; brusquely: My 14-year-old son was calling; as soon as I picked up, he asked abruptly, “How long till you get home?” steeply; sharply: At one end, the meadow flowed into a large valley; at the other, it dropped off abruptly in a cliff.

adjective capable of absorbing heat, light, moisture, etc.; tending to absorb. noun something that absorbs: Tons of high-powered absorbents were needed to clean up the oil spill.