n.; pl. Abbeys [ OF. abaïe, abbaïe, F. abbaye, L. abbatia, fr. abbas abbot. See Abbot. ] 1. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The men are called monks, and governed by an abbot; the women are called nuns, and governed by an abbess. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The church of a monastery. [ 1913 Webster ]

In London, the Abbey 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 Abbey, the residence of Lord Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Monastery; convent; nunnery; priory; cloister. See Cloister. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. abeance expectation, longing; a (L. ad) + baer, beer, to gape, to look with open mouth, to expect, F. bayer, LL. badare to gape. ] 1. (Law) Expectancy; condition of being undetermined. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When there is no person in existence in whom an inheritance (or a dignity) can vest, it is said to be in abeyance, that is, in expectation; the law considering it as always potentially existing, and ready to vest whenever a proper owner appears. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Suspension; temporary suppression. [ 1913 Webster ]

Keeping the sympathies of love and admiration in a dormant state, or state of abeyance. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Abeyance. [ R. ] Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Being in a state of abeyance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Beg a bey. ] A governor of a province or district in the Turkish dominions; also, in some places, a prince or nobleman; a beg; as, the bey of Tunis. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Turk. ] The territory ruled by a bey. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. [ OE. biyonde, bi&yogh_;eonde, AS. begeondan, prep. and adv.; pref. be- + geond yond, yonder. See Yon, Yonder. ] 1. On the further side of; in the same direction as, and further on or away than. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beyond that flaming hill. G. Fletcher. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. At a place or time not yet reached; before. [ 1913 Webster ]

A thing beyond us, even before our death. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Past, out of the reach or sphere of; further than; greater than; as, the patient was beyond medical aid; beyond one's strength. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. In a degree or amount exceeding or surpassing; proceeding to a greater degree than; above, as in dignity, excellence, or quality of any kind. “Beyond expectation.” Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beyond any of the great men of my country. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beyond sea. (Law) See under Sea. --
To go beyond, to exceed in ingenuity, in research, or in anything else; hence, in a bed sense, to deceive or circumvent. [ 1913 Webster ]

That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter. 1 Thess. iv. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Further away; at a distance; yonder. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lo, where beyond he lyeth languishing. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disobeyed p. pr. & vb. n. Disobeying. ] [ F. désobéir; pref. dés- (L. dis-) + obéir. See Obey, and cf. Disobedient. ] Not to obey; to neglect or refuse to obey (a superior or his commands, the laws, etc.); to transgress the commands of (one in authority); to violate, as an order; as, refractory children disobey their parents; men disobey their Maker and the laws. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not to disobey her lord's behest. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To refuse or neglect to obey; to violate commands; to be disobedient. [ 1913 Webster ]

He durst not know how to disobey. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who disobeys. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ So called by Buffon from Mangaby, in Madagascar, where he erroneously supposed them be native. ] (Zool.) Any one of several African monkeys of the genus Cercocebus, as the sooty mangabey (Cercocebus fuliginosus), which is sooty black. [ Also written mangaby. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Obeyed p. pr. & vb. n. Obeying. ] [ OE. obeyen, F. obéir, fr. L. obedire, oboedire; ob (see Ob-) + audire to hear. See Audible, and cf. Obeisance. ] 1. To give ear to; to execute the commands of; to yield submission to; to comply with the orders of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Children, obey your parents in the Lord. Eph. vi. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

Was she the God, that her thou didst obey? Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To submit to the authority of; to be ruled by. [ 1913 Webster ]

My will obeyed his will. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Afric and India shall his power obey. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To yield to the impulse, power, or operation of; as, a ship obeys her helm. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To give obedience. [ 1913 Webster ]

Will he obey when one commands? Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ By some old writers obey was used, as in the French idiom, with the preposition to. [ 1913 Webster ]

His servants ye are, to whom ye obey. Rom. vi. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

He commanded the trumpets to sound: to which the two brave knights obeying, they performed their courses. Sir. P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who yields obedience. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Obediently; submissively. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) See Web, n., 8. [ 1913 Webster ]