n. [ F., fr. L. absentia. See Absent. ] 1. A state of being absent or withdrawn from a place or from companionship; -- opposed to presence. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. Phil. ii. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Want; destitution; withdrawal. “In the absence of conventional law.” Kent. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Inattention to things present; abstraction (of mind); as, absence of mind. “Reflecting on the little absences and distractions of mankind.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

To conquer that abstraction which is called absence. Landor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F., fr. absens, absentis, p. pr. of abesse to be away from; ab + esse to be. Cf. Sooth. ] 1. Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; not present. “Expecting absent friends.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not existing; lacking; as, the part was rudimental or absent. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Inattentive to what is passing; absent-minded; preoccupied; as, an absent air. [ 1913 Webster ]

What is commonly called an absent man is commonly either a very weak or a very affected man. Chesterfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Absent, Abstracted. These words both imply a lack of attention to surrounding objects. We speak of a man as absent when his thoughts wander unconsciously from present scenes or topics of discourse; we speak of him as abstracted when his mind (usually for a brief period) is drawn off from present things by some weighty matter for reflection. Absence of mind is usually the result of loose habits of thought; abstraction commonly arises either from engrossing interests and cares, or from unfortunate habits of association. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Absented; p. pr. & vb. n. Absenting. ] [ Cf. F. absenter. ] 1. To take or withdraw (one's self) to such a distance as to prevent intercourse; -- used with the reflexive pronoun. [ 1913 Webster ]

If after due summons any member absents himself, he is to be fined. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To withhold from being present. [ Obs. ] “Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ LL. absentaneus. See absent ] Pertaining to absence. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of absenting one's self. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who absents himself from his country, office, post, or duty; especially, a landholder who lives in another country or district than that where his estate is situated; as, an Irish absentee. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or practice of an absentee; esp. the practice of absenting one's self from the country or district where one's estate is situated. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who absents one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an absent or abstracted manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being absent; withdrawal. [ R. ] Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Absent in mind; abstracted; preoccupied. -- Ab`sent-mind"ed*ness, n. -- Ab`sent-mind"ed*ly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being absent-minded. H. Miller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abstruse; difficulty of apprehension. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Formed fr. L. adesse to be present; ad + esse to be. ] (Eccl. Hist.) One who held the real presence of Christ's body in the eucharist, but not by transubstantiation. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. The state of being fat; fatness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being adverse; opposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Psychol.) A sensation or sense impression following the removal of a stimulus producing a primary sensation, and reproducing the primary sensation in positive, negative, or complementary form. The aftersensation may be continuous with the primary sensation or follow it after an interval. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. Vehemence of temper. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Good against dysentery. -- n. A medicine for dysentery. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Arras. ] A material of wool or silk used for working the figures in embroidery. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Sp. & F. arsenal arsenal, dockyard, or It. arzanale, arsenale (cf. It. & darsena dock); all fr. Ar. dārçinā'a house of industry or fabrication; dār house + çinā'a art, industry. ] A public establishment for the storage, or for the manufacture and storage, of arms and all military equipments, whether for land or naval service. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A salt of arsenic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Arsenate. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. arsenicum, Gr. 'arseniko`n, 'arreniko`n, yellow orpiment, perh. fr. 'arseniko`s or better Attic 'arreniko`s masculine, 'a`rrhn male, on account of its strength, or fr. Per. zernīkh: cf. F. arsenic. ] 1. (Chem.) One of the elements, a solid substance resembling a metal in its physical properties, but in its chemical relations ranking with the nonmetals. It is of a steel-gray color and brilliant luster, though usually dull from tarnish. It is very brittle, and sublimes at 356° Fahrenheit. It is sometimes found native, but usually combined with silver, cobalt, nickel, iron, antimony, or sulphur. Orpiment and realgar are two of its sulphur compounds, the first of which is the true arsenicum of the ancients. The element and its compounds are active poisons. Specific gravity from 5.7 to 5.9. Atomic weight 75. Symbol As. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Com.) Arsenious oxide or arsenious anhydride; -- called also arsenious acid, white arsenic, and ratsbane. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, arsenic; -- said of those compounds of arsenic in which this element has its highest equivalence; as, arsenic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to, or containing, arsenic; as, arsenical vapor; arsenical wall papers. [ 1913 Webster ]

Arsenical silver, an ore of silver containing arsenic. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Arsenicated; p. pr. & vb. n. Arsenicating. ] To combine with arsenic; to treat or impregnate with arsenic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) A diseased condition produced by slow poisoning with arsenic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A compound of arsenic with a metal, or positive element or radical; -- formerly called arseniuret. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Arsenic + -ferous. ] Containing or producing arsenic. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. arsénieux. ] 1. Pertaining to, consisting of, or containing, arsenic; as, arsenious powder or glass. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, arsenic, when having an equivalence next lower than the highest; as, arsenious acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. arsénite. ] (Chem.) A salt formed by the union of arsenious acid with a base. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) See Arsenide. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Combined with arsenic; -- said some elementary substances or radicals; as, arseniureted hydrogen. [ Also spelt arseniuretted. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Arsenic + pyrite. ] (Min.) A mineral of a tin-white color and metallic luster, containing arsenic, sulphur, and iron; -- also called arsenical pyrites and mispickel. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Assented; p. pr. & vb. n. Assenting. ] [ F. assentir, L. assentire, assentiri; ad + sentire to feel, think. See Sense. ] To admit a thing as true; to express one's agreement, acquiescence, concurrence, or concession. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who informed the governor . . . And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so. Acts xxiv. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

The princess assented to all that was suggested. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To yield; agree; acquiesce; concede; concur. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. assent, fr. assentir. See Assent, v. ] The act of assenting; the act of the mind in admitting or agreeing to anything; concurrence with approval; consent; agreement; acquiescence. [ 1913 Webster ]

Faith is the assent to any proposition, on the credit of the proposer. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

The assent, if not the approbation, of the prince. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

Too many people read this ribaldry with assent and admiration. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Royal assent, in England, the assent of the sovereign to a bill which has passed both houses of Parliament, after which it becomes law. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Concurrence; acquiescence; approval; accord. -- Assent, Consent. Assent is an act of the understanding, consent of the will or feelings. We assent to the views of others when our minds come to the same conclusion with theirs as to what is true, right, or admissible. We consent when there is such a concurrence of our will with their desires and wishes that we decide to comply with their requests. The king of England gives his assent, not his consent, to acts of Parliament, because, in theory at least, he is not governed by personal feelings or choice, but by a deliberate, judgment as to the common good. We also use assent in cases where a proposal is made which involves but little interest or feeling. A lady may assent to a gentleman's opening the window; but if he offers himself in marriage, he must wait for her consent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. assentatio. See Assent, v. ] Insincere, flattering, or obsequious assent; hypocritical or pretended concurrence. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abject flattery and indiscriminate assentation degrade as much as indiscriminate contradiction and noisy debate disgust. Ld. Chesterfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. assentari to assent constantly. ] An obsequious; a flatterer. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Flattering; obsequious. [ Obs. ] -- As*sent"a*to*ri*ly, adv. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

n. One who assents. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Assenting. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Giving or implying assent. -- As*sent"ing*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

a. Giving assent; of the nature of assent; complying. -- As*sent"ive*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

n. Assent; agreement. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being averse; opposition of mind; unwillingness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or condition of being base; degradation; vileness. [ 1913 Webster ]

I once did hold it a baseness to write fair. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Bascinet. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. bin- + arseniate. ] (Chem.) A salt having two equivalents of arsenic acid to one of the base. Graham. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To drench; to soak; especially, to immerse (in water believed to have curative properties). [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

There were many bowssening places, for curing of mad men.
. . . If there appeared small amendment he was bowssened again and again. Carew. [ 1913 Webster ]