aboure

[A.N.] The same as AvoURÉ = a patron. "By God and Seynte Mary myn abouré ." MS . of 15th Cent. a-bout', prep & adv. [A.S. ábútan, ábúton, on - but an, ymbe-utan, embutan = about or around; on, ym, or em heing analogous to the Gr. ἀμφί, and but an signifying without : be = by, útan = out [BUT]; literally around, on the outside.] 1. Around (all round of place), encircling a person, place, or thing in whole or in part. "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck."- Proe . iii. 3. IMG:content-0038.png:[blocks in formation] 1. Near to in quantity, quality, or degree. the number of the men was about five you sand."-Acts iv. 4. 2. Here and there, hither and thither. "And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house."-1 Tim. v. 13. 3. Round, by a circuitous route. "But God led the people about , through the way of the wilderne of the Red Sea, "- Exod . xiii. 18. Round about : In every direction around. "A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about." Ps. xcvii. 3. 4. Just prepared to do an act. "And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship."- Acts xxvii. 30. To bring about , or, as it is in 2 Sam. xiv. 20, to fetch about , signifies to take effective measures for accomplishing a purpose; to accomplish a purpose or end. Naut.: To go about is when a ship is made to change her course, and go upon a particular tack different from that on which she has been previously proceeding. About ship , or ready about , is the concise method of giving orders for such a change of course. Bring about: To bring to the point or state desired. to bring about all Israel unto thee."2 Sam . iii. 12. "Whether she will be brought about by breaking her head, I very much question."-Spectator. Come about : To arrive, to reach the proper moment for the occurrence of an event. "The time was come about ."-1 Sam . 1. 20. Go about : To wander hither and thither with the view of finding opportunity to do a deed. "Why go ye about to kill me?"-John vii. 19. III. As the imperative of a verb, or especially with Go requiring to be supplied: " About my brains" (ie., brains go to work). Shakesp.: Hamlet, ii. 2. *about-hammer, about-sledge, s. The largest hammer used by smiths. It is generally employed by under-workmen called hammer-men. ( Note in Beaumont and Fletcher, ed. Dyce, iv. 289.) * about-speich. [ About ; speech .] Circumlocution. ( Scotch .) "Rycht so my about - speech often tymes And semblabill word is we compyl our rymes." Douglas: Virgil , 10, 1. 12 IMG:content-0039.png:[blocks in formation] place beyond. ment." Gen. 1. 7. the waters which were above the firm a" Above the brims they force their fiery way." Dryden: Eneid. 2. Fig .: Higher or superior to, of greater rank or dignity than. "The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord."- Matt . x. 24. 3. Higher in number or quantity; more in number or quantity, upwards. "For the man was above forty years old."- Acts iv. 22. 4. Higher in measure or degree, more in measure or degree, more than, beyond. thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field." Gen. iii. 14. 5. Higher than it is po ible to grasp intellectually, unattainable. "It is an old and true distinction that things may be above reason without being contrary to it." Swift . 6. Too high in point of conscience willingly to do a disreputable deed; also too high in one's own self-esteem for; too proud for. "Kings and princes in the earlier ages of the world laboured in arts and occupations, and were above nothing that tended to promote the conveniences of life." Pope: Ody ey, Notes. Above all is an elliptic phrase for "above all things, above all circumstances, chiefly, principally." Above-stairs: On the floor above. *7. Colloquial : (1) Above a bit exceedingly. (2) Above your hooks = too knowing, too clever. IMG:content-0040.png:[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small] In the III. Of time: Before, previously. phrase, "We have shown above ," and in the adjectives above - cited , above - described , above -mentioned, above-named, above- specified , above signifies in the immediately preceding portion of the book, but not nece arily on the upper part of the same page. The use of these terms carries us back to the time when books were written on long continuous scrolls, and a previous part of the composition was really above that to which the writer had come. the above-cited mammalian genera of the Old World."-Owen: Brit. Fo il Mammals. Sometimes it is employed almost like a substantive. It then signifies(1) The higher part, the upper part. the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above ." Josh . iii. 13. (2) Heaven, the place of bli . "Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above.)"- Rom . x 6. aboveboard, adv. Lit.: Above the board or table, in open sight, so as to forbid the po ibility or at least the likelihood of fraud, trick, or deception. In a way opposed to the procedure of the gamester, who puts his hands under the table to shuffle the cards. 1. In open sight, without trickery. "It is the part also of an honest man to deal aboveboard and without tricks."- L'Estrange. 2. Openly, without the effort at concealment which a proper feeling of shame would induce. "Now-a-days they [villanies] are owned aboveboard."-South: Sermons. Used more frequently in colloquial language than by our best English cla ics. above-deck, a . 1. Naut .: Upon the deck of a ve el, not in the cabin or other parts below. 2. Fig .: (Like ABOVE-BOARD, q.v.) Without artifice. above-ground, a. Alive, unburied. "I'll have 'em, an they be above-ground." Beaumont and Fletcher: The Chances. *a-bo'ven, prep. & adv. Old form of ABOVE. "And specially aboven every thing." Chaucer: Sompnoures Tale , 7,296.