-a straight or rounded
molding with a scroll or leaf design in the form of a single serpent
entwined about the rod; used as a building ornament.
abacus -a small, thick square or rectangular plate (small abacus)
forming the top of a column.
abacus -a thick square or rectangular plate of any size forming the
top of a column.
abandon - to leave unused in place, with- out intending to return;
as in the case of pipe that has been capped off and left in place rather
than being removed when it is no longer needed.
abate - 1) to remove or shape material to form a relief design; 2)
to hammer metal; 3) to end or suppress; 4) to reduce or lessen.
abatement - 1) the decreasing of the strength of a timber as it is
shaped to the proper size for use; 2) the wastage of wood when lumber is
planed to size; 3) a diminishing, as in strength; 4) the shaping of metal
by hammering.
abatjour - 1) a skylight or other means of admitting light into a
building and deflecting the light downward; 2) a movable screen; 3) a
movable slat.
abeyance -a lapse in succession during which title to a piece of
real property is not clearly established.
ablate - removal of a material by melting and/or burning away.
ablative surface -a surface designed to melt or burn away at a
controlled rate, as in the beat shield of a space capsule.
Abney level -a hand-held level used in surveying to determine
elevations and slope angles.
abode - residence.
abrade -to wear away or erode, as to wear down with sandpaper or
emery cloth.
abrasion -wearing away.
abrasion soldering -an intentional mechanical abrasion of the base
metal during soldering.
abrasive -any material used for grinding, sanding, polishing or the
wearing away of another material. Aluminum oxide, garnet and silicon-based
compounds are commonly used as abrasives for sanding and smoothing wood.
See Box.