<B>absolute address,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the specific location where information is stored in a digital computer. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutealcohol">
<B>absolute alcohol,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> ethyl alcohol that is theoretically pure and in practice contains not more than 1 per cent of water by weight. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutealtimeter">
<B>absolute altimeter,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an altimeter measuring altitude by the time required for a radio wave to echo from the surface immediately below. It is absolute in contrast to the measurement by barometric pressure, which is subject to atmospheric conditions. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutealtitude">
<B>absolute altitude,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the height of a flying object, such as an aircraft or missile, above the earth's surface directly below (rather than above sea level). </DL>
<A NAME="absoluteceiling">
<B>absolute ceiling,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the maximum altitude above sea level at which a given aircraft or other airborne object can maintain horizontal flight. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutecomparison">
<B>absolute comparison,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Grammar.) the use of comparative or superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs in a sense that does not involve comparison. Thus in "I am in the best of health," <I>best</I> is an absolute superlative, but in "He was the best student in the class," <I>best</I> is a relative superlative. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutedischarge">
<B>absolute discharge,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Law.) (in Great Britain) the discharge of an offender upon payment of a fine or court costs, which is not considered to be a conviction, nor entered in police records as a criminal case. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutehumidity">
<B>absolute humidity,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the mass of water vapor present in a given volume of air, usually expressed in grams per cubic meter. </DL>
<A NAME="absoluteidealism">
<B>absolute idealism,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Philosophy.) a form of idealism which holds that there is only one universal spirit, of which all things are manifestations. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutemagnitude">
<B>absolute magnitude,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the magnitude a given star would have if placed at the distance of 10 parsecs (32.6 light-years) from the earth, used as a basis for expressing the intrinsic brightness of stars. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutemajority">
<B>absolute majority,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> more than half the total number voting or qualified to vote. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutemonarchy">
<B>absolute monarchy,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a monarchy in which the ruler's power is not limited. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutemusic">
<B>absolute music,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> music which does not imitate, describe, or represent objective sounds, scenes, or events; abstract music. </DL>
<A NAME="absoluteohm">
<B>absolute ohm,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a measure of the resistance of a conductor based on electromagnetic units of the centimeter-gram-second system, equal to (10 to the power of 9) abohms. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutepitch">
<B>absolute pitch,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Music.) <DD><B> 1. </B>the pitch of a tone determined solely by the frequency of its vibrations per second. <DD><B> 2. </B>a sense of correct pitch, by which some people are able exactly to identify tones by ear; perfect pitch. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutepressure">
<B>absolute pressure,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> fluid pressure measured above a vacuum (or above zero pressure) in units of force per unit of area. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutereality">
<B>absolute reality,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Philosophy.) the presence in the universe of a spiritual power greater than man's moral or religious perceptions. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutes">
<B>absolutes, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>absolute.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="absolutescale">
<B>absolute scale,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a scale in which temperatures are measured from absolute zero, such as the Kelvin scale or the Rankine scale. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutesystem">
<B>absolute system,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a system of absolute units. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutetemperature">
<B>absolute temperature,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a temperature measured from or expressed in degrees above absolute zero. </DL>
<A NAME="absoluteunit">
<B>absolute unit,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a unit defined directly in terms of the fundamental units of mass, length, and time, as opposed to relative measurements. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutevalue">
<B>absolute value,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the value of a real number regardless of any accompanying sign. <BR> <I>Ex. The absolute value of +3, or of -3, is 3.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="absolutezero">
<B>absolute zero,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the temperature at which substances would have no heat whatever, and all molecules would stop moving. Theoretically, it is the lowest temperature, -273.15 degrees centigrade (Celsius) or -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit. </DL>
<A NAME="absolution">
<B>absolution, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a freeing from guilt or punishment for sin; forgiveness of sins declared by ecclesiastical authority. <BR> <I>Ex. After confession, after absolution, When my whole soul was white I prayed for them (Longfellow).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a freeing or freedom from guilt or blame. (SYN) pardon, exoneration, exculpation, acquittal. <DD><B> 3. </B>the declaration that frees a person from guilt or punishment for sin. <BR> <I>Ex. The Absolution or Remission of Sins, To be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing (Book of Common Prayer).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>release from a duty or promise. (SYN) discharge, acquittance, exemption. <DD><B> 5. </B>remission of penance or other ecclesiastical sentence. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutism">
<B>absolutism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a system or form of government in which the ruler has unrestricted power; despotism. (SYN) tyranny, autocracy, totalitarianism. <DD><B> 2. </B>positiveness. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Philosophy.) the doctrine of an absolute idealism. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutist">
<B>absolutist, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a person who favors or supports absolutism. <DD><I>adj. </I> despotic. <BR> <I>Ex. ... the return under Soviet rule to some of the darkest practices of absolutist tsarism (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="absolutistic">
<B>absolutistic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of absolutists or absolutism. </DL>
<A NAME="absolutize">
<B>absolutize, </B>transitive verb, <B>-tized,</B> <B>-tizing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to make absolute; declare perfect, unconditional, or complete. <BR> <I>Ex. The forms that characterize man's religious thought ... are culturally contingent; yet the early Christian philosophers absolutized them (Saturday Review).</I> </DL>
<B>absolvable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be absolved; deserving absolution. noun <B>absolvableness.</B> adv. <B>absolvably.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="absolve">
<B>absolve, </B>transitive verb, <B>-solved,</B> <B>-solving.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to declare free from sin, guilt, or blame or their penalties or consequences. <BR> <I>Ex. My brother was absolved of blame for the accident. The priest absolved the man after he confessed his sin and did penance.</I> (SYN) exonerate, acquit. <DD><B> 2. </B>to set free (from a duty or obligation); release. <BR> <I>Ex. I absolve you from your promise to go.</I> (SYN) exempt. noun <B>absolver.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="absolvent">
<B>absolvent, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> absolving. <DD><I>noun </I> a person who absolves. </DL>
<A NAME="absonant">
<B>absonant, </B>adjective. =discordant.</DL>
<A NAME="absorb">
<B>absorb, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to take in or suck up (a liquid or gas); soak or blot up. <BR> <I>Ex. The sponge absorbed the spilled milk. Water can absorb ammonia.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to take in and make a part of itself; assimilate. <BR> <I>Ex. The United States has absorbed millions of immigrants.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to take in and hold rather than reflect. <BR> <I>Ex. Rugs absorb sounds and make a house quieter. Anything black absorbs most of the light rays that fall on it.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) to take up all the attention of; interest very much. <BR> <I>Ex. Building a dam in the brook absorbed the boy so completely that he did not hear us call him to lunch.</I> (SYN) engross. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Figurative.) to grasp with the mind; understand. <BR> <I>Ex. to absorb the full meaning of a remark.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>to take in and endure; sustain. <BR> <I>Ex. The boxer absorbed the punches without buckling under the assault. North Vietnam could absorb considerable punishment ... without any decisive economic effect (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>to accept and pay (an increased cost, tax, or the like) without adding it to the price of a product or services. <BR> <I>Ex. The manufacturer absorbed the increase in overhead and did not raise his prices.</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>(Biology.) to take (digested food, oxygen, or the like) into the bloodstream by osmosis. <BR> <I>Ex. Digested food is absorbed into the bloodstream in the intestines.</I> noun <B>absorber.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="absorbability">
<B>absorbability, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an absorbable condition or quality. </DL>
<A NAME="absorbable">
<B>absorbable, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that can be absorbed. </DL>
<A NAME="absorbance">
<B>absorbance, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Physics.) the common logarithm of the absorptivity of a substance. </DL>
<B>absorbed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> very much interested; completely occupied; engrossed. <BR> <I>Ex. I was so absorbed that I did not hear the bell ring. He eyed the coming tide with an absorbed attention (Dickens).</I> adv. <B>absorbedly.</B> noun <B>absorbedness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="absorbefacient">
<B>absorbefacient, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> causing or aiding absorption. <DD><I>noun </I> any substance causing or aiding absorption. </DL>
<A NAME="absorbency">
<B>absorbency, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an absorbent quality or condition. <DD><B> 2. </B>the degree to which a substance is absorbent. </DL>
