[f. ABSTRACT ppl. a., like content vb. f. content adj. After the appearance of the vb., abstract was used for some time as its pa. pple. till superseded by the normal abstracted.]
1. trans. To withdraw, deduct, remove, or take away (something); euphem. to take away secretly, slyly, or dishonestly; to purloin.
1542. Boorde, Dyetary (1870), xi. 258. The brande abstracted and abjected.
1549. Compl. of Scotl., xv. 127. Thou suld abstrak thy inuectiue reprocha.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., h vij. Giff ȝe sowld abstract vair fra 30.
1834. Ht. Martineau, Moral, II. 42. The public burdens, which at present abstract a large proportion of profits and wages.
1852. Layard, Nineveh, ix. 233. The principal public quarrels related to property abstracted by the Arabs from one another’s tents.
1872. W. Black, Adv. Phaeton, vi. 72. Von Rosen had quietly abstracted the bearing-reins from the harness.
1880. Geikie, Phys. Geog., II. 10. 68. When evaporation takes place, heat is abstracted by the vapour from the surface which evaporates.
b. absol. To deduct; to derogate; to take away.
1825–45. Carlyle, Schiller (ed. 2), II. 97. There is throughout a certain air of stiffness and effort which abstracts from the theatrical illusion.
† c. Chem. To separate an essence or chemical principle by distillation, etc.; to extract. Obs.
1669. Boyle Cert. Physiol. Ess., etc., I. 48. Having carefully dephlegm’d it [Spirit of Salt],… and having gently abstracted the whole Spirit, there remain’d in the bottom and the neck of the Retort whence ’twas distill’d, so great a quantity of a certain dry and stiptical substance, for the most part of a yellowish colour, that it seem’d strange to the beholders, that so clear a Spirit should conceal so much of it.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Scurvy, From the fresh gather’d tops of Fir a little bruised, Abstract spirit of Wine or at least good Nants Brandy.
2. trans. To draw off or apart; to separate, withdraw, disengage from.
1557. Paynell, Barclay’s Jugurtha, 28 b. His mynde was abstract … from the defence of goodness and honesty vnto his olde vice.
1649. Selden, Laws of Eng. (1739), I. lv. 97. To abstract the mixed people each from other.
1663. Cowley, Of Solitude, Wks. 1710, II. 696. The Importunities of Company or Business, which would abstract him from his Beloved [Poetry].
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., vi. 212. They ought to abstract their Imagination from that false Infinite Extension, and conceive one Particle of Matter.
1756. Burke, Subl. & B., Wks. I. 262. Campanella … could so abstract his attention from any sufferings of his body that he was able to endure the rack itself without much pain.
b. absol. To withdraw (the attention), divert.
1823. Lamb, Elia (1865), Ser. II. ii. 250. The healing influence of studious pursuits was upon him, to soothe and to abstract.
3. refl., and intr. with refl. meaning. To withdraw oneself, to retire from. lit. and fig.
1671. True Non-Conformist, 17. Desirous … that private men abstract from officious meddling.
1690. Locke, Hum. Underst., IV. iv. 8, Wks. 1727, I. 263. The Truth and Certainty of Moral Discourses abstracts from the Lives of Men.
1722. Steele, Consc. Lover, II. i. When I abstract myself from my own Interest in the thing.
b. Abstracting from: withdrawing in thought from, leaving out of consideration, apart from. Obs. or arch.
1655. Marq. Worcester, Cent. Inv., Dedic. II. 16. Yet, abstracting from any Interest of my own, but as a Fellow-subject and Compatriot will I ever labour.
1667. Decay of Chr. Piety, v. § 26. 240. Take her as mere Paynim, abstracting from the expectation of reward or punishment.
1679. Jenison, Narr. Pop. Plot, 24. His Person (abstracting from his Crimes) having been always … dear to me.
1711. C. M., Lett. to Curat, 95. Abstracting from … what was needful for humouring the thing, the Curat seldom speaks but in the words of the First-rate Divines.
1847. De Quincey, Secret Soc., Wks. 1863, VI. 254. Abstracting, however, from the violent disturbances of those stormy times … we may collect that the scheme of the Farrers was, etc.
4. To separate in mental conception; to consider apart from the material embodiment, or from particular instances.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olbion, A 2. The verse oft … so infolds, that suddaine conceipt cannot abstract a forme of the clothed truth.
c. 1690. South, Serm. (1715), I. 163. For the Vulgar have not such Logical Heads, as to be able to Abstract such subtile Conceptions.
1776. Gibbon, Decl. & F., I. xxi. 575. We may strive to abstract the notions of time, of space, and of matter.
1870. Jevons, Elem. Logic, xxxii. 285. To abstract is to separate the qualities common to all individuals of a group from the peculiarities of each individual.
† 5. To derive, to claim extraction for. Cf. ABSTRACT a. 1. Obs.
1610. Gwillim, Displ. Her. (1660), I. vi. 38. Our understanding is informed from what Line of Consanguinity the Bearer of such difference doth abstract himselfe.
6. To make an abstract of; to summarize, epitomize; to abridge.
1678. Quarles, Arg. & Parth., 1. There dwelt that Virgin, that Arcadian glory, Whose rare composure did abstract the story Of true Perfection.
1743. Franklin, Let., Wks. 1840, VI. 17. That the business and duty of the Secretary be … to abstract, correct, and methodize such papers as require it.
1795. Gibbon, Auto-Biog., 46. This system I studied, and meditated, and abstracted.
1882. Pall Mall G., 10 May, 5/1. We cannot attempt to abstract the article here, but some salient points can be given.
