abide

  • 1Abide — A*bide , v. t. 1. To wait for; to be prepared for; to await; to watch for; as, I abide my time. I will abide the coming of my lord. Tennyson. [1913 Webster] Note: [[Obs.], with a personal object. [1913 Webster] Bonds and afflictions abide me.… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2Abide — A*bide , v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Abode}, formerly {Abid}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Abiding}.] [AS. [=a]b[=i]dan; pref. [=a] (cf. Goth. us , G. er , orig. meaning out) + b[=i]dan to bide. See {Bide}.] 1. To wait; to pause; to delay. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3abide — vt abode or abid·ed, abid·ing: to accept without objection abide by: to act or behave in accordance with or in obedience to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …

    Law dictionary

  • 4abide — is now limited to two main meanings, and has lost many others over seven centuries of use along with several redundant inflections, including abode. The principal meaning ‘to bear, tolerate’ is now only used in negative contexts, usually with a… …

    Modern English usage

  • 5abide — [v1] submit to, put up with accept, acknowledge, bear, bear with*, be big about*, concede, consent, defer, endure, hang in*, hang in there*, hang tough*, live with*, put up with*, receive, sit tight*, stand, stand for, stomach, suffer, swallow,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 6abide — ► VERB 1) (abide by) accept or observe (a rule or decision). 2) informal tolerate: he could not abide conflict. 3) (of a feeling or memory) endure. 4) archaic live; dwell. ORIGIN Old English, wait ; related to BIDE(Cf. ↑ …

    English terms dictionary

  • 7abide — (v.) O.E. abidan, gebidan remain, wait, delay, remain behind, from ge completive prefix (denoting onward motion; see A (Cf. a ) (1)) + bidan bide, remain, wait, dwell (see BIDE (Cf. bide)). Originally intransitive (with genitive of the object: we …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 8abide by — (something) to accept or obey an arrangement, decision, or rule. It is a good thing that most drivers abide by the rules of the road …

    New idioms dictionary

  • 9abide — [ə bīd′] vi. abode [ə bōd′] or abided, abiding [ME abiden < OE ābīdan < ā , intens. + bīdan, BIDE] 1. to stand fast; remain; go on being 2. Archaic to stay; reside ( in or at) vt. 1. to await …

    English World dictionary

  • 10abide by — index accede (concede), adhere (maintain loyalty), comply, concede, conform, defer (yield in judgment), fulfill …

    Law dictionary