v., also 5–7 abhorre. [ad. L. abhorrē-re to shrink back in dread, to be far from, to be inconsistent with; f. ab away from + horrē-re, to bristle, to stand with, or as, hair on end, to stand aghast, to shudder with fright, etc. Cf. Fr. abhorrer which may have given the trans. sense; the intr. ones are clearly from L.]
† 1. trans. lit. To shrink back from with shuddering, to view with horror or dread. Obs. rare.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, XIII. x. 47. Abhor thou not the fyre and flambis bricht, From thy dere spousis hede glaid to the hicht.
2. fig. To regard with horror, extreme repugnance or disgust; to hate utterly, loathe, abominate.
a. Obj. a noun or noun-phrase.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., 563. Thei abhorren aboue alle othere … the Sacrament of the auter, the preciose bodi and blood of Crist.
1494. Fabyan, I. xxvi. 19 (1542). The Brytons abhorred the lynage of Gorbodio.
1535. Coverdale, Ecclus. l. 25. There be two maner of people, that I abhorre fro my hert.
1542. Boorde, Dyetary (1870), viii. 247. To slepe on the backe vpryght is utterly to be abhorred.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. v. 219. He will come to her in yellow stockings, and ’tis a colour she abhorres.
1611. Bible, Ps. cvii. 18. Their soule abhorreth all manner of meate.
1726. W. Penn, Life, Wks. I. 137. I always abhorr’d discounting private favours at the Publick cost.
1793. Burke, Lett. to Comte D’Artois, Wks. 1844, IV. 186. Abhor intrigue, and you will have the benefit of counsel.
1860. Trench, Serm. in Westm., Abbey, xxvi. 297. How many shun evil as inconvenient, who do not abhor it as hateful…. To abhor evil is to have it in a moral detestation; to shrink back from it with a shuddering horror, as one would shrink back from a hissing, stinging serpent.
b. Obj. an infinitive phr.
1555. Fardle of Facions, II. x. 216. This people so despiseth al other men,… that thei abhor to speake to theim.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. ii. 357. Nature doth abhorre to make his bed With the defunct.
1644. Milton, Areop., 53. Which I know ye abhorre to doe.
1718. Pope, Iliad, XIII. 331. Inglorious here, my soul abhors to stay.
1799. W. Taylor, in Robberds’ Memoirs, I. 306. I abhor to exceed my income.
† 3. causally. To make one shudder, to horrify; to cause horror or disgust. Mostly impers. Obs.
1536. Ld. Berners, Golden Boke of Marcus Aurel. (1546), J v. b. Flesshe oughte not to be so leane, that it abhorre, nor so fatte that it cloie the stomacke.
1541. Elyot, Image of Gov., 7. It abhorreth me to expresse his beastly lyuyng.
1565. J. Halle, Hist. Expost. (1844), 18. It would abhorre any honest mans eares to heare of it.
1604. Shaks., Oth., IV. ii. 162. I cannot say Whore; It do’s abhorre me, now I speake the word.
† 4. intr. lit. To shudder, feel horror or dismay. Obs. rare.
1535. W. Stewart, Cron. Scot., I. 358. Quhen thai saw the greit Montanis thay abhorrit with thame.
† 5. fig. To shrink with horror, repugnance, disgust, or dislike from. Obs.
1538. Starkey, England, 21. Wych [thing] hath causyd many grete, wyse, and polytyke men to abhorre from commyn welys.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Paraph., Matt. xvii. 23. Theyr mynd abhorred so muche from the remembrance of death.
1617. Fynes Moryson, I. 3. i. 208. Most part of the Mariners are Greekes, the Italians abhorring from being sea men.
1651. R. Wittie, trans. Primrose’s Popular Errours, III. i. 133. Some doe so much abhorre from the use thereof, that they think it almost present poyson.
a. 1656. Hales, Golden Rem. (1688), 423. They abhorr’d from the conceit of many men who would believe nothing but what they were able to give a reason for.
† 6. To be repugnant, be at variance, be inconsistent, differ entirely from. Obs.
1553–87. Foxe, A. & M., II. 357. It did nothing at all abhor from nature.
1650. F. G[regory], Maps and Charts, Posthuma, 324. Our own Island useth to bee likened to a Triangle, and it doth not much abhor from that Figure.
1671. Evelyn, Memoirs (1857), III. 234. This new-minted transubstantiation, abhorring from the genuine and rational sense of the text.
