a. Also 4–7 abhominable. [a. Fr. abominable, abhominable ad. L. abōminābil-is deserving imprecation or abhorrence; f. abōminā-ri to deprecate as an ill omen; f. ab off, away + ōmen; cf. the exclamation ‘ab-sīt ōmen!’ In med.L. and OFr., and in Eng. from Wyclif to 17th c., regularly spelt abhominable, and explained as ab homine, quasi ‘away from man, inhuman, beastly,’ a derivation which influenced the use and has permanently affected the meaning of the word. No other spelling occurs in the first folio of Shaks., which has the word 18 times; and in L. L. L., V. i. 27, Holophernes abhors the ‘rackers of ortagriphie,’ who were beginning to write abominable for the time-honored abhominable.]
1. Exciting disgust and hatred, generally by evident ill qualities, physical or moral; offensive, loathsome; odious, execrable, detestable.
a. Of things.
1366. Maundev., (1839), ix. 101. The abhomynable Synne of Sodomye.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Mac. i. 57. Kyng Antiochus beeldide the abominable [1388 abhominable] ydol of desolacioun.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. xci. 840. The frogge is venemouse and abhomynable therefore to men.
1535. Fisher, Wks. (1876), 373. Askyng of him mercy for your abhominable offences.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. i. 27. Neighbour vocatur nebour; neigh abreuiated ne: this is abhominable, which he would call abbominable. Ibid. (1603), Meas. for Meas., III. ii. 25. From their abhominable and beastly touches.
1611. Bible, Lev. vii. 21. Any vncleane beast, or any abominable vncleane thing.
1661. Pagitt, Heresiog., 91. The authors of this opinion that set Prayers are abhominable.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 465. This infernal pit, Abominable, accursed, the house of woe.
1756. Burke, Vind. Nat. Soc., Wks. I. 76. Shall we pass by this monstrous heap of absurd notions, and abominable practices?
1876. Humphrey, Coin Coll. Man., xxiv. 337. The abominable profligacy of her character did not prevent a servile senate from conferring divine honours upon her.
b. Of persons.
1382. Wyclif, Titus i. 16. Thei ben abomynable [1388 abhominable] and vnbyleveful, and reprouable to al good werk.
1535. Coverdale, Wisd. xiv. 9. For the vngodly & his vngodlynes are both like abhominable vnto God.
1610. Shaks., Temp., II. ii. 163. The poore Monster’s in drinke: An abhominable Monster.
1619. T. Taylor, Titus, i. 16. 324. The miserable condition of the hypocrite; Hee is an abhominable person.
1668. Culpeper & Cole, trans. Bartholinus Anat., I. xxviii. 70. A young woman the Wife of an abominable Taylor.
1878. B. Taylor, Deukalion, I. iv. 36. Distinct, abominable, I see ourselves before the Titans were.
2. loosely. Very unpleasant or distasteful.
1860. Tyndall, Glaciers, I. § 27. 218. The rain was pitiless and the road abominable.
1874. Black, Pr. of Thule, 37. Sheila had nothing to do with the introduction of this abominable decoration.
B. as adv.
1477. Norton, Ordin. Alch. (1652), v. 73. For they maie be abhominable sower, Over-sharpe, too bitter.
¶ ABOMINABLE has occasionally been used, like terrible, prodigious, as a simple intensive. Juliana Berners (15th c.) writes of ‘a bomynable syght of monks,’ i.e., a large company. Cf. ABOMINATION 5 and ABOMINATIONLY.
