Abomination

also 4–7 abhominacioun, abhomynacion. [a. Fr. abomination (13th c. in Litt.) ad. L. abōminātion-em n. of action f. abōminā-ri: see ABOMINABLE.]

  1.  The feeling or state of mind of combined disgust and hatred; abhorrence, detestation, loathing.

1395.  Purvey, Remonstr. (1851), 7. Alle resonable men have greet abhominacioun of bodili sodomie.

1483.  Caxton, G. Leg., 431. [He] vysyted the hospytalles … wythout abhomynacion of dyfformyte ne of ordure or fylthe of somme pacyente.

1525–30.  More, De quat. Nouis., Wks. 1557, 96. We se gret cause to haue it in hatred & abominacion.

1611.  Bible, 1 Sam. xiii. 4. Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines.

Mod.  To regard smoking with abomination.

  † b.  Physical disgust, nausea. [So in early Fr.] Obs.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R. (1495), VII. viii. 228. Yf gedynes comyth of the stomak the pacyent felyth abhomynacion and wamlynge.

  † 2.  A state or condition giving rise to intense disgust; defilement, pollution, abominableness. Obs.

1413.  Lydgate, Pylg. Sowle (1483), III. i. 49. What stynke and corrupcion what fylthe and abhomynacion is there withynne the helle.

1480.  Rob. the Devyll, 31. I desyre youe to heare my confession of my greate synnes the abhomynacon.

  3.  An action, or custom, abominable, detestable, odious, shamefully wicked or vile; a degrading vice.

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. Poems, B. 1173 (1864), 73. He vsed abominaciones of idolatrye.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Man of Lawes T., 88. He … Wolde never wryte in non of his sermouns Of such unkynde abhominaciouns.

1494.  Fabyan, VI. clxxxi. 180. Y^e great abhomynacion of thyse tyranous Danys, that beat, robbed, and slewe y^e innosent people without mercy.

1549.  Latimer, 7 Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (1869), 207. What an abhominacion is it? the foulest that euer was to attribute to mans worke oure saluacion.

1606.  Shaks., Ant. & Cl., III. vi. 94. Th’ adulterous Anthony, most large In his abhominations.

1611.  Bible, Mal. ii. 11. An abomination is committed in Israel.

1682.  Burnet, Rts. of Princes, v. 159. He was not guilty of these monstrous Abominations.

1852.  Miss Yonge, Cameos (1877), III. xxiii. 355. Ninety-five theses, many of which were directed against the special abominations of Tetzel.

  4.  An object that excites disgust and hatred; a thing detested or detestable. (Followed by unto, to.) esp. in the Bible, a cause of pollution, an idol.

1366.  Maundev., (1839), xxviii. 282. Fro him comethe out smoke and stynk and fuyr, and so moche Abhomynacioun, that unethe no man may there endure.

1382.  Wyclif, Matt. xxiv. 15. Ȝe schulen se the abhomynacioun of discomfort that is seid of Danyel, the prophete.

1535.  Coverdale, 2 Kings xxiii. 13. Malcom the abhominacion of the children of Ammon.

1611.  Bible, Prov. xii. 22. Lying lippes are abomination to the Lord.

1794.  Sullivan, View of Nat., II. Nor was it until the days of Hezekiah … that this abomination [the brazen serpent] was torn from the land.

1856.  Kane, Arctic Explor., II. v. 59. Brewed up flax-seed and lime-juice and quinine and willow-stems into an abomination which was dignified as beer.

  † 5.  loosely. An unpleasant or disgusting amount, etc. Obs.

1604.  Dekker, Honest Wh. (1873), 8. I ha spent an abomination this voyage.