1620s, "a leading away," from Latin abductionem (nominative abductio) "a forcible carrying off, ravishing, robbing," noun of action from past-participle stem of abducere "to lead away, take away, arrest" (often by force), from ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead"). As "criminal act of forcibly taking (someone)" by 1768; before that the word also was a term in surgery and logic. In the Mercian hymns, Latin abductione is glossed by Old English wiðlaednisse.

"healthy and sufficiently strong," 1620s; see able + body.

1620s, "an embrace about the neck then the tapping of a sword on the shoulders to confer knighthood," from French accolade "an embrace, a kiss" (16c.), from Provençal acolada or Italian accollata, ultimately from noun use of a fem. past participle of Vulgar Latin *accollare "to embrace around the neck," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + collum "neck" (compare collar (n.)), from PIE root *kwel- (1) "revolve, move round." Also see -ade.

The extended meaning "praise, award" is by 1851. The earlier form of the word in English was accoll (mid-14c.), from Old French acolee "an embrace, kiss, especially that given to a new-made knight," a noun use of the past participle of the verb acoler. The French noun in the 16c. was altered to accolade, with the foreign suffix, and English followed suit.

"capable of being gained or performed," 1620s; see achieve (v.) + -able. Related: Achievably; achievableness; achievability.

1620s, "of the taste of vinegar," from French acide (16c.) or directly from Latin acidus "sour, sharp, tart" (also figurative, "disagreeable," etc.), adjective of state from acere "to be sour, be sharp" (from PIE root *ak- "be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce").

Figurative use in English ("sour, sharp, biting") is from 1775; the word was applied to intense colors by 1916; an acid dye (1888) involves an acid bath. Acid rain "highly acidity in rain caused by atmospheric pollution" is recorded by 1859 in reference to England. Acid drop as a kind of hard sugar candy flavored with tartaric acid is by 1835, with drop (n.) in the "lozenge" sense.

Acid test is American English, 1881, in literal use a quick way to distinguish gold from similar metals by application of nitric acid. Fowler wrote (1920) that it was then in vogue in the figurative sense and "became familiar through a conspicuous use of it during the war by President Wilson."

"act of acquiring; that which is acquired," 1620s, from acquire + -ment. Perhaps modeled on French acquerement (16c.).

1620s, "make active, intensify;" see active + -ate (2). Meaning "put into action" is from 1902, originally in chemistry. Related: Activated; activating.

"a putting in motion, communication of force," 1620s, noun of action from actuate (v.).

1620s; see adequate + -ly (2); originally a term in logic in reference to correspondence of ideas and objects and probably based on Latin use. Meaning "suitably" is recorded from 1680s.

1620s, "act or state of sticking or being stuck, a being united or attached," from French adhésion or directly from Latin adhaesionem (nominative adhaesio) "a sticking to," noun of action from past-participle stem of adhaerare "to stick to, cling to," from ad "to" (see ad-) + haerere "to stick" (see hesitation). The earliest English use is of persons ("faith is adhesion unto God"), but by 18c. adhesion was "generally used in the material, and adherence in the metaphysical sense." [Johnson]