abacination

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From abacinate +‎ -ion

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

abacination (plural abacinations)

1. The act of abacinating, of blinding with the light from hot metal
   • 1902, James Meeker Ludlow, Incentives for Life, Personal and Public^[1], page 144:

     That blind general lost his sight by the process of abacination.

   • 1972, Trevanian (pseud.), The Eiger Sanction^[2], edition 1984 Ballantine ed., ISBN 0345317378, page 105:

     Her warmth and radiance had blinded him, a self-inflicted abacination.

   • 1994, Gene Wolfe, Sword & Citadel^[3], ISBN 0312890184, page 134:

     I, who had seen so many brandings and abacinations, and had even used the iron myself (among the billion things I recall perfectly is the flesh of Morwenna's cheeks blistering), could scarcely force myself to go and look at him.