\A*bol"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Abolished}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Abolishing}.] [F. abolir, L. abolere, aboletum; ab +
olere to grow. Cf. {Finish}.]
1. To do away with wholly; to annul; to make void; -- said of
   laws, customs, institutions, governments, etc.; as, to
   abolish slavery, to abolish folly.
2. To put an end to, or destroy, as a physical objects; to
   wipe out. [Archaic]
         And with thy blood abolish so reproachful blot.
                                               --Spenser.
         His quick instinctive hand Caught at the hilt, as to
         abolish him.                          --Tennyson.
Syn: To {Abolish}, {Repeal}, {Abrogate}, {Revoke}, {Annul},
     {Nullify}, {Cancel}.
Usage: These words have in common the idea of setting aside
       by some overruling act. Abolish applies particularly
       to things of a permanent nature, such as institutions,
       usages, customs, etc.; as, to abolish monopolies,
       serfdom, slavery. Repeal describes the act by which
       the legislature of a state sets aside a law which it
       had previously enacted. Abrogate was originally
       applied to the repeal of a law by the Roman people;
       and hence, when the power of making laws was usurped
       by the emperors, the term was applied to their act of
       setting aside the laws. Thus it came to express that
       act by which a sovereign or an executive government
       sets aside laws, ordinances, regulations, treaties,
       conventions, etc. Revoke denotes the act of recalling
       some previous grant which conferred, privilege, etc.;
       as, to revoke a decree, to revoke a power of attorney,
       a promise, etc. Thus, also, we speak of the revocation
       of the Edict of Nantes. Annul is used in a more
       general sense, denoting simply to make void; as, to
       annul a contract, to annul an agreement. Nullify is an
       old word revived in this country, and applied to the
       setting of things aside either by force or by total
       disregard; as, to nullify an act of Congress. Cancel
       is to strike out or annul, by a deliberate exercise of
       power, something which has operative force.