Abstersiveness

/æbˈstɜrsɪvnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being abstersive; the capacity to cleanse or remove impurities.

Etymology

Formed by adding the abstractive suffix '-ness' to 'abstersive'; this noun form is extremely rare, appearing only in specialized historical medical texts where scholars described the properties of treatments.

Kelly Says

This word is so specialized and archaic that you might not find it in any modern dictionary, but it's a perfect example of how English can theoretically create abstract nouns from almost any adjective, even if the resulting word has basically disappeared from use.

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