abnuo

Etymology
From, literally “to reject by a nod”.

Verb

 * 1)  to say no, to nod in negation
 * 2) to refuse, reject
 * 1) to refuse, reject
 * 1) to refuse, reject


 * 1) * 248 – 258 , Cyprian, Letters 65.3 in Corpus Vindobonense (volume III, part 2), Franz Pauly, Vienna (1871), page 724, lines 3–4:
 * "la"
 * "la"

- Nec mīrum sī cōnsilia nostra aut Dominī praecepta nunc abnuunt quī Dominum negāvērunt.


 * 1)  to not admit of
 * 2)  to decline service
 * 3) to deny
 * 4) * c. 310 , Lactantius, Divinarum Institutionum Epitome 31 (36) in Corpus Vindobonense (volume IXX), Samuel Brandt, Vienna (1890), page 706, lines 10–12:
 * Epicūrī doctrīna haec est inprīmīs, nullam esse prōvidentiam, et īdem deōs esse nōn abnuit: utrumque contrā ratiōnem.
 * Chiefly, the doctrine of Epicurus is that there is no Providence, and he also denies not the existence of gods: both go against reason.
 * 1) * c. 310 , Lactantius, Divinarum Institutionum Epitome 31 (36) in Corpus Vindobonense (volume IXX), Samuel Brandt, Vienna (1890), page 706, lines 10–12:
 * Epicūrī doctrīna haec est inprīmīs, nullam esse prōvidentiam, et īdem deōs esse nōn abnuit: utrumque contrā ratiōnem.
 * Chiefly, the doctrine of Epicurus is that there is no Providence, and he also denies not the existence of gods: both go against reason.
 * Chiefly, the doctrine of Epicurus is that there is no Providence, and he also denies not the existence of gods: both go against reason.

Usage notes
The figurative meaning has almost completely overtaken the literal one.

The word is a favourite of Livy and Tacitus. Older authors prefer the negative formula “haud abnuō”, while authors after the time of Tacitus use “nōn abnuō”.