ab|at|toir /æ bətwɑː r / (abattoirs ) N‑COUNT An abattoir is a place where animals are killed in order to provide meat. [BRIT ] in AM, use slaughterhouse
ab|bess /æ bes/ (abbesses ) N‑COUNT An abbess is the nun who is in charge of the other nuns in a convent.
ab|bey /æ bi/ (abbeys ) N‑COUNT An abbey is a church with buildings attached to it in which monks or nuns live or used to live.
ab|bot /æ bət/ (abbots ) N‑COUNT An abbot is the monk who is in charge of the other monks in a monastery or abbey.
ab|bre|vi|ate /əbriː vie I t/ (abbreviates , abbreviating , abbreviated ) VERB If you abbreviate something, especially a word or a piece of writing, you make it shorter. □ [V n + to ] He abbreviated his first name to Alec. [Also V n]
ab|bre|via|tion /əbriː vie I ʃ ə n/ (abbreviations ) N‑COUNT An abbreviation is a short form of a word or phrase, made by leaving out some of the letters or by using only the first letter of each word. □ The postal abbreviation for Kansas is KS.
ABC /e I biː siː / (ABCs )
1 N‑SING The ABC of a subject or activity is the parts of it that you have to learn first because they are the most important and basic. □ [+ of ] …the ABC of Marxism.
2 N‑COUNT Children who have learned their ABC or their ABCs have learned to recognize, write, or say the alphabet. [INFORMAL ]
ab|di|cate /æ bd I ke I t/ (abdicates , abdicating , abdicated )
1 VERB If a king or queen abdicates , he or she gives up being king or queen. □ [V ] The last French king was Louis Philippe, who abdicated in 1848. [Also V n] ● ab|di|ca|tion /æ bd I ke I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss] □ [+ of ] …the most serious royal crisis since the abdication of Edward VIII.
2 VERB If you say that someone has abdicated responsibility for something, you disapprove of them because they have refused to accept responsibility for it any longer. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] Many parents simply abdicate all responsibility for their children. ● ab|di|ca|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] There had been a complete abdication of responsibility.
ab|do|men /æ bdəmən, [AM ] æbdoʊ -/ (abdomens ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your abdomen is the part of your body below your chest where your stomach and intestines are. [FORMAL ] □ He was suffering from pains in his abdomen.
ab|domi|nal /æbdɒ m I n ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Abdominal is used to describe something that is situated in the abdomen or forms part of it. [FORMAL ] □ …vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
ab|domi|nals /æbdɒ m I n ə lz/ N‑PLURAL You can refer to your abdominal muscles as your abdominals when you are talking about exercise.
ab|duct /æbdʌ kt/ (abducts , abducting , abducted ) VERB If someone is abducted by another person, he or she is taken away illegally, usually using force. □ [be V -ed] His car was held up and he was abducted by four gunmen. □ [V n] She was charged with abducting a six-month-old child. ● ab|duc|tion /æbdʌ kʃ ə n/ (abductions ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …the abduction of four youths. ● ab|duc|tor (abductors ) N‑COUNT □ She co-operated with her abductor.
ab|er|rant /æbe rənt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Aberrant means unusual and not socially acceptable. [FORMAL ] □ Ian's rages and aberrant behavior worsened.
ab|er|ra|tion /æ bəre I ʃ ə n/ (aberrations ) N‑VAR An aberration is an incident or way of behaving that is not typical. [FORMAL ] □ It became very clear that the incident was not just an aberration.
abet /əbe t/ (abets , abetting , abetted ) VERB If one person abets another, they help or encourage them to do something criminal or wrong. Abet is often used in the legal expression 'aid and abet'. [LEGAL , FORMAL ] □ [V n] His wife was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for aiding and abetting him.
abey|ance /əbe I əns/ PHRASE If something is in abeyance , it is not operating or being used at the present time. [FORMAL ] □ The saga is not over, merely in abeyance.
ab|hor /æbhɔː r / (abhors , abhorring , abhorred ) VERB If you abhor something, you hate it very much, especially for moral reasons. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] He was a man who abhorred violence and was deeply committed to reconciliation.
ab|hor|rence /æbhɒ rəns, [AM ] -hɔː r-/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's abhorrence of something is their strong hatred of it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] They are anxious to show their abhorrence of racism.
ab|hor|rent /æbhɒ rənt, [AM ] -hɔː r-/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something is abhorrent to you, you hate it very much or consider it completely unacceptable. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] Racial discrimination is abhorrent to my council and our staff.
abide /əba I d/ (abides , abiding , abided )
1 PHRASE If you can't abide someone or something, you dislike them very much. □ I can't abide people who can't make up their minds.
2 → see also abiding , law-abiding
▸ abide by PHRASAL VERB If you abide by a law, agreement, or decision, you do what it says you should do. □ [V P n] They have got to abide by the rules.
abid|ing /əba I d I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] An abiding feeling, memory, or interest is one that you have for a very long time. □ He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.