Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

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.