ab
/æb/noun
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Abdominal muscle.
noun
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An abscess caused by injecting an illegal drug, usually heroin.
verb
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To abseil.
verb
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(now rare outside medicine) To miscarry; to bring forth (non-living) offspring prematurely.
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To cause a premature termination of (a fetus); to end a pregnancy before term.
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To end prematurely; to stop in the preliminary stages; to turn back.
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To stop or fail at something in the preliminary stages.
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To become checked in normal development, so as either to remain rudimentary or shrink away wholly; to cease organic growth before maturation; to become sterile.
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To cause an organism to develop minimally; to cause rudimentary development to happen; to prevent maturation.
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To abandon a mission at any point after the beginning of the mission and prior to its completion.
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To terminate a mission involving a missile or rocket; to destroy a missile or rocket prematurely.
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To terminate a process prior to completion.
noun
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The expulsion from the womb of a foetus or embryo before it is fully developed, with loss of the foetus; either naturally as a spontaneous abortion (now usually called a miscarriage), or deliberately as an induced abortion.
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An aborted foetus; an abortus.
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A misshapen person or thing; a monstrosity.
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Failure or abandonment of a project, promise, goal etc.
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Arrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed.
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The cessation of an illness or disease at a very early stage.
adverb
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On all sides; around.
"I looked about at the scenery that surrounded me."
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Here and there; around; in one place and another; up and down.
"Bits of old machinery were lying about."
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From one place or position to another in succession; indicating repeated movement or activity.
"walking about; rushing about; jumping about; thrashing about"
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Indicating unproductive or unstructured activity.
"messing about; fooling about; loafing about"
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Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence in quality, manner, degree, quantity, or time; almost.
"Dinner's about ready."
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Near; in the vicinity.
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To a reversed order; half round; facing in the opposite direction; from a contrary point of view.
"to face about; to turn oneself about"
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In succession; one after another; in the course of events.
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In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; in circumference.
"a mile about, and a third of a mile across"
preposition
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In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of.
"The snake was coiled about his ankle."
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Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.
"He was well known about town."
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Indicates that something will happen very soon; indicates a plan or intention to do something.
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Concerning; with regard to; on account of; on the subject of; to affect.
"He talked a lot about his childhood."
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Concerned with; engaged in; intent on.
"to be about one's business"
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Within or in the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place.
"I can't find my reading glasses, but they must be somewhere about the house."
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On one's person; nearby the person.
"I had no weapon about me but a stick."
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In or near, as in mental faculties or in the possession of; under the control of; at one's command; in one's makeup.
"He has his wits about him."
noun
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The early stages of; the beginning process; the start.