Ab

/æb/ adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb, slang

adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Clipping of abdominal muscle .
  • Grammar: ab is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: abdominal, abdominal muscle, apo-, artium baccalaurens.
  • Useful contrasts: en-.
  • Usage evidence: Would you please put me in touch with the General Manager of Overseas Sales of AB Software Ltd?

How to use "ab"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ab" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ab" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ab" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ab" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "ab" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, prep, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "abdominal" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "ab", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Clipping of abdominal muscle . abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal

    "The bikinied models in most of the ESPN2 shows have abs. Many of the malnourished bikinied models in the commercials have visible rib cages. How did the two get conflated into a shared vision of beauty?"

  2. 2
    An abscess caused by injecting an illegal drug, usually heroin. slang
  3. 3
    Abbreviation of abortion. abbreviation, alt-of
  4. 4
    The early stages of; the beginning process; the start. US
  5. 5
    Initialism of able seaman or able-bodied seaman. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable

    "In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires— A.B. means an able-bodied seaman […]"

Show 20 more definitions
  1. 6
    Symbol for antibody. alt-of, symbol
  2. 7
    In Egyptian belief, the heart and will and conscience of a person, especially that of the recently deceased which proceeds to the afterlife and is weighed as evidence during his or her judgement. dated
  3. 8
    Abbreviation of Abbot. abbreviation, alt-of, uncountable
  4. 9
    the blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens wordnet
  5. 10
    Initialism of afterburner. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  6. 11
    An Ancient Egyptian amulet in the shape of a heart (ib). dated
  7. 12
    the muscles of the abdomen wordnet
  8. 13
    Initialism of aid to the blind. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  9. 14
    a bachelor's degree in arts and sciences wordnet
  10. 15
    Initialism of airbase. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  11. 16
    the eleventh month of the civil year; the fifth month of the ecclesiastical year in the Jewish calendar (in July and August) wordnet
  12. 17
    Abbreviation of alkylbenzene. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, uncountable
  13. 18
    Initialism of antibody. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  14. 19
    Initialism of artificial breeding. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  15. 20
    Initialism of assembly bill. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable

    "AB-89 would have required that participation in sex-segregated California school programs, athletic teams, and facility use be based on a pupil’s sex, not gender identity."

  16. 21
    A blood type of the ABO system that has both blood antigens and may receive all blood types, and donate to AB. countable, uncountable
  17. 22
    A blood type of the ABO system that has both blood antigens and may receive all blood types, and donate to AB.; A person with this blood type. countable
  18. 23
    Initialism of adult baby. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable

    "Well, he appears to be an AB. You know, an adult baby. It's a fetish in which the baby is taken care of in every way by a mommy or a daddy."

  19. 24
    Initialism of asymmetric bars. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
  20. 25
    A halal snack pack consisting of doner meat topped with chips, tomato sauce, chilli sauce, barbecue sauce, and garlic sauce. Australia, countable
Verb
  1. 1
    To abseil. informal

    "I had a climbing rope in my pack, set up an abseil with it, and abbed down to him."

  2. 2
    Abbreviation of abort. abbreviation, alt-of
Adjective
  1. 1
    Initialism of airborne. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, not-comparable
  2. 2
    Initialism of antiballistic. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, not-comparable
  3. 3
    Initialism of at bat. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, not-comparable
Adverb
  1. 1
    Abbreviation of about. abbreviation, alt-of
Preposition
  1. 1
    Abbreviation of about. abbreviation, alt-of
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Abbreviation of Alberta: a province of Canada. abbreviation, alt-of
  2. 2
    Av. Judaism

    "The Book of Lamentations is chanted in the synagogue on the ninth of Ab."

  3. 3
    A diminutive of the male given name Abner, from Hebrew, occasionally used as a formal given name.
  4. 4
    Initialism of Artium baccalaureus. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
  5. 5
    Initialism of Aryan Brotherhood, a US white supremacist, neo-Nazi prison gang and crime syndicate. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    Initialism of Anheuser-Busch. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism

    "Shares of AB InBev (BUD) soared nearly 6% after the Budweiser, Bud Light and Stella Artois owner reported solid sales and earnings."

Synonyms

All synonyms
abdominalabdominal muscleapo-artium baccalaurensavba

Antonyms

en-

Example

"Would you please put me in touch with the General Manager of Overseas Sales of AB Software Ltd?"

Common questions

What does "ab" mean?

Clipping of abdominal muscle .

What is a synonym for "ab"?

Common synonyms include: abdominal, abdominal muscle, apo-, artium baccalaurens, av, ba.

How do you use "ab" in a sentence?

Would you please put me in touch with the General Manager of Overseas Sales of AB Software Ltd?

How do you pronounce "ab"?

Pronounced /æb/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

Abbreviation of abscess.

Etymology 2

Abbreviations.

Etymology 3

From the spelling books and the fact that it was the first of the letter combinations.

Etymology 4

The first letter of each of the two syllables of antibody.

Etymology 5

Borrowed from Hebrew אָב (āv).

Etymology 6

Short form of Abner.

Etymology 7

From the nineteenth-century Lepsius transcription, ȧb, of Egyptian jb (“heart, mind, intention”), ib:Z1.

Etymology 8

Abbreviation.

More for "ab"

Synonyms

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