| Term | Definition |
|---|
| abbreviate(verb) | To make briefer, to shorten. Because time was running out, the speaker was forced to abbreviate his remakrs. abbreviation(noun) |
| abberation(noun) | A deviation from what is normal or natural, an abnormality. Jack extravagant lunch at Lutece was an aberration from his usual meal, a peat butter sandwich and a diet soda. abberant(adjective) |
| abeyance(noun) | A temporary lapse in activity; suspension. In the aftermath of the bombing, all normal activities were held in abeyance |
| abjure(verb) | To renounce or reject; to officially disclaim. While being tries by the inquisition in 1633, Galileo abjured all his writings holding that Earth and other planets revolved around the sun. |
| abrade(verb) | To irritate by rubbing; to wear down in spirit. Olga's "conditioning facial" abraded Sabrina's sking so severely that she vowed never to let anyone's hands touch her face again. abrasion(noun) |
| abridge(verb) | To shorten, to reduce. The Bill of Rights is designed to precent Congress from abridging the rights of Americans. abridgment(noun) |
| abrogate(verb) | To nullify, to abolish. During World War II, the United State abrogated the rights of Japanese Americans by detaining them in internment camps. abrogation(noun) |
| abscond(verb) | To make a secret departure, to elope. Theresa will never forgive her daughter, Elena, for abscoding to Miami with Philip when they were only 17 |
| accretion(noun) | A gradual build-up or enlargement. my mother's house is a mess due to her steady accretion of bric-a-brac and her inability to throw anything away. |
| adversary(noun) | An enemy or opponent. When the former Soviet Union became an American ally, the United States lost its last major international adversary. adverse(adjective). |
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