ab & abs

These ROOT-WORDS are the Prefixes AB & ABS meaning AWAY, FROM & SEPARATION. Please note the two ways of spelling this ROOT-WORD. The s is added to AB before the letter t. It is easier to say AB stain than ABtain. The meaning of the ROOT-WORD remains the same. Learn to recognize this ROOT-WORD, and be sure it is at the beginning of the word and not at the end. In the middle of a word or at the end it is not the prefix.


1. Abbreviate : AB breviate (a bree’ vee ate) v.

To shorten; make brief


2. Abdicate : AB dicate (ab’ di kate) v.

To give up; as, abdicate a throne


3. Abduct : AB duct (ab dukt’) v.

To lead away by force; kidnap


4. Aberration : AB erration (ab e ray’ shun) n.

Act of wandering away; unsoundness of mind


5. Abhor : AB hor (ab hor’) v.

To turn away from; loathe; shudder at


6. Abjure : AB jure (ab jure’) v.

To swear away; renounce


7. Ablate : AB late (a’ blate) v.

To remove; to cut away


8. Ablution : AB lution (a blue’ shun) n.

The act of washing away; often in a rite


9. Abnegate : AB negate (ab’ ne gate) v.

To relinquish; give up forever


10. Abnormal : AB normal (an nor’ mal) adj.

Away from the normal; aberrant


11. Abolish : AB olish (a bol’ ish) v.

Do away with; completely destroy


12. Abortion : AB ortion (a bor’ shun) n.

A rubbing or scraping away


13. Abrasion : AB rasion (a bray zhun)n.

A rubbing away


14. Abrogate : AB rogate (ab’ ro gate) v.

To repeal; to do away with


15. Abscond : AB scond (ab skond’) v.

To steal away and hide; to decamp


16. Absolve : AB solve (ah zolv’) v.

To free from blame; exonerate


17. Abstain : AB stain (ab stane’) v.

Hold off from; as, abstain from voting


18. Abstergent : ABS tergent (ab ster; jent) n.

A cleanser; something to remove dirt


19. Abstract : ABS tract (ab strakt’) v.

Draw away; separate from association


20. Absorb : AB sorb (ab sorb’) v.

Such in; drink in; as, a sponge will absorb water

Etymology Index

From Ab & abs to HOME PAGE