ab

noun

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

   “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?”

   “When possible, do your ab workout on a day when you're not training a major muscle group […] .”

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

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

6. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable)Initialism of afterburner.
7. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable)Initialism of aid to the blind.
8. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable)Initialism of airbase.
9. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, uncountable)Abbreviation of alkylbenzene.
10. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable)Initialism of antibody.
11. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable)Initialism of artificial breeding.
12. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable)Initialism of assembly bill.

    “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.”

13. (countable, uncountable)A blood type of the ABO system that has both blood antigens and may receive all blood types, and donate to AB.
14. (countable)A blood type of the ABO system that has both blood antigens and may receive all blood types, and donate to AB.
15. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable)Initialism of adult baby.

    “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.”

16. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable)Initialism of asymmetric bars.
17. (Australia, countable)A halal snack pack consisting of doner meat topped with chips, tomato sauce, chilli sauce, barbecue sauce, and garlic sauce.
18. (alt-of, symbol)Symbol for antibody.
19. (dated)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.
20. (dated)An Ancient Egyptian amulet in the shape of a heart (ib).
21. (abbreviation, alt-of, uncountable)Abbreviation of Abbot.

verb

1. (informal)To abseil.

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

2. (abbreviation, alt-of)Abbreviation of abort.

prep

1. (abbreviation, alt-of)Abbreviation of about.

adv

1. (abbreviation, alt-of)Abbreviation of about.

name

1. (abbreviation, alt-of)Abbreviation of Alberta: a province of Canada.
2. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of Artium baccalaureus.
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of Aryan Brotherhood, a US white supremacist, neo-Nazi prison gang and crime syndicate.
4. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of Anheuser-Busch.

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

5. (Judaism)Av.

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

6. A diminutive of the male given name Abner, from Hebrew, occasionally used as a formal given name.

adj

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, not-comparable)Initialism of airborne.
2. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, not-comparable)Initialism of antiballistic.
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, not-comparable)Initialism of at bat.