The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
AB
AB, type AB, group AB
(noun) the blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens
abdominal, abdominal muscle, ab
(noun) the muscles of the abdomen
Ab, Av
(noun) the eleventh month of the civil year; the fifth month of the ecclesiastical year in the Jewish calendar (in July and August)
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Noun
ab (plural abs)
(informal) abdominal muscle. [Mid 20th century.]
Usage notes
Most often used attributively. Substantive use is more common in the plural form abs.
Etymology 2
Noun
ab (plural abs)
(slang) An abscess caused by injecting an illegal drug, usually heroin.
Etymology 3
Abbreviations.
Verb
ab (third-person singular simple present abs, present participle abbing, simple past and past participle abbed)
(climbing, informal) To abseil.
Abbreviation of abort.
Noun
ab
Abbreviation of abortion.
Preposition
ab
Abbreviation of about.
Adverb
ab
Abbreviation of about.
Etymology 4
From the spelling books and the fact that it was the first of the letter combinations.
Noun
ab (plural abs)
(US) The early stages of; the beginning process; the start.
Anagrams
• -ba-, B. A., B.A., BA, Ba, ba, ba'
Etymology 1
Noun
Ab (plural Abs)
(immunology) Antibody.
Etymology 2
Proper noun
Ab (plural Abs)
(Judaism) Av. [First attested in the late 18thcentury.]
Etymology 3
Proper noun
Ab
A diminutive of the male given name Abner from Hebrew, occasionally used as a formal given name.
Etymology 4
Noun
Ab (plural Abs)
(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.
(dated) An Ancient Egyptian amulet in the shape of a heart (
Etymology 5
Abbreviation.
Noun
Ab (uncountable)
(title) Abbreviation of abbot (“Abbot”).
Anagrams
• -ba-, B. A., B.A., BA, Ba, ba, ba'
Proper noun
AB
Abbreviation of Alberta, a province of Canada.
Coordinate terms: BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, NT, NU, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT
Noun
AB (countable and uncountable, plural ABs)
Able seaman; able-bodied seaman.
Afterburner.
Aid to the blind.
Airbase.
Airborne.
Antiballistic.
(medical) Antibody.
Artium baccalaureus.
(baseball) At bat.
Artificial breeding.
A blood type of the ABO system that has both blood antigens and may receive all blood types, and donate to AB.
(countable) A person with this blood type.
Anagrams
• -ba-, B. A., B.A., BA, Ba, ba, ba'
Source: Wiktionary
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
17 June 2025
RECREANT
(adjective) having deserted a cause or principle; “some provinces had proved recreant”; “renegade supporters of the usurper”
Coffee Trivia
