prefix
Meaning 1
From.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme
Examples
- ab- + sorb → absorb
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
ab-
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
prefix
Meaning 2
Away from; outside of.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, morpheme
Examples
- ab- + normal → abnormal
- ab- + axial → abaxial
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prefix
Meaning 3
Used in the names of certain units in the centimeter-gram-second system.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: morpheme
Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics
Examples
- ab- + coulomb → abcoulomb
- ab- + henry → abhenry
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin ab-, from Proto-Indo-European *h2epo (“off, away”) (English off, of). Doublet of apo- and off-.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h2epó Proto-Italic *ap Latin abder. Latin ab- Proto-Indo-European *s(w)éder. Latin se- Proto-Indo-European *lewh1- Proto-Indo-European *-éti Proto-Indo-European *luh1éti Proto-Italic [Term?] Latin luō Latin solvō Latin absolvōder. Latin absolūtusder. Middle French absolutder. Middle English absolut English absoluteclip. English ab- Clipping of absolute.