Abba1
[ah-bah]
- a female day name for Thursday.See under day name.
Abba2
[ab-uh]
- a title of reverence for bishops and patriarchs in the Coptic, Ethiopian Christian, and Syriac churches.
- New Testament. an Aramaic word for father, used by Jesus and Paul to address God in a relation of personal intimacy.
Origin of Abba2
From the Aramaic word abbā father
aba
or ab·ba
[uh-bah, ah-buh]
- a coarse, felted fabric woven of camel's or goat's hair.
- a loose, sleeveless outer garment made of this fabric or of silk, worn by Arabs.
Origin of aba
1805–15; < Arabic ʿabā'(ah)
Also called abaya.
day name
- (formerly, especially in creole-speaking cultures) a name given at birth to a black child, in accordance with African customs, indicating the child's sex and the day of the week on which he or she was born, as the male and female names for Sunday (Quashee and Quasheba), Monday (Cudjo or Cudjoe and Juba), Tuesday (Cubbena and Beneba), Wednesday (Quaco and Cuba or Cubba), Thursday (Quao and Abba), Friday (Cuffee or Cuffy and Pheba or Phibbi), and Saturday (Quamin or Quame and Mimba).
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for abba
Contemporary Examples
Plus, she managed to find raw emotion in an Abba song—no easy feat.
‘Into the Woods’ Cast: Grading the Singing of Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp & MoreKevin Fallon
July 25, 2013
Abba Eban famously quipped that the Palestinians never miss a chance to miss a chance.
He was in one aisle, the Israeli statesman Abba Eban was in another, and I was moving between the two.
And of ABBA's four members, just two showed up to be presented with their awards from Barry and Robin Gibb.
Historical Examples
Ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
God's Plan with MenT. T. (Thomas Theodore) Martin
But it happened that in a few weeks Sherif had occasion to journey to the island of Abba.
The River WarWinston S. Churchill
At sunset on an August evening in 1881 the steamer arrived at Abba.
The River WarWinston S. Churchill
To these proportions had the little band of followers who fought at Abba grown!
The River WarWinston S. Churchill
The movement initiated by the priest of Abba island had attained its climax.
The River WarWinston S. Churchill
Abba1
- Swedish pop group (1972–82): comprised Benny Andersson (born 1946), Agnetha Faltskog (born 1950), Anni-Frid Lyngstad (born 1945), and Bjorn Ulvaeus (born 1945); numerous hit singles included "Waterloo" (1974), "Dancing Queen" (1977), and "The Winner Takes It All" (1980)
Abba2
- New Testament father (used of God)
- a title given to bishops and patriarchs in the Syrian, Coptic, and Ethiopian Churches
Word Origin
from Aramaic
aba
- a type of cloth from Syria, made of goat hair or camel hair
- a sleeveless outer garment of such cloth
Word Origin
from Arabic
ABA
- (in Britain) Amateur Boxing Association
- American Booksellers Association
day name
- Western African a name indicating a person's day of birth
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for abba
ABBA
Swedish pop music group formed 1972, the name dates from 1973 and is an acronym from the first names of the four band members: Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog.
Abba
title of honor, from Latin abba, from Greek abba, from Aramaic abba "the father, my father," emphatic of abh "father."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper