abri

American  

[uh-bree, a-bree] / əˈbri, aˈbri /

noun

abris plural

1. a shelter, especially a dugout.

2. Archaeology. a rock shelter formed by the overhang of a cliff and often containing prehistoric occupation deposits.

---

abri British  

/ æˈbriː /

noun

1. a shelter or place of refuge, esp in wartime

---

Etymology

Origin of abri

< French, Old French, noun derivative of abrier (now obsolete or dial.) to shelter, shield, screen < Late Latin aprīcāre to warm in the sun (hence, to shield from wind, cold, etc.), verbal derivative of Latin aprīcus sunny, warmed by the sunshine; Old French b for v perhaps < Old Provençal abriar, or by construal of a- as prefix

Example Sentences

Hind, a local resident, said the frequent water outages forced her and her family to rely solely on their reserves of abri - a corn-based drink usually consumed during Ramadan - to quench their thirst.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2023

All round red clay, out of which the abri was excavated.

From One Man's Initiation—1917 by Dos Passos, John

Te vas Del l'erangue ke meclan man abri ando a pan-dibo.

From The Zincali: an account of the gypsies of Spain by Borrow, George Henry

When the chik and the hatch'd porior are lell'd from the chiriclesky trupos, the per's chinn'd aley, and the wendror's wusted abri, 'tis a hobben dosta koshto for a crallissa to hal without lon.

From Romano Lavo-Lil: word book of the Romany; or, English Gypsy language by Borrow, George Henry

Dinanos sejonia monro manro de cata chibes, ta estormenanos monrias bisauras sasta mu estormenamos a monrias bisabadores; na nos meques petrar enre cayque pajandia, lillanos abri de saro chungalipen.

From The Zincali: an account of the gypsies of Spain by Borrow, George Henry