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• abs
  abs

  plural noun

  abdominal muscles.
• ABS
  ABS

  antilock braking system.
• abs-
  abs-

  variant of ab-.
• abs.
  abs.

  abbreviation

  absent.
• A.B.S.
  A.B.S.

  abbreviation

  American Bible Society.

abs

¹ American  

[abz] / æbz /

plural noun

Informal.

1. abdominal muscles.

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ABS ² American  

1. antilock braking system.

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abs- ³ American  

1. variant of ab-.

   absent; abscond.

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abs. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. absent.

2. absolute.

3. abstract.

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A.B.S. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. American Bible Society.

2. American Bureau of Shipping.

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ABS ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene: any of a range of tough copolymers used esp for making moulded articles

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abs ² British  

/ æbz /

plural noun

1. informal abdominal muscles

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Etymology

Origin of abs

An Americanism dating back to 1980–85; by shortening

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abs ABS abs. A.B.S.

He is as fit as anyone else, but his strength is rooted in his humble nature rather than the Instagram-worthy six-pack abs sculpted to perfection that most youngsters today seem to aspire to.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

The 30-second spot features a young man in a park attempting pull-ups, who asks a muscular bystander about achieving six-pack abs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

"Today the artists... give them six-pack abs and muscles."

From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026

There is, especially this time of year, no shortage of attractive people with six-pack abs who will happily tell you the best way to improve your well-being.

From Slate ● Jan. 1, 2025

I stretch my feet, calves, quads, abs, arms, neck, everything.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

So the new umpires are accustomed to calling pitches to the specific ABS zone, which doesn’t allow for any personal interpretation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

None of them is a full-time MLB umpire but rather a minor-league call-up tapped only when needed, yet they are faring better with ABS than their more established peers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Young umpires who climbed through the ranks are already familiar with ABS, which grants teams two unsuccessful challenges per game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

He fell behind 0-2 in the count to Jackson Merrill, who flipped a strike call with an ABS challenge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

It was called an ABS, or asset-backed security.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

“It’s not about personalities or somebody’s abs. There’s no salaciousness about it, it is purely about the music.”

From The Guardian ● Nov. 17, 2016

Means, abl. of, 218; —— abl. abs. denoting, 227, 2; —— denoted by partic.,

From New Latin Grammar by Bennett, Charles E. (Charles Edwin)

But, in that case, we can perceive no reason why the Inf. abs. should be placed before the tempus finitum.

From Christology of the Old Testament: And a Commentary on the Messianic Predictions, Vol. 1 by Hengstenberg, Ernst Wilhelm

In 1907, the A.B.S. set out to reinvigorate the Bison bison bison population by sending fifteen Bronx-born bison, by train, to the Wichita Reserve Bison Refuge.

From The New Yorker ● May 13, 2016

Thanks to the efforts of the A.B.S. and of private ranchers, North America is today home to some half a million bison, most of them in captivity.

From The New Yorker ● May 13, 2016

Pumping out celebrity-inspired dresses isn't new for companies like A.B.S.,

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2011

"I thought it was going to be over the top, but it was more about simplicity and elegance," said Allen Schwartz, co-owner of A.B.S., which is known for pumping out copies of celebrity dresses.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2011

His version of the Old Testament, first published by the American Bible Society in 1875, has since been repeatedly issued by both the A.B.S. and the B.F.B.S.

From Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ by B.D.