abbé

[ a-bey, ab-ey; French a-bey ]

See synonyms for: abb%C3%A9 abb%C3%A9s on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural ab·bés

[a-beyz, ab-eyz; French a-bey]. /æˈbeɪz, ˈæb eɪz; French aˈbeɪ/.

(especially in France)
- a member of the secular clergy.
- a title of respect for any ecclesiastic or clergyman.

Origin of abbé

First recorded in 1520–30; from French, Middle French, from Late Latin abbāte(m), accusative of abbās abbot

Words Nearby abbé

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use abbé in a sentence

Kelley and her husband hired a prominent lawyer, Abbe Lowell.
Jill Kelley’s Campaign to Befriend Petraeus, Allen, and Other Top Brass | Michael Daly | November 14, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell is a wiry man who seems to never stop moving when he speaks in a courtroom.
Jury Gets the Edwards Case: Deliberations to Begin Friday | Diane Dimond | May 18, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Lead defense attorney Abbe Lowell looked worried at the end of the 17th day of testimony at the John Edwards trial.
Is the Edwards Defense Team Losing It? | Diane Dimond | May 16, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
And how, exactly, does lead defense attorney Abbe Lowell plan to do that?
John Edwards’s Newsweek Defense | Diane Dimond | April 23, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
As Abbe wades through her grief and her history, her marriage with Greg begins to fall apart.
The Daily Beast Recommends | The Daily Beast | May 26, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST

Like the Abbe Sieyes, Mr. Paine had completely mastered the science of government, which was in fact extremely simple.
The Eve of the Revolution | Carl Becker
He was a descendant of the famous Abbe de Camps, so well known among bookmen and savants.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z | Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
A few more Abbe de Pradits, a few more newspaper articles, and from being an emperor, Napoleon would have turned into an ogre.
Catherine de' Medici | Honore de Balzac
Abbe Stadler might well say to the stranger from Poland that Vienna was no longer what it used to be.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician | Frederick Niecks
The Abbe Deforges, of Etampes, announced in the journals in 1772 that he would perform the great feat.
Wonderful Balloon Ascents | Fulgence Marion

British Dictionary definitions for Abbe (1 of 2)

Abbe

/ (ˈæbɪ, German ˈaːbə) /

noun

Ernst. 1840–1905, German physicist, noted for his work in optics and the microscope condenser known as the Abbe condenser

British Dictionary definitions for abbé (2 of 2)

abbé

/ (ˈæbeɪ, French abe) /

noun

a French abbot
a title used in addressing any other French cleric, such as a priest

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

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