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• abigail
  abigail

  noun

  a lady's maid.
• Abigail
  Abigail

  noun

  (in the Bible) the wife of Nabal and later of David.

abigail

¹ American  

[ab-i-gayl] / ˈæb ɪˌgeɪl /

noun

1. a lady's maid.

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Abigail ² American  

[ab-i-gayl] / ˈæb ɪˌgeɪl /

noun

1. (in the Bible) the wife of Nabal and later of David.

2. a first name: from a Hebrew word meaning “joy of the father.”

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Abigail British  

/ ˈæbɪˌɡeɪl /

noun

1. Old Testament the woman who brought provisions to David and his followers and subsequently became his wife (I Samuel 25:1–42)

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Etymology

Origin of abigail

1645–55; after Abigail, name of attendant in play The Scornful Lady (1610), by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abigail Abigail

The abigail had got the worst of the encounter, her proofs as well as her accusation were rendered ridiculous, even in her own eyes, although she knew the accusation to be true.

From The Maid of Honour (Vol. 3 of 3) A Tale of the Dark Days of France by Lewis Wingfield

The anxious abigail felt that they were in precisely the same harrowing position as Sister Anne and Fatima.

From The Maid of Honour (Vol. 3 of 3) A Tale of the Dark Days of France by Lewis Wingfield

Foster-sister and confidential abigail to the Marquise de Gange, the two were as united as if they had indeed been sisters.

From The Maid of Honour, Vol. 1 (of 3) A Tale of the Dark Days of France by Lewis Wingfield

At last she ventured to consult her confidential abigail, Sarah.

From Dilemmas of Pride, (Vol 2 of 3) by Margracia Loudon

There is a fine opportunity, for Mr. Pye Hilary is in love, in despair, and in waiting: he expects his mistress’s abigail; in negociating with whom, he conceives Tarradiddle will be a valuable assistant.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, October 2, 1841 by Various

On Tuesday, the office of the Monterey County sheriff-coroner identified the three as 19-year-old Abigail Tinoco of Downey, 18-year-old Sebastian Burgos of Downey and 18-year-old Noah Trevino of Soledad.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Six The Musical also booked Grammy-winning singer Abigail Barlow and content creator Dylan Mulvaney for a run of shows back in January.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

"These are thick blocks of ice that can drift for years," specifies Dr. Abigail Dalton of the Canadian Ice Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

The site is fitting, since John and Abigail were the White House’s first residents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Abigail checked the small hole where the bench had been, then walked back to the larger hole.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

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