Abo
or ab·o
[ Ab-oh ]
noun,plural Ab·os.
a contemptuous term used to refer to an Australian Aboriginal person.
adjective
Origin of Abo
1First recorded in 1905–10; by shortening; see -o
usage note For Abo
Since Abo is simply a shortened form of Aborigine or Aboriginal, one could easily think that it is as neutral and inoffensive a term as Aussie is for an Australian. However, Abo is as highly offensive to Australian Aboriginal people as nigger is to African Americans in the United States.
Other definitions for ABO (2 of 3)
ABO
Other definitions for Åbo (3 of 3)
Åbo
[ aw-boo ]
noun
Swedish name of Turku.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for Abo (1 of 2)
Abo
/ (ˈæbəʊ) /
nounplural Abos (sometimes not capital) Australian old-fashioned, taboo
short for Aborigine
(as modifier): an Abo reserve
usage For Abo
This once quite common word is now completely unacceptable
British Dictionary definitions for Åbo (2 of 2)
Åbo
/ (ˈoːbuː) /
noun
the Swedish name for Turku
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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