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abrasion

[ uh-brey-zhuhn ]
/ əˈbreɪ ʒən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR abrasion

noun

a scraped spot or area; the result of rubbing or abrading: abrasions on his leg caused by falling on the gravel.
the act or process of abrading.

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Origin of abrasion

1650–60; <Medieval Latin abrāsiōn- (stem of abrāsiō), equivalent to abrās(us) scraped off (past participle of abrādere;see abrade) + -iōn--ion

Words nearby abrasion

Abraham's bosom, Abram, abranchiate, abraser, abrash, abrasion, abrasive, abrasiveness, abraxas, abrazo, abreact
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to abrasion

scrape, chafe, scratch, injury, scuff, scratching, erosion, grating, rubbing, chafing, abrading, scuffing

Example sentences from the Web for abrasion

British Dictionary definitions for abrasion

abrasion
/ (əˈbreɪʒən) /

noun

the process of scraping or wearing down by friction
a scraped area or spot; graze
geography the effect of mechanical erosion of rock, esp a river bed, by rock fragments scratching and scraping it; wearing downCompare attrition (def. 4), corrasion

Word Origin for abrasion

C17: from Medieval Latin abrāsiōn-, from the past participle of Latin abrādere to abrade
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

Medical definitions for abrasion

abrasion
[ ə-brā′zhən ]

n.

A scraping away of a portion of a surface.
The wearing down or rubbing away or removal of the superficial layers of skin or mucous membrane in a limited area.
The pathological wearing away of tooth substance by mechanical means; grinding.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for abrasion

abrasion
[ ə-brā′zhən ]

The process of wearing away a surface by friction. A rock undergoes abrasion when particles of sand or small pieces of rock are carried across its surface by a glacier, stream, or the wind.
A scraped area on the skin or mucous membranes.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.