abs

¹

[abz]

plural noun

Informal.

1. abdominal muscles.

ABS

²

1. antilock braking system.

abs-

³

1. variant of ab-.

   absent; abscond.

abs.

⁴

abbreviation

1. absent.

2. absolute.

3. abstract.

A.B.S.

⁵

abbreviation

1. American Bible Society.

2. American Bureau of Shipping.

ABS

¹

abbreviation

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

abs

²

/ æbz /

plural noun

1. informal,  abdominal muscles

Word History and Origins

Origin of abs¹

An Americanism dating back to 1980–85; by shortening

Example Sentences

O’Malley said he tells his clients to get offline and “actually go out into the world,” where they can see with their own eyes that plenty of men have wives and girlfriends, despite not meeting the checklist of “six feet tall, six-figure income, six-pack abs.”

Read more on Salon

At one point, Chet — mimicking Murray’s “Merry Gentlemen” striptease — tears off his tuxedo, and while baring his washboard abs, tries to save the day when Kate’s Christmas tree catches fire in homage to “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The actor and former teen heartthrob is starring in his latest holiday film for Netflix, which required him to dance for hours while baring his abs for all.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It had an opaque title—ABS East—but it was, in effect, a trade show for a narrow industry: the guys who originated subprime mortgages, the Wall Street firms that packaged and sold subprime mortgages, fund managers who invested in nothing but subprime mortgage–backed bonds, the agencies that rated subprime mortgage bonds, the lawyers who did whatever the lawyers did.

Read more on Literature

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

Read more on Literature