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Synonyms

abs

1 American  
[abz] / æbz /

plural noun

Informal.

  1. abdominal muscles.

ABS 2 American  

  1. antilock braking system.

abs- 3 American  

  1. variant of ab-.

    absent; abscond.
abs. 4 American  

abbreviation

  1. absent.

  2. absolute.

  3. abstract.

A.B.S. 5 American  

abbreviation

  1. American Bible Society.

  2. American Bureau of Shipping.

ABS 1 British  

abbreviation

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

"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
abs 2 British  
/ æbz /

plural noun

  1. informal abdominal muscles

"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

Etymology

Origin of abs

An Americanism dating back to 1980–85; by shortening

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He is as fit as anyone else, but his strength is rooted in his humble nature rather than the Instagram-worthy six-pack abs sculpted to perfection that most youngsters today seem to aspire to.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

The 30-second spot features a young man in a park attempting pull-ups, who asks a muscular bystander about achieving six-pack abs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

"Today the artists... give them six-pack abs and muscles."

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

At 61, he seems to have sprouted a new rung of abs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2025

I stretch my feet, calves, quads, abs, arms, neck, everything.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.