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• abs
  abs

  plural noun

  abdominal muscles.
• ABS
  ABS

  antilock braking system.
• abs-
  abs-

  variant of ab-.
• abs.
  abs.

  abbreviation

  absent.
• A.B.S.
  A.B.S.

  abbreviation

  American Bible Society.

abs

¹ American  

[abz] / æbz /

plural noun

Informal.

1. abdominal muscles.

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ABS ² American  

1. antilock braking system.

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abs- ³ American  

1. variant of ab-.

   absent; abscond.

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abs. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. absent.

2. absolute.

3. abstract.

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A.B.S. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. American Bible Society.

2. American Bureau of Shipping.

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ABS ¹ British  

abbreviation

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

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abs ² British  

/ æbz /

plural noun

1. informal abdominal muscles

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Etymology

Origin of abs

An Americanism dating back to 1980–85; by shortening

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abs ABS abs. A.B.S.

It’s reality television-style performative sensitivity wrapped in six-pack abs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

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

In one of the Super Bowl slots, a short man asks a representation of an AI assistant how to get six-pack abs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 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

He had Arnold-as-Terminator abs and arms, and a square, brutish head.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

And an ABS review showed the fastball had clipped the top of the strike zone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

The Journal previously reported that ABS made investments with Walter, including to buy an $85 million house in California in 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

He finally escaped by striking out Braves No. 7 hitter Mike Yastrzemski, with the help of a successful ABS challenge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

That year, ABS set up LLCs to buy two Los Angeles homes in the city’s pricey Pacific Palisades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

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

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

“It’s not about personalities or somebody’s abs. There’s no salaciousness about it, it is purely about the music.”

From The Guardian ● Nov. 17, 2016

But, in that case, we can perceive no reason why the Inf. abs. should be placed before the tempus finitum.

From Christology of the Old Testament: And a Commentary on the Messianic Predictions, Vol. 1 by Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg

Means, abl. of, 218; —— abl. abs. denoting, 227, 2; —— denoted by partic.,

From New Latin Grammar by Charles E. (Charles Edwin) Bennett

Thanks to the efforts of the A.B.S. and of private ranchers, North America is today home to some half a million bison, most of them in captivity.

From The New Yorker ● May 13, 2016

In 1907, the A.B.S. set out to reinvigorate the Bison bison bison population by sending fifteen Bronx-born bison, by train, to the Wichita Reserve Bison Refuge.

From The New Yorker ● May 13, 2016

Pumping out celebrity-inspired dresses isn't new for companies like A.B.S.,

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2011

"I thought it was going to be over the top, but it was more about simplicity and elegance," said Allen Schwartz, co-owner of A.B.S., which is known for pumping out copies of celebrity dresses.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2011

His version of the Old Testament, first published by the American Bible Society in 1875, has since been repeatedly issued by both the A.B.S. and the B.F.B.S.

From Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ by B.D.