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abandon
a·ban·don / əˈbandən/ • v. [tr.] 1. give up completely (a course of action, a practice, or a way of thinking): he had abandoned all pretense of trying to succeed. ∎ discontinue (a scheduled event) before completion. 2. cease to support or look after (someone); desert. ∎ leave (a place, typically a building) empty or uninhabited, without intending to return. ∎ leave (something, typically a vehicle or a vessel) decisively, esp. as an act of survival. ∎ (abandon someone/something to) condemn someone or something to (a specified fate) by ceasing to take an interest in or look after them: an attempt to persuade businesses not to abandon the area to inner-city deprivation. 3. (abandon oneself to) allow oneself to indulge in (a desire or impulse): abandoning herself to moony fantasies. • n. complete lack of inhibition or restraint: she sings and sways with total abandon. DERIVATIVES: a·ban·don·ment n. |
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"abandon." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "abandon." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-abandon.html "abandon." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-abandon.html |
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abandon
abandon abandon hope all ye who enter here traditional rendering of the final line of the inscription over the gates of hell in Dante's Inferno.
abandon ship take to the lifeboats and leave a ship in imminent danger of sinking (often as a formal order to crew); in extended usage, desert what is seen as a failing organization. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "abandon." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "abandon." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-abandon.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "abandon." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-abandon.html |
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abandon
abandon1 †subjugate; give up, orig. to the control of another XIV; †banish XVI. — OF. abandoner (mod. -nn-), f. phr. a bandon, i.e. a to (AD-), bandon jurisdiction, control, ult. f. *bandum, var. of medL. bannum BAN1.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "abandon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "abandon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-abandon.html T. F. HOAD. "abandon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-abandon.html |
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abandon
abandon2 freedom from restraint. XIX. — F., f. abandonner (see prec.).
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "abandon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "abandon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-abandon1.html T. F. HOAD. "abandon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-abandon1.html |
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abandon
abandon
•Abaddon, gladden, gladdon, Ibadan, madden, sadden
•abandon, Brandon, Rwandan, Ugandan
•Baden, Baden-Baden, Coloradan, garden, harden, lardon, Nevadan, pardon
•Wiesbaden • bear garden
•tea garden
•Armageddon, deaden, leaden, redden
•Eldon, Sheldon
•Brendan, tendon
•Dresden
•Aden, Aidan, Haydn, laden, maiden
•handmaiden
•cedarn, cotyledon, dicotyledon, Eden, monocotyledon, Sweden
•wealden
•bestridden, forbidden, hidden, midden, outridden, ridden, stridden, unbidden
•Wimbledon
•linden, Lindon, Swindon
•Wisden • Mohammedan • Myrmidon
•harridan • hagridden • Sheridan
•bedridden • Macedon • Huntingdon
•Dryden, guidon, Leiden, Poseidon, Sidon, widen
•Culloden, hodden, modern, sodden, trodden
•Cobden • downtrodden
•Auden, broaden, cordon, Gordon, Hordern, Jordan, warden
•churchwarden • louden • bounden
•loden, Snowdon
•beholden, embolden, golden, olden
•hoyden • Bermudan • wooden
•Mukden • gulden • sudden
•Blunden, London
•Riordan • bourdon • bombardon
•celadon • Clarendon
•burden, guerdon
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Cite this article
"abandon." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "abandon." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-abandon.html "abandon." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-abandon.html |
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