ab

Everyday

1. (informal) An ab is one of the stomach muscles; people usually say «abs», short for «abdominal muscles». tree →
2. AB is a blood group (type AB). tree →
3. (abbreviation) Ab can stand for other things, such as Alberta in Canadian addresses (AB) or «able seaman» (AB) on ships. tree →
4. (Latin) «ab» means «from», as in «ab initio» (from the beginning). tree →

In the lessons

Used in PE and health lessons («ab exercises», «work your abs»), in science about blood groups, and in addresses.

Examples

• Sit-ups make your abs stronger. tree →
• The PE teacher showed us an ab stretch. tree →
• The superhero had big muscles and six-pack abs. tree →
• My blood group is AB. tree →
• People with type AB blood can receive blood from any group. tree →
• The parcel was sent to Calgary, AB. tree →

Note

Mostly a clipped form of «abdominal»; usually plural «abs». «Six-pack» is slang for clearly visible stomach muscles. As a blood group it is written in capitals: AB. Not a full English word on its own in normal writing.

In Jewish tradition

In the Sefer Yetzirah, Ab is the name of a Hebrew month, the fifth in the Jewish calendar (also written Av). In the book of Daniel the same letters begin the name Abed-nego, one of the three friends thrown into the furnace, so there it is part of a person's name and not the month.

Interpretation. Tradition links Ab with the letter Teth, the sign Leo and the left kidney. It is the month when the Temple was destroyed, and the ninth of Ab is a day of mourning.

Examples

• A Version by Saadiah, ab. ben David, and three others, Mantua, 1562, 4to. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• The twelve months of the year are: Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tamus, Ab, Elul, Tishri, Marcheshvan, Kislev, Teves, Schevat and Adar. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →
• He produced Teth, predominant in Hearing, crowned, combined, and formed Leo in the world, Ab in the year, and the left kidney in man. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887) tree →
• Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon. (Writings DAN.3.30, JPS 1917) tree →
• Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. (Writings DAN.3.13, JPS 1917) tree →
• And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. (Writings DAN.3.23, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Mostly a clipped form of «abdominal»; usually plural «abs». «Six-pack» is slang for clearly visible stomach muscles. As a blood group it is written in capitals: AB. Not a full English word on its own in normal writing.