Learn whole vocabulary with me.

[princess]

.
abate v.t. To bring down or reduce from a higher to a lower state,
number, or degree; to lessen; to diminish; to contract; to
moderate; to cut short; as, to abate a demand; to abate
pride, zeal, hope.

e.g.We must abate the smoke nuisance in our big cities
.

Well this way could not be denied. The problem is this how much times the man planed to spend to finish it, and also, when he finished the last words, how can he guarantee that he still keep the first one in mind? I think he would better consider those details before to start.

However, it's really a courageous activity.
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Life is milk and cookies.

[Tom]

[Yankee]

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abbreviate (a)
to shorten

Tomorrow there will be a test on the meanings of words found in an English dictionary. The scope of the test will be abbreviated, however, and will cover only those words also appearing in this thread.
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_________________
Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Tom]

[Mister Micawber]

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And where is your word, Princess? If you post to this thread, please add the next word and a sample sentence.

-- And somebody's not staying in alphabetical order! I'm going to have to dial 119 for the Lexis Police!

Abate: to reduce in degree or intensity, value or amount, or force.

Three hours after the eye of the typhoon passed through Yokohama, the wind finally abated.

A.
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_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[Tom]

Quote:

Abattoir

slaughterhouse

not a

[Tom]

To all those involved in this activity.

Please keep your new word in the quote to make it prominent. Like this:

Quote:

Abbess

not "a"

a woman who is a head of a convent.

[Yankee]

Well, I wanted to do abalone, MM, but I missed the boat and that one got away. Feel free to use any moderator machinations at your disposal to reel my words back into their proper alphabetical order.

Tom, I meant that the only words that will appear on the test will be those found in both the dictionary AND in this thread. That was a little joke. In other words, the test won't cover the whole dictionary -- yet.
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_________________
Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Mister Micawber]

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Hey! You posted without a word!

Abbey: a monastery ruled by an abbot.

I guess that Westminster Abbey has an abbot about, then.

A.

PS: I'm going away until this thread calms down a bit. We'll never make it through the OED at this pace without dying of heat prostration!
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_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[lost_soul]

abbrochment (noun)
a crime when you steal something

If you commit an abbrochment you're going to get grounded for 4 weeks
_________________
Alex

"Noone has ever escaped from Stalag 13"
Colonel Klink, Kommandant of Stalag 13

[Yankee]

.
abduct (a)
to seize and take away (as a person) by force; kidnap

I wanted to say that LS had "abducted" my word (abbreviate) and ask whether he was also holding it for ransom, but now I see that he's found a new word (abbrochment). So, here's my new sentence:
Some criminals abducted the princess and demanded four million dollars for her release.
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_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[lost_soul]

abdicate (verb)
to relinquish, resign, renounce

I shall abdicate my throne because I cannot deal with what's going on in my realm any more

PS: Amy, I didn't mean to abduct your word
_________________
Alex

"Noone has ever escaped from Stalag 13"
Colonel Klink, Kommandant of Stalag 13

[Mister Micawber]

.
Abduct: to carry off (as a person) by force.

Several Korean humanitarian workers have been abducted by the Taliban.

A.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber

[lost_soul]

abdomen
a scientific word for stomach, belly

A driver was having so acute pain in his pendulous abdomen that he had to stop the bus and shoot some anesthetic
_________________
Alex

"Noone has ever escaped from Stalag 13"
Colonel Klink, Kommandant of Stalag 13

[Mister Micawber]

O comes before U, LS.

A driver was having so acute a pain in his pendulous abdomen that he had to stop the bus and inject himself with anesthetic.
.
_________________
Canadian-American native speaker
who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's
ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber