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\ ə-ˈbend 
, ˈab-ˌend \
, ˈab-ˌend \ plural abends
Definition of abend
computing
: the unexpected failure of a piece of computer software
As the average network administrator sleeps, nightmares of hardware failures and server abends compete for time against sweet dreams of what some technicians call nirvana, and others call a pipe dream—finding a network operating system that they can call secure.— Kevin Novak, Network Computing, 16 Oct. 2000
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Time Traveler for abend
The first known use of abend was in 1974
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