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abrade

verb
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\ ə-ˈbrād How to pronounce abrade (audio) \
abraded; abrading

Definition of abrade

transitive verb

1a : to rub or wear away especially by friction : erode
b : to irritate or roughen by rubbing
2 : to wear down in spirit : irritate, weary

intransitive verb

: to undergo abrasion
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Other Words from abrade

abradable \ ə-​ˈbrā-​də-​bəl How to pronounce abradable (audio) \ adjective
abrader noun

Examples of abrade in a Sentence

ropes abraded by the rocks were a huge danger to the climbers the prisoner's manacles abraded his wrists and ankles until they bled
Recent Examples on the Web And under high braking pressure, the pads dig into the rotor surface like a microscopic hook-and-loop fastener—abrading the rotor and generating some dust, but delivering massive stopping power, too. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "How Porsche Built the Game-Changing Brakes on the 2019 Cayenne," 2 Aug. 2019 The surfaces are raw, abraded, sometimes buckled and creased. — Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, "One artist’s solution to the racial inequities embedded in books: Rip them apart," 5 Aug. 2019 Another great crossover from the auto-body industry is the scouring pastes that clean and abrade a surface at the same time. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "10 Smart Spray Painting Tips for a Great-Looking Paint Job," 11 Mar. 2019 Try to avoid footwear that will further abrade the area. — Talia Abbas, SELF, "How to Stretch Shoes That Are Too Small," 24 Dec. 2018 That helpless, screaming, wetting, nipple-abrading bundle of joy wouldn’t really change the woman who birthed it. — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, "Mom-Coms Latch On to the Raw Reality of New Motherhood," 31 May 2018 Still, that box must contain gadgetry that would be the envy of 007 - fadeaways abrading opposing hopes like a sander, twisting layups augering through the defense, dunks slamming like hammers. — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, "LeBron James and the toolbox, the repertoire, the sweep: Bill Livingston (photos)," 7 May 2018 Nearly two dozen of the photographs in the exhibition are vintage prints; another 58 are newly printed from negatives abraded and speckled by time. — Jason Farago, New York Times, "J.M. Coetzee’s Boyhood, in Black and White," 16 Jan. 2018 In stonewashing, the stones organically abrade the fabric to further loosen the weave and increase overall flexibility and softness. — Madeleine Luckel, Vogue, "Everything You Never Knew You Needed to Know About Summer Bedding Fabrics," 9 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abrade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of abrade

1675, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

History and Etymology for abrade

borrowed from Latin abrādere "to remove by rubbing, scrape off," from ab- ab- + rādere "to scrape" — more at rase

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Time Traveler for abrade

Time Traveler

The first known use of abrade was in 1675

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Cite this Entry

“Abrade.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abrades. Accessed 22 November 2019.

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More Definitions for abrade

abrade

verb
How to pronounce abrade (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of abrade

: to damage (something) by rubbing, grinding, or scraping

See the full definition for abrade in the English Language Learners Dictionary

abrade

verb
\ ə-ˈbrād How to pronounce abrade (audio) \
abraded; abrading

Kids Definition of abrade

: to wear away or irritate by rubbing The rough fabric abraded his skin.

abrade

transitive verb
\ ə-ˈbrād How to pronounce abrade (audio) \
abraded; abrading

Medical Definition of abrade

: to irritate or roughen by rubbing : chafe

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More from Merriam-Webster on abrade

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for abrade

Spanish Central: Translation of abrade

Nglish: Translation of abrade for Spanish Speakers

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