abraded; abrading

transitive verb

1
a
: to rub or wear away especially by friction : erode
b
: to irritate or roughen by rubbing
2
: to wear down in spirit : irritate, weary
abradable 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 After digging into it with the pet brush, there were no snags or evidence that it had been abraded. Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Oct. 2023 The start of the holiday shopping season has been inching back for years, long abrading the novelty of Black Friday, which got its name because the rush of sales the day after Thanksgiving could change the retailers’ books from red to black. Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2023 The ash will also abrade moving parts in the engine. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2023 Plus, the straps and hooks can abrade the paint at the edges of trunk lids and rear hatches. Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 26 July 2023 The atrium is gigantic and awe-inspiring, a bleached riff on Utah’s sandstone landscape, full of arches, bridges and rounded forms seemingly abraded by water, wind or time. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 4 May 2023 How to Stop Rust From Forming Make sure to wash behind the tires, where road gunk accumulates and can abrade rust-resistant coatings. Ben Wojdyla, Popular Mechanics, 21 Apr. 2023 Ocean’s singing was magnificent: pure one minute, abraded the next, each murmur and yowl vividly captured by Coachella’s incredibly powerful sound system. Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023 The ash was particularly angular (see below), meaning its ability to abrade aircraft was higher than typical ash. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2011

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abrade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of abrade was in 1675

Dictionary Entries Near abrade

Cite this Entry

“Abrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abrade. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

abrade

verb
abraded; abrading
1
: to rub or wear away especially by friction
2
: to irritate or roughen by rubbing
abrader noun

Medical Definition

abrade

transitive verb
abraded; abrading
: to irritate or roughen by rubbing : chafe

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