|āˌbēˈsē, ˌābēˈsē noun
( plural abc's or abcs -ˈsēz)
Usage: usually capitalized A&B&C
1.
a. : alphabet
before I knew my ABC — A.L.Guérard
— usually used in plural
said his ABC's over and over — Mark Derby
b. : the rudiments of reading, writing, and spelling — usually used in plural
a worker learned in little more than his ABC's — H.A.Overstreet
2. : abecedarius
3. obsolete : a primer containing the alphabet and teaching the elements of reading
4.
a. : the rudiments of any field of knowledge or practice
the ABC of piano playing — H.W.Van Loon
b. : the first or basic principle
distrust of everybody became the ABC of ordinary prudence in daily life — Willi Frischauer
5. Britain : an alphabetical guidebook of railway stations and their train service