I. ab-ˈstrakt, ˈab-ˌ adjective
Etymology: Medieval Latin abstractus, from Latin, past participle of abstrahere to drag away, from abs-, ab- + trahere to pull, draw
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : disassociated from any specific instance
an abstract entity
b. : difficult to understand : abstruse
abstract problems
c. : insufficiently factual : formal
possessed only an abstract right
2. : expressing a quality apart from an object
the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract
3.
a. : dealing with a subject in its abstract aspects : theoretical
abstract science
b. : impersonal , detached
the abstract compassion of a surgeon — Time
4. : having only intrinsic form with little or no attempt at pictorial representation or narrative content
abstract painting
• ab·stract·ly ab-ˈstrak(t)-lē, ˈab-ˌ adverb
• ab·stract·ness ab-ˈstrak(t)-nəs, ˈab-ˌ noun
II. ˈab-ˌstrakt, in sense 2 also ab-ˈ noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin abstractus
Date: 15th century
1. : a summary of points (as of a writing) usually presented in skeletal form ; also : something that summarizes or concentrates the essentials of a larger thing or several things
2. : an abstract thing or state
3. : abstraction 4a
III. ab-ˈstrakt, ˈab-ˌ, in sense 3 usu ˈab-ˌ
Date: 1542
transitive verb
1. : remove , separate
2. : to consider apart from application to or association with a particular instance
3. : to make an abstract of : summarize
4. : to draw away the attention of
5. : steal , purloin
intransitive verb
: to make an abstraction
• ab·stract·able -ˈstrak-tə-bəl, -ˌstrak- adjective
• ab·strac·tor or ab·stract·er -tər noun