/euh bree"/ ; Fr. /ann brddee"/ , n. , pl. abris /euh breez"/ ; Fr. /ann brddee"/ .
1. a shelter, esp. a dugout.
2. Archaeol. a rock shelter formed by the overhang of a cliff and often containing prehistoric occupation deposits.
[ abrier (now obs. or dial.) to shelter, shield, screen apricare to warm in the sun (hence, to shield from wind, cold, etc.), v. deriv. of L apricus sunny, warmed by the sunshine; OF b for v perh. abriar, or by construal of a- as prefix ]