Abs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term commonly used to refer to abdominal muscles, particularly when defined as a fitness feature or aesthetic goal
2. An informal reference to the muscles in the abdomen that are often targeted through exercise for firm and toned appearance
3. A colloquial abbreviation for the muscles located in the midsection of the body, often associated with physical fitness and core strength

Etymology: "Abs" is a clipping of "abstract," but not in the sense of "summary" or "not concrete." The short form comes from the older adjective "abstract," which in Middle English meant "separated" or "removed," and it traces back to Latin "abstractus," the past participle of "abstrahere," meaning "to draw away." That Latin verb was built from "abs," "away," and "trahere," "to pull," so the core idea is literally pulling something off or apart. The fitness sense has nothing to do with that Latin root. "Abs" as shorthand for "abdominal muscles" is a modern gym-culture clipping, and the link to "abstract" is purely accidental: the first three letters happen to match. The abdominal muscles are the "abs" in the body-building sense, and the word is a short, informal form that spread with fitness talk in the late twentieth century.

Synonyms: abdominals, six-pack, core muscles