ab
ab — noun
- absingular
- absplural
1. a first university degree in arts or humanities subjects, or the letters that st
a first university degree in arts or humanities subjects, or the letters that stand for this qualification
Rohan framed his ab certificate and hung it on the wall above his desk.
ab certificate
The library only accepts volunteers who already hold an ab or a higher degree.
hold an ab
Nellie decided to study for an ab rather than go straight into the family restaurant business.
There were three hundred students lined up to receive their ab scrolls that morning.
Felipe finished his ab last spring and started sending out job applications in Madrid.
- BA
more common in British English; same meaning as ab
- bachelor's degree
the general term; ab specifies the arts/humanities field
- first degree
emphasises that it is the initial university qualification, before a master's
文法句型
ab in + subject
have/hold/receive + ab
study for + an ab
常見錯誤
2. the written short form of Alberta, a province in western Canada, used mainly on
the written short form of Alberta, a province in western Canada, used mainly on envelopes and in addresses
Aylin addressed the parcel to 17 River Road, Edmonton, ab, Canada, T5J 1N6.
city, ab in an address
Hana filled in 'ab' on the tax form under the province section for her Calgary home.
fill in 'ab' on a form
The courier returned the package because Eli had written ab in lowercase on the shipping label.
A driver's licence from ab is accepted as valid ID in most other Canadian provinces.
The website auto-filled the province as ab after Sade typed in her Lethbridge postcode.
- Alta.
an older written abbreviation for Alberta, now less common than ab
文法句型
city, ab
ab, Canada
用法筆記
Used only in writing, especially on mail and forms. It is not spoken as a word; people say the full name 'Alberta' in conversation.
常見錯誤
3. a muscle in the front of the body between the chest and the hips; the short form
a muscle in the front of the body between the chest and the hips; the short form of 'abdominal muscle,' used almost always in the plural
Maja started doing crunches every morning because she wanted flatter abs by the summer holidays.
flatter abs
Ziad felt a sharp pull in his lower abs after lifting the heavy box of tiles.
lower abs
The fitness coach told Sari to tighten her abs before lifting the bar off the floor.
Lotte's workout plan included four different moves that target the upper abs and the sides.
After two months of daily training, Michael could see his abs more clearly in the bathroom mirror.
- abdominal muscle
the full medical term; 'ab' is the everyday short form
- stomach muscle
a looser term; 'abs' is more precise and more common in fitness
- six-pack
informal; refers specifically to well-developed, visible abs
文法句型
work + abs
tighten + abs
six-pack abs
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form 'abs.' The singular 'ab' refers to a single abdominal muscle and is rare outside medical or anatomical writing.