ABC

Symbol

ABC

1. (international standards, aviation) IATA airport code for Albacete Airport, which serves Albacete, Castilla–La Mancha, Spain.

Alternative forms

• (noun): absey (in certain senses only)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /eɪ biː siː/

Noun

ABC (countable and uncountable, plural ABCs or ABC's)

1. (uncountable, countable, usually plural in Canada, US) The English alphabet.
   • Do you know your ABC? (US: Do you know your ABCs?)
   • Synonyms: (obsolete) absey, alphabet
2. (obsolete, poetry) A type of poem in which the lines start with the letters of the alphabet in order.
3. (obsolete) A primer for teaching the Latin alphabet and first elements of reading.
4. The fundamentals of any subject.
   • the ABC of finance
   • Synonyms: basics, fundamentals
5. (poker) A straightforward, uniform playing style, often focusing on betting for value, folding weak hands, and avoiding bluffing.
6. (UK, rail transport) A British alphabetized guidebook listing trains and their stations.

Noun

ABC (countable and uncountable, plural ABCs)

1. (mnemonic, emergency medicine) Initialism of airway, breathing and circulation: the essential steps in the immediate assessment and treatment of critically ill or injured patients.
2. (US) Initialism of alcoholic beverage control.
3. Initialism of American-born Chinese.
4. Initialism of Australian-born Chinese.
5. (business management) Initialism of activity-based costing.
6. (climbing) Initialism of advance base camp.
7. (biochemistry) Initialism of ATP-binding cassette.
8. (immunology, medicine) Initialism of antigen-binding capacity.
9. (pathology) Initialism of aneurysmal bone cyst.
10. (pathology) Initialism of adenoid basal cell carcinoma.
11. (pharmacology) Abbreviation of abacavir.
12. (computing) Initialism of Atanasoff-Berry computer.
13. (computing) Initialism of artificial bee colony.
14. (law, finance) Initialism of assignment for the benefit of creditors.
15. (electrical engineering) Initialism of absorbing boundary condition.
16. (object-oriented programming) Initialism of abstract base class.
17. (psychology) Initialism of adventure-based counseling.
18. (psychology) Initialism of affect, behavior, and cognition.
    • Synonym: CAB
19. (cryptozoology) Initialism of alien big cat.
20. (automotive) Initialism of active body control.
21. (Christianity, informal) Initialism of Archbishop of Canterbury.

Proper noun

ABC

1. (television) Initialism of American Broadcasting Company: an American commercial broadcast television network founded in 1943.
2. (radio, television) Initialism of Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
3. (historical, radio) Initialism of Australian Broadcasting Company.
4. (historical, radio, television) Initialism of Australian Broadcasting Commission.
5. (radio, television) Initialism of Asahi Broadcasting Corporation.
6. (finance) Initialism of Agricultural Bank of China.
7. (publishing) Initialism of Audit Bureau of Circulations.
8. (UK, historical) Initialism of Aerated Bread Company; also A.B.C.
9. (aviation) Initialism of Advance Booking Charter.
10. (historical, basketball) Initialism of Asian Basketball Confederation.
11. (historical, bowling) Initialism of American Bowling Congress.
12. (often attributively) Initialism of Argentina, Brazil and Chile: the three most powerful and wealthiest countries in South America.
    • ABC countries
13. Initialism of Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo and São Caetano do Sul: satellite cities around the city of São Paulo that form the most important industrial area in Brazil.
14. (US, rail transport) Initialism of Atlanta, Birmingham and Coast Railroad.
15. Initialism of American Book Center: an English-language bookstore in Amsterdam founded in 1972.
16. (computer languages) An imperative general-purpose programming language, intended for teaching or prototyping.
17. (Christianity) Initialism of Anglican Book Centre: the publishing house and bookshop of the Anglican Church of Canada until 2013.

Adjective

ABC (not comparable)

1. (weaponry) Initialism of atomic, biological and chemical: the three main categories of weapon of mass destruction.
   • Synonym: NBC
2. (slang, of a piece of chewing gum) Initialism of already been chewed.
3. (medicine, of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) Initialism of activated B-cell-like.

Phrase

ABC

1. (wine) Initialism of anything but Chardonnay: a backlash against Chardonnay wine, seen as ubiquitous.
2. (medicine) Initialism of abstinence, be faithful, use a condom: a sex education policy developed in response to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
3. (electronics, electric vehicles, automotive) Initialism of always be charging; a recommendation to remember to charge or be left without use by a low battery at an inopportune time.
4. (Canadian politics) Initialism of anything but Conservative.

Anagrams

• -bac-, B. C. A., B.C.A., BAC, BCA, CAB, CBA, Cab, bac, cab

Proper noun

ABC f

1. Associació Bíblica de Catalunya, a Catalonian bible club

Alternative forms

• abc

Pronunciation

• IPA: /abeseː/, [æb̥eˈseːˀ]

Noun

ABC c (singular definite ABC'en, plural indefinite ABC'er)

1. ABC (a primer for teaching the Latin alphabet and first elements of reading; the rudiments of any subject)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌa(ː)beˈtseː/

Noun

ABC n (strong, genitive ABC or ABCs, no plural)

1. ABC, alphabet
   • Synonym: Alphabet

Adjective

ABC (indeclinable)

1. (weaponry) Initialism of atomar, biologisch und chemisch: NBC

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) エービーシ​ー [èébííshíꜜì] (Nakadaka – [5])
• IPA: [e̞ːbʲiːɕiː]

Noun

ABC(エービーシー) • (ēbīshī) 

1. ABC(s) (alphabet)
2. the ABCs (rudiments)
   • チェスのA(エー)B(ビー)C(シー)
     • chesu no ēbīshī
     • the ABCs of chess
   • 男(おとこ)と女(おんな)のA(エー)B(ビー)C(シー)
     • otoko to onna no ēbīshī
     • the ABCs of men and women

Noun

ABC n or m (plural ABCen)

1. ABC, alphabet

Noun

ABC

1. Alternative form of abece

Alternative forms

• abc

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɑːbɛˈseː/
• Hyphenation: A‧B‧C
• Homophone: abc

Noun

ABC f or m (definite singular ABC-a or ABC-en, indefinite plural ABC-er, definite plural ABC-ene)

1. an ABC (a primer for teaching the Latin alphabet and first elements of reading and spelling)
   • Synonyms: ABC-bok, stavebok
2. (figuratively) basic knowledge of a subject
   • vitenskapens og politikkens ABC
     • the ABC's of science and politics
   • kunne sin ABC ― know your ABCs
   • kunne mer enn sin ABC ― know more than your ABCs (to understand many things)
3. a textbook that contains elementary knowledge within a topic or subject
   • ABC for førerprøven ― ABC for the driving test
   • ABC for matlaging ― ABC for cooking
   • Synonyms: grunnbok, lærebok
4. (rare) alphabet (the set of letters used when writing in a language)

Adjective

ABC

1. (weaponry) Initialism of atom-, biologisk and kjemisk: ("atomic, biological and chemical") the three main categories of weapons of mass destruction.

Adjective

ABC

1. (geography) Initialism of Argentina, Brasil and Chile: ("Argentina, Brazil and Chile") the three richest countries in South America.
   • Synonym: ABC-statene

Alternative forms

• abc

Noun

ABC f (definite singular ABC-a, indefinite plural ABC-er, definite plural ABC-ene)

1. ABC (often in book form), alphabet

Noun

ABC m (plural ABCs)

1. Alternative form of á-bê-cê

Noun

ABC

1. Alternative form of aw-bay-say

Noun

ABC m (plural ABCs)

1. Alternative form of abecé