Dictionary

Abdominal muscle.

An abscess caused by injecting an illegal drug, usually heroin.

To abseil.

(now rare outside medicine) To miscarry; to bring forth (non-living) offspring prematurely.

To cause a premature termination of (a fetus); to end a pregnancy before term.

To end prematurely; to stop in the preliminary stages; to turn back.

To stop or fail at something in the preliminary stages.

The expulsion from the womb of a foetus or embryo before it is fully developed, with loss of the foetus; either naturally as a spontaneous abortion (now usually called a miscarriage), or deliberately as an induced abortion.

An aborted foetus; an abortus.

A misshapen person or thing; a monstrosity.

Failure or abandonment of a project, promise, goal etc.

On all sides; around.

Example: I looked about at the scenery that surrounded me.

Here and there; around; in one place and another; up and down.

Example: Bits of old machinery were lying about.

From one place or position to another in succession; indicating repeated movement or activity.

Example: walking about;  rushing about;  jumping about;  thrashing about

Indicating unproductive or unstructured activity.

Example: messing about;  fooling about;  loafing about

In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of.

Example: The snake was coiled about his ankle.

Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.

Example: He was well known about town.

Indicates that something will happen very soon; indicates a plan or intention to do something.

Concerning; with regard to; on account of; on the subject of; to affect.

Example: He talked a lot about his childhood.

The early stages of; the beginning process; the start.