abandon - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

a·ban·don1

Audio Help [uh-ban-duh

n] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used with object)

1.	to leave completely and finally; forsake utterly; desert: to abandon one's farm; to abandon a child; to abandon a sinking ship.

2.	to give up; discontinue; withdraw from: to abandon a research project; to abandon hopes for a stage career.

3.	to give up the control of: to abandon a city to an enemy army.

4.	to yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses, usually without self-control: to abandon oneself to grief.

5.	Law. to cast away, leave, or desert, as property or a child.

6.	Insurance. to relinquish (insured property) to the underwriter in case of partial loss, thus enabling the insured to claim a total loss.

7.	Obsolete. to banish.

[Origin: 1325–75; ME abando(u)nen < MF abandoner for OF (mettre) a bandon (put) under (someone's) jurisdiction, equiv. to a at, to (< L ad; see ad-) + bandon < Gmc *band; see bond¹

]

—Related forms

a·ban·don·a·ble, adjective

a·ban·don·er, noun

a·ban·don·ment, noun

—Synonyms 1. See desert². 2. Abandon, relinquish, renounce mean to give up all concern in something. Abandon means to give up or discontinue any further interest in something because of discouragement, weariness, distaste, or the like: to abandon one's efforts. Relinquish implies being or feeling compelled to give up something one would prefer to keep: to relinquish a long-cherished desire. Renounce implies making (and perhaps formally stating) a voluntary decision to give something up: to renounce worldly pleasures. 3. yield, surrender, resign, waive, abdicate.

—Antonyms 1. keep. 2. continue; begin, start. 3. retain.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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abandon

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

a·ban·don2

Audio Help [uh-ban-duh

n] Pronunciation Key

–noun

a complete surrender to natural impulses without restraint or moderation; freedom from inhibition or conventionality: to dance with reckless abandon.

[Origin: 1815–25; < F, n. deriv. of abandonner to abandon¹

]

—Antonyms restraint, constraint.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

a·ban·don Audio Help (ə-bān'dən) Pronunciation Key
tr.v. a·ban·doned, a·ban·don·ing, a·ban·dons

To withdraw one's support or help from, especially in spite of duty, allegiance, or responsibility; desert: abandon a friend in trouble.
To give up by leaving or ceasing to operate or inhabit, especially as a result of danger or other impending threat: abandoned the ship.
To surrender one's claim to, right to, or interest in; give up entirely. See Synonyms at relinquish.
To cease trying to continue; desist from: abandoned the search for the missing hiker.
To yield (oneself) completely, as to emotion.

Unbounded enthusiasm; exuberance.
A complete surrender of inhibitions.

[Middle English abandounen, from Old French abandoner, from a bandon : a, at (from Latin ad; see ad-) + bandon, control; see bhā-² in Indo-European roots.]

a·ban'don·er n., a·ban'don·ment n.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
abandon

1375, "to subjugate, subdue," from O.Fr. abandoner "surrender," from à "at, to" + bandon "power, jurisdiction," in phrase mettre à bandon "to give up to a public ban," from L. bannum, "proclamation," from a Frankish word related to ban (v.). Etymologically, the word carries a sense of "put someone under someone else's control." Meaning "to give up absolutely" is from 1386. The noun sense of "letting loose, surrender to natural impulses" (1822) is from Fr. abandon.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

abandon
noun
1.	the trait of lacking restraint or control; reckless freedom from inhibition or worry; "she danced with abandon"
2.	a feeling of extreme emotional intensity; "the wildness of his anger" [syn: wildness]
verb
1.	forsake, leave behind; "We abandoned the old car in the empty parking lot"
2.	give up with the intent of never claiming again; "Abandon your life to God"; "She gave up her children to her ex-husband when she moved to Tahiti"; "We gave the drowning victim up for dead"
3.	leave behind empty; move out of; "You must vacate your office by tonight" [syn: vacate]
4.	stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims; "He abandoned the thought of asking for her hand in marriage"; "Both sides have to give up some claims in these negotiations"
5.	leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch; "The mother deserted her children"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
abandon1 [əˈbӕndən] verb

to leave, not intending to return to
Example: They abandoned the stolen car.

Arabic:	يَتْرُك،يَهْجُر
Chinese (Simplified):	抛弃
Chinese (Traditional):	拋棄
Czech:	opustit, zanechat
Danish:	efterlade
Dutch:	verlaten
Estonian:	maha jätma
Finnish:	hylätä
French:	abandonner
German:	zurücklassen
Greek:	εγκαταλείπω
Hungarian:	elhagy
Icelandic:	yfirgefa
Indonesian:	meninggalkan
Italian:	abbandonare

Japanese:	捨てる
Korean:	버리고 떠나다
Latvian:	pamest; atstāt
Lithuanian:	palikti, pamesti
Norwegian:	gå fra
Polish:	porzucać
Portuguese (Brazil):	abandonar
Portuguese (Portugal):	abandonar
Romanian:	a abandona, a părăsi
Russian:	покидать
Slovak:	opustiť, zanechať, zriecť sa
Slovenian:	zapustiti
Spanish:	abandonar, dejar
Swedish:	överge
Turkish:	terketmek, bırakmak

abandon2 [əˈbӕndən] verb

to give (oneself) completely to
Example: He abandoned himself to despair.

Arabic:	يَسْتَسْلِم لِ
Chinese (Simplified):	放任
Chinese (Traditional):	放任
Czech:	oddat se, propadnout
Danish:	hengive; kaste sig ud i
Dutch:	zich overgeven, overlaten
Estonian:	(end millegi) meelevalda andma
Finnish:	antautua jonkin valtaan
French:	s'abandonner (à)
German:	sich hingeben
Greek:	αφήνομαι
Hungarian:	átadja magát vminek
Icelandic:	gefa sig á vald
Indonesian:	menyerah
Italian:	abbandonarsi

Japanese:	～に身を任せる
Korean:	…에 빠 지다
Latvian:	ļauties
Lithuanian:	pulti į
Norwegian:	hengi, kaste seg ut i
Polish:	poddawać się
Portuguese (Brazil):	entregar-se
Portuguese (Portugal):	entregar-se
Romanian:	a se abandona
Russian:	предаваться
Slovak:	oddať sa, prepadnúť (čomu)
Slovenian:	prepustiti se
Spanish:	abandonarse, entregarse
Swedish:	överlämna (hänge) sig åt
Turkish:	kendini bırakmak

See also: abandoned, abandonment

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Abandon

A*ban"don\ ([.a]*b[a^]n"d[u^]n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abandoned (-d[u^]nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Abandoning.] [OF. abandoner, F. abandonner; a (L. ad) + bandon permission, authority, LL. bandum, bannum, public proclamation, interdiction, bannire to proclaim, summon: of Germanic origin; cf. Goth. bandwjan to show by signs, to designate OHG. ban proclamation. The word meant to proclaim, put under a ban, put under control; hence, as in OE., to compel, subject, or to leave in the control of another, and hence, to give up. See Ban.]

1. To cast or drive out; to banish; to expel; to reject. [Obs.]

That he might . . . abandon them from him. --Udall.

Being all this time abandoned from your bed. --Shak.

2. To give up absolutely; to forsake entirely; to renounce utterly; to relinquish all connection with or concern on; to desert, as a person to whom one owes allegiance or fidelity; to quit; to surrender.

Hope was overthrown, yet could not be abandoned. --I. Taylor.

3. Reflexively: To give (one's self) up without attempt at self-control; to yield (one's self) unrestrainedly; -- often in a bad sense.

He abandoned himself . . . to his favorite vice. --Macaulay.

4. (Mar. Law) To relinquish all claim to; -- used when an insured person gives up to underwriters all claim to the property covered by a policy, which may remain after loss or damage by a peril insured against.

Syn: To give up; yield; forego; cede; surrender; resign; abdicate; quit; relinquish; renounce; desert; forsake; leave; retire; withdraw from.

Usage: To Abandon, Desert, Forsake. These words agree in representing a person as giving up or leaving some object, but differ as to the mode of doing it. The distinctive sense of abandon is that of giving up a thing absolutely and finally; as, to abandon one's friends, places, opinions, good or evil habits, a hopeless enterprise, a shipwrecked vessel. Abandon is more widely applicable than forsake or desert. The Latin original of desert appears to have been originally applied to the case of deserters from military service. Hence, the verb, when used of persons in the active voice, has usually or always a bad sense, implying some breach of fidelity, honor, etc., the leaving of something which the person should rightfully stand by and support; as, to desert one's colors, to desert one's post, to desert one's principles or duty. When used in the passive, the sense is not necessarily bad; as, the fields were deserted, a deserted village, deserted halls. Forsake implies the breaking off of previous habit, association, personal connection, or that the thing left had been familiar or frequented; as, to forsake old friends, to forsake the paths of rectitude, the blood forsook his cheeks. It may be used either in a good or in a bad sense.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Abandon

A*ban"don\, n. [F. abandon. fr. abandonner. See Abandon, v.] Abandonment; relinquishment. [Obs.]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Abandon

A*ban"don\, n. [F. abandon. fr. abandonner. See Abandon, v.] Abandonment; relinquishment. [Obs.]

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