Nearby Words

abide

[uh-bahyd] Example Sentences Origin

a·bide

[uh-bahyd] verb, a·bode or a·bid·ed, a·bid·ing.
verb (used without object)
1.
to remain; continue; stay: Abide with me.
2.
to have one's abode; dwell; reside: to abide in a small Scottish village.
3.
to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, etc.; last.
verb (used with object)
4.
to put up with; tolerate; stand: I can't abide dishonesty!
5.
to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting: to abide a vigorous onslaught.
6.
to wait for; await: to abide the coming of the Lord.
7.
to accept without opposition or question: to abide the verdict of the judges.
8.
to pay the price or penalty of; suffer for.

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Abide is one of our favorite verbs.
So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.
to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.
9.
abide by,
a.
to act in accord with.
b.
to submit to; agree to: to abide by the court's decision.
c.
to remain steadfast or faithful to; keep: If you make a promise, abide by it.

Origin:
before 1000; Middle English abiden, Old English ābīdan; cognate with Old High German irbītan await, Gothic usbeisns expectation, patience. See a-3, bide

a·bid·er, noun


1. tarry. 2. live. 3. persevere, endure. 4. bear, endure, brook; support.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To abide
Example Sentences
  • They should act like adults who, while they may have a healthy dislike of laws, nonetheless they abide by them.
  • If hired, I agree to abide by these statements.
  • Harper said he expects foreign ships to abide by the new requirement.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
abide (əˈbaɪd)
 
vb (foll by by) , abides, abiding, abode, abided
1.  (tr) to tolerate; put up with
2.  (tr) to accept or submit to; suffer: to abide the court's decision
3.  a.  to comply (with): to abide by the decision
 b.  to remain faithful (to): to abide by your promise
4.  (intr) to remain or continue
5.  archaic (intr) to dwell
6.  archaic (tr) to await in expectation
7.  archaic (tr) to withstand or sustain; endure: to abide the onslaught
 
[Old English ābīdan, from a- (intensive) + bīdan to wait, bide]
 
a'bidance
 
n
 
a'bider
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

abide
O.E. abidan, gebidan "remain," from ge- completive prefix (denoting onward motion; see a- (1)) + bidan "bide, remain, wait, dwell" (see bide). Originally intransitive (with genitive of the object: we abidon his "we waited for him"); transitive sense
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emerged in M.E. Meaning "to put up with" (now usually negative) first recorded 1520s. The historical conjugation is abide, abode, abidden, but the modern formation is now generally weak.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

abide

In addition to the idioms beginning with abide, also see can't stand (abide).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Idioms & Phrases
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