Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

abstraction

 - 4 dictionary results

ab⋅strac⋅tion

  [ab-strak-shuhn]
Use abstraction in a Sentence
–noun
1. an abstract or general idea or term.
2. the act of considering something as a general quality or characteristic, apart from concrete realities, specific objects, or actual instances.
3. an impractical idea; something visionary and unrealistic.
4. the act of taking away or separating; withdrawal: The sensation of cold is due to the abstraction of heat from our bodies.
5. secret removal, esp. theft.
6. absent-mindedness; inattention; mental absorption.
7. Fine Arts.
a. the abstract qualities or characteristics of a work of art.
b. a work of art, esp. a nonrepresentational one, stressing formal relationships.
Origin:
1540–50; < LL abstractiōn- (s. of abstractiō) separation. See abstract, -ion

Related forms:
ab⋅strac⋅tion⋅al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To abstraction
ab·strac·tion   (āb-strāk'shən, əb-)   
n.  

    1. The act of abstracting or the state of having been abstracted.

    2. An abstract concept, idea, or term.

    3. An abstract quality.

  2. Preoccupation; absent-mindedness.

  3. An abstract work of art.

ab·strac'tion·al, ab·strac'tive adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

abstraction ab·strac·tion (āb-strāk'shən, əb-)
n.

  1. Distillation or separation of the volatile constituents of a substance.

  2. Exclusive mental concentration; absent-mindedness.

  3. A malocclusion in which the teeth or associated structures are lower than their normal occlusal plane.

  4. The selection of a certain aspect of a concept from the whole.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Computing Dictionary

abstraction
1. Generalisation; ignoring or hiding details to capture some kind of commonality between different instances. Examples are abstract data types (the representation details are hidden), abstract syntax (the details of the concrete syntax are ignored), abstract interpretation (details are ignored to analyse specific properties).
2. Parameterisation, making something a function of something else. Examples are lambda abstractions (making a term into a function of some variable), higher-order functions (parameters are functions), bracket abstraction (making a term into a function of a variable).
Opposite of concretisation.
(1998-06-04)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
Cite This Source
Search another word or see abstraction on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way