| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| abstract 1 (v.) |
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| usually combines with from to mean “took” or “quoted,” as in I abstracted these statements from the longer essay, and sometimes with into meaning “condensed” or “abridged,” as in We abstracted pages of notes into three short paragraphs. The verb is also used jocularly or euphemistically to mean “steal,” as in She abstracted some money from her mother’s purse. The adjective is pronounced with heavy stress on either syllable; the noun is stressed on the first syllable. The verb is stressed on the second syllable except when it means “to summarize,” when it is stressed on the first syllable. See ABSTRACTED. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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