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Definition of "abrade" []

  • To wear down or rub away by friction; erode. See Synonyms at chafe. (verb-transitive)
  • To make weary through constant irritation; wear down spiritually. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "abrade" in a sentence
  • "• Start to "abrade" the area by distressing the marked area with sandpaper."
  • "She wiped the piece of broccoli away from the hairs on his arm, taking care not to abrade his skin."
  • "To clean an unidentified spot of dirt from a page of a Samaritan Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible), Ms. de Arteni used a very soft vinyl eraser, a medium that won't abrade the vellum (animal skin) of the rare 13th-century volume."