abrade
/ə'breid/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To wear down or rub away by friction: To cause surface damage or gradual removal of material through scraping, rubbing, or erosion.
- To irritate or chafe: To cause soreness or irritation to skin or a surface through persistent rubbing.
Examples of Usage
- Verb:
- The rough fabric can abrade the skin. (It can cause irritation or chafe the skin through friction.)
- Over centuries, the river's current abraded the rocks, making them smooth. (The water's flow gradually wore the rocks down.)
- Be careful not to abrade the surface when sanding. (Avoid wearing down the surface excessively while sanding.)
Advanced Usage
- Technical/Geological Context: Often used to describe the natural process of erosion where wind, water, or ice wears away rock or soil.
- Glaciers abrade the landscape as they move.
- Medical/Dermatological Context: Can describe the action that causes an abrasion (a minor wound where the skin is scraped off).
- The fall abraded his knees.
Variants and Related Words
- Abrasion (n): The result or process of being abraded; a scraped area on the skin or a surface.
- The abrasion on his arm needed cleaning.
- Abrasive (adj/n): (Adj.) Having a rough quality that causes abrasion. (N.) A substance used for grinding or polishing.
- The abrasive cleaner scratched the sink. (Adj.)
- Use a fine abrasive to smooth the wood. (N.)
Synonyms
- Scour: To clean or polish by rubbing hard, often implying vigorous action.
- Erode: To gradually wear away, often used for natural elements like wind or water.
- Chafe: To irritate by rubbing, especially skin.
- Scrape: To rub against a rough or hard surface, causing slight damage.
Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions
(Note: "Abrade" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. The action is typically expressed directly.) - To wear away: A common phrasal verb with a very similar meaning. - The inscription on the old coin had worn away.
Related Idioms
(Note: There are no common idioms centered on the verb "abrade.")
Verb
- rub hard or scrub
- scour the counter tops
- wear away