abomination

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English abominacioun, from Middle French abomination (“horror, disgust”), from Late Latin abōminātiō, abōminātiōnem (“abomination”)[1] Doublet of abominatio.

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˌbɒ.mɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
  • (US) IPA(key): /əˌbɑ.mɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃən
  • Hyphenation: a‧bo‧mi‧na‧tion

Noun

abomination (countable and uncountable, plural abominations)

  1. (countable) An abominable act; a disgusting vice; a despicable habit. [from ca. 1150–1350][2]
    Synonym: perversion
    • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vi], page 354, columns 1–2:
      Onely th’adulterous Anthony, most large / In his abhominations, turnes you off
    • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 160:
      Religious sodomy was practised by male prostitutes in the Hebrew temple groves, which was one of the abominations of Israel that Josiah cleared away.
  2. (uncountable) The feeling of extreme disgust and hatred [from ca. 1350–1470][2]
    Synonyms: abhorrence, aversion, detestation, disgust, loathing, loathsomeness, odiousness
  3. (obsolete, uncountable) A state that excites detestation or abhorrence; pollution. [ca. 1350–1470 to late 15th c.][2]
  4. (countable) That which is abominable, shamefully vile; an object that excites disgust and hatred (often with religious undertones). [from ca. 1350–1470][2]
    • 2012, Kathleen Jenks, “Cronus”, in Brian Kinsey, editor, Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome, →ISBN, page 61:
      Appalled by a child she found hideous, Philyra begged the gods to free her from having to rear such an abomination.

Derived terms

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References
  1. Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], →ISBN), page 4
  2. Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abomination”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 6.

Further reading

French

Etymology

From Late Latin abōminātiōnem.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /a.bɔ.mi.na.sjɔ̃/
  • audio(file)

Noun

abomination f (plural abominations)

  1. something vile and abominable; an abomination
  2. (chiefly religion) revulsion, abomination, disgust

Further reading
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.