Wordul · all words

verb · 2 syllables · /ə'bɔːrt/

ABORT

What does "ABORT" mean?

To stop or cancel a process before it is completed.

Meanings

  1. To halt an operation, mission, or plan prematurely. Mission control made the call to abort the launch.
  2. In computing, to terminate a program or transaction before it finishes. If a download is corrupted, the script will abort and retry. technical
  3. To end a pregnancy before term, or for a pregnancy to end naturally. The vet said the mare had aborted the foal early. technical
  4. An instance of aborting, especially a halted mission or flight. The first attempt was an abort at the four-second mark. technical

Word origin

From Latin 'aboriri' ('to miscarry, disappear'), combining 'ab-' (away, amiss) and 'oriri' (to rise, be born) - literally 'to fail to come into being'.

Remember it

ABORT shares its Latin root 'oriri' (to be born) with 'origin' - to abort is to undo the rising before it begins.

A little poem

The countdown stops at one held breath;
the rocket cools, unspent, on Earth-
to wait is sometimes wiser than the worth.

tercet

Wordplay

  • Press any key to continue, or Ctrl-C to abort - the only sentence where giving up is one keystroke.

What it teaches

Knowing when to abort is a skill the brave learn slower than the wise.

Quick facts

What does ABORT mean?

To stop or cancel a process before it is completed.

Is ABORT a valid word?

Yes — ABORT is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is ABORT?

ABORT has 5 letters and 2 syllables.

Where does ABORT come from?

From Latin 'aboriri' ('to miscarry, disappear'), combining 'ab-' (away, amiss) and 'oriri' (to rise, be born) - literally 'to fail to come into being'.

What can ABORT teach us?

Knowing when to abort is a skill the brave learn slower than the wise.

How players do

Be the first to solve it.

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