abort
Definitions
To stop a process or plan before it is completed
中止，使（计划等）夭折
To end a pregnancy before term
流产，堕胎
The act of cancelling an operation, especially a launch or mission
（任务、发射等的）中止
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedab- (away, off) + orīrī (to rise, be born; participle ortus) = 'to fail to rise into being.' Literally a pregnancy that never comes to term; by extension, to stop anything before it fully comes to life — abort a mission, abort a launch, abort the process.
Root ori still carries 38 more wordsWhy It Means This
The negation here isn't a tacked-on prefix like un-; it's built into the meaning of ab- (away) plus 'be born.' Something aborted never managed to rise into full existence. That's why the technical/computing sense (abort the program) feels so natural — you're killing it before it completes.
Common Collocations
- 1.abort the mission中止任务
- 2.abort the launch中止发射
- 3.abort the process中止进程
Example Sentences
- 1.
Mission control decided to abort the launch at the last second.
- 2.
Press this key to abort the installation.
- 3.
The faulty sensor forced an abort minutes before liftoff.