abstract
Definitions
Existing as an idea rather than a concrete object; theoretical
抽象的；理论的（作为概念而非具体事物存在）
(of art) not representing recognizable objects
（艺术）抽象的，不描绘可辨认物体的
A short summary of the main points of a paper or text
（论文、文章的）摘要
To draw out or separate a general idea from concrete instances
提炼，抽离（从具体实例中抽出普遍概念）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedabs- (away) + tract (pull) = 'pulled away.' To abstract is to drag a general idea loose from the concrete things it lives in. The adjective, the summary, and the verb all share this image: something has been pulled free of the physical particular.
Root tra still carries 109 more wordsWhy It Means This
Of all the trahere words, abstract makes the boldest leap from the physical to the mental. The Romans used abstrahere for literally pulling something away. Medieval philosophers borrowed it for the act of pulling a universal idea ('whiteness') away from particular things (this swan, that cloud). That mental 'pulling away' is exactly what makes thought abstract: it has let go of the concrete object.
Usage Guide
Stress shift between word classes: the adjective and noun are AB-stract; the verb (to abstract) is ab-STRACT. The phrase 'in the abstract' means 'in theory, without concrete detail.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
Freedom is an abstract idea that's hard to define precisely.
- 2.
Please submit a 200-word abstract before the full paper.
- 3.
Children struggle to think abstractly before a certain age.
- 4.
The gallery's new wing is devoted to abstract painting.