rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: ab-
Latin

ab-

away, off, from

Forms

  • ab-
  • abs- — Expanded Latin form, especially before t.
  • a- — Shortened in some Latin compounds.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *apo, ‘away; off.’

Note

The Greek prefix apo- is a relative from the same older source, not a borrowing from Latin.

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adjective

aberrant

uh-BAIR-unt/əˈberənt/

Departing from what is normal or expected.

A single red flower shows aberrant coloring among the yellow flowers.

One red flower grows among a field of otherwise yellow flowers.
Etymology
abLatinaway, off, from
+errLatinwander, stray, or go wrong
+antLatindoing or being something

The pieces picture wandering away from a course. Applied figuratively, the course becomes a normal pattern or expected standard, so something aberrant departs from what usually occurs.

In context

National Academies - Earth and Life Studies72:16
when the ribosome stops at one of these modifications this causes the ribosomes to collide eventually signaling for the degradation of the nascent polypeptide chain and the aberrant mRNA
DAY 1: Toward Sequencing and Mapping of RNA Modifications: A Workshop

More examples

  • The study compared typical and aberrant growth.
  • His aberrant behavior worried his colleagues.
  • One aberrant result did not overturn the pattern.

Forms

aberrant · more aberrant · most aberrant

aberration noun — a departure from an expected pattern

Similar words

atypical
Atypical means not representative; aberrant often suggests a marked departure from an expected pattern.
anomalous
Anomalous means inconsistent with expectations; aberrant can emphasize deviation in behavior or development.