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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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verb / noun

abort

uh-BORT/əˈbɔːrt/

To bring a developing process to an end before completion.

The technician aborts the failed print before it is complete.

A technician aborts a failing 3D print by pressing the printer's emergency-stop button while the object is visibly unfinished and loose filament spills from the failed upper layers.
Etymology
abLatinaway, off, from
+ortLatinto rise, arise, or be born

On the OED's analysis, “amiss” and “be born” combine in a verb meaning “miscarry.” English extended this idea of interrupted development to deliberately ending a process or mission before completion.

In context

Chrome for Developers85:13
This is when the the user cancels the stream after they're done reading it. You get this cancel method. So I can use this to to abort the the interval.
Progressive Web App Summit 2016 - Day 1

More examples

  • A warning forced an immediate abort.
  • The pilot decided to abort the landing.
  • The veterinarian recorded that the cow had aborted.

Forms

abort · aborts · aborted · aborting

Similar words

cancel
Stop a planned or ongoing activity.
terminate
Bring to an end, whether premature or planned.