verb
abstract
take something away from where it is
The thief abstracts a letter from the open desk.
Etymology
Latin ab- and trahere combine the ideas of “away” and “draw.” This use keeps that concrete action: something is taken out of its existing location or removed from a larger whole.
More examples
- He abstracted money from the drawer.
- The account describes someone abstracting a document.
- Several pages had been abstracted from the file.
Forms
abstract · abstracts · abstracted · abstracting