abomination
English
Alternative forms
- abhomination, abominacioun (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English abominacioun, from Middle French abomination (“horror, disgust”), from Late Latin abōminātiō, abōminātiōnem (“abomination”)[1] Doublet of abominatio.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA(key): /əˌbɑm.əˈneɪ.ʃn̩/, /əˌbɑm.ɪˈneɪ.ʃn̩/
Audio (UK) (file) - Rhymes: -eɪʃən
Noun
abomination (countable and uncountable, plural abominations)
- (countable) An abominable act; a disgusting vice; a despicable habit. [from ca. 1150–1350][2]
- Synonym: perversion
- c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene vi], page 354, columns 1–2:
- Onely th’adulterous Anthony, most large / In his abhominations, turnes you off
- 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 160:
- Religious sodomy was practised by male prostitutes in the Hebrew temple groves, which was one of the abominations of Israel that Josiah cleared away.
- (uncountable) The feeling of extreme disgust and hatred [from ca. 1350–1470][2]
- Synonyms: abhorrence, aversion, detestation, disgust, loathing, loathsomeness, odiousness
- (obsolete, uncountable) A state that excites detestation or abhorrence; pollution. [ca. 1350–1470 to late 15th c.][2]
- (countable) That which is abominable, shamefully vile; an object that excites disgust and hatred (often with religious undertones). [from ca. 1350–1470][2]
- 2012, Kathleen Jenks, “Cronus”, in Brian Kinsey, editor, Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome, →ISBN, page 61:
- Appalled by a child she found hideous, Philyra begged the gods to free her from having to rear such an abomination.
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Translations
an abominable act
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the feeling of extreme disgust
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something abominable
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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References
- Elliott K. Dobbie, C. William Dunmore, Robert K. Barnhart, et al. (editors), Chambers Dictionary of Etymology (Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2004 [1998], →ISBN), page 4
- Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief; William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abomination”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 6.
Further reading
- abomination in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
French
Etymology
From Late Latin abominationem.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a.bɔ.mi.na.sjɔ̃/
audio (file)
Noun
abomination f (plural abominations)
- something vile and abominable; an abomination
- (chiefly religion) revulsion, abomination, disgust
Further reading
- “abomination”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.