abandon

abandon - verb, noun

verb [VN]

1. ~ somebody (to something): to leave somebody, especially somebody you are responsible for, with no intention of returning.
- The baby had been abandoned by its mother.
- The study showed a deep fear among the elderly of being abandoned to the care of strangers.

2. ~ something (to somebody/ something): to leave a thing or place, especially because it is impossible or dangerous to stay.
[Synonym: leave]
- Snow forced many driver to abandon their vehicles.
- They had to abandon their lands to the invading forces.
- He gave the order to abandon ship (= to leave the ship because it was sinking.)

3. to stop supporting or helping somebody; to stop believing in something:
- The country abandoned its politicl leaders after the war.
- By 1930, he had abandoned his Marxist principles.

4.to stop doing something, especially before it is finished; to stop having something:
- They abandoned the match because of rain.
- She abandoned hope of any reconciliation.

5. ~ yourself to something (literary): to feel an emotion so strongly that you can feel nothing else:
- He abandoned himself to despair.

noun [U]

(formal) an uncontrolled way of behaving that shows that somebody does not care what other people think:
- He signed cheques with careless abandon.
[Idiom: gay (adj)]

abandoned

adjective

1. left and no longer wanted, used or needed:
an abandoned car/ house/
-The child was found abandoned but unharmed.

2. (of people or their behavior) wild, not following accepted standards

a, an

a (also an) = indefinite article
The form a is used before consonant sounds and the form an before vowel sounds. When saying abbreviations like "FM" or "UN", use a or an according to how the first letter is said. For example, F is a consonant, but begins with the vowel sound and so: an FM radio. U is a vowel but begins with the consonant sound and so: a UN declaration.

1. used before countable or singular nouns referring to people or things that have not already been mentioned: a man/ horse/ unit; an aunt/ egg/ hour/ x-ray
- I can only carry two at a time.
- There's a visitor for you.
- She is a friend of my father's. (= one of my father's friends)

2. used before uncountable nouns when these have an adjective in front of them, or phrase following them: a good knowledge of French; a sadness that won't go away

3. any; every:
- A lion is a dangerous animal.

4. used to show that somebody/something is a member of a group or profession:
- Their new car's a BMW.
- She's a Buddhist.
- He's a teacher.
- Is that a Monet? (= a painting by Monet)

5. used in front of two nouns that are seen as a single unit: a knife and fork

6. used instead of one before some numbers:
- A thousand people were there.

7. used when talking about prices, quantities, and rates:
[Synonym: per]
- They cost 50p a kilo.
- I can type 50 words a minute.
- He was driving at 50 miles an hour.

8. a person like somebody:
- She's a little Hitler.

9. used before somebody's name to show that the speaker does not know the person:
- There's a Mrs Green to see you.

10. used before the names of days of the week to talk about one particular day:
- She died on a Tuesday.