abrasion

UK: /əˈbreɪʒ^ən/ US: /əˈbreɪʒən/ ,(ə brā′zhən)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•bra•sion /əˈbreɪʒən/   n. 

1. Pathology [uncountable] the act or process of abrading.
2. a scraped spot or area:
   [countable] They found many abrasions on his leg.

See -rase-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•bra•sion  (ə brā′zhən), n. 

1. Pathology a scraped spot or area;
   the result of rubbing or abrading:
   abrasions on his leg caused by falling on the gravel.
2. the act or process of abrading.

• Medieval Latin abrāsiōn- (stem of abrāsiō), equivalent. to abrās(us) scraped off (past participle of abrādere; see abrade) + -iōn- -ion
• 1650–60

Synonyms

• 1. sore, scrape, lesion.
• 2. rubbing, erosion.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

abrasion / əˈbreɪʒən/ noun

1. the process of scraping or wearing down by friction
2. a scraped area or spot; graze
3. the effect of mechanical erosion of rock, esp a river bed, by rock fragments scratching and scraping it; wearing down
   Compare attrition4, corrasion

Etymology: 17th Century: from Medieval Latin abrāsiōn-, from the past participle of Latin abrādere to abrade