Abrade
/əˈbreɪd/noun
To wear away or rub off a surface through friction.
Did you know?In medieval alchemy, the act of abrading was believed to purify materials, akin to spiritual cleansing rituals.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bher-
“To carry, to bring forth.”
Old English
Old English
abrædan
“To scrape off, to wear away.”
Middle English
Middle English
abraden
“To scrape or grind away.”
Late Middle English
Late Middle English
abrade
“To wear down by friction.”
Modern English
English
abrade
“To rub or wear away a surface.”