abroad

abroad
\ \ [13] It was only in the 15th century that abroad came to mean ‘in foreign parts’. Earlier, it had been used for ‘out of doors’, a sense still current today, if with a rather archaic air; but originally it meant ‘widely’ or ‘about’ (as in ‘noise something abroad’). It was formed quite simply from aon’ and the adjective broad, although it was probably modelled on the much earlier (Old English) phrase on brede, in which brede was a noun, meaning ‘breadth’.
\ \ Cf.BROAD

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Abroad — A*broad , adv. [Pref. a + broad.] 1. At large; widely; broadly; over a wide space; as, a tree spreads its branches abroad. [1913 Webster] The fox roams far abroad. Prior. [1913 Webster] 2. Without a certain confine; outside the house; away from… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • abroad — [ə brôd′] adv. [ME abrode < on brod: see ON & BROAD] 1. broadly; far and wide 2. in circulation; current [a report is abroad that he has won] 3. outside one s house; outdoors [to stroll abroad] 4 …   English World dictionary

  • abroad — (adv.) mid 13c., widely apart, from O.E. on brede, which meant something like at wide (see BROAD (Cf. broad) (adj.)). The sense out of doors, away from home (late 14c.) led to the main modern sense of out of one s country, overseas (mid 15c.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • abroad — [adj] in a foreign country away, elsewhere, in foreign lands, in foreign parts, out of the country, overseas, touring, traveling; concept 583 Ant. at home …   New thesaurus

  • abroad — ► ADVERB 1) in or to a foreign country or countries. 2) in different directions; over a wide area. 3) at large; in circulation. 4) archaic out of doors. ► NOUN ▪ foreign countries collectively …   English terms dictionary

  • abroad — a|broad W3S2 [əˈbro:d US əˈbro:d] adv [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: abroad over a wide area (13 21 centuries), from broad] 1.) in or to a foreign country ▪ I ve never lived abroad before. ▪ She often goes abroad on business. ▪ We never travelled… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • abroad — [[t]əbrɔ͟ːd[/t]] ♦♦♦ 1) ADV: ADV after v, n ADV, be ADV, from ADV If you go abroad, you go to a foreign country, usually one which is separated from the country where you live by an ocean or a sea. I would love to go abroad this year, perhaps to… …   English dictionary

  • abroad — /euh brawd /, adv. 1. in or to a foreign country or countries: famous at home and abroad. 2. in or to another continent: Shall we go to Mexico or abroad this summer? 3. out of doors; from one place to another; about: No one was abroad in the… …   Universalium

  • abroad — adverb 1 in or to a foreign country: I ve never lived abroad before. | go abroad: She often goes abroad on business. 2 formal if a feeling, piece of news etc is abroad, a lot of people feel it or know about it: commercial secrets which we did not …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • abroad — /əˈbrɔd / (say uh brawd) adverb 1. in or to a foreign country or countries: *There was nothing mythic at Sydney: momentous objects, beings, and events all occurred abroad or in the elsewhere of books. –shirley hazzard, 1980. 2. out of doors: *She …  

  • abroad — adv. from abroad (he had to return from abroad) * * * [ə brɔːd] from abroad (he had to return from abroad) …   Combinatory dictionary

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