Word
abode
US/əˈboʊd/
UK/ɐbˈəʊd/
Countable noun
Definition
n. the place where you live, like a house or apartment.
n. a place of residence, dwelling, or habitation. Often used in legal contexts or fixed expressions like 'of no fixed abode'.
Examples
“Welcome to my humble abode.”
“The defendant had no fixed abode at the time of the arrest, making it difficult for the court to serve the summons.”
“After years of traveling across the continent, the weary explorer finally established a permanent abode in a quiet coastal village, far from the noise of the capital.”
Examples
simple
“Welcome to my humble abode.”
contextual
“The defendant had no fixed abode at the time of the arrest, making it difficult for the court to serve the summons.”
complex
“After years of traveling across the continent, the weary explorer finally established a permanent abode in a quiet coastal village, far from the noise of the capital.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the legal phrase 'of no fixed abode' to describe someone who is homeless or transient.
Real-World Examples
“Bound to his abode with nothing but his interests, he developed groundbreaking theories of vision in a book entitled Kitab al-Manazir (‘Book of Optics’).” “In the 1990s, if you asked a good chunk of the global population where Will Smith lived, they would instantly picture a huge, white abode in Bel Air.” Etymology
From Middle English abod, abad, from Old English *ābād, related to ābīdan (“to abide”); see abide. Cognate with Scots abade, abaid (“abode”). For the change of nouns, compare abode, preterite of abide.
From an alteration (with bode) of Middle English abeden (“to announce”), from Old English ābēodan (“to command, proclaim”), from a- + bēodan (“to command, proclaim”). Superficial analysis is a- + bode (“presage, portend, announce”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
NOUN
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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