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Glite Dictionary
ABCs

ABCs

2 1.0
The set of letters used for reading and writing, taught to children
  • noun
  • /ˌeɪ biː ˈsiːz/
translation icon : abecedario
  • In this article, we describe the ABCs of stress management for teachers and present strategies that teachers can easily use to lessen the impact of stress.

Girl, did you bring your ABC's today?

Examples

  • At that time, appointees from the central office conducted a review of the school to determine the school's readiness to teach the ABCs of Public Instruction (accountability mandates).

    Academic text (2008)

  • The teacher used flashcards to teach the ABCs to her young students.

  • Girl, did you bring your ABC's today?

    H3 Podcast

  • He made me my ABC's on some cue cards and he taught me how to sign my words out.

  • And oh geez, how did this delightful little ABC board book for children get in here?

  • Hallie, why don't you run through the ABCs?

    The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

  • The second graders below were singing the ABCs and watching Elmo sing along with them.

    Blog text (17)

  • In kindergarten, children learn to recognize the letters of the ABCs when they sing the alphabet song.

  • She wrote the ABCs on the board to help her students memorize the alphabet.

Synonyms

alphabet
vsABCs
72 1.0

A set of letters in a fixed order for writing a language

is an informal plural label for that same set of letters
ABC
vsABCs
7 1.0

The basic letters of a language in their usual order

focuses on the set of letters representing sounds rather than on fundamentals
ABC's
vsABCs
1.0

The set of letters children learn to read and spell

is the modern plural form without an apostrophe for the same letters

Surface Forms

ABCs singular
ABCs plural

Morphology

ABCs = ABC (transparent) = A + B + C + s

Formally the plural -s is added to the initialism 'ABC' to indicate multiple/collective reference (the basics), which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

The word ABCs comes from the names of the first three letters A, B, C, which children often sing to learn the alphabet. So ABCs means 'the alphabet' and is also used to mean 'the basics' you need to know.