ABC definitions

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the elementary stages of any subject (usually plural); "he mastered only the rudiments of geometry" [syn: rudiment, first rudiment, first principle, alphabet, ABC, ABC's, ABCs]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural ABC's or ABCs) Date: 13th century 1. alphabet — usually used in plural 2. a. the rudiments of reading, writing, and spelling — usually used in plural b. the rudiments of a subject — usually used in plural II. abbreviation 1. American Bowling Congress 2. American Broadcasting Companies 3. Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 the alphabet. 2 the rudiments of any subject. 3 an alphabetical guide. 2. abbr. 1 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 American Broadcasting Company.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(ABCs) 1. The ABC of a subject or activity is the parts of it that you have to learn first because they are the most important and basic. ...the ABC of Marxism. N-SING: N of n 2. Children who have learned their ABC or their ABCs have learned to recognize, write, or say the alphabet. (INFORMAL) N-COUNT: poss N