Definition of "ABC"

This was the Alma Mater of the Brigade, where it learned its A B C of military tactics.

1866, D. P. Conyngham, The Irish Brigade and Its Campaigns: With Some Account of the Corcoran Legion, and Sketches of the Principal Officers, Glasgow: Cameron & Ferguson, page 28

With her expert guidance, even a novice like me can have a taste of the focused, structured world of a Cunningham dance. The solo is possibly his plainest, almost an ABC of his meticulous approach to subdividing the body in motion — twist, bend, reach, step.

2020 April 21, Marina Harss, “Twist, Bend, Reach, Step: A Merce Cunningham Solo Anyone Can Try”, in The New York Times‎

For this reason his heart sank when, emerging from his study into the great hall at quarter to eleven, he met Beaver already dressed and prepared to be entertained; it was only a momentary vexation, however, for while he wished him good morning he noticed that his guest had an A.B.C. in his hands and was clearly looking out a train.

1934, Evelyn Waugh, A Handful of Dust, Chapman & Hall

I run my hands over his chest, assessing his ABCs: airway, breathing, circulation.

2015, Marcia Wells, Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery in Mayan Mexico, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, page 180

Pennsylvania is one of 18 alcoholic beverage control states, commonly known as “ABC states.” In an ABC state, the state government controls the sale and distribution of various alcoholic beverages, depending on state law.

2011, Richard A. McGowan, “State-Controlled Liquor Stores I: Pennsylvania”, in Privatize This? Assessing the Opportunities and Costs of Privatization, Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, page 89

Everyone was Chinese. Some of the students were ABCs. That means "American-born Chinese." Others were FOBs. FOB means "fresh off the boat" and it is a bad insult. I didn't feel prejudiced about the FOBs because I was one of them.

1993, Susan Kulkin, Speaking Out: Teenagers Take on Race, Sex, and Identity, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, page 59

Many argue, with justice, that the differences between the various groups of Chinese-Australians are such that it is impossible to speak in terms of a "cultural identity" common to them all (Ang 2001). On the other hand, the mainstream culture is rarely capable of making such distinctions: in the eyes of most Australians, there is little difference between an ABC (Australian-born Chinese), an ethnic Chinese from Vietnam, or a mainlander.

2004, Wenche Ommundsen, “Cultural Citizenship in Diaspora: A Study of Chinese Australia”, in Robbie B.H. Goh, Shawn Wong, editors, Asian Diasporas: Cultures, Indentity, Representations, Hong Kong University Press, page 79

Activity-based costing is a powerful control tool. With ABC, the manager can access all departments and monitor the costs associated with any activity he or she wants to control.

2008, Gary Dessler, Jean Phillips, “Planning and Controlling Now: Controlling”, in Managing Now, Houghton Mifflin Company, page 222

Boga and Subhash with Sherpa Nim Dorje and Kedar Singh left early to open a route to advance base camp. […] They proceeded south along the left bank of the glacier. They could avoid the moraines by climbing the slopes near the bank. It was a long march and they established ABC at 4877 m on a small open rocky ground.

1999, Harish Kapadia, “Accident and Rescue in the Nanda Devi Sanctuary”, in Across Peaks & Passes in Kumaun Himalaya, New Delhi: Indus Publishing Company, page 69

ABC-transporters are multispan membrane proteins that mediate the active uptake or efflux of specific substrates across various biological membrane systems. A functional ABC-transporter protein usually consists of two transmembrane domains and two ABCs.

2008, Gerd Schmitz, “Sterol Transporters”, in Stefan Offermanns, Walter Rosenthal, editors, Encyclopedia of Molecular Pharmacology, 2nd edition, volume 1, Springer, page 1157

In the long bones, spine, and flat bones, the majority of aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are eccentrically located whereas in the short tubular bones they are usually central in location. […] About 15% of all giant cell tumors have cystic areas that resemble ABC, and in about one third of all ABCs a pre-existing lesion can be identified.

2013, Georges Y. El-Khoury, “Tumors/Miscellaneous: Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC)”, in D. Lee Bennett, Georges Y. El-Khoury, editors, Pearls and Pitfalls in Musculoskeletal Imaging: Variants and Other Difficult Diagnoses, Cambridge University Press, page 219

Like foreclosure, an assignment for the benefit of creditors (ABC) is a creature of state law. ABCs have long been popular in a few states, most notably California and Illinois, but they are beginning to gain traction in other states as a less expensive alternative to bankruptcy.

2010, Pepper Hamilton, “Alternatives to bankruptcy”, in John Wm. Butler, Jr, editor, Navigating Today's Environment: The Directors' and Officers' Guide to Restructuring, Globe White Page Ltd, page 205

As a matter of fact, when numerically handling a model originally established on an unbounded domain, it is compulsory to impose the pertinent ABC to terminate the endless mesh while retaining a well-posed and stable simulation.

2008, Nikolaos V. Kantartzis, Theodoros D. Tsiboukis, Modern EMC Analysis Techniques I: Time-Domain Computational Schemes, Morgan & Claypool, page 180

Abstract base classes (ABCs) represent an interesting paradox. […] It is instructive to think of ABCs as tools rather than as part of the product.

2010, James Coplien, Gertrud Bjørnvig, “What the System Is, Part 2: Coding It Up”, in Lean Architecture for Agile Software Development, John Wiley & Sons, page 133

Most ABCs in the collections.abc module exist to formalize interfaces that are implemented by built-in objects and are implicitly supported by the interpreter—both of which predate the ABCs themselves.

2022, Luciano Ramalho, Fluent Python, 2nd edition, O'Reilly

Creatively integrating counseling theory, research, and best practices has afforder me the opportunity to constructively engage clients in adventure-based counseling (ABC) activities that foster social, mental, and emotional development. Utilizing ABC as an innovative counseling approach for individuals, families, and groups has increased my enthusiasm as a counselor.

2012, Shannon Hodges, “Emerging Fields and Profession in Counseling”, in 101 Careers in Counseling, New York: Springer Publishing Company, page 229

The first was the Asian Games, held every 4 years, and the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC), held every 2 years.

2013 August 10, Gilas Pilipinas, “Looking back: When PH ruled Asian basketball”, in Rappler

The most memorable championship of his life, the 1967 ABC (now Fiba Asia), was also the most dramatic for the Philippines in the entire 1960s.

2017 January 15, Ray Roquero, “Hero of '67 ABC”, in Business Mirror

The now FIBA Asia Cup was previously called as the FIBA Asia Championships and the older Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championships.

2017 August 16, “Australia, NZ slug it out for FIBA Asia Cup crown”, in Asia Pacific Report

Former PBA players pay final respects to Danny Florencio in his final journey home But Florencio would cement his place in local basketball history as the hero in the Philippines’ dramatic 83-80 win over South Korea for the 1967 Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championship (now known as the FIBA-Asia).

2018 April 5, Gerry Ramos, Sports Interactive Network Philippines

The American Book Center in Amsterdam is home to one of the largest collections of English literature in continental Europe. Its rickety shelves, spread over four floors, are crammed with American masterpieces from the likes of Hemmingway and Flannery O’Connor. If non-fiction is more your buzz, there are dozens of lavishly illustrated books on subjects such as art and design. ABC also runs The Treehouse, a series of events designed to nourish literary souls from the roots upwards.

2009 June 8, Derbhile Dromey, “10 best bookshops in the world”, in Irish Independent

In addition to sharing American-style storytelling with audiences throughout Finland and France, including a featured presentation at the ELSA conference in Paris this month, Marblehead storyteller Judith Black will be helping to organize and host a story slam at ABC Treehouse, an institution that promotes and supports intercultural exploration in Amsterdam.

2011 March 7, Caitlin Rung, “Marblehead storyteller Judith Black goes international”, in Boston Globe

The American Book Center – a part of Amsterdam's book scene for 41 years – has embraced the latest in book technology. Lynn Kaplanian Buller has been involved with the ABC almost since its launch in 1972, adding a second store in The Hague in 1976.

2014 January 26, Ana McGinley, “From tea to e-readers: English bookshops in the Netherlands”, in Dutch News

She'd chew the gum until she was finished with it for the day and store it in a tiny box in the refrigerator until she wanted another chew. If I accidentally threw out her gum, she was able to find someone else's ABC gum (already been chewed).

2010, Leverda Watkins, Pinnacle of Faith, Xlibris, page 165

He thought he was up-to-date on all the latest wine lingo until a longtime wine writer returned his sample request card with a bold, hand-written note on it that stated, “Send me all samples—ABC!” ¶ “ABC” threw my friend for a loop. When he called me, I translated the cryptic phrase—ABC is winespeak for “Anything But Chardonnay.”

1997 March, Ron Loutherback, “Beyond the Label: The ABCs of white wine”, in Orange Coast, volume 23, number 3, page 168

A final example of the iatrogenic effects of international public interventions is the impact on condom use that resulted from the “ABC” (Abstinence, Be Faithful, Use Condoms) approach to AIDS prevention, which has dominated programmatic efforts in Nigeria since about 2000. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), created under US President George W. Bush's administration, promoted a conservative approach to AIDS prevention through its ABC messages, which were (1) abstinence is the only true prevention; (2) if one is in a sexual relationship, stay faithful to one partner; and (3) if one can't do either, use condoms.

2014, Daniel Jordan Smith, “Introduction”, in AIDS Doesn't Show Its Face: Inequality, Morality, and Social Change in Nigeria, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, page 15