Once upon a time, English had abrade and abrase. While abrade remains a familiar word, abrase is rare but survives in abrasive. Both verbs come from abrādere, meaning "to remove by rubbing" or "to …

ABRASIVE definition: any material or substance used for grinding, polishing, etc., as emery, pumice, or sandpaper. See examples of abrasive used in a sentence.

ABRASIVE definition: 1. rude and unfriendly: 2. An abrasive substance is slightly rough, and often used for cleaning…. Learn more.

In short, the ceramics which are used to cut, grind and polish other softer materials are known as abrasives. Abrasives are extremely commonplace and are used very extensively in a wide variety of …

Apr 2, 2026 · The simple definition of ABRASIVE is causing damage or wear by rubbing, grinding, or scraping : of or relating to abrasion.

abrasive, sharp, hard material used to wear away the surface of softer, less resistant materials. Included within the term are both natural and synthetic substances, ranging from the relatively soft particles …

An abrasive is a substance that is rough and can be used to clean hard surfaces. Avoid abrasives, which can damage the tiles.

Some 200 years later, the adjective form of the word — abrasive — came into use to describe a type of grinding tool. By the 1920s, abrasive had acquired the more figurative sense of annoying and …

ABRASIVE meaning: 1. rude and unfriendly: 2. An abrasive substance is slightly rough, and often used for cleaning…. Learn more.

Define abrasive. abrasive synonyms, abrasive pronunciation, abrasive translation, English dictionary definition of abrasive. adj. 1. Causing abrasion: scratched the stovetop with an abrasive cleanser.