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The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.
1. Even with or by the side of another:“In the arena, we walked around, practicing good manners--when we were abreast, we kept going and didn't let the horses argue” (Jane Smiley).
2. Up to date:“Lincoln was a serious philosophical thinker who kept abreast of the leading ideas of his time” (Joshua Wolf Shenk).
prep.
In or into a position by the side of another:“Jane came out into the light and stood abreast the long white columns of the porch” (Joshua Ferris).
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.