The meaning of ABRASIVE is causing damage, wear, or removal of surface material by grinding or rubbing : tending to abrade. How to use abrasive in a sentence. Abrasive Has Latin Roots.

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….

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 …

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

Factsheet What does the word abrasive mean? There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the word abrasive. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

ABRASIVE meaning: 1 : causing damage or wear by rubbing, grinding, or scraping of or relating to abrasion; 2 : having a rough quality used for rubbing something to make it smooth or shiny

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 …

1. Causing abrasion: scratched the stovetop with an abrasive cleanser. 2. Harsh and rough in manner: an unpleasant, abrasive personality.

Dec 10, 2025 · abrasive (plural abrasives) A hard inorganic substance or material consisting in powder or granule form such as sandpaper, pumice, or emery, used for cleaning, smoothing, or polishing.