English

Noun

abruption ‎(plural abruptions)

1. (archaic) A sudden termination or interruption. [First attested in the early 17^th century.]^[1]
2. A sudden breaking off; a violent separation of bodies. [First attested in the mid 17^th century.]^[1]
   • 1837, Samuel Johnson, The Life of Cowley:

     By this abruption posterity lost more instruction than delight. Johnson, Life of Cowley.

   • 1996, Richard Taruskin, Stravinsky and the Russian Traditions, page 336:

     After a startling abruption and a slow recovery, the canonic process is resumed at [7], with a whole slew of redundant entries on the last phrase.

Related terms

• abrupt
• abruptly
• abruptness
• placental abruption

References

1. 1 2 Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 8

• abruption in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• abruption in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913