Abodes

/əˈboʊdz/ noun

Definition

Plural of abode, meaning dwelling places or homes; or third-person singular present tense of the verb 'abide,' meaning remains or stays.

Etymology

From abode, which comes from Old English abidan (to remain, dwell). Can be either a plural noun or a verb form depending on usage and pronunciation.

Kelly Says

The word abodes beautifully demonstrates how English can be ambiguous—'he abodes in the north' (stays there) versus 'their abodes were scattered' (homes were scattered)—and how we've mostly replaced both meanings with simpler synonyms.

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