From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Abstraction \Ab*strac"tion\, n. [Cf. F. abstraction. See
{Abstract}, a.]
1. The act of abstracting, separating, or withdrawing, or the
state of being withdrawn; withdrawal.
[1913 Webster]
A wrongful abstraction of wealth from certain
members of the community. --J. S. Mill.
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2. (Metaph.) The act process of leaving out of consideration
one or more properties of a complex object so as to attend
to others; analysis. Thus, when the mind considers the
form of a tree by itself, or the color of the leaves as
separate from their size or figure, the act is called
abstraction. So, also, when it considers whiteness,
softness, virtue, existence, as separate from any
particular objects.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Abstraction is necessary to classification, by which
things are arranged in genera and species. We separate
in idea the qualities of certain objects, which are of
the same kind, from others which are different, in
each, and arrange the objects having the same
properties in a class, or collected body.
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Abstraction is no positive act: it is simply the
negative of attention. --Sir W.
Hamilton.
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3. An idea or notion of an abstract, or theoretical nature;
as, to fight for mere abstractions.
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4. A separation from worldly objects; a recluse life; as, a
hermit's abstraction.
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5. Absence or absorption of mind; inattention to present
objects.
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6. The taking surreptitiously for one's own use part of the
property of another; purloining. [Modern]
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7. (Chem.) A separation of volatile parts by the act of
distillation. --Nicholson.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
abstraction
n 1: a concept or idea not associated with any specific
instance; "he loved her only in the abstract--not in
person" [syn: {abstraction}, {abstract}]
2: the act of withdrawing or removing something
3: the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting
common properties of instances [syn: {abstraction},
{generalization}, {generalisation}]
4: an abstract painting
5: preoccupation with something to the exclusion of all else
[syn: {abstractedness}, {abstraction}]
6: a general concept formed by extracting common features from
specific examples [syn: {abstraction}, {abstract entity}]
From French-English FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.3.4 [fd-fra-eng]:
abstraction /abstʀaksjɔ̃/
abstraction
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