nounWord forms: pluralabris (əˈbriz, French aˈbʀi)
1.
a shelter, esp. a dugout
2. Archaeology
a rock shelter formed by the overhang of a cliff and often containing prehistoric occupation deposits
Word origin
[‹ F, OF, n. deriv. of abrier (now obs. or dial.) to shelter, shield, screen ‹ LL aprīcāre to warm in the sun (hence, to shield from wind, cold, etc.), v. deriv. of L aprīcus sunny, warmed by the sunshine; OF b for v perh. ‹ OPr abriar, or by construal of a- as prefix]