Mid 18th century. From French abri shelter, refuge (12th cent. in Old French; 1866 or earlier in specific archaeological use with reference to rock shelters, more fully abri sous roche, lit. ‘shelter beneath a rock’, also abri sous roches) from abrier to shelter, to protect from post-classical Latin apricare to warm, protect from cold, variant (with change of conjugation) of classical Latin aprīcārī.