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abreast

Adverb
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An adverb meaning side by side or level with one another; figuratively, it can mean keeping informed of or equal with current developments.

Detailed Definition
In older or more formal English, abreast means positioned next to one another, especially in a row or line. Frost uses it in the wall-breaking scene to describe how wide the gap is: enough for two people to pass side by side.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Gaps even two can pass abreast” means side by side; “We walked abreast along the sea-wall” makes the spatial relation clear; “The horses came abreast, shoulder to shoulder” adds movement and equality; Figuratively, “science and wonder travel abreast” means they develop together
Additional Notes
In the line quoted, "abreast" is a less common formal word for side by side, so many readers may pause over it.; Found in the poem, Mending Wall by Robert Frost
Also Known As
alongside in line
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