ab ovo
/ˈab ˈo.vu/
The verdict
“ab ovo” is uncommon Portuguese (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency Portuguese
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - desde o início; do começo
Corpus desk
Index PT-ab-ovo · ab ovo · Portuguese
ab ovo · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "A" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | ab ovo |
| Language | Portuguese |
| Part of speech | Phrase |
| IPA | /ˈab ˈo.vu/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Cauda longa: rank de “ab ovo” em português
Rare enough to double-check
ab ovo is uncommon Portuguese outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed /ˈab ˈo.vu/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for ab ovo in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable Portuguese patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Portuguese form is ab ovo, spelled A-B- -O-V-O.
Definition
- 1desde o início; do começo
- 2indica, em crítica literária, que uma obra principia desde o momento inicial de uma história, como por exemplo o nascimento da personagem central
Recorded use
Wiktionary exampleThese source excerpts show how ab ovo appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
O provedor tratou o caso ab ovo e demonstrou cabalmente com a autoridade de insignes gramáticos, que o marisco era fruto do mar, como estava dizendo a palavra marisesca, isca do mar; e, estabelecido esse ponto, concluiu que todos os crustáceos do rio provinham do oceano e entravam pela barra do Recife, pelo que só ao Recife competia apanhá-lo.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.