1. She abandoned (left) her child on the doorstep.
2. Abandon (leave) ship!
3. The scientist abandoned (discontinued) his research for lack of funds.
4. The Gypsies danced with abandon (enthusiasm).

Abandon and its past tense form, abandoned, are words of wide significance; indicating the complete giving up or withdrawal from people or things of any kind. It implies a previous association with responsibility for or control of; so, a person may abandon or forsake a house or friends.

Abandon comes from the Old French phrase laisser a bandon, "to relinquish to another person's control".