It's a common prefix that appears in many English words, often indicating movement away from something or separation.
Here are some examples:
* Absent: "away from" (being away from a place)
* Abduct: "to lead away from" (to take someone away by force)
* Abolish: "to do away with" (to completely remove something)
* Abnormal: "away from the norm" (not typical or usual)
* Abstract: "to draw away" (to separate an idea from reality)