Abstract of record on appeal

What does Abstract of record on appeal mean in American Law?

The definition of Abstract of record on appeal in the law of the United States, as defined by the lexicographer Arthur Leff in his legal dictionary is:

A brief description of the previous history of a case being appealed, based on the record below, sufficient to show that the questions presented on appeal were presented in the prior proceedings, and sufficient also to render understandable what those quesitons were. Not all jurisdictions require this form of abstract of record, though it is always required that the appellant, in one way or other, let the appeals court know what he thinks the issues rightly on appeal are. If the appellee considers the appellant’s abstract incomplete or misleading, he may file his own, which is sometimes called an “additional abstract.”