abbreviate
-
—abbreviator, n./euh bree"vee ayt'/, v., abbreviated, abbreviating.v.t.1. to shorten (a word or phrase) by omitting letters, substituting shorter forms, etc., so that the shortened form can represent the whole word or phrase, as ft. for foot, ab. for about, R.I. for Rhode Island, NW for Northwest, or Xn for Christian.2. to reduce (anything) in length, duration, etc.; make briefer: to abbreviate a speech.v.i.3. to use abbreviations.[1400-50; late ME abbreviaten < LL abbreviatus shortened (ptp. of abbreviare), equiv. to L ad- AD- + breviatus (brevi(s) short + -atus -ATE1)]
* * *
Universalium. 2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Abbreviate — Ab*bre vi*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Abbreviated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Abbreviating}.] [L. abbreviatus, p. p. of abbreviare; ad + breviare to shorten, fr. brevis short. See {Abridge}.] 1. To make briefer; to shorten; to abridge; to reduce by… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Abbreviate — Ab*bre vi*ate, a. [L. abbreviatus, p. p.] 1. Abbreviated; abridged; shortened. [R.] The abbreviate form. Earle. [1913 Webster] 2. (Biol.) Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
abbreviate — [v1] shorten abridge, abstract, boil down*, clip, compress, condense, contract, cut, cut back, cut down, cut off, cut out, digest, encapsulate, get to the meat*, pare, prune, put in a nutshell*, reduce, summarize, take out, trim; concepts 236,247 … New thesaurus
Abbreviate — Ab*bre vi*ate, n. An abridgment. [Obs.] Elyot. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
abbreviate — index abridge (shorten), abstract (summarize), commute, condense, constrict (compress), curtail … Law dictionary
abbreviate — (v.) mid 15c., from L. abbreviatus, pp. of abbreviare to shorten (see ABBREVIATION (Cf. abbreviation)). Also sometimes 15c. abbrevy, from M.Fr. abrevier (14c.), from L. abbreviare. Related: Abbreviated; abbreviating … Etymology dictionary
abbreviate — *shorten, abridge, curtail Analogous words: reduce, *decrease, lessen: *contract, compress, shrink, condense: attenuate, extenuate (see THIN) Antonyms: elongate, lengthen Contrasted words: *extend, prolong, protract: enlarge, * … New Dictionary of Synonyms
abbreviate — ► VERB ▪ shorten (a word, phrase, or text). ORIGIN Latin abbreviare, from brevis short … English terms dictionary
abbreviate — [ə brē′vē āt΄] vt. abbreviated, abbreviating [< LL abbreviatus, pp. of abbreviare < L ad , to + breviare < brevis, BRIEF] 1. to make shorter 2. to shorten (a word or phrase) by leaving out or substituting letters SYN. SHORTEN abbreviator … English World dictionary
abbreviate — v. (D; tr.) to abbreviate to (Esquire can be abbreviated to Esq.) * * * [ə briːvɪeɪt] (D; tr.) to abbreviate to (Esquire can be abbreviated to Esq.) … Combinatory dictionary
abbreviate — [[t]əbri͟ːvieɪt[/t]] abbreviates, abbreviating, abbreviated VERB If you abbreviate something, especially a word or a piece of writing, you make it shorter. [V n to n] He persuaded his son to abbreviate his first name to Alec. [Also V n] Syn:… … English dictionary
