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.
–verb (used without object)
3.
to use abbreviations.
[Origin: 1400–50; late ME abbreviaten < LL abbreviātus shortened (ptp. of abbreviāre), equiv. to L ad-ad-+ breviātus (brevi(s) short + -ātus-ate1)]
To reduce (a word or phrase) to a shorter form intended to represent the full form.
[Middle English abbreviaten, from Late Latin abbreviāre, abbreviāt- : ad-, ad- + breviāre, to shorten (from brevis, short; see mregh-u- in Indo-European roots).]
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 contraction or omission, especially of words written or spoken. It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. --Bacon. 2. (Math.) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction.
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