Nearby Words

abridging

[uh-brij] Origin

a·bridge

[uh-brij]
verb (used with object), a·bridged, a·bridg·ing.
1.
to shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents: to abridge a reference book.
2.
to reduce or lessen in duration, scope, authority, etc.; diminish; curtail: to abridge a visit; to abridge one's freedom.
3.
to deprive; cut off.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English abreggen, abriggen < Middle French abreg(i)er < Late Latin abbreviāre to shorten. See a-4, abbreviate

a·bridg·a·ble, a·bridge·a·ble, adjective
a·bridg·er, noun
non·a·bridg·a·ble, adjective
re·a·bridge, verb (used with object), -bridged, -bridg·ing.


1. cut down; epitomize; condense, abstract, digest. See shorten. 2. contract, reduce. 3. divest.


1. lengthen. 2. expand.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Abridging is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

abridge
c.1300, from O.Fr. abregier "to shorten," from L.L. abbreviare "make short" (see abbreviate). The sound development from L. -vi- to Fr. -dg- is paralleled in assuage (from assuavidare) and deluge (from diluvium).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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