v. t. | 1. | To make briefer; to shorten; to abridge; to reduce by contraction or omission, especially of words written or spoken. |
2. | (Math.) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction. | |
a. | 1. | Abbreviated; abridged; shortened. |
2. | (Biol.) Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type. | |
n. | 1. | An abridgment. |
Verb | 1. | abbreviate - shorten; "Abbreviate `New York' and write `NY'" |
2. | abbreviate - reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened" |