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ab·bre·vi·ate

(ə-brēvē-āt′)

tr.v. ab·bre·vi·at·ed, ab·bre·vi·at·ing, ab·bre·vi·ates

1. To make shorter: abbreviated the meeting to make time for your visit. See Synonyms at shorten.

2. 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 the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

ab·brevi·a′tor n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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