abbreviate: Meaning and Definition of

ab•bre•vi•ate

Pronunciation: (u-brē'vē-āt"), [key]
— v., -at•ed, -at•ing.
—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.
  1. to use abbreviations.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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