Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Late Latin
Origin: , past participle of abbreviare, from Latin brevis 'short'

abbreviate

 verb
     
Related topics: Grammar
ab‧bre‧vi‧ate [transitive]
SLG to make a word or expression shorter by not including letters or using only the first letter of each word [= shorten]
be abbreviated to something
'Information technology' is usually abbreviated to 'IT'.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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