abbreviate
verb /əˈbriːvieɪt/
/əˈbriːvieɪt/
[usually passive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they abbreviate | /əˈbriːvieɪt/ /əˈbriːvieɪt/ |
| he / she / it abbreviates | /əˈbriːvieɪts/ /əˈbriːvieɪts/ |
| past simple abbreviated | /əˈbriːvieɪtɪd/ /əˈbriːvieɪtɪd/ |
| past participle abbreviated | /əˈbriːvieɪtɪd/ /əˈbriːvieɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form abbreviating | /əˈbriːvieɪtɪŋ/ /əˈbriːvieɪtɪŋ/ |
- to make a word, phrase, name or text shorter, especially by leaving out letters or using only the first letter of each word synonym shorten
- (be) abbreviated (to something) the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (usually abbreviated to JPL)
Word Originlate Middle English: from late Latin abbreviat- ‘shortened’, from the verb abbreviare, from Latin brevis ‘short’.