definition of the word abbreviation

Established 1400–50. From late Middle English abbreviacioun, from Middle French abréviation, from Late Latin abbreviātiōn, from ab ‘from’ + brevis ‘short’ + -ion ‘action’.

• (RP) IPA: /əˌbriːviˈeɪʃn/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃǝn

abbreviation (plural abbreviations)

1. A shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole: Dr.
2. The act or result of shortening or reducing.
3. (music) One or more dashes through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quavers, semiquavers, demi-semiquavers, or hemi-demi-semiquavers.
4. (mathematics) Reduction to lower terms, as a fraction.

Definition from Wiktionary Content avaible with GNU Free Documentation License

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