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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Abbreviate \Ab*bre"vi*ate\ ([a^]b*br[=e]"v[i^]*[=a]t), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. {Abbreviated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Abbreviating}.]
[L. abbreviatus, p. p. of abbreviare; ad breviare to
shorten, fr. brevis short. See {Abridge}.]
1. To make briefer; to shorten; to abridge; to reduce by
contraction or omission, especially of words written or
spoken.
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It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting,
another by cutting off. --Bacon.
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2. (Math.) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction.
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