abbreviation
/əbˌɹiviˈeɪʃən/uh-bree-vee-AY-shuhn
/əbˌɹiviˈeɪʃən/uh-bree-vee-AY-shuhn
Meaninga making short
Common meaning: a cut-down way of writing a longer word or phrase
- abaway, off
- brevshort in length or timeLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 250 · scan
- iationnoun ending: the act of making or treating
‘away, off’ + ‘short in length or time’ → abbreviation
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin brevis ‘short in length or time’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry brevis, p. 250 · dictionary scan
Roots
- brevis, -e Latin “short in length or time”
Related words
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app