v.
Pronunciation: ə - ' brij
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form: abridged ; abridg · ing
Etymology: Middle English abregen, from Anglo-French abreger, from Late Latin abbreviare, from Latin ad- + brevis short ― more at BRIEF
Date: 14th century
1 a archaic : DEPRIVE b : to reduce in scope : DIMINISH <attempts to abridge the right of free speech>
2 : to shorten in duration or extent <modern transportation that abridge s distance>
3 : to shorten by omission of words without sacrifice of sense : CONDENSE
synonyms see SHORTEN
– abridg · er noun