\Ab*bre"vi*ate\, 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.
         It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting,
         another by cutting off.               --Bacon.
2. (Math.) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction.

\Ab*bre"vi*ate\, a. [L. abbreviatus, p. p.]
1. Abbreviated; abridged; shortened. [R.] ``The abbreviate
   form.'' --Earle.
2. (Biol.) Having one part relatively shorter than another or
   than the ordinary type.

\Ab*bre"vi*ate\, n.
An abridgment. [Obs.] --Elyot.