Abridge
[ə'brɪdʒ]
Definition
(verb.) lessen, diminish, or curtail; 'the new law might abridge our freedom of expression'.
(verb.) reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; 'The manuscript must be shortened'.
Editor: Meredith--From WordNet
Definition
(v. t.) To make shorter; to shorten in duration; to lessen; to diminish; to curtail; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights.
(v. t.) To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense; as, to abridge a history or dictionary.
(v. t.) To deprive; to cut off; -- followed by of, and formerly by from; as, to abridge one of his rights.
Typed by Kate
Synonyms and Synonymous
v. a. [1]. Shorten (by compression), epitomize, condense, compress, make an abstract of.[2]. Diminish, reduce, contract, curtail, lessen, ABBREVIATE, retrench, cut down.[3]. Deprive, dispossess, divest.
Checked by Barlow
Synonyms and Antonyms
SYN:Abbreviate, diminish, shorten, lessen, curtail, restrict, {[con]?}, tract,condense, epitomize, compress
ANT:Amplify, expand, spread_out
Typed by Gordon
Definition
v.t. to make brief or short: to shorten: to epitomise: to curtail as privileges or authority.—ns. Abridg′ment Abridge′ment contraction: shortening of time labour or privileges: a compendium of a larger work: an epitome or synopsis: (law) the leaving out of certain portions Of a plaintiff's demand the writ still holding good for the remainder.
Checker: Sabina
Unserious Contents or Definition
v.t. To shorten.
Typed by Jody
Examples
- The Hungarian mines are wrought by freemen, who employ a great deal of machinery, by which they facilitate and abridge their own labour. Adam Smith. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.
- I abridge nothing I have ever bestowed upon her. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- He wrote because he liked to write; he did not abridge, because he cared not to abridge. Charlotte Bronte. Villette.
- First, of all useful machines and instruments of trade, which facilitate and abridge labour. Adam Smith. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.
- I find this in Père Boschovich's account of it, as abridged in the Monthly Review for December, 1750. Benjamin Franklin. Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin.
- That Tuesday afternoon the transient doze--more like lethargy than sleep--which sometimes abridged the long days, had stolen over her. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- Thirdly, and lastly, everybody must be sensible how much labour is facilitated and abridged by the application of proper machinery. Adam Smith. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.
- In Heaven's name, said he, to what purpose serve these abridged cloaks? Walter Scott. Ivanhoe.
- My day was lonely, but the prospect of coming evening abridged and cheered it. Charlotte Bronte. Villette.
- Mr. Pickwick proceeded to pour into the horror-stricken ear of Mr. Nupkins, an abridged account of all Mr. Jingle's atrocities. Charles Dickens. The Pickwick Papers.
- His general description is easily abridged. Charles Dickens. The Pickwick Papers.
- Kepler's studies were facilitated by the invention, in 1614 by John Napier, of logarithms, which have b een said, by abridging tedious calculations, to double the life of an astronomer. Walter Libby. An Introduction to the History of Science.
Edited by Brent