ABRIDGE

abridge

(verb) lessen, diminish, or curtail; “the new law might abridge our freedom of expression”

abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, contract, reduce

(verb) reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; “The manuscript must be shortened”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

abridge (third-person singular simple present abridges, present participle abridging, simple past and past participle abridged)

(transitive, archaic) To deprive; to cut off. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350)]

(transitive, archaic, rare) To debar from. [First attested from around (1150 to 1350)]

(transitive) To make shorter; to shorten in duration or extent. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470)]

(transitive) To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense[First attested in 1384.]. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470)]

(transitive) Cut short; truncate. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470)]

(transitive) To curtail. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470)]

Usage notes

• (deprive): Usually used with to or sometimes with from as, to abridge one of his rights.

Anagrams

• bigrade, brigade

Etymology

Proper noun

Abridge

A village in Essex, England

Anagrams

• bigrade, brigade

Source: Wiktionary

A*bridge", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Abridged; p. pr. & vb. n. Abridging.] Etym: [OE. abregen, OF. abregier, F. abréger, fr. L. abbreviare; ad + brevis short. See Brief and cf. Abbreviate.]

1. To make shorter; to shorten in duration; to lessen; to diminish; to curtail; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights. "The bridegroom . . . abridged his visit." Smollett. She retired herself to Sebaste, and abridged her train from state to necessity. Fuller.

2. To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense; as, to abridge a history or dictionary.

3. To deprive; to cut off; -- followed by of, and formerly by from; as, to abridge one of his rights.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition