| 释义 |
▪ I. abbreviate, ppl. a.|əˈbriːvɪət|
[ad. L. abbrĕviātus shortened, pa. pple. of abbreviā-re, f. ab off, or ? ad to + breviā-re to shorten, f. brevi-s short.]
Abridged, shortened, cut short. At first used both as pple. and adj., but afterwards superseded in most senses by the normal pple. abbreviated. Now used chiefly = abbreviated 2.
1530A proper Dyaloge 19 (1863) At seynt Edmundesbury..the famous prince duke Humfray of his lyfe was abbreuiate. 1677Gale Ct. Gentiles II. iii. 146 I shal give an abbreviate Idea or character of his spirit & zele for God. 1852J. D. Dana Crustacea ii. 1078 Penult [joint] abbreviate. 1860Gosse Romance Nat. Hist. 357 The muzzle in the latter is more abbreviate.
▪ II. † aˈbbreviate, -at, n. Obs.
[The adj. used elliptically, like L. abbreviātum that which is abridged.]
An abridgement, short sketch, abstract, epitome.
1531Elyot Governor (1580) 205 An abbreuiate, called of y⊇ Greekes and Latins, Epitoma. 1674Brevint Saul at Endor 104 To pick and chuse out of every Creature, as it came out, the very best of it for this true Pandora and true Abbreviate of all his works. 1686Sir S. Moreland in Pepys' Diary VI. 153 An unfortunate and fatall accident has lately befallen me, of which I shall give you an abbreviat. 1708Chamberlayne State of Gr. Brit. i. ii. xi. 91 (1743) The Speaker taking the Bill in his hand, reads the Abbreviate or Abstract of the said bill. 1716Wodrow Corresp. (1843) II. 155 This is an abbreviate of this attempt.
▪ III. abbreviate, v.|əˈbriːvɪeɪt|
Also 5–7 abreviate.
[f. abbreviate ppl. a.; or on the analogy of vbs. so formed; see -ate. A direct representative of L. abbreviāre; as abridge, and the obs. abbrevye, represent it indirectly, through OFr. abregier and mid.Fr. abrévier. Like the latter, abbreviate, was often spelt a-breviate in 5–7.]
To make shorter, shorten, cut short in any way.
1530Palsgr., I abrevyate: I make a thynge shorte, Je abrege. 1625Bacon Essays xxiv. 99 (1862) But it is one Thing to Abbreviate by Contracting, Another by Cutting off.
†1. trans. To make a discourse shorter by omitting details and preserving the substance; to abridge, condense. Obs.
a1450Chester Pl. I. 2 (Sh. Soc.) This matter he abbrevited into playes twenty-foure. 1592Greene Conny catching iii. 16 The queane abreuiated her discourse. 1637Raleigh Mahomet 34 Abreviated out of two Arabique writers translated into Spanish. 1672Manley Interpreter pref., I have omitted several Matters..contracted and abbreviated Others.
†b. To make an abstract or brief of, to epitomize. Obs.
c1450Trevisa Higden's Polychr. I. 21 (Rolls Ser.) Trogus Pompeius, in hys xlti iiij. bookes, allemoste of alle the storyes of the worlde, whom Iustinus his disciple did abbreuiate. 1603Florio Montaigne (1634) 627 To reade, to note, and to abbreviate Polibius. 1648–9The Kingdomes Weekly Intelligencer Jan. 16 to 23 The high court of Justice did this day sit again concerning the triall of the King. The charge was brought in and abreviated.
†c. Math. To reduce (a fraction) to lower terms. Obs.
1796Mathem. Dict. I. 2 To abbreviate fractions in arithmetic and algebra, is to lessen proportionally their terms, or the numerator and denominator.
†2. intr. To speak or write briefly, to be brief. Obs.
1597Warner Albion's Eng. xii. lxxiv. 302 But new Rome left, of old Rome now abreuiat we will. 1622Malynes Anc. Law-Merch. 233 To abbreuiate, I do referre the desirous Reader hereof to Master Hill his booke of Husbandrie.
3. trans. To shorten by cutting off a part; to cut short.
a. Of time. arch.
1529Whitinton Vulgaria 56 Ryot..abbreviateth and shorteneth many a mannes lyfe. 1621Burton Anat. Mel. i. ii. 3. xv. 130 (1651) That adventure themselves and abbreviate their lives for the publike good. 1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 300 Against this we might very well set the length of their lives before the floud, which were abbreviated after.
b. Of any operation occupying time.
1494Fabyan vii. 333 If it sounde any thynge to theyr dishonoure, than shall it be abreuyatyd or hyd that the trouthe shall not be known. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. ii. ix. 116 King Ethelbert was at his Devotions, which he would not omit, nor abbreviate for all their Clamour. 1865E. B. Tylor Early Hist. Man. iii. 48 The ancient Egyptian may be seen in the sculptures abbreviating the gesture.
c. Of things material; mostly fig. arch.
1552Latimer Serm. for 3rd Sund. in Adv. Wks. II. 287 His hand is not abbreuiated, or his power diminished. 1599A. M. Gabelhouer's Boock of Physicke 178/2 Abbreviate as then the bagge, because it may gentlelye, & easilye exulcerate. 1661Milton Accedence (Wks. 1738) I. 607 The long way is much abbreviated, and the labour of understanding much more easy.
d. Of words spoken or written, or symbols of any kind: To contract, so that a part stands for the whole. The common mod. use.
1588Shakes. L.L.L. v. i. 26 He clepeth a Calf, Caufe: Halfe, Haufe, neighbour vocatur nebour; neigh abreuiated ne: this is abhominable. 1724De Foe etc. A Tour I. 364 (1769) The Exancester of the Saxons, which was afterwards abbreviated to Excester and Exeter. 1880Geikie Phys. Geog. i. iv. 27 Paris is situated two degrees, twenty minutes, and nine seconds east from Greenwich, which is abbreviated thus: 2° 20′ 9{pp}E.
e. Of sounds: To make (a vowel or syllable) short.
1699Bentley Phalaris 136 The Dorians abbreviate even ας in the Accusative Plural. 1727Swift Let. on Eng. Tongue Wks. 1755 II. i. 188 That barbarous custom of abbreviating words to fit them to the measure of their verses. |