Abridge
/əˈbrɪdʒ/noun
To shorten a text, speech, or process by leaving out parts.
Did you know?Abridge comes through Old French from Latin *abbreviare*, literally “to make brief,” and its spelling was shaped by association with *bridge* even though the two words are not related.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
abbreviare
“to shorten, make brief”
Old French
Old French
abregier
“to shorten, abbreviate”
Middle English
English
abreggen
“to shorten or curtail”
14th Century
English
abridgen
“to shorten a text or statement”
Modern English
English
abridge
“to shorten by omission”
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