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. [ 1913 Webster ]
It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. (Math.) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction. [ 1913 Webster ]