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Webster 1913 Edition

Abridge

A-bridge′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Abridged
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Abridging
.]
[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
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Abridge

ABRIDGE'

,
Verb.
T.
abridj', [G. short, or its root, from the root of break or a verb of that family.]
1.
To make shorter; to epitomize; to contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense in substance - used of writings.
Justin abridged the history of Trogus Pompeius.
2.
To lessen; to diminish; as to abridge labor; to abridge power of rights.
3.
To deprive; to cut off from; followed by of; as to abridge one of his rights, or enjoyments. to abridge from, is now obsolete or improper.
4.
In algebra, to reduce a compound quantity or equation to its more simple expression. The equation thus abridged is called a formula.

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