·noun The act of shortening, or reducing.
II. Abbreviation ·noun The result of abbreviating; an Abridgment.
III. Abbreviation ·noun One dash, or more, through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quavers, semiquavers, or demi-semiquavers.
IV. Abbreviation ·noun The form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or letters, standing for a word or phrase of which they are a part; as, Gen. for Genesis; U.S.A. for United States of America.