abbreviatory

American

[uh-bree-vee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / əˈbri vi əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

adjective

serving to abbreviate or shorten.

“IA” is an abbreviatory form of “Iowa.”

Etymology

Origin of abbreviatory

First recorded in 1840–50; abbreviate + -ory ¹

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

abbreviatory

For what is there more prompt, more unexpected, more abbreviatory of space and time, than the maturity of an obligation?

From What is Property? by Proudhon, P.-J. (Pierre-Joseph)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023