Abridgment definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ABRIDG'MENT, n.
1. An epitome; a compend, or summary of a book.
2. Diminution; contraction; reduction - as an abridgment of expenses.
3. Deprivation; a debarring or restraint - as an abridgment of pleasures.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a shortened version of a written work [syn: condensation, abridgement, abridgment, capsule]

Merriam Webster's

or abridgement noun Date: 15th century 1. the action of abridging ; the state of being abridged 2. a shortened form of a work retaining the general sense and unity of the original

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Abridgment A*bridg"ment (-br[i^]j"ment), n. [OE. abregement. See Abridge.] 1. The act of abridging, or the state of being abridged; diminution; lessening; reduction or deprivation; as, an abridgment of pleasures or of expenses. 2. An epitome or compend, as of a book; a shortened or abridged form; an abbreviation. Ancient coins as abridgments of history. --Addison. 3. That which abridges or cuts short; hence, an entertainment that makes the time pass quickly. [Obs.] What abridgment have you for this evening? What mask? What music? --Shak. Syn: Abridgment, Compendium, Epitome, Abstract, Synopsis. Usage: An abridgment is made by omitting the less important parts of some larger work; as, an abridgment of a dictionary. A compendium is a brief exhibition of a subject, or science, for common use; as, a compendium of American literature. An epitome corresponds to a compendium, and gives briefly the most material points of a subject; as, an epitome of history. An abstract is a brief statement of a thing in its main points. A synopsis is a bird's-eye view of a subject, or work, in its several parts.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Shortening, compression, condensation, compacting, contraction, diminution, reduction, curtailment, retrenchment. See abbreviation. 2. Compendium, compend, epitome, summary, abstract, digest, synopsis, syllabus, breviary, brief, conspectus, outline, bird's-eye view. 3. Deprivation, dispossession, limitation, restriction.

Moby Thesaurus

abatement, abbreviation, abstract, alleviation, aphorism, apocope, attenuation, bereavement, blue-penciling, bowdlerization, breviary, brief, cancellation, capsule, censoring, censorship, compendium, compression, condensation, conspectus, contraction, curtailment, dampening, damping, decrease, decrement, decrescence, deduction, deflation, deletion, depreciation, depression, deprivation, deprivement, digest, diminishment, diminution, disburdening, disburdenment, disentitlement, divestment, dying, dying off, editing, elision, ellipsis, epigram, epitome, erasure, expurgation, extenuation, fade-out, foreshortening, languishment, lessening, letup, lowering, miniaturization, mitigation, omission, outline, precis, privation, recap, recapitulation, reduction, relaxation, relieving, retrenchment, sagging, scaling down, shortening, simplicity, sketch, striking, subtraction, sum, summary, summation, summing-up, syllabus, syncope, synopsis, telescoping, truncation, weakening