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Word a Day

abridge

verb · /əˈbɹɪdʒ/ · Level 4 · Expert

What does abridge mean?

abridge (verb): to shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense.

Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

How do you pronounce abridge?

/əˈbɹɪdʒ/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.

Where does abridge come from?

From Middle English abreggen, abregge, abrigge (“curtail, lessen”), from Old French abregier, abreger, from Late Latin abbreviō, abbreviāre (“make brief”).

Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What are synonyms of abridge?

From Princeton WordNet 3.1.

Test yourself: do you know “abridge”?

Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.

What does “abridge” mean?

to cause (someone) to be drawn into or involved in a difficult situation or state of contention

Not quite: that's what embroil means.

to slide along the ground, without the rotary motion that wheels or tracks would normally have

Not quite: that's what skid means.

to shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense

Right! That's what “abridge” means.

to illegally take possession of (something, especially items of low value); to pilfer, to steal

Not quite: that's what filch means.

Which word is closest in meaning to “abridge”?

concede

Not quite: concede means something else.

shorten

Right!

abolish

Not quite: abolish means something else.

shuffle

Not quite: shuffle means something else.

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