1.
[syn: condensation, abridgement, abridgment, capsule]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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.
[1913 Webster]
2. An epitome or compend, as of a book; a shortened or
abridged form, esp. of a written work; an abbreviation.
[1913 Webster]
Ancient coins as abridgments of history. --Addison.
[1913 Webster]
3. That which abridges or cuts short; hence, an entertainment
that makes the time pass quickly. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
What abridgment have you for this evening? What
mask? What music? --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
4. a diminution or curtailment, as of legal rights.
[PJC]
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.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
abridgment
n 1: a shortened version of a written work [syn: condensation,
abridgement, abridgment, capsule]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
86 Moby Thesaurus words for "abridgment":
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