v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abridged p. pr. & vb. n. Abridging. ] [ OE. abregen, OF. abregier, F. abréger, fr. L. abbreviare; ad + brevis short. See Brief and cf. Abbreviate. ] 1. To make shorter; to shorten in duration; to lessen; to diminish; to curtail; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights. “The bridegroom . . . abridged his visit.” Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

She retired herself to Sebaste, and abridged her train from state to necessity. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense; as, to abridge a history or dictionary. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To deprive; to cut off; -- followed by of, and formerly by from; as, to abridge one of his rights. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 shortened by condensing or rewriting; -- said of texts: an abridged version [ Narrower terms: half-length ] unabridged, full-length
Syn. -- condensed [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. a shortened version .
Syn. -- condensation, abridgment [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who abridges. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. 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 ]

. A variety of the game of bridge in which the players, beginning with the dealer, bid for the privilege of naming the trump and playing with the dummy for that deal, there being heavy penalties for a player's failure to make good his bid. The score value of each trick more than six taken by the successful bidder is as follows: when the trump is spades, 2; clubs, 6; diamonds, 7; hearts, 8; royal spades (lilies), 9; and when the deal is played with no trump, 10. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A bird. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Bride. Cf. Bridal, n. ] Of or pertaining to a bride, or to wedding; nuptial; as, bridal ornaments; a bridal outfit; a bridal chamber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bridale, brudale, AS. br&ymacr_;dealo brideale, bridal feast. See Bride, and Ale, 2. ] A nuptial festival or ceremony; a marriage. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright,
The bridal of the earth and sky. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Celebration of the nuptial feast. [ Obs. ] “In honor of this bridalty.” B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a shrub (Spiraea prunifolia) having copious small white flowers in spring.
Syn. -- bridal wreath, Saint Peter's wreath, St. Peter's wreath. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. bride, brid, brude, brud, burd, AS. br&ymacr_;d; akin to OFries. breid, OSax. brūd, D. bruid, OHG. prūt, brūt, G. braut, Icel. brūðr, Sw. & Dan. brud, Goth. brūþs; cf. Armor. pried spouse, W. priawd a married person. ] 1. A woman newly married, or about to be married. [ 1913 Webster ]

Has by his own experience tried
How much the wife is dearer than the bride. Lyttleton. [ 1913 Webster ]

I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. Rev. xxi. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: An object ardently loved. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bride of the sea, the city of Venice. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make a bride of. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Bridal. ] A rustic wedding feast; a bridal. See Ale. [ 1913 Webster ]

The man that 's bid to bride-ale, if he ha' cake,
And drink enough, he need not fear his stake. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The marriage bed. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Rich or highly ornamented cake, to be distributed to the guests at a wedding, or sent to friends after the wedding. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The nuptial apartment. Matt. ix. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bridegome, brudgume, AS. br&ymacr_;dguma (akin to OS. brūdigumo, D. bruidegom, bruigom, OHG. prūtigomo, MHG. briutegome, G. bräutigam); AS. br&ymacr_;d bride + guma man, akin to Goth. guma, Icel. gumi, OHG. gomo, L. homo; the insertion of r being caused by confusion with groom. See Bride, and cf. Groom, Homage. ] A man newly married, or just about to be married. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A knot of ribbons worn by a guest at a wedding; a wedding favor. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n., n. See Bridesmaid, Bridesman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female friend who attends on a bride at her wedding. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Bridesmen A male friend who attends upon a bridegroom and bride at their marriage; the “best man.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A stake or post set in the ground, for guests at a wedding to dance round. [ 1913 Webster ]

Divide the broad bridecake
Round about the bridestake. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A house of correction for the confinement of disorderly persons; -- so called from a hospital built in 1553 near St. Bride's (or Bridget's) well, in London, which was subsequently a penal workhouse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. brig, brigge, brug, brugge, AS. brycg, bricg; akin to Fries. bregge, D. brug, OHG. brucca, G. brücke, Icel. bryggja pier, bridge, Sw. brygga, Dan. brygge, and prob. Icel. brū bridge, Sw. & Dan. bro bridge, pavement, and possibly to E. brow. ] 1. A structure, usually of wood, stone, brick, or iron, erected over a river or other water course, or over a chasm, railroad, etc., to make a passageway from one bank to the other. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything supported at the ends, which serves to keep some other thing from resting upon the object spanned, as in engraving, watchmaking, etc., or which forms a platform or staging over which something passes or is conveyed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mus.) The small arch or bar at right angles to the strings of a violin, guitar, etc., serving of raise them and transmit their vibrations to the body of the instrument. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Elec.) A device to measure the resistance of a wire or other conductor forming part of an electric circuit. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A low wall or vertical partition in the fire chamber of a furnace, for deflecting flame, etc.; -- usually called a bridge wall. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aqueduct bridge. See Aqueduct. --
Asses' bridge,
Bascule bridge,
Bateau bridge. See under Ass, Bascule, Bateau. --
Bridge of a steamer (Naut.), a narrow platform across the deck, above the rail, for the convenience of the officer in charge of the ship; in paddlewheel vessels it connects the paddle boxes. --
Bridge of the nose, the upper, bony part of the nose. --
Cantalever bridge. See under Cantalever. --
Draw bridge. See Drawbridge. --
Flying bridge, a temporary bridge suspended or floating, as for the passage of armies; also, a floating structure connected by a cable with an anchor or pier up stream, and made to pass from bank to bank by the action of the current or other means. --
Girder bridge or
Truss bridge, a bridge formed by girders, or by trusses resting upon abutments or piers. --
Lattice bridge, a bridge formed by lattice girders. --
Pontoon bridge,
Ponton bridge. See under Pontoon. --
Skew bridge, a bridge built obliquely from bank to bank, as sometimes required in railway engineering. --
Suspension bridge. See under Suspension. --
Trestle bridge, a bridge formed of a series of short, simple girders resting on trestles. --
Tubular bridge, a bridge in the form of a hollow trunk or rectangular tube, with cellular walls made of iron plates riveted together, as the Britannia bridge over the Menai Strait, and the Victoria bridge at Montreal. --
Wheatstone's bridge (Elec.), a device for the measurement of resistances, so called because the balance between the resistances to be measured is indicated by the absence of a current in a certain wire forming a bridge or connection between two points of the apparatus; -- invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bridged p. pr. & vb. n. Bridging. ] 1. To build a bridge or bridges on or over; as, to bridge a river. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their simple engineering bridged with felled trees the streams which could not be forded. Palfrey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To open or make a passage, as by a bridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Xerxes . . . over Hellespont
Bridging his way, Europe with Asia joined. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To find a way of getting over, as a difficulty; -- generally with over. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A card game resembling whist. The trump, if any, is determined by the dealer or his partner, the value of each trick taken over six being: for “no trumps” 12, hearts 8, diamonds 6, clubs 4, spades 2. The opponents of the dealer can, after the trump is declared, double the value of the tricks, in which case the dealer or his partner can redouble, and so on. The dealer plays his partner's hand as a dummy. The side which first reaches or exceeds 30 points scored for tricks wins a game; the side which first wins two games wins a rubber. The total score for any side is the sum of the points scored for tricks, for rubbers (each of which counts 100), for honors (which follow a special schedule of value), and for slam, little slam, and chicane. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

☞ For contract bridge, the scoring system has adopted different values, with 100 points required for a game. The penalties for failing to make a contract also vary with the score thus far achieved by the playing team, and with the degree, if any, of doubling during the auction. [ PJC ]

adj. capable of being connected by a bridge or as if by a bridge. unbridgeable [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. (Arch.) A notched board to which the treads and risers of the steps of wooden stairs are fastened. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A board or plank used as a bridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Electronics) a circuit consisting of a T-network with an additional arm bridging the two series arms. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A fortification commanding the extremity of a bridge nearest the enemy, to insure the preservation and usefulness of the bridge, and prevent the enemy from crossing; a tête-de-pont. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) The system of bracing used between floor or other timbers to distribute the weight. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bridging joist. Same as Binding joist. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no bridge; not bridged. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mining) The adjustable socket, or step, of a millstone spindle. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Geography) The capital city of Barbados. Population (2000) = 6, 700. [ PJC ]

n. [ Bridge + tree a beam. ] (Mining) The beam which supports the spindle socket of the runner in a grinding mill. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A bridge keeper; a warden or a guard for a bridge. [ Obs. ] Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The principal ward of a key. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of bridges. [ R. ] Sherwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bridel, AS. bridel; akin to OHG. britil, brittil, D. breidel, and possibly to E. braid. Cf. Bridoon. ] 1. The head gear with which a horse is governed and restrained, consisting of a headstall, a bit, and reins, with other appendages. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A restraint; a curb; a check. I. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Gun.) The piece in the interior of a gun lock, which holds in place the tumbler, sear, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Naut.) (a) A span of rope, line, or chain made fast as both ends, so that another rope, line, or chain may be attached to its middle. (b) A mooring hawser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bowline bridle. See under Bowline. --
Branches of a bridle. See under Branch. --
Bridle cable (Naut.), a cable which is bent to a bridle. See 4, above. --
Bridle hand, the hand which holds the bridle in riding; the left hand. --
Bridle path,
Bridle way, a path or way for saddle horses and pack horses, as distinguished from a road for vehicles. --
Bridle port (Naut.), a porthole or opening in the bow through which hawsers, mooring or bridle cables, etc., are passed. --
Bridle rein, a rein attached to the bit. --
Bridle road. (a) Same as Bridle path. Lowell. (b) A road in a pleasure park reserved for horseback exercise. --
Bridle track, a bridle path. --
Scolding bridle. See Branks, 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- A check; restrain. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bridled p. pr. & vb. n. Bridling ] 1. To put a bridle upon; to equip with a bridle; as, to bridle a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist. Drake. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To restrain, guide, or govern, with, or as with, a bridle; to check, curb, or control; as, to bridle the passions; to bridle a muse. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Savoy and Nice, the keys of Italy, and the citadel in her hands to bridle Switzerland, are in that consolidation. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To check; restrain; curb; govern; control; repress; master; subdue. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To hold up the head, and draw in the chin, as an expression of pride, scorn, or resentment; to assume a lofty manner; -- usually with up. “His bridling neck.” Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

By her bridling up I perceived she expected to be treated hereafter not as Jenny Distaff, but Mrs. Tranquillus. Tatler. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Arch.) A strong flat bar of iron, so bent as to support, as in a stirrup, one end of a floor timber, etc., where no sufficient bearing can be had; -- called also stirrup and hanger. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who bridles; one who restrains and governs, as with a bridle. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. bridon, from bride; of German origin. See Bridle, n. ] (Mil.) The snaffle and rein of a military bridle, which acts independently of the bit, at the pleasure of the rider. It is used in connection with a curb bit, which has its own rein. Campbell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. any member of a large family (Colubridae) of mostly harmless temperate-to-tropical terrestrial or arboreal or aquatic snakes.
Syn. -- colubrid snake. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a broad family including only nonvenomous snakes, containing about two-thirds of all living species. It includes the bullsnakes, garter snakes, and water snakes as well as many other species.
Syn. -- family Colubridae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Naut.) A bulkhead on the forecastle and half deck of a ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a natural family of New World botflies.
Syn. -- family Cuterebridae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. to remove (e. g., dead tissue) surgically from a wound. [ PJC ]

n. the surgical excision of dead, contaminated, or damaged tissue, and foreign matter, especially from a wound. [ PJC ]