n.; pl. Breviaries [ F. bréviarie, L. breviarium summary, abridgment, neut. noun fr. breviarius abridged, fr. brevis short. See Brief, and cf. Brevier. ] 1. An abridgment; a compend; an epitome; a brief account or summary. [ 1913 Webster ]

A book entitled the abridgment or breviary of those roots that are to be cut up or gathered. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A book containing the daily public or canonical prayers of the Roman Catholic or of the Greek Church for the seven canonical hours, namely, matins and lauds, the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours, vespers, and compline; -- distinguished from the missal. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To abbreviate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. breviatus, p. p. of breviare to shorten, brevis short. ] 1. A short compend; a summary; a brief statement. [ 1913 Webster ]

I omit in this breviate to rehearse. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

The same little breviates of infidelity have . . . been published and dispersed with great activity. Bp. Porteus. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A lawyer's brief. [ R. ] Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An abbreviature; an abbreviation. [ Obs. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. from being originally used in printing a breviary. See Breviary. ] (Print.) A size of type between bourgeois and minion. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This line is printed in brevier type. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. breviloquentia. ] A brief and pertinent mode of speaking. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. brevis short + pes, pedis, foot: cf. F. brévipède. ] (Zool.) Having short legs. -- n. A breviped bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. brevis short + penna wing: cf. F. brévipenne. ] (Zool.) A brevipennate bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. brevis short + E. pennate. ] (Zool.) Short-winged; -- applied to birds which can not fly, owing to their short wings, as the ostrich, cassowary, and emu. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. brevis short + E. rostral, rostrate. ] (Zool.) Short-billed; having a short beak. [ 1913 Webster ]