v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abbreviated; p. pr. & vb. n. Abbreviating. ] [ L. abbreviatus, p. p. of abbreviare; ad + breviare to shorten, fr. brevis short. See Abridge. ] 1. To make briefer; to shorten; to abridge; to reduce by contraction or omission, especially of words written or spoken. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Math.) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abbreviatus, p. p. ] 1. Abbreviated; abridged; shortened. [ R. ] “The abbreviate form.” Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An abridgment. [ Obs. ] Elyot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Shortened; relatively short; abbreviate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. abbreviatio: cf. F. abbréviation. ] 1. The act of shortening, or reducing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The result of abbreviating; an abridgment. Tylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or letters, standing for a word or phrase of which they are a part; as, Gen. for Genesis; U.S.A. for United States of America. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) One dash, or more, through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quavers, semiquavers, or demi-semiquavers. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL.: cf. F. abbréviateur. ] 1. One who abbreviates or shortens. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of a college of seventy-two officers of the papal court whose duty is to make a short minute of a decision on a petition, or reply of the pope to a letter, and afterwards expand the minute into official form. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Serving or tending to abbreviate; shortening; abridging. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An abbreviation; an abbreviated state or form. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An abridgment; a compendium or abstract. [ 1913 Webster ]

This is an excellent abbreviature of the whole duty of a Christian. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ It., according to the breve. ] (Old Church Music) With one breve, or four minims, to measure, and sung faster like four crotchets; in quick common time; -- indicated in the time signature by &unr_;. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ It. & (in sense 2) LL. breve, fr. L. brevis short. See Brief. ] 1. (Mus.) A note or character of time, equivalent to two semibreves or four minims. When dotted, it is equal to three semibreves. It was formerly of a square figure (as thus: &unr_; ), but is now made oval, with a line perpendicular to the staff on each of its sides; -- formerly much used for choir service. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Any writ or precept under seal, issued out of any court. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Print.) A curved mark [ ˘ ] used commonly to indicate the short quantity of a vowel. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) The great ant thrush of Sumatra (Pitta gigas), which has a very short tail. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. brevet, LL. brevetum, fr. L. brevis short. See Brief. ] 1. A warrant from the government, granting a privilege, title, or dignity. [ French usage ]. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mil.) A commission giving an officer higher rank than that for which he receives pay; an honorary promotion of an officer. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the United States army, rank by brevet is conferred, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for “gallant actions or meritorious services.” A brevet rank gives no right of command in the particular corps to which the officer brevetted belongs, and can be exercised only by special assignment of the President, or on court martial, and detachments composed of different corps, with pay of the brevet rank when on such duty. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Brevetted p. pr. & vb. n. Brevetting. ] (Mil.) To confer rank upon by brevet. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Mil.) Taking or conferring rank by brevet; as, a brevet colonel; a brevet commission. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Brevetcies (Mil.) The rank or condition of a brevet officer. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

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 ]

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

n.; pl. Brevities [ L. brevitas, fr. brevis short: cf. F. brièvité. See Brief. ] 1. Shortness of duration; briefness of time; as, the brevity of human life. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Contraction into few words; conciseness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Brevity is the soul of wit. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

This argument is stated by St. John with his usual elegant brevity and simplicity. Bp. Porteus. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Shortness; conciseness; succinctness; terseness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a genus of fishes consisting of the menhaden.
Syn. -- genus Brevoortia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Pref. semi- + breve: cf. F. semi-breve, It. semibreve. ] [ Formerly written semibref. ] (Mus.) A note of half the time or duration of the breve; -- now usually called a whole note. It is the longest note in general use. [ 1913 Webster ]