Forms: 4 abrege, 4–5 abregge, abrigge, 4–6 abrydge, 6 abbredge, 6– abridge. [a. OFr. abregie-r, abrege-r (Pr. abrevjar):—L. abbreviā-re, f. ab off or ? ad to + breviā-re to shorten, f. brevis short.] Always trans.
1. To shorten; to make shorter, to cut short in its duration, to lessen the duration of. Originally of time, or things occupying time.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 4571. Þan sal God abrege his [Anticrist’s] days Als Mathew in þe Godspel says. Ibid., 4575. ‘Bote his days war abreged,’ says he, ‘Fone men fra þan sal save be.’ Bot his tyme God abrege sal þan.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Merch. T., 370 (E. 1614). He wolde abregge hir labour alle and some [MS. Lansd. a-brigge].
c. 1440. Myrc, Instr. to P. P., 1629. Ȝef he be sory for hys synne … A-bregge hys penaunce þen by myche.
1534. More, Comforte agst. Tribul., III. Wks. 1557, 1213/2. He shall for the loue of hys electes … abbredge those daies.
1590. Shaks., Two Gent., III. i. 245. Besides, thy staying will abridge thy life.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pickle (1779), IV. lxxxvi. 17. The bridegroom … abridged his visit.
1834. Ht. Martineau, Moral, I. 17. To make a greater quantity with the same capital; in other words, to abridge the labour.
2. To make shorter in words, whilst retaining the sense and substance; to condense, epitomize.
1393. Wills & Inv. North. Count., IV. 186. And in kase be that this wytword will noght perfurnysche, I will it be abrydged.
1494. Fabyan, V. cxv. 89. I passe ouer in abrydgynge and shortynge somedeale of this Storye.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., 5. Efnard (is reported) to haue abridged the French Psalter.
1782. Priestley, Corr. Christ., I. Pref. 19. Some things will be found … abridged from other works.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 474. James had ordered Sancroft to abridge the ritual.
1863. Max Müller, Chips (1880), II. xxvi. 294. This work was abridged in the first half of the ninth century.
3. Law. To make a declaration or count shorter, by subtracting or severing some of the substance from it.’ Blount, 1691; Tomlins, 1809.
4. To cut off, cut short; to reduce to a small size. Now rare of things material.
c. 1420. Lydgate, Minor Poems (1840), 5. Alle myscheffes from him to abrigge.
1605. Play of Stucley (1878), 186. But ’tis not thou, nor any power but his … That can abridge my purpose.
1639. Fuller, Holy War (1840), II. xxxi. 91. She retired herself to Sebaste, and abridged her train from state to necessity.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand. (1804), xxv. 172. Spoons … two of which were curtailed in the handles, and the other abridged in the lip.
1822. Scott, Nigel, vi. Sir Mungo … laid on his hilt his hand, or rather his claw, (for Sir Rullion’s broadsword had abridged it into that form).
5. To curtail, to lessen, to diminish (rights, privileges, advantages, or authority).
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 152. Largesse it is, whose privilege There may non avarice abrege.
1534. More, On Passion, Wks. 1557, 1356/2. His former feare shall no whit abridge his rewarde.
1651. Hobbes, Leviathan, II. xxvi. 138. The naturall Liberty of man may by the Civill Law be abridged.
1702. Pope, Jan. and May, 489. He watch’d her night and day, Abridg’d her pleasures, and confin’d her sway.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., I. viii. 178. A tribunal whose authority he had himself attempted to abridge.
1853. F. W. Robertson, Serm., Ser. III. xvi. 207. The Apostle Paul counsels these men to abridge their Christian liberty.
6. With a person:—Const. of, rarely from, in. To stint, to curtail in; to deprive of; to debar from.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 11950. Whan of synne þou art abreggede.
1523. Fitzherbert, Surveying (1539), iv. 8. It were agayne reason to abrydge a man of his owne righte.
1596. Shaks., Merch. Ven., I. i. 126. Nor do I now make mone to be abridg’d From such a noble rate.
1692. South, 12 Serm. (1697), I. 33. Much tied and abridged in his freedom.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., I. 154. The legislative therefore cannot abridge the executive power of any rights which it now has by law, without it’s own consent.
1839. H. Rogers, Essays, II. iii. 147. The language, abridged of its native power, needed this transfusion of fresh blood.
