also 6 abrygement. Spelt abridgment as early as 7. [a. OFr. abregement f. abréger + -MENT as if from a L. *abbreviāmentum.]
1. The act or process of abridging or shortening; a shortening of time or labor; a curtailment of privileges.
1494. Fabyan, VI. clxi. 154. His sayde sone … was a cause of the abrygement, or shortynge of his dayes.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., V. Cho. 44. Then brooke abridgement; and your eyes aduance After your thoughts, straight backe againe to France.
c. 1660. South, Serm. (1715), I. 5. Wilt thou demonstrate, that there is any Delight in a Cross, any Comfort in violent Abridgments.
1774. Bryant, Mythol., I. 80. The name of Cyrus seems to have suffered an abridgment of this nature.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 48. Irregular vindications of public liberty … are almost always followed by some temporary abridgments of that very liberty.
b. (?) fig. A means of shortening or whiling away. (The sense may be 3.)
1590. Shaks., Mids. N. D., V. i. 39. Say, what abridgement haue you for this euening? What maske? What musicke?
2. An abridged state or condition; a shortened form; abbreviation.
1797. Godwin, Enquirer, I. vi. 41. We must not … read them in abridgment.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., I. App. 751. The account given is essentially the same, with some abridgements and verbal differences.
3. A compendium of a larger work, with the details abridged, and less important things omitted, but retaining the sense and substance; an epitome, or abstract.
1523. Firzherbert, Surueying, 30. He wyll cause his audytoure to make a value in maner of a bridgement of all the sayd minystre accomptes.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., 2. One that extinguished worthy whole volumes to bring his abridgements into request.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), I. 163. I shall in the first place give the principal events of it in a chronological abridgment.
1876. Freeman, Norm. Conq., I. App. 694. His narrative is a mere meagre abridgement.
b. An epitome or compendium of any subject, which might be treated much more fully; a concise record, or instance; a synopsis; a representation in miniature.
1609. Skene, Reg. Majest., 4. The Crowner, or the Schiref … sall take inspection of his wounds, quha is slane, & sall cause their Clerk make ane abrigement of them.
1625. Bacon, Essays (1862), 128. To be Master of the Sea, is an Abridgement of a Monarchy.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., VI. 327. Ingratitude is the abridgement of all basenesse.
1702. Addison, Medals, III. 154. You represented your ancient coins as abridgements of history.
1774. Goldsmith, Retal., 94. Here lies David Garrick, describe me who can; An abridgment of all that was pleasant in man.
1826. Scott, Mal. Malagr., Let. i. 4. A filthy little abridgement of a crocodile.
4. Law. The leaving out of certain parts of a plaintiff’s demand, in which case the writ still holds good for the remainder.
1641. Termes de la Ley, 4. Abridgement of a plaint or demaund.
