different between compress vs abbreviate

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English compressen, from Old French compresser, from Late Latin compressare (“to press hard/together”), from Latin compressus, the past participle of comprim? (“to compress”), itself from com- (“together”) + prem? (“press”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: k?mpr?s', IPA^(key): /k?m?p??s/
• Rhymes: -?s

Verb

compress (third-person singular simple present compresses, present participle compressing, simple past and past participle compressed)

1. (transitive) To make smaller; to press or squeeze together, or to make something occupy a smaller space or volume.
   • June 17, 1825, Daniel Webster, Speech on the laying of the Corner Stone of the Bunker Hill Monument

     events of centuries […] compressed within the compass of a single life

   • 1810, William Melmoth (translator), Letters of Pliny

     The same strength of expression, though more compressed, runs through his historical harangues.

2. (intransitive) To be pressed together or folded by compression into a more economic, easier format.

3. (transitive) To condense into a more economic, easier format.

4. (transitive) To abridge.

5. (technology, transitive) To make digital information smaller by encoding it using fewer bits.
6. (obsolete) To embrace sexually.
   • 1727, Alexander Pope, Metamorphoses

     This Nymph compress'd by him who rules the day,
     Whom Delphi and the Delian isle obey,
     Andræmon lov'd; and , bless'd in all those charms
     That pleas'd a God, succeeded to her arms

Synonyms

• (press together): compact, condense, pack, press, squash, squeeze; see also Thesaurus:compress
• (be pressed together): contract
• (condense, abridge): abridge, condense, shorten, truncate; see also Thesaurus:shorten

Antonyms

• (press together): expand
• (be pressed together): decontract
• (condense, abridge): expand, lengthen
• (make computing data smaller): uncompress

Derived terms

Related terms

• compression

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle French compresse, from compresse (“to compress”), from Late Latin compressare (“to press hard/together”), from Latin compressus, the past participle of comprim? (“to compress”), itself from com- (“together”) + prem? (“press”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?mp??s/
• (US) enPR: k?m'pr?s, IPA^(key): /?k?mp??s/

Noun

compress (plural compresses)

2. A multiply folded piece of cloth, a pouch of ice etc., used to apply to a patient's skin, cover the dressing of wounds, and placed with the aid of a bandage to apply pressure on an injury.

3. A machine for compressing.

Related terms

• compression

Translations

English

Etymology 1

Either from Middle English abbreviaten, from Latin abbrevi?tus, perfect passive participle of abbrevi? (“to shorten”), formed from ad + brevi? (“shorten”), from brevis (“short”) or back-formation from abbreviation. Doublet of abridge.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?.?b?i?.vi.e?t/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??b?i.vi.e?t/

Verb

abbreviate (third-person singular simple present abbreviates, present participle abbreviating, simple past and past participle abbreviated)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To shorten by omitting parts or details. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17^th century.]
2. (obsolete, intransitive) To speak or write in a brief manner. [Attested from the late 16^th century until the early 17^th century.]
3. (transitive) To make shorter; to shorten (in time); to abridge; to shorten by ending sooner than planned. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]
4. (transitive) To reduce a word or phrase by means of contraction or omission to a shorter recognizable form. [First attested in the late 16^th century.]
5. (transitive, mathematics) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction.

Synonyms

• abridge
• compress
• condense
• contract
• curtail
• epitomize
• reduce
• shorten

Antonyms

• amplify
• dilate
• elongate
• enlarge
• expand
• expatiate
• extend
• lengthen
• produce
• prolong
• stretch

Related terms

• abbreviation
• abbreviator

Translations

Etymology 2

• From Late Latin abbrevi?tus, perfect passive participle of abbrevi? (“abbreviate”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??b?i.vi.?t/, /??b?i.vi.e?t/

Adjective

abbreviate (comparative more abbreviate, superlative most abbreviate)

1. (obsolete) Abbreviated; abridged; shortened. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17^th century]
2. (biology) Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type. [First attested in the mid 19^th century.]

Translations

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /??b?i.vi.e?t/

Noun

abbreviate (plural abbreviates)

1. (obsolete) An abridgment. [Mid 16^th century.]

Translations

References

Interlingua

Adjective

abbreviate (comparative plus abbreviate, superlative le plus abbreviate)

1. Being abbreviated.

Italian

Verb

abbreviate

1. second-person plural present of abbreviare
2. second-person plural imperative of abbreviare

Anagrams

• abbeverati

Latin

Verb

abbrevi?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of abbrevi?

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??bri?v??t/

Noun

abbreviate (plural abbreviates)

1. (law) an abstract, an abridgement

Usage notes

• Used in adjudication and sequestration.