Ab-brē'vi-ā'tion, n.

n. [L. Lat. abbreviatio, Fr. abréviation, Pr. abreviação.]

1. The act of abbreviating, shortening, or reducing.
2. The form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or a combination of 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.
3. (Math.) The reduction of fractions to lower terms. Hutton.
4. (Mus.) One dash, or more, through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quarters, semiquavers, or demisemiquavers. Moore.