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Compress vs Abbreviate - What's the difference?

compress | abbreviate | Synonyms |

In transitive terms the difference between compress and abbreviate

is that compress is to abridge while abbreviate is to reduce a word or phrase by means of contraction or omission to a shorter recognizable form.

In obsolete terms the difference between compress and abbreviate

is that compress is to embrace sexually while abbreviate is an abridgment.

As an adjective abbreviate is

abbreviated; abridged; shortened.

compress

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) compresser, from compressare 'to press hard/together', from compressus, the past participle of comprimere 'to compress', itself from com- 'together' + premere 'to press'

Verb

  • To make smaller; to press or squeeze together, or to make something occupy a smaller space or volume.
  • The force required to compress a spring varies linearly with the displacement.
  • * D. Webster
  • events of centuries compressed within the compass of a single life
  • * Melmoth
  • The same strength of expression, though more compressed , runs through his historical harangues.
  • To be pressed together or folded by compression into a more economic, easier format.
  • ''Our new model compresses easily, ideal for storage and travel
  • To condense into a more economic, easier format.
  • This chart compresses the entire audit report into a few lines on a single diagram.
  • To abridge.
  • If you try to compress the entire book into a three-sentence summary, you will lose a lot of information.
  • (technology) To make digital information smaller by encoding it using fewer bits.
  • (obsolete) To embrace sexually.
  • (Alexander Pope)
    Synonyms
    * (press together ): compact, condense, pack, press, squash, squeeze * (be pressed together ): contract * (condense, abridge ): abridge, condense, shorten, truncate
    Antonyms
    * (press together ): expand * (be pressed together ): decontract * (condense, abridge ): expand, lengthen * (make computing data smaller ): uncompress
    Derived terms
    * compressed * compressed air * compressedly * compressibility * compressible * compression * compressive * compressive strength * compressor * decompress

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) compresse, from compresser 'to compress', from Late (etyl) compressare 'to press hard/together', from compressus, the past participle of comprimere 'to compress', itself from com- 'together' + premere 'to press'

    Noun

    (es)
  • 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.
  • He held a cold compress over the sprain.
  • A machine for compressing
  • abbreviate

    English

    Etymology 1

    * Either' from (etyl) abbreviaten, from (etyl) . * See abridge.

    Verb

    (abbreviat)
  • (obsolete) To shorten by omitting parts or details.
  • * (rfdate) :
  • It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off.
  • (obsolete) To speak or write in a brief manner.
  • To make shorter; to shorten; to abridge; to shorten by ending sooner than planned.
  • To reduce a word or phrase by means of contraction or omission to a shorter recognizable form.
  • (mathematics) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction.
  • Synonyms
    * shorten
    Antonyms
    * lengthen

    Etymology 2

    * From .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Abbreviated; abridged; shortened.
  • *
  • (biology) Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) An abridgment.
  • References

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