Plural of abbreviation; shortened forms of words or phrases used to save time and space in writing.
From Latin 'abbreviare' (to shorten) + '-tion' (Latin suffix making abstract nouns). The word entered English in the 14th century as literacy and written communication expanded.
Ancient Roman scribes on papyrus invented many abbreviations we still use: '&' (et, meaning 'and'), 'etc.' (et cetera, 'and the rest'), and even the @ symbol came from medieval abbreviations, making abbreviations one of history's oldest efficiency hacks.
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