The Oxford English Dictionary: List of
Abbreviations
June 1996
a. (in Etym.)
|
adoption of, adopted from
|
a (as a 1850)
|
ante, 'before', 'not later than'
|
a.
|
adjective
|
abbrev.
|
abbreviation (of)
|
abl.
|
ablative
|
absol.
|
absolute, -ly
|
Abstr.
|
(in titles) Abstract, -s
|
acc.
|
accusative
|
Acct.
|
(in titles) Account
|
A.D.
|
Anno Domini
|
ad. (in Etym.)
|
adaptation of
|
Add.
|
Addenda
|
adj.
|
adjective
|
Adv.
|
(in titles) Advance, -d, -s
|
adv.
|
adverb
|
advb.
|
adverbial, -ly
|
Advt.
|
advertisement
|
Aeronaut.
|
(as label) in Aeronautics; (in
titles) Aeronautic, -al, -s
|
AF., AFr.
|
Anglo-French
|
Afr.
|
Africa, -n
|
Agric.
|
(as label) in Agriculture; (in
titles) Agriculture, - al
|
Alb.
|
Albanian
|
Amer.
|
American
|
Amer. Ind.
|
American Indian
|
Anat.
|
(as label) in Anatomy; (in titles)
Anatomy, - ical
|
Anc.
|
(in titles) Ancient
|
Anglo-Ind.
|
Anglo-Indian
|
Anglo-Ir.
|
Anglo-Irish
|
Ann.
|
Annals
|
Anthrop., Anthropol.
|
(as label) in Anthropology; (in
titles) Anthropology, -ical
|
Antiq.
|
(as label) in Antiquities; (in
titles) Antiquity
|
aphet.
|
aphetic, aphetized
|
app.
|
apparently
|
Appl.
|
(in titles) Applied
|
Applic.
|
(in titles) Application, -s
|
appos.
|
appositive, -ly
|
Arab.
|
Arabic
|
Aram.
|
Aramaic
|
Arch.
|
(as label) in Architecture; (in
titles) Architecture, -al
|
Arm.
|
Armenian
|
assoc.
|
association
|
Astr.
|
in Astronomy
|
Astrol.
|
in Astrology
|
Astron.
|
(in titles) Astronomy, -ical
|
Astronaut.
|
(in titles) Astronautic, -s
|
attrib.
|
attributive, -ly
|
Austral.
|
Australian
|
Autobiogr.
|
(in titles) Autobiography, -ical
|
A.V.
|
Authorized Version
|
B.C.
|
Before Christ
|
B.C.
|
(in titles) British Columbia
|
bef.
|
before
|
Bibliogr.
|
(as label) in Bibliography; (in
titles) Bibliography, -ical
|
Biochem.
|
(as label) in Biochemistry; (in
titles) Biochemistry, -ical
|
Biol.
|
(as label) in Biology; (in titles)
Biology, - ical
|
Bk.
|
Book
|
Bot. (as label) in Botany; (in
titles) Botany, -ical Bp.
|
Bishop
|
Brit.
|
(in titles) Britain, British
|
Bulg.
|
Bulgarian
|
Bull.
|
(in titles) Bulletin
|
c (as c 1700)
|
circa, 'about'
|
c. (as 19th c.)
|
century
|
Cal.
|
(in titles) Calendar
|
Cambr.
|
(in titles) Cambridge
|
Canad.
|
Canadian
|
Cat.
|
Catalan
|
catachr.
|
catachrestically
|
Catal.
|
(in titles) Catalogue
|
Celt.
|
Celtic
|
Cent.
|
(in titles) Century, Central
|
Cent. Dict.
|
Century Dictionary
|
Cf., cf.
|
confer, 'compare'
|
Ch.
|
Church
|
Chem.
|
(as label) in Chemistry; (in
titles) Chemistry, - ical
|
Chr.
|
(in titles) Christian
|
Chron.
|
(in titles) Chronicle
|
Chronol.
|
(in titles) Chronology, -ical
|
Cinemat., Cinematogr.
|
in Cinematography
|
Clin.
|
(in titles) Clinical
|
cl. L.
|
classical Latin
|
cogn. w.
|
cognate with
|
Col.
|
(in titles) Colonel, Colony
|
Coll.
|
(in titles) Collection
|
collect.
|
collective, -ly
|
colloq.
|
colloquial, -ly
|
comb.
|
combined, -ing
|
Comb.
|
Combinations
|
Comm.
|
in Commercial usage
|
Communic.
|
in Communications
|
comp.
|
compound, composition
|
Compan.
|
(in titles) Companion
|
compar.
|
comparative
|
compl.
|
complement
|
Compl.
|
(in titles) Complete
|
Conc.
|
(in titles) Concise
|
Conch.
|
in Conchology
|
concr.
|
concrete, -ly
|
Conf.
|
(in titles) Conference
|
Congr.
|
(in titles) Congress
|
conj.
|
conjunction
|
cons.
|
consonant
|
const.
|
construction, construed with
|
contr.
|
contrast (with)
|
Contrib.
|
(in titles) Contribution
|
Corr.
|
(in titles) Correspondence
|
corresp.
|
corresponding (to)
|
Cotgr.
|
R. Cotgrave, Dictionarie of the
French and English tongues
|
cpd.
|
compound
|
Crit.
|
(in titles) criticism, critical
|
Cryst.
|
in Crystallography
|
Cycl.
|
(in titles) Cyclopaedia, -ic
|
Cytol.
|
(in titles) Cytology, -ical
|
Da.
|
Danish
|
D.A.
|
Dictionary of Americanisms
|
D.A.E.
|
Dictionary of American English
|
dat.
|
dative
|
D.C.
|
District of Columbia
|
Deb.
|
(in titles) Debate, -s
|
def.
|
definite, -ition
|
dem.
|
demonstrative
|
deriv.
|
derivative, -ation
|
derog.
|
derogatory
|
Descr.
|
(in titles) Description, -tive
|
Devel.
|
(in titles) Development, -al
|
Diagn.
|
(in titles) Diagnosis, Diagnostic
|
dial.
|
dialect, -al
|
Dict.
|
dictionary; spec., the Oxford
English Dictionary
|
dim.
|
diminutive
|
Dis.
|
(in titles) Disease
|
Diss.
|
(in titles) Dissertation
|
D.O.S.T.
|
Dictionary of the Older Scottish
Tongue
|
Du.
|
Dutch
|
E.
|
East
|
Eccl.
|
(as label) in Ecclesiastical
usage; (in titles) Ecclesiastical
|
Ecol.
|
in Ecology
|
Econ.
|
(as label) in Economics; (in
titles) Economy, - ics
|
ed.
|
edition
|
E.D.D.
|
English Dialect Dictionary
|
Edin.
|
(in titles) Edinburgh
|
Educ.
|
(as label) in Education; (in
titles) Education, - al
|
EE.
|
Early English
|
e.g.
|
exempli gratia, 'for example'
|
Electr.
|
(as label) in Electricity; (in
titles) Electricity, - ical
|
Electron.
|
(in titles) Electronic, -s
|
Elem.
|
(in titles) Element, -ary
|
ellipt.
|
elliptical, -ly
|
Embryol.
|
in Embryology
|
e.midl.
|
east midland (dialect)
|
Encycl.
|
(in titles) Encyclopaedia, -ic
|
Eng.
|
England, English
|
Engin.
|
in Engineering
|
Ent.
|
in Entomology
|
Entomol.
|
(in titles) Entomology, -logical
|
erron.
|
erroneous, -ly
|
esp.
|
especially
|
Ess.
|
(in titles) Esssay, -s
|
et al.
|
et alii, 'and others'
|
etc.
|
et cetera
|
Ethnol.
|
in Ethnology
|
etym.
|
etymology
|
euphem.
|
euphemistically
|
Exam.
|
(in titles) Examination
|
exc.
|
except
|
Exerc.
|
(in titles) Exercise, -s
|
Exper.
|
(in titles) Experiment, -al
|
Explor.
|
(in titles) Exploration, -s
|
f.
|
feminine
|
f.
|
(in Etym.) formed on
|
f. (in subordinate entries)
|
form of
|
F.
|
French
|
fem. (rarely f.)
|
feminine
|
fig.
|
figurative, -ly
|
Finn.
|
Finnish
|
fl.
|
floruit, 'flourished'
|
Found.
|
(in titles) Foundation, -s
|
Fr.
|
French
|
freq.
|
frequent, -ly
|
Fris.
|
Frisian
|
Fund.
|
(in titles) Fundamental, -s
|
Funk or Funk's Stand. Dict.
|
Funk and Wagnalls Standard
Dictionary
|
G.
|
German
|
Gael.
|
Gaelic
|
Gaz.
|
(in titles) Gazette
|
gen.
|
genitive
|
gen.
|
general, -ly
|
Geogr.
|
(as label) in Geography; (in
titles) Geography, - ical
|
Geol.
|
(as label) in Geology; (in titles)
Geology, - ical
|
Geom.
|
in Geometry
|
Geomorphol.
|
in Geomorphology
|
Ger.
|
German
|
Gloss.
|
Glossary
|
Gmc.
|
Germanic
|
Godef.
|
F. Godefroy, Dictionnaire de
l'ancienne langue francaise
|
Goth.
|
Gothic
|
Govt.
|
(in titles) Government
|
Gr.
|
Greek
|
Gr.
|
Great
|
Gram.
|
(as label) in Grammar; (in titles)
Grammar, - tical
|
Gt.
|
Great
|
Heb., Hebr.
|
Hebrew
|
Her.
|
in Heraldry
|
Herb.
|
among herbalists
|
Hind.
|
Hindustani
|
Hist.
|
(as label) in History; (in titles)
History, - ical
|
hist.
|
historical
|
Histol.
|
(as label) in Histology; (in
titles) Histology, - ical
|
Hort.
|
in Horticulture
|
Househ.
|
(in titles) Household
|
Housek.
|
(in titles) Housekeeping
|
Ibid.
|
Ibidem, 'in the same book or
passage'
|
Icel.
|
Icelandic
|
Ichthyol.
|
in Ichthyology
|
id.
|
idem, 'the same'
|
i.e.
|
id est, 'that is'
|
IE.
|
Indo-European
|
Illustr.
|
(in titles) Illustration, -ted
|
imit.
|
imitative
|
Immunol.
|
in Immunology
|
imp.
|
imperative
|
impers.
|
impersonal
|
impf.
|
imperfect
|
ind.
|
indicative
|
indef.
|
indefinite
|
Industr.
|
(in titles) Industry, -ial
|
inf.
|
infinitive
|
infl.
|
influenced
|
Inorg.
|
(in titles) Inorganic
|
Ins.
|
(in titles) Insurance
|
Inst.
|
(in titles) Institute, -tion
|
int.
|
interjection
|
intr.
|
intransitive
|
Introd.
|
(in titles) Introduction
|
Ir.
|
Irish
|
irreg.
|
irregular, -ly
|
It.
|
Italian
|
J., (J.)
|
(quoted from) Johnson's Dictionary
|
(Jam.)
|
Jamieson, Scottish Dict.
|
Jap.
|
Japanese
|
joc.
|
jocular, -ly
|
Jrnl.
|
(in titles) Journal
|
Jun.
|
(in titles) Junior
|
Knowl.
|
(in titles) Knowledge
|
l.
|
line
|
L.
|
Latin
|
lang.
|
language
|
Lect.
|
(in titles) Lecture, -s
|
Less.
|
(in titles) Lesson, -s
|
Let., Lett.
|
letter, letters
|
LG.
|
Low German
|
lit.
|
literal, -ly
|
Lit.
|
Literary
|
Lith.
|
Lithuanian
|
LXX
|
Septuagint
|
m.
|
masculine
|
Mag.
|
(in titles) Magazine
|
Magn.
|
(in titles) Magnetic, -ism
|
Mal.
|
Malay, Malayan
|
Man.
|
(in titles) Manual
|
Managem.
|
(in titles) Management
|
Manch.
|
(in titles) Manchester
|
Manuf.
|
in Manufacture, -ing
|
Mar.
|
(in titles) Marine
|
masc. (rarely m.)
|
masculine
|
Math.
|
(as label) in Mathematics; (in
titles) Mathematics, -al
|
MDu.
|
Middle Dutch
|
ME.
|
Middle English
|
Mech.
|
(as label) in Mechanics; (in
titles) Mechanics, - al
|
Med.
|
(as label) in Medicine; (in
titles) Medicine, - ical
|
med.L.
|
medieval Latin
|
Mem.
|
(in titles) Memoir, -s
|
Mataph.
|
in Metaphysics
|
Meteorol.
|
(as label) in Meteorology; (in
titles) Meteorology, -ical
|
MHG.
|
Middle High German
|
midl.
|
midland (dialect)
|
Mil.
|
in military usage
|
Min.
|
(as label) in Mineralogy; (in
titles) Mineralogy, - ical
|
Mineral.
|
(in titles) Mineralogy, -ical
|
MLG.
|
Middle Low German
|
Mics.
|
(in titles) Miscellany, -eous
|
mod.
|
modern
|
mod.L.
|
modern Latin
|
(Morris)
|
(quoted from) E. E. Morris's
Austral English
|
Mus.
|
(as label) in Music; (in titles)
Music, -al; Museum
|
Myst.
|
(in titles) Mystery
|
Mythol.
|
in Mythology
|
N.
|
North
|
n.
|
neuter
|
N.Amer.
|
North America, -n
|
N.&Q.
|
Notes and Queries
|
Narr.
|
(in titles) Narrative
|
Nat.
|
(in titles) Natural
|
Nat. Hist.
|
in Natural History
|
Naut.
|
in nautical language
|
N.E.
|
North East
|
N.E.D.
|
New English Dictionary, original
title of the Oxford English
|
Dictionary (first edition) Neurol.
|
in Neurology
|
neut. (rarely n.)
|
neuter
|
NF., NFr.
|
Northern French
|
No.
|
Number
|
nom.
|
nominative
|
north.
|
northern dialect
|
Norw.
|
Norwegian
|
n.q.
|
no quotations
|
N.T.
|
New Testament
|
Nucl.
|
Nuclear
|
Numism.
|
in Numismatics
|
N.W.
|
North West
|
N.Z.
|
New Zealand
|
obj.
|
object
|
obl.
|
oblique
|
Obs., obs.
|
obsolete
|
Obstetr.
|
(in titles) Obstetric
|
occas.
|
occasionally
|
OE.
|
Old English (= Anglo-Saxon)
|
OF., OFr.
|
Old French
|
OFris.
|
Old Frisian
|
OHG.
|
Old High German
|
OIr.
|
Old Irish
|
ON.
|
Old Norse
|
ONF.
|
Old Northern French
|
Ophthalm.
|
in Ophthalmology
|
opp.
|
opposed (to), the opposite (of)
|
Opt.
|
in Optics
|
Org.
|
(in titles) Organic
|
orig.
|
origin, -al, -ally
|
Ornith.
|
(as label) in Ornithology; (in
titles) Ornithology, -ical
|
OS.
|
Old Saxon
|
OSl.
|
Old (Church) Slavonic
|
O.T.
|
Old Testament
|
Outl.
|
(in titles) Outline
|
Oxf.
|
(in titles) Oxford
|
p.
|
page
|
Palaeogr.
|
in Palaeography
|
Palaeont. in Palaeontology; (in
titles) Palaeontology, -ical pa. pple.
|
passive participle, past
participle
|
(Partridge)
|
(quoted from) E. Partridge's
Dictionary of Slang and
|
Unconventional English pass.
|
passive, -ly
|
pa.t.
|
past tense
|
Path.
|
(as label) in Pathology; (in
titles) Pathology, - ical
|
perh. perhaps Pers.
|
Persian
|
pers.
|
person, -al
|
Petrogr.
|
in Petrography
|
Petrol.
|
(as label) in Petrology; (in
titles) Petrology, - ical
|
(Pettman)
|
(quoted from) C. Pettman's
Africanderisms
|
pf.
|
perfect
|
Pg.
|
Portuguese
|
Pharm.
|
in Pharmacology
|
Philol.
|
(as label) in Philology; (in
titles) Philology, - ical
|
Philos.
|
(as label) in Philosophy; (in
titles) Philosophy, - ic
|
phonet.
|
phonetic, -ally
|
Photogr.
|
(as label) in Photography; (in
titles) Photography, -ical
|
phr.
|
phrase
|
Phys.
|
physical; (rarely) in Physiology
|
Physiol.
|
(as label) in Physiology; (in
titles) Physiology, -ical
|
Pict.
|
(in titles) Picture, Pictorial
|
pl., plur.
|
plural
|
poet.
|
poetic, -al
|
Pol.
|
Polish
|
Pol.
|
(as label) in Politics; (in
titles) Politics, - al
|
Pol. Econ.
|
in Political Economy
|
Polit.
|
(in titles) Politics, -al
|
pop.
|
popular, -ly
|
Porc.
|
(in titles) Porcelain
|
poss.
|
possessive
|
Pott.
|
(in titles) Pottery
|
ppl. a., pple. adj.
|
participial adjective
|
pple.
|
participle
|
Pr.
|
Provencal
|
pr.
|
present
|
Pract.
|
(in titles) Practice, -al
|
prec.
|
preceding (word or article)
|
pred.
|
predicative
|
pref.
|
prefix
|
pref., Pref.
|
preface
|
prep.
|
preposition
|
pres.
|
present
|
Princ.
|
(in titles) Principle, -s
|
priv.
|
privative
|
prob.
|
probably
|
Probl.
|
(in titles) Problem
|
Proc.
|
(in titles) Proceedings
|
pron.
|
pronoun
|
pronunc.
|
pronunciation
|
prop.
|
properly
|
Pros.
|
in Prosody
|
Prov.
|
Provencal
|
pr. pple.
|
present participle
|
Psych.
|
in Psychology
|
Psychol.
|
(as label) in Psychology; (in
titles) Psychology, -ical
|
Publ.
|
(in titles) Publications
|
Q.
|
(in titles) Quarterly
|
quot(s).
|
quotation(s)
|
q.v.
|
quod vide, 'which see'
|
R.
|
(in titles) Royal
|
Radiol.
|
in Radiology
|
R.C.Ch.
|
Roman Catholic Church
|
Rec.
|
(in titles) Record
|
redupl.
|
reduplicating
|
Ref.
|
(in titles) Reference
|
refash.
|
refashioned, -ing
|
refl.
|
reflexive
|
Reg.
|
(in titles) Register
|
reg.
|
regular
|
rel
|
related to
|
Reminisc.
|
(in titles) Reminiscence, -s
|
Rep.
|
(in titles) Report, -s
|
repr.
|
representative, representing
|
Res.
|
(in titles) Research
|
Rev.
|
(in titles) Review
|
rev.
|
revised
|
Rhet.
|
in Rhetoric
|
Rom.
|
Roman, -ce, -ic
|
Rum.
|
Rumanian
|
Russ.
|
Russian
|
S.
|
South
|
S.Afr.
|
South Africa, -n
|
sb.
|
substantive
|
sc.
|
scilicet, 'understand' or 'supply'
|
Sc., Scot.
|
Scottish
|
Scand.
|
(in titles) Scandinavia, -n
|
Sch.
|
(in titles) School
|
Sc. Nat. Dict.
|
Scottish National Dictionary
|
Scotl.
|
(in titles) Scotland
|
Sel.
|
(in titles) Selection, -s
|
Ser.
|
Series
|
sing.
|
singular
|
Sk.
|
(in titles) Sketch
|
Skr.
|
Sanskrit
|
Slav.
|
Slavonic
|
S.N.D.
|
Scottish National Dictionary
|
Soc.
|
(in titles) Society
|
Sociol.
|
(as label) in Sociology; (in
titles) Sociology, - ical
|
Sp.
|
Spanish
|
Sp.
|
(in titles) Speech, -es
|
sp.
|
spelling
|
spec.
|
specifically
|
Spec.
|
(in titles) Specimen
|
St.
|
Saint
|
Stand.
|
Standard
|
Stanf.
|
(quoted from) Stanford Dictionary
of Anglicised Words & Phrases
|
str.
|
strong
|
Struct.
|
(in titles) Structure, -al
|
Stud.
|
(in titles) Studies
|
subj.
|
subject
|
subord. cl.
|
subordinate clause
|
subseq.
|
subsequent, -ly
|
subst.
|
substantively
|
suff.
|
suffix
|
superl.
|
superlative
|
Suppl.
|
Supplement
|
Surg.
|
(as label) in Surgery; (in titles)
Surgery, Surgical
|
s.v.
|
sub voce, 'under the word'
|
Sw.
|
Swedish
|
s.w.
|
south-western (dialect)
|
Syd. Soc. Lex.
|
Sydenham Society, Lexicon of
Medicine & Allied Sciences
|
syll.
|
syllable
|
Syr.
|
Syrian
|
Syst.
|
(in titles) System, -atic
|
Taxon.
|
(in titles) Taxonomy, -ical
|
techn.
|
technical, -ly
|
Technol.
|
(in titles) Technology, -ical
|
Telegr.
|
in Telegraphy
|
Teleph.
|
in Telephony
|
(Th.)
|
(quoted from) Thornton's American
Glossary
|
Theatr.
|
in the Theatre, theatrical
|
Theol.
|
(as label) in Theology; (in
titles) Theology, - ical
|
Theoret.
|
(in titles) Theoretical
|
Tokh.
|
Tokharian
|
tr., transl.
|
translated, translation
|
Trans.
|
(in titles) Transactions
|
trans.
|
transitive
|
transf.
|
transferred sense
|
Trav.
|
(in titles) Travel(s)
|
Treas.
|
(in titles) Treasury
|
Treat.
|
(in titles) Treatise
|
Treatm.
|
(in titles) Treatment
|
Trig.
|
in Trigonometry
|
Trop.
|
(in titles) Tropical
|
Turk.
|
Turkish
|
Typog., Typogr.
|
in Typography
|
ult.
|
ultimately
|
Univ.
|
(in titles) University
|
unkn.
|
unknown
|
U.S.
|
United States
|
U.S.S.R.
|
Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics
|
usu.
|
usually
|
v., vb.
|
verb
|
var(r)., vars.
|
variant(s) of
|
vbl. sb.
|
verbal substantive
|
Vertebr.
|
(in titles) Vertebrate, -s
|
Vet.
|
(as label) in Veterinary Science;
(in titles) Veterinary
|
Vet. Sci.
|
in Veterinary Science
|
viz.
|
videlicet, 'namely'
|
Voy.
|
(in titles) Voyage, -s
|
v.str.
|
strong verb
|
vulg.
|
vulgar
|
v.w.
|
weak verb
|
W.
|
Welsh; West
|
wd.
|
word
|
Webster
|
Webster's (New International)
Dictionary
|
Westm.
|
(in titles) Westminster
|
WGmc.
|
West Germanic
|
Wks.
|
(in titles) Works
|
w.midl.
|
west midland (dialect)
|
WS.
|
West Saxon
|
(Y.)
|
(quoted from) Yule & Burnell's
Hobson- Jobson
|
Yrs.
|
(in titles) Years
|
Zoogeogr.
|
in Zoogeography
|
Zool.
|
(as label) in Zoology; (in titles)
Zoology, - ical
|
