to make shorter; to shorten in duration; to lessen; to diminish; to curtail; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights.-to shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense; as, to abridge a history or dictionary.-to deprive; to cut off; -- followed by of, and formerly by from; as, to abridge one of his rights.