Word
abbreviator
Phoneticsab·bre·vi·a·tor
Definitions
01one who shortens text
n. someone who makes a word or a piece of writing shorter.
n. an agent who performs the act of abbreviation, typically by shortening words or condensing a text.
“The abbreviator of the dictionary had to decide which words were less important.”
“As a professional abbreviator, his primary responsibility was to condense lengthy legal transcripts into manageable summaries for the appellate judge.”
Formal
Usage
The noun is countable and follows standard agent-noun formation.
Synonyms
02papal official
n. a historical officer in the Catholic Church who wrote short versions of the Pope's decisions.
n. a member of a college of officials in the papal chancery whose function was to draft and condense petitions and papal bulls.
“In the 15th century, an abbreviator held an important position in the Vatican.”
“The office of the abbreviator was highly sought after in the Roman Curia, as it provided direct involvement in the formalization of ecclesiastical law.”
Archaic · Technical
Teaching tip
This sense is highly specialized and historical; it is unlikely to be encountered outside of academic texts regarding Church history.
Etymology
From Ecclesiastical Latin abbreviātor. Compare French abbréviateur.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.