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Acronym
Definitions
- 1 An abbreviation formed by the initial letters of other words.; Generally such abbreviations, including those pronounced as individual letters (initialisms such as "TNT").
"Pee-gee-enn. It's an acronym, that's what it is. That's what they call words made up of initials."
- 2 a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name and pronounced as one word wordnet
- 3 An abbreviation formed by the initial letters of other words.; Exclusively such abbreviations when pronounced as a word (as "laser" or "NATO").
"Some teachers festoon every spare inch of wall with vocabulary choices or maths techniques to use, which look great at first, but to some children might appear quite daunting. You'll probably see unfamiliar acronyms such as Walt (We Are Learning To). Be sure to ask what they stand for and how they are used in practice."
- 4 An abbreviation formed by the beginning letters or syllables of other words (as "Benelux").
"Acronyms or telescoped names like nabisco from National Biscuit Company."
- 1 To form into an acronym.
Etymology
Borrowed from German Akronym, from Ancient Greek ἄκρον (ákron, “end, peak”) and ὄνυμα (ónuma, “name”), equivalent to acro- (“high; beginning”) + -onym (“name”). Modelled after Homonym and Synonym, first attested in German in the early 1900s and in English in 1940.
Borrowed from German Akronym, from Ancient Greek ἄκρον (ákron, “end, peak”) and ὄνυμα (ónuma, “name”), equivalent to acro- (“high; beginning”) + -onym (“name”). Modelled after Homonym and Synonym, first attested in German in the early 1900s and in English in 1940.
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