Which term describes a short form of a word or phrase?

• A. Abbreviation
• B. Acronym
• C. Eponym
• D. Prefix

Answer: (A)

Shortened forms of words or phrases are called abbreviations. This is the general term that covers many ways of trimming language, such as Dr. for doctor, cm for centimeter, or et al. for et alii. An acronym is a specific kind of abbreviation formed from the initial letters of a multiword phrase and usually spoken as a single word (like NASA or laser). If the initial letters are spoken individually, that’s often called an initialism, but it’s still an abbreviation at heart. A eponym refers to a name derived from a person, place, or thing, not a shortened form. A prefix is a morpheme added to the start of a word to modify its meaning, not a shortened version of the whole word. So the term that best describes a short form of a word or phrase is abbreviation.