As long as we're being pedantic, abbreviation does not refer strictly to "subtractions of letters existing in the word," it is any shortened form of a word or p

As long as we're being pedantic, abbreviation does not refer strictly to "subtractions of letters existing in the word," it is any shortened form of a word or phrase. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbreviation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbreviation (see especially the section on plural forms) http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/abbreviation http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_eng... http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abbreviation http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abbreviation