This is a list of common abbreviations in the English language.
A ab abdominal muscle (slang) abalone abscess (slang) ad advantage (tennis) advertisement advert advertisement addy [email] addressdict – Acronym Finder admin administratoradmin – Dictionary.com administrationadmin – Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary afish aficionado ag agriculture (informal)ag – Dictionary.com aggro aggravation or aggression agit-prop agitational propaganda alky an alcoholic amp ampere amphetamine (as in "amped up") amplifier amputation or amputeeamp – Dictionary.com ampoule amplify app application arco arcology Argie Argentine, Argentinian Aspie Someone with Asperger syndrome auto automobile automaticauto – Dictionary.com av or avvie (also avvy) avatar
B bennies benzedrine (slang) benefits12/22/97 BATTLE OF THE BENNIESA few biotechs still beat the drum for bennies – San Francisco Business TimesStanley Kurtz on Gay Marriage on National Review Online bevvy beverage (usu. alcoholic) bi bisexual (slang) bike bicycle bio biologybio – Definitions from Dictionary.com biography (informal) Birks Birkenstocks biz business (informal) black ops black operations bod body (slang/informal)bod – Definitions from Dictionary.com bookie bookmakerbookie – Definitions from Dictionary.com bra brassierebra – Definitions from Dictionary.com bread bread and honey (money) bro brother (slang)bro – Definitions from Dictionary.com bronc broncobronc – Definitions from Dictionary.com bronto Brontosaurus bud buddy (informal)bud – Definitions from Dictionary.com budgie budgerigarbudgie – Definitions from Dictionary.com bunk bunkumbunk – Definitions from Dictionary.com
C cab Cabernet Sauvignon cabriolet caff (UK slang) café cal calorie (in combination, especially "lo-cal") Cal or Cali California Calcutta cam camera camouflage camo camouflage Can Canada or Canadian (in combination) cap captain lie (informal) caps capitals carbs carbohydrates cardio cardiovascular training (aerobic exercise) cat catalytic converter catamaran chem chemistry chemo chemotherapy Chevy Chevrolet chimp chimpanzee cig cigarette cishet or cis-het cisgender-heterosexual civ civilization civvy or civvie civilian civvies civilian clothes (military slang) clit clitoris coed coeducational coke cocaine Coke Coca-Cola com command communication (especially in combinations) combi or combo combination Commie Communist con confidence trick convention convict condo condominium congrats congratulations contacts contact lenses co-op cooperative corp corporation cred credibility crip cripple croc crocodile curio curiosity cuz
cousin cyber cybernetic (especially in combination)
D decaf decaffeinated decal decalcomania decij decision deco decoration deets details defrag defragment deli delicatessen delish delicious Dem Democrat demo demonstration demolition derm dermatologist dermatological depict depicture detox detoxification dicot dicotyledon dif (or diff) difference digi digital digi cabes digital cable dino dinosaur dis (or diss) disrespect disco discotheque doc doctor document dorm dormitory Dub Dubliner
E e- electronic (e.g. email, efit, emeter) ed education emo emotional ep episode eppie, eppy epileptic seizure ex ex-(boyfriend, wife, etc.) exhibition war exercise exam examination exec executive expo exposition
F fab fabrication fabulous fan fanatic fav favorite fed federal frack fracture frag fragmentation grenade, also verb: to kill with such a grenade. frank frankfurter fridge refrigerator
G ganj ganja gas gasoline gat Gatling gun gig gigabyte gin Genevagin 1. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2014 glutes gluteus maximus go fig go figure gov, guv governor government grad graduate (or graduation, as in "grad night") gran, granny grandmother guac guacamole gym gymnasium
H ham, hammy hamster hash hashish hep hepatitis hetero or het heterosexual hifi high fidelity system hi(gh) res high resolution hippo hippopotamus homo homosexual homogenized (milk) hydro hydroelectricity hydrotherapy hydrothermal hydroponic hype hyperbole hypo hypodermic hyper hyperactive
I Inc Incorporated indie, indy independence, independent independent music independent film Indy 500 Indianapolis 500 inf infinitely info information infra dig infra dignitatem (beneath one's dignity) (borrowed from Latin) inti intifada intro introduction ipecac ipecacuanha Itey Italian (offensive)
J Jap Japanese (offensive) Jerry German (offensive, historical)
K
kilo kilogram klepto kleptomaniac
L lab laboratory (cap.) Labrador Retriever lav, lavvy lavatory legit legitimate les, lez, or lesbo lesbian lib liberal liberation library (computer science) (cap.) Libertarian Lib-Lab Liberal-Labour (UK) limo limousine lino linoleum Linotype machine lit literature lit crit literary criticism lo-cal low-calorie log logarithm
M mac macadam macaroni (with initial capital) Apple Macintosh McIntosh apple (or mack) Mackintosh raincoat macro macroinstruction mag magazine magnet magnification magnesium alloy wheels magnum Man United Manchester United F.C. Mass Massachusetts maths (UK) or math (U.S.) mathematics matric matriculationmatric – Definitions from Dictionary.com max maximum mayo mayonnaise med, meds medication medic (with initial capital) Mediterranean (the sea or the surrounding area) meg megabyte memo memorandum meth methamphetamine meths methylated spirits Mex or Mexi Mexican mezc mescaline mike or mic microphone mig milligram mg mil military millilitre Minn Minnesota Miss Mississippi mod moderator modern modification modular modulo mono monaural monochrome mononucleosis monocot monocotyledon movie feature film (i.e. moving picture)
N natch naturally neg negative negs (photographic) negatives negative hits net Internet neocon neoconservative neolib neoliberal Newfy (derogatory) Newfoundlander Nip A Japanese (derogatory, Nipponese) nympho nymphomaniac
O op optical artop – Definition by Merriam-Webster optical operation operator opportunity op-ed "opposite the editorial (page)", possibly "Opinion-Editorial" page orang orangutan
P Paki Pakistani (pejorative) Paleo diet Paleolithic diet pants pantaloons pap, paps paparazzi pec pectoral muscle peeps people (slang)peeps – Definition by Merriam-Webster Peke Pekingese Penn Pennsylvania perk perquisite perp perpetrator (slang) perv pervertperv – Definition by Merriam-Webster photo photograph (informal) photo op photo(graphic) opportunityphoto op – Definition by Merriam-Webster phys ed physical education (informal) piano pianoforte pic (plural pics or pix) (motion) picture (slang) (photographic) picture (slang) pol politician (informal) polio poliomyelitis poly polyamorous polyester polyethylene polygraph (U.S. government, as in "full scope poly")CI poly – definition from Reference.com polymerpoly – Definition by Merriam-Webster Polynesian polytechnicpoly – Definitions from Dictionary.com po-mo post-modernpo-mo – Definitions from Dictionary.com pop popular (informal) popular music porn or porno pornography (slang) postgrad postgraduate pram perambulator, a baby carriage prefs preferences preg pregnant prelim preliminary (examination) prep preparatory pres or prez president pro professional prof professor prom promenade promo promotion prop propaganda propeller proposition property (especially in theater sense) psych psychology psycho psychopath pub publication public house pullie pullover pulsar pulsating star pyro pyromaniac pyrotechnic
Q quad quadrangle (courtyard) quadruplet quadriceps muscles quadcopter (quad-engine helicopter) quadbike (New Zealand) quin, quint (U.S. and Canada) quintuplet
R rad radian radiator radical (military) radio radfem radical feminist radio radiotelegraphy raspberry, razzy raspberry tart (fart; more commonly, the derisive sound made with the tongue and lips; a Bronx cheer) rasp raspberry Rasta Rastafarian Reb Rebel (i.e., Confederate) rec recreation (all capital) record recon, reccy reconnaissance ref referee reference reg registration (, of a motor vehicle) regulation rehab rehabilitation rep repetition representative (with initial capital) Republican reputation repo repossession repo man – repossession person res reserve (Indian or military) residence resolution resp respiratory retro retro-rocket retrospective
rev revolution (of a record, engine, etc.) reverend rhino rhinoceros ril really Rhodie Rhodesian Ridgeback Rhodesian Rhode Island red Rolls a Rolls-Royce ruck rucksack rum rumbullion (obsolete)
S sales rep sales representative San Fran San Francisco sarge sergeant sarky (UK) sarcastic Satch Joe Satriani sax saxophone schizo schizophrenic Scottie Scottish Terrier scrum scrummage (now mostly used in rugby football) Sea-Tac Seattle-Tacoma sec second secant Semper Fi! Semper Fidelis sig significant (figures) signal (Internet) signature sim simulation sis sister soph sophomore sosh social (in the context of social security number) spats spatterdashes spec specialist specification speculation specs specifications spectacles sperm spermaceti spermatozoön staph staphylococcus stat statim (borrowed from Latin) stats statistics steno stenographer stereo stereophony strep streptococcus stude student sub subaltern subeditor subsidiary sublieutenant submarine subordinate subscriber (especially as subs) subscription subsistence money (an advance payment) substitute subway sum summarize sus (or suss) suspect sush sushi sync or synch synchronization syncopation synth synthesizer syph syphilis
T tab tabulation tan tangent tarp tarpaulin taxi or taxicab taximeter cabriolet tech technician technology techno technology teddy teddy bear teen teenager, teenage tele or telly television terb terrible titfer tit for tat (hat) tog obsolete togeman, from obsolete French togue, cloak, from Latin toga, garment trad tradition(al) tranny transmission transsexual or transgender (slur/offensive) transistor radio (obsolete) tranq tranquilizer trans transgender trig trigonometry Trot Trotskyite turp, turps turpentine tux tuxedo twofer two for one, two for the price of one typo typographical error
U undies underwear uni university unicam (unicameral) legislature (Nebraska, United States only)
V vag, vadge vagina veg vegetate veg or veggie vegetable vegetarian or vegan vet veterinarian veteran
W Westie West Highland Terrier Wisc Wisconsin women's lib women's liberation
X xolo xoloitzcuintli
Y Yank Yankee Yid Jew (Yiddisher; offensive)
Z zep zeppelin Zin Zinfandel zinco zincograph zoo zoological garden
References