List of English apocopations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of common apocopations in the English language.

Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

ab 

abdominal muscle (slang)[1]

abcess (slang)[2]

abs 

abdominal muscles (slang)[3]

ad  

advantage (tennis)[4]

advertisement[5]

advert 

advertisement[6]

addy 

(email) address (UK)^{[citation needed]}

admin 

administrator[7] :administration[8]

afish 

aficionado^{[citation needed]}

ag 

agriculture (informal)[9]

aggro 

aggravation or aggression (UK slang)[10]

agit-prop 

agitational propaganda[11]

amp 

ampere[12]

amphetamine (as in "amped up")^{[citation needed]}

amplifier[13]

amputation or amputee[14]

ampoule[15]

amplify^{[citation needed]}

app 

application[16]

arco 

arcology^{[citation needed]}

auto 

automobile[17]

automatic[18]

av or avvie (also avvy) 

avatar^{[citation needed]}

B

b

bad (as in the phrase "my bad" meaning "my mistake" or "my apologies")^{[citation needed]}

bennies

benzedrine (slang)[19]

benefits[20][21][22]

bi

bisexual (slang)[23]

bike

bicycle[24]

bio

biology

biography (informal)[25]

Birks

Birkenstocks

biz

business (informal)[26]

bod

body

bookie

bookmaker

bra

brassiere

bro

brother

bronc

bronco

bronto

brontosaur(us)

bud

buddy

budgie

budgerigar

bunk

bunkum

C

cab

cabriolet

cal

calorie

Cal or Cali

California

cam

camera

camouflage

camo

camouflage

Can

Canada or Canadian (in combining forms)

cap

captain

carbs

carbohydrates

chem

chemistry

chemo

chemotherapy

chimp

chimpanzee

cig

cigarette

civ

civilization

civvy or civie

civilian

civvies

civilian clothes (U.S. military slang)

clit

clitoris

coke

cocaine

Coke

Coca-Cola

com

command (military formation)

communication (especially in combinations)

combi or combo

combination

con

convict, confidence trick, convention

condo

condominium

congrats

congratulations

co-op

cooperative

corp

corporation

cred

credibility

crip

cripple

croc

crocodile

curio

curiosity

cyber

cybernetics (esp. in combinations)

D

decaf

decaffeinated

decal

decalcomania

deco

decoration

deets

details

defrag

defragment

deli

delicatessen

delish

delicious

Dem

Democrat

demo

demonstration

demolition

derm

dermatologist

dermatological

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 (commonly a Microsoft Word document)

dorm

dormitory

E

ed

education

emo

emotional

ep

episode

ex

ex-(boyfriend, wife, etc)

exhibition

war exercise

exam

examination

exec

executive

expo

exposition

F

fab

fabulous

fan

fanatic

fed

federal

frag

fragmentation grenade, also verb: to kill with such a grenade.

frank

frankfurter

G

ganj

ganja

gas

gasoline

gat

Gatling gun

gig

gigabyte

glutes

gluteus maximus

go fig

go figure

gov

governor

government

grad

graduate (or graduation, as in grad night)

gym

gymnasium

H

hash

hashish

hep

hepatitis

hetero or het

heterosexual

hippo

hippopotamus

homo

homosexual

homogenized (milk)

hydro

hydroelectricity

hydrotherapy

hydrothermal

hype

hyperbole

hypo

hypodermic

hyper

hyperactive

I

Inc

Incorporated

inf

infinitely

info

information

infra dig

infra dignitatem (beneath one's dignity) (borrowed from Latin)

inti

intifada

intro

introduction

ipecac

ipecacuanha

Itey

Italian

J

Jap

Japanese (considered rude)

K

karaoke

kara-ookesutora (borrowed from Japanese)

kilo

kilogram

klepto

kleptomaniac

L

lab

laboratory

(cap.) Labrador retriever

lav

lavatory

legit

legitimate

les, lez or lesbo

lesbian

lib

liberal

liberation

(cap.) Libertarian

limo

limousine

lino

linoleum

lit

literature

lo-cal

low-calorie

log

logarithm

M

mac

macaroni

(cap.) Macintosh

McIntosh apple

mack

mackintosh

macro

macroinstruction

mag

magazine

magnet

magnification

magnesium alloy wheels

magnum

Mass

Massachusetts

maths (UK) or math (US)

mathematics

max

maximum

mayo

mayonnaise

med

medication

medic

(cap.) Mediterranean

meg

megabyte

meth

methamphetamine

Mex or Mexi

Mexican

mezc

mescaline

mike (or mic)

microphone

microgram

Minn

Minnesota

Miss

Mississippi

mod

moderator

modern

modification

modular

modulo operation

mono

mononucleosis

monaural

monochrome

monocot

monocotyledon

N

natch

naturally

negs

(photographic) negatives

neocon

neoconservative

nympho

nymphomaniac

O

ob-gyn

obstetrician-gynecologist

obstetrics-gynecology

op

optical art[27]

optical

operation

operator

opportunity

op-ed

"opposite the editorial (page)"

orang

orangutan

P

Paki

Pakistani (pejorative)

pants

pantaloons[28]

pec

pectoral muscle[29]

peeps

people (slang) [30]

Peke

Pekingese

Penn

Pennsylvania

perp

perpetrator (slang)[31]

perv

pervert[32]

photo

photograph (informal) [33]

photo op

photo(graphic) opportunity[34]

phys ed

physical education (informal)[35]

piano

pianoforte[36]

pic (plural pics or pix)

(motion) picture (slang)[37]

(photographic) picture (slang)[38]

pol

politician (informal)[39]

polio

poliomyelitis[40]

poly

polyester[41]

polyethylene[42]

polymer[43]

polytechnic[44]

po-mo

post-modern[45]

pop

popular (informal)[46]

porn or porno

pornography (slang)[47]

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

psych

psychology

psycho

psychopath

pub

publication

public house

pullie

pullover

pulsar

pulsating

star

pyro

pyromaniac

Q

quad

quadrangle

quadruplet

quasar

quasi-stellar

quint

quintuplet

R

rad

radian

radiator

radical

(military) radio

radio

radiotelegraphy

Rasta

Rastafarian

Reb

Rebel (i.e. Confederate)

rec

recreation

recon

reconnaissance

ref

referee

reference

rehab

rehabilitation

rep

repetition

representative

(cap.) Republican

reputation

repo

repossession

res

reserve (Indian or military)

residence

resolution

rhino

rhinoceros

ruck

rucksack

S

San Fran

San Francisco

sarge

sergeant

sarky (UK)

sarcastic

Satch

Joe Satriani

sax

saxophone

schizo

schizophrenic

Scottie

Scottish Terrier

Sea-Tac

Seattle-Tacoma

sec

second

secant

Semper Fi!

Semper Fidelis

sig

signal

(Internet) signature

sim

simulation

sis

sister

soph

sophomore

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

submarine

substitute

sum

summarize

sus (or suss)

suspect

sush

sushi

sync or synch

synchronization

synth

synthesizer

syph

syphilis

T

tan

tangent

tarp

tarpaulin

taxi or taxicab

taximeter cabriolet

tech

technician

technology

techno

technology

teddy

teddy bear

teen

teenager

tele or telly

television

tog

obsolete togeman, from obsolete French togue, cloak, from Latin toga, garment

trad

tradition(al)

tranq

tranquilizer

trig

trigonometry

tux

tuxedo

typo

typographical error

U

undies

underwear

uni

university

V

veg

vegetate

veg or veggie

vegetable

vegetarian

vet

veterinarian

veteran

W

Wisc

Wisconsin

X

xolo

xoloitzcuintli

Y

Yank

Yankee

Z

zep

zeppelin

zoo

zoological garden

When apocopation is done with Cockney rhyming slang, it is called hemiteleia:

• bread from bread-and-honey = money
• raspberry from raspberry tart = sound made with tongue
• titfer from tit-for-tat = hat

See also

• apocopation