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The form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or letters, standing for a word or phrase of which they are a part; as, Gen. for Genesis; U.S.A. for United States of America.

ose duty is to make a short minute of a decision on a petition, or reply of the pope to a letter, and afterwards expand the minute into official form.

Pertaining to, or formed by, the letters of the alphabet; alphabetic; hence, rudimentary. Abecedarian psalms, hymns, etc., compositions in which (like the 119th psalm in Hebrew) distinct portions or verses commence with successive letters of the alphabet. Hook.

A mystical word or collocation of letters written as in the figure. Worn on an amulet it was supposed to ward off fever. At present the word is used chiefly in jest to denote something without meaning; jargon.

A mark placed at the right hand of a letter, and a little above it, to distinguish magnitudes of a similar kind expressed by the same letter, but differing in value, as y', y''.

ch; admittance; admission; accessibility; as, to gain access to a prince. I did repel his letters, and denied His access to me. Shak.

To send with letters credential, as an ambassador, envoy, or diplomatic agent; to authorize, as a messenger or delegate. Beton . . . was accredited to the Court of France. Froude.

The act of accrediting; as, letters of accreditation.

gratitude or as a benefit or an obligation; as, to acknowledge a favor, the receipt of a letter. They his gifts acknowledged none. Milton.

her here of my son Paris' love. Shak. I must acquaint you that I have received New dated letters from Northumberland. Shak.

Having each verse begin with the same letter as that with which the preceding verse ends.

A composition, usually in verse, in which the first or the last letters of the lines, or certain other letters, taken in order, form a name, word, phrase, or motto.

the forms ac-, af-, ag-, al-, an-, ap-, ar-, as-, at-, assimilating the d with the first letter of the word to which ad- is prefixed. It remains unchanged before vowels, and before d, h, j, m, v. Examples: adduce, adhere, adjacent, admit, advent, accord, affect, aggregate, allude, annex, appear, etc. It becomes ac- be…

To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit; as, he addressed a letter.

A woman who administers; esp., one who administers the estate of an intestate, or to whom letters of administration have been granted; a female administrator.

ost words found with this initial combination, the reader will therefore search under the letter E.

That which is affixed; an appendage; esp. one or more letters or syllables added at the end of a word; a suffix; a postfix.

The letter h or H.

One who adheres to the letter of the Koran, rejecting all traditions.

Divination by means of a cock and grains of corn placed on the letters of the alphabet, the letters being put together in the order in which the grains were eaten. Amer. Cyc.