Abbreviations are devices used in writing and printing to save time and space, consisting usually of curtailments effected in words and syllables by the removal of some letters, often of the whole of the letters except the first. The following is a list of the more important:

A.B., artium baccalaureus, bachelor of arts; able seaman.

Abp. archbishop.

A.C., ante Chrisium, before Christ.

Ac., acre.

Acc, Ac, or Acct., account.

A.D., anno Domini, in the year of our Lord; used also as equivalent to "after Christ," or "of the Christian era."

A.D.C., aide-de-camp.

Aet. or -Aetat., cetatis (anno), in the year of his age.

A.H., anno Hejirce, in the year of the Hegira.

A.M., ante meridiem; forenoon; anno mundi, in the year of the world; artium magister, master of arts.

Anon., anonymous.

A.R.A., associate of Royal Academy (London).

A.R.S.A., associate of the Royal Scottish Academy.

A.U.C., ab urbe condita, from the building of Rome (753 B-C.)

A.V., authorized version.

B.A., bachelor of arts.

Bart., or Bt., baronet.

B.C., before Christ.

B.C.L., bachelor of civil law.

B.D., bachelor of divinity.

B.L., bachelor of laws.

B.M., bachelor of medicine.

Bp., bishop.

B.S., bachelor of surgery.

B.Sc, bachelor of science.

B.V., Blessed Virgin.

C, cap., or chap., chapter.

C.A., chartered accountant.

Cantab., Cantabrigiensis of Cambridge.

Cantuar., Cantuariensis of Canterbury.

C.B., companion of the Bath.

C.D.V., carte de visite.

C.E., civil engineer.

Cf., confer, compare.

C.I., order of the Crown of India.

C.I.E., companion of the Indian Empire.

C.J., chief-justice.

C.M., chirurgice magister, master in surgery; common metre.

C.M.G., companion of the order of St. Michael and St. George.

Co., company or county.

C.O.D., cash on delivery.

Cr., creditor.

Crim., con., criminal conversation.

C.S., civil service, clerk to the signet.

C.S.I., companion of the Star of India.

Ct., Connecticut.

Curt., current, the present month.

Cwt., hundredweight.

D., denarius, penny or pence.

D.C, district of Columbia.

D.C.L., doctor of civil law.

D.D., doctor of divinity.

Del., delineavit, drew it.

D.F., defender of the faith.

D.G., Dei gratia, by the grace of God.

D.L., deputy lieutenants.

D.Lit., doctor of literature.

Do., ditto, the same.

D.O.M., Deo Optimo Maximo, to God, the best and greatest. Dr., doctor, also debtor. D.Sc, doctor of science. D.V., Deo volente, God willing. Dwt., pennyweight. E., east.

Ebor., Eboracensis, of York. Ec, established church. E.E., errors excepted, e.g., exempli gratia, for example. E.I., East Indies.

Etc., or etc, et cetera, and the rest. Exr., executor.

F., or Fahr., Fahrenheit's thermometer. F.A.S., fellow of the Antiquarian Society. F.C, Free Church.

F.D. ,fidei defensor, defender of the faith. Fec, fecit, he made or did it. F.G.S., fellow of the Geological Society. F.H.S., fellow of the Horticultural Society. Fi., flourished. Fla., Florida.

F.L.S., fellow of the Linnaean Society. F. M., field marshal. F.O.B., free on board (goods delivered.) F.R.A.S., fellow of the Royal Astronomical(or Asiatic) Society. F.R.C.P., fellow of the Royal College ofPhysicians. F.R.C.S., Fellow of the Royal College ofSurgeons.

F.R.G.S.,fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

F.R.S., fellow of the Royal Society.

F.R.S.E., fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

F.S.A., fellow of the Society of Arts or Antiquaries.

F.S.S., fellow of the Statistical Society.

Ft., foot or feet.

F.Z.S., fellow of the Zoological Society.

Ga., Georgia.

Gal., gallon.

G.C.B., grand cross of the Bath.

G.C.M.G., grand cross of St. Michael and St. George.

G.C.S.I., grand commander of the Star of India.

G.P.O., general postoffice.

H.B.M., his or her Britannic majesty.

H.E.I.C.S., honorable East India Company's service, d., hogshead.

H.I.H., his or her imperial highness.

H.M.S., his or her majesty's ship.

Hon., honorable.

H.R., house of representatives.

H.R., his (her) royal highness.

H.S.H., his (her) serene highness.

Ia., Iowa.

Ib., or Ibid., ibidem, in the same place.

Id., idem, the same. i. e., id est,, that is.

+ I.H.S., Jesus hominum salvator, Jesus the Saviour of men; originally it was Ih1, the first three letters of Ihe0Ye (fesous), Jesus.

Incog., incognito, unknown.

Inf., infra, below.

I.N.R.I., JesusNazarenus Rex Iudceorum, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

Inst., instant, or of this month; institute.

I.O.U., I owe you.

I.q., idem quod, the same as.

J.P., justice of the peace.

Jr., junior.

J.U.D.,juris utriusque doctor, doctor both of the civil and the canon law.

K.C.B., knight commander of the Bath.

K.C.M.G., knight commander of St. Michael and St. George.

K.C.S.I., knight commander of the Star of India.

K.G., knight of the Garter.

K.G.C.B., knight grand cross of the Bath.

K.P., knight of St. Patrick.

K.T., knight of the Thistle.

Kt., or Knt.. knight.

Ky., Kentucky.

L., 1., or £, pound sterling.

L.A., literate in arts.

Lat., latitude.

L,b., or lb., libra, a pound (weight).

L.C.J., lord chief-justice.

Ldp., lordship.

L.D.S., licentiate in dental surgery.

Lit., D., doctor of literature.

L.L., Low Latin.

L,.L,.A., lady literate in arts.

LL.B., legum baccalaureus, bachelor of laws.

LL.D., legum doctor, doctor of laws (that is the civil and the canon laws).

LL.M., master of laws.

Lon., or Long., longitude.

L.R.C.P., licentiate Royal College of Physicians.

L-Rc.S., licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons.

L.S.A., licentiate of the Society of Apothecaries.

L.S.D., librce, solidi, denarii, pounds, shillings, pence.

M.A., master of arts.

Mass., Massachusetts.

M.B., medicince baccalaureus. bachelor of medicine.

M.C., member of congress; master in surgery.

M.D., medicince doctor, doctor of medicine.

Md., Maryland.

Me., Maine.

M.L., mining engineer; Methodist Episcopal.

Messrs., messieurs, gentlemen.

M F.H., master of fox hounds.

M.I.C.E., member of the Institute of Civil Engineers.

Mlle., mademoiselle.

Mme., madame.

Mo., Missouri.

M.P., member of Parliament.

M.R.C.S., member of the Royal College of Surgeons.

M.R.C.V.S.,member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

M.R.I.A., member of the Royal Irish Academy.

Ms., manuscript; Mss., manuscripts.

Mus. D., musicce doctor, doctor of music.

N., north.

N.B., nota bene, take notice; also North Britain, New Brunswick.

N.C., North Carolina.

N.D., no date.

Nem. con., nemine contradicente, no one contradicting, unanimously.

N.H., New Hampshire.

N.J., New Jersey.

No., numero, number.

N.P., notary public.

N.S., new style, Nova Scotia.

N.S.W., New South Wales.

N.T., New Testament.

N.Y., New York.

N.Z., New Zealand.

O., Ohio.

Ob., obiit, died.

O.S., old style.

O.T., Old Testament.

Oxon., Oxoniensis, of Oxford.

Oz., ounce or ounces.

Pa., Pennsylvania.

P C, privy-councillor.

P.E., Protestant Episcopal.

Per cent, per centum by the hundred.

Ph.D., philosophies doctor, doctor of philosophy.

Pinx., pinxit, painted it.

P.M., post meridiem, afternoon.

P.O., post-office.

P.O.O., post-office order.

P.P., parish priest.

Pp., pages.

P.P.C., pour prendre congi, to take leave.

Prox., proximo (mense), next month,

P.S., postcript.

Q., question; queen.

Q.C., queen's council.

Q.E.D., quod erat demonstrandum, which was to be demonstrated. Q.E.F., quod erat faciendum, which was to be done. Qu., query. Quant. suff., quantum sufficit, as much as is needful. Q.V., quod vide, which see. R., rex regina, king, queen. R.A., royal academician; royal artillery. R.A.M., Royal Academy of Music. R.C., Roman Catholic. R.E., royal engineers. Rev., reverend.

R.H.A., Royal Hibernian Academician. R.I., Rhode Island. R.I.P., requiescat in pace, may he rest in peace. R.M., royal marine. R.N., royal navy.

R.S.A., royal Scottish academician. R.S.V.P., repondez, s'il vous plait, reply, if you please. Rt., Hon., right honorable. Rt., Wpful., right worshipful. R.V., revised version. S., south. S.. or St., saint. S.C., South Carolina.

Sc, scilicet, namely, viz.

S.J., Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

S.P.C.K., Society for promoting ChristianKnowledge. S.P.Q.R., senatus populusque Romanus, the senate and people of Rome. S.S.C., solicitor before the supreme courts. St., saint, street. S.T.D., sacrce theologice doctor, doctor of divinity. S.T.P., sacrce theologice professor, professor of divinity. T.C.D., Trinity College, Dublin. Ult., ultimo, last. U.P., United Presbyterian. U.S., United States. U.S.A., United States of America. U.S.N., United States navy. V., vide, see; also versus, against. Va., Virginia. V.C., Victoria Cross. Viz., videlicet, to wit or namely. V.P., vice-president. V.S., veterinary surgeon. Vt., Vermont. W., west. W.I., West Indies. W.S., writer to the signet. Xmas, Christmas. In LL.D., LL.B., etc, the letter is doubled, according to the Roman system, to show that the abbreviation represents a plural noun.