The meaning of Summary

adjective

Shortened; cut short.

Usage examples:

An abbreviated version of the earlier work

verb

Shorten (a word, phrase, or text).

Usage examples:

‘network’ is often abbreviated to ‘net’

adjective

Shorter than usual or shorter than expected

Usage examples:

In abbreviated form the show was broadcast in abbreviated form the next day., they exchanged a pass…

adjective

(of a piece of writing) having been shortened.

Usage examples:

An abridged text of the speech

verb

Shorten (a piece of writing) without losing the sense.

Usage examples:

The introduction is abridged from the author's afterword to the novel

adjective

Made shorter by having some details or less important information removed

Usage examples:

The abridged edition/version of her novel, the abridged article was first published in 2010.

noun

The action of abridging a text.

Usage examples:

It is true that herbert butterfield remarked that the trick of writing history lay in ‘the art of a…

noun

A book, play, or piece of writing that has been made shorter by removing some details or less important information

Usage examples:

The books are abridgments of well-known classics., in 1676 bauthumley published an abridgement of f…

adjective

Sudden and unexpected.

Usage examples:

I was surprised by the abrupt change of subject

adjective

Sudden and not expected, often with unpleasant results

Usage examples:

There was an abrupt change in her mood., we came to an abrupt curve in the road., his abrupt manner…

adjective

Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.

Usage examples:

Abstract concepts such as love or beauty

verb

Consider something theoretically or separately from (something else).

Usage examples:

To abstract science and religion from their historical context can lead to anachronism

noun

A summary of the contents of a book, article, or speech.

Usage examples:

An abstract of her speech

adjective

Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

Usage examples:

An arbitrary decision

adjective

Based on a desire or idea or chance rather than reason

Usage examples:

Her outfit was an arbitrary choice but was just perfect., we didn’t think much about it, just arbit…

adjective

Of short duration; not lasting for long.

Usage examples:

The president made a brief working visit to moscow

noun

A set of instructions given to a person about a job or task.

Usage examples:

His brief is to turn round the county's fortunes

verb

Instruct or inform (someone) thoroughly, especially in preparation for a task.

Usage examples:

She briefed him on last week's decisions

adjective

Closely and neatly packed together; dense.

Usage examples:

A compact cluster of houses

verb

Exert force on (something) so that it becomes more dense; compress.

Usage examples:

The rubbish was taken to the depot to be compacted

noun

A small flat case containing face powder, a mirror, and a powder puff.

Usage examples:

Looking once more in her compact's mirror, she got out of the limo and ran up to hug him.

adjective

Containing or presenting the essential facts of something in a comprehensive but concise way.

Usage examples:

A compendious study

adjective

Short but complete, including everything that is important

Usage examples:

This is a compendious, judicious collection of poetry., he had such a compendious vision of what it…

noun

A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject, especially in a book or other publication.

Usage examples:

An invaluable compendium of useful information about language

adjective

Flattened by pressure; squeezed or pressed together.

Usage examples:

Compressed gas

verb

Flatten by pressure; squeeze or press.

Usage examples:

The skirt can be folded and compressed into a relatively small bag

adjective

Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive.

Usage examples:

A concise account of the country's history

adjective

Expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words; short and clear

Usage examples:

She wrote up a concise summary of the day’s events.

noun

Water which collects as droplets on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it.

Usage examples:

The inside of the cab steamed up with condensation

noun

The drops of water that appear on cold surfaces such as windows as a result of hot air or steam becoming cool

adjective

Made denser or more concise; compressed or concentrated.

Usage examples:

A condensed version of the report

verb

Make (something) denser or more concentrated.

Usage examples:

The morning play on saturday was condensed into a half-hour package

adjective

With water removed

Usage examples:

Condensed soup

adjective

(of a substance) firm, dry, and brittle.

Usage examples:

Crisp bacon

noun

A wafer-thin slice of potato fried or baked until crisp and eaten as a snack.

Usage examples:

Cut down on fatty snacks such as crisps

verb

Give (food) a crisp surface by placing it in an oven or under a grill.

Usage examples:

Crisp the pitta in the oven

adjective

Hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed.

Usage examples:

A cursory glance at the figures

adjective

Done quickly with little attention to detail

Usage examples:

He gave the picture a cursory glance.

verb

Break down (food) in the alimentary canal into substances that can be absorbed and used by the body.

Usage examples:

In terms of the western view of digestion, food is digested in the stomach and passed on to the sma…

noun

A compilation or summary of material or information.

Usage examples:

A digest of their findings

verb

(of the body of a living creature) to chemically change food into smaller forms that the body can absorb and use

Usage examples:

[ t ] some people have difficulty digesting milk., he could digest an enormous amount of informatio…

adjective

Extending or moving from one place to another without changing direction or stopping.

Usage examples:

There was no direct flight that day

adverb

With no one or nothing in between.

Usage examples:

They seem reluctant to deal with me direct

verb

Control the operations of; manage or govern.

Usage examples:

An economic elite directed the nation's affairs

noun

The action of enclosing something in or as if in a capsule.

Usage examples:

Encapsulation of contaminants within a solid glasslike matrix

noun

The process of expressing or showing the most important facts about something

Usage examples:

As a reporter, he possesses a gift for neat encapsulations of personalities and events., he saw the…

adjective

Done with speed and efficiency.

Usage examples:

An expeditious investigation

adjective

Quick

Usage examples:

The bank was expeditious in replying to my letter.

adverb

(especially in official use) immediately; without delay.

Usage examples:

We undertake to pay forthwith the money required

adverb

Immediately

Usage examples:

We expect these practices to cease forthwith.

adjective

Done with excessive speed or urgency; hurried.

Usage examples:

A hasty attempt to defuse the situation

adjective

Hasty actions are done in a hurry, sometimes without the necessary care or thought

Usage examples:

He warned against making hasty decisions., now let's not leap to any hasty conclusions., we saw the…

adjective

Occurring or done at once; instant.

Usage examples:

The authorities took no immediate action

adjective

Happening or done without delay or very soon after something else

Usage examples:

She made an immediate impact when she arrived to coach the team., emotional outbursts followed in t…

adjective

Happening or coming immediately.

Usage examples:

The offence justified instant dismissal

noun

A precise moment of time.

Usage examples:

Come here this instant!

adjective

Occurring or done instantly.

Usage examples:

Modern methods of instantaneous communication

adjective

Happening or completed immediately, without any delay

Usage examples:

Tv has conditioned us to expect instantaneous answers to difficult questions.

noun

A brief record of points or ideas written down as an aid to memory.

Usage examples:

I'll make a note in my diary

verb

Notice or pay particular attention to (something).

Usage examples:

He noted his mother's unusual gaiety

phrase

Information written on paper

Usage examples:

The wind blew my notes all over the room., the reporter took notes throughout the interview., i mad…

phrase

Without any delay; immediately.

Usage examples:

He offered me the job on the spot

phrase

At the scene of an event.

Usage examples:

Journalists on the spot reported no progress

phrase

(with reference to an action) performed without moving from one's original position.

Usage examples:

Running on the spot

noun

A line or set of lines enclosing or indicating the shape of an object in a sketch or diagram.

Usage examples:

The chalked outline of a human body

verb

Draw, trace, or define the outer edge or shape of.

Usage examples:

Her eyes were darkly outlined with kohl

noun

A statement of the main facts, ideas, or items

Usage examples:

The house approved the broad outlines of the president’s budget., she drew the outline of a face., …

noun

A general review or summary of a subject.

Usage examples:

A brief overview of the survey

verb

Give a general review or summary of.

Usage examples:

The report overviews the needs of the community

noun

A short description of something that provides general information but no details

Usage examples:

I’ll give you a brief overview of what the job involves.

adjective

(of a fruit or plant) containing much pith.

Usage examples:

When the trees bloom in march or april, the walkers try to remove any remaining old, pithy fruit.

adjective

(of speech or writing) brief and full of meaning

Usage examples:

Pithy comments, a pithy quote

noun

A summary or abstract of a text or speech.

Usage examples:

The precis accompanying the weekly summaries of incidents also make it possible to explore in more …

verb

Make a precis of (a text or speech).

Usage examples:

She wrote one of the best and most intelligent dissections of the case, and to precis her, she poin…

noun

A short form of a text that gives only the important parts

verb

(of an event or fact) cause or bring about (an action or feeling).

Usage examples:

The violence prompted a wave of refugees to flee the country

noun

An act of encouraging a hesitating speaker.

Usage examples:

With barely a prompt, barbara talked on

adjective

Done without delay; immediate.

Usage examples:

She would have died but for the prompt action of two ambulancemen

adjective

Happening in a short time or at a great rate.

Usage examples:

The country's rapid economic decline

noun

A fast-flowing and turbulent part of the course of a river.

Usage examples:

Those of you looking for adventure can shoot the rapids

adjective

Quick or sudden

Usage examples:

Rapid growth, there’s been rapid change in china., we kept up a rapid pace., males grow more rapidl…

verb

Begin again or continue after a pause or interruption.

Usage examples:

A day later normal service was resumed

noun

A summary.

Usage examples:

I gave him a quick résumé of events

verb

To start something again after a pause or period of time

Usage examples:

[ t ] the director hopes to resume filming next week., [ i ] government officials hoped talks will …

noun

A formal assessment of something with the intention of instituting change if necessary.

Usage examples:

A comprehensive review of uk defence policy

verb

Assess (something) formally with the intention of instituting change if necessary.

Usage examples:

The home secretary was called on to review britain's gun laws

verb

Look at again; examine again

phrasal verb

Be present in every part of something; pervade.

Usage examples:

A sense of personal loss runs through many of his lyrics

phrasal verb

Use or spend something recklessly or rapidly.

Usage examples:

Her husband had long since run through her money

phrasal verb

Go over something quickly as a reminder or rehearsal.

Usage examples:

I'll just run through the schedule for the weekend

noun

An analysis or summary of something by a knowledgeable person.

Usage examples:

He gave his teammates a rundown on the opposition

adjective

(especially of a building or area) in a poor or neglected state after having been prosperous.

Usage examples:

A run-down edwardian villa

noun

A report that provides the most important information about something

Usage examples:

This guide gives a rundown on the basics of backpacking.

adjective

Measuring a small distance from end to end.

Usage examples:

Short dark hair

verb

(of a vowel) categorized as short with regard to quality and length (e.g. in standard british english the vowel /ʊ/ in good is short as distinct from the long vowel /uː/ in food ).

noun

Short trousers that reach only to the knees or thighs.

Usage examples:

Cycling shorts

verb

Make or become shorter.

Usage examples:

He shortened his stride

verb

Past simple and past participle of shorten

Usage examples:

As you grow older, your spine shortens by about an inch., i've asked him to shorten my grey trouser…

noun

A rough or unfinished drawing or painting, often made to assist in making a more finished picture.

Usage examples:

A charcoal sketch

verb

Make a rough drawing of.

Usage examples:

As they talked, modigliani began to sketch her

noun

A simple, quickly made drawing

Usage examples:

A pen and ink sketch, she helped write a sketch for a comedy show., a biographical sketch, [ i ] i …

adjective

Done or occurring quickly.

Usage examples:

A speedy recovery

adjective

Very quick or fast

Usage examples:

They hope to bring a speedy end to the conflict., the error can be speedily corrected.

adjective

(especially of something written or spoken) briefly and clearly expressed.

Usage examples:

Use short, succinct sentences

adjective

(of writing or speech) clear and short; expressing what needs to be said without unnecessary words

Usage examples:

Keep your letter succinct and to the point.

adjective

Occurring or done quickly and unexpectedly or without warning.

Usage examples:

A sudden bright flash

adverb

Suddenly.

Usage examples:

Sudden there swooped an eagle downward

adjective

Happening or done quickly or unexpectedly

Usage examples:

The cyclist lowered his head and put on a sudden burst of speed.

noun

A statement by a judge or lawyer to a jury in a court legal action that gives the main facts that have been provided, in order to help the jury decide if someone is guilty or not

Usage examples:

The failure of the trial judge to put this defence before the jury in his summing up was the major …

verb

Look closely at or examine (someone or something).

Usage examples:

Her green eyes surveyed him coolly

noun

A general view, examination, or description of someone or something.

Usage examples:

The author provides a survey of the relevant literature

verb

Determining opinions by interviewing people

adjective

Happening quickly or promptly.

Usage examples:

A remarkably swift recovery

adverb

Swiftly.

Usage examples:

Streams that ran swift and clear

noun

A swift-flying insectivorous bird with long, slender wings and a superficial resemblance to a swallow, spending most of its life on the wing.

Usage examples:

The white-throated swift is a large, slender swift with long wings and a narrow tail, usually held …

noun

A brief summary or general survey of something.

Usage examples:

A synopsis of the insurance cover provided is set out below

noun

A short description of the contents of something such as a film or book

adjective

Of or forming a general summary or synopsis.

Usage examples:

A synoptic outline of the contents

noun

The synoptic gospels.

Usage examples:

In the synoptics, the most characteristic form is the parable: a fresh, pithy, and often paradoxica…

adjective

Giving a short description of something

Usage examples:

A synoptic outline of the book's contents

adjective

Sparing in the use of words; abrupt.

Usage examples:

A terse statement

noun

The nail of the thumb.

Usage examples:

The body might be the length approximately, or slightly more than the length of an adult thumbnail,…

noun

The nail on the thumb

Usage examples:

You can choose whether you would like to view your photos as thumbnails or in a slide show., thumbn…