the process of making a book, play, etc. shorter by leaving parts out; a version of a book, play, etc. that has been made shorter in this way 删节，节略（书籍、剧本等） Abridgement of this complex text was extremely difficult. 删去这个复杂的案文非常困难。 an abridgement of Forster’s ‘Life of Dickens’ 福斯特的《狄更斯生活》的删节