acronym
UK/'ækrәunim/US
TOEFLGREC2
Definitions
n.
A word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a word (e.g. NASA, laser)
首字母缩略词（当作单词来读，如 NASA、laser）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedacro (tip, topmost) + onym (name) = "a name made from the tips." An acronym takes the top/first letter of each word and builds a new name: NASA from National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Root acro still carries 3 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.coin an acronym创造缩略词
- 2.stand for代表（某短语）
Example Sentences
- 1.
'Laser' is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.
- 2.
Tech companies love coining new acronyms.
Easily Confused
acronym vs abbreviation — an acronym is pronounced as a word (NASA, radar); a plain abbreviation is read letter by letter (FBI, USA). All acronyms are abbreviations, but not the reverse.