Acronym: (From Greek acron + onyma, 'tip or end of a name') A word formed from the initial letters in a phrase. For instance, many caucasians in America are called wasps. In this acronym, the letters W. A. S. P. Stand for the first letters in the descriptive phrase, 'White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.' Acronyms are quite common in governmental bureaucracies, in businesses, in political jargon, and in high-tech products. Other examples include AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome'), NIMBY, (Not In My Back Yard), and OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). In the realm of technology, we find that radar comes from RADAR (radio Detection And Ranging), and laser from LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). In general, acronyms first appear with periods to indicate the abbreviations, (e. G. L. A. S. E. R). As the term becomes more widespread, the periods vanish (e.g. LASER), and eventually the capitalization falls away as the word enters common usage (e.g. Laser).

 

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Acronym: (From Greek acron + onyma, 'tip or end of a name') A word formed from the initial letters in a phrase. For instance, many caucasians in America are called wasps. In this acronym, the letters . . . View Full Definition

Acronymy: The act of using or creating acronyms. (See above.)

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