acronym

Etymology

Borrowed from German Akronym, from Ancient Greek ἄκρον (ákron, “end, peak”) and ὄνυμα (ónuma, “name”), equivalent to acro- (“high; beginning”) + -onym (“name”). Modelled after Homonym and Synonym, first attested in German in the early 1900s and in English in 1940.

noun

1. (linguistics) An abbreviation formed by the initial letters of other words, sometimes exclusively such abbreviations when pronounced as a word (as "laser") rather than as individual letters (initialisms such as "TNT").
   Pee-gee-enn. It's an acronym, that's what it is. That's what they call words made up of initials. 1940, L. Feuchtwanger, translated by W. Muir et al., Paris Gazette, iii, xlvii, p. 518
   Some teachers festoon every spare inch of wall with vocabulary choices or maths techniques to use, which look great at first, but to some children might appear quite daunting. You'll probably see unfamiliar acronyms such as Walt (We Are Learning To). Be sure to ask what they stand for and how they are used in practice. September 23 2014, “Choosing a Primary School: A Teacher's Guide for Parents”, in The Guardian
2. (linguistics) An abbreviation formed by the beginning letters or syllables of other words (as "Benelux").
   Acronyms or telescoped names like nabisco from National Biscuit Company. 1950, Simeon Potter, Our Language, page 163

verb

1. To form into an acronym.