Op

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A shortened form of a word such as operation or operator, often used in informal or technical writing, and also the name of a style of abstract art based on optical effects
2. An abbreviation for operation, operator or a similar term, and also a nickname for the art movement built on visual illusions
3. A clipped, informal form of operation or operator, also used to name art that plays tricks on the eye

Etymology: "Op" is a clipped form of "operation," so its history is really the history of a shortening rather than of a separate word. Its direct source is "op shop," a term for a charity shop, which is where the noun's life as a clipping of "operation" began to carry a distinct sense. The shortening itself follows a familiar pattern in English: long words with several syllables are trimmed to one or two, and "operation" was an obvious candidate because it appeared constantly in military, medical and business talk. Once "op" stood alone, speakers could use it in phrases of their own, such as a military mission or a surgical procedure, without repeating the full word each time.

Synonyms: operation