rep
UK[rep]US[rep]
n
A sales representative.
n
A representative, especially in a legislative body.
n
A repertory theatre or company.
n
A unit of measuring the biological effect of radiation.
v
To act as a sales representative.
Etymology
The word 'rep' is a modern English abbreviation, originating in the late 19th century as a clipped form of 'representative'. The parent word, 'representative', entered English from Old French 'representatif', which itself derives from Latin 'repraesentativus', meaning 'serving to represent'. The Latin root is 'repraesentare', from 're-' (expressing intensive force) and 'praesentare' ('to present'). The logic of the abbreviation follows a common pattern in informal and professional English, where the first syllable or a salient consonant-vowel-consonant sequence of a longer, frequently used word is retained to create a concise, efficient term for common discourse, particularly in business and political contexts.
Analysis
This word is a clipping (shortened form) of the longer word "representative". As a simplex form, it does not contain separable morphemes in its current spelling.
Examples
She works as a rep for a major pharmaceutical company.
The local rep voted against the new zoning law.
He spent a year in rep before landing his first television role.