shorten
verbUK /ˈʃɔːtn̩/ · US /ˈʃɔɹtn̩/
Etymology From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short + -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English sċortian (“to become short”), from Proto-Germanic *skurtōną (“to shorten”).
9 senses
- 1To make shorter; to abbreviate.
- 2To become shorter.
- 3To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
- 4To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
- 5To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.
- 6To make crumbly.
- 7To take in the slack of (a rope).
- 8To reduce (sail) by taking it in.
- 9to dress (a baby) in a short (rather than long) gown
1
To make shorter; to abbreviate.
- York came round to our heads and shortened the rein himself, one hole I think; every little makes a difference, be it for better or worse, and that day we had a steep hill to go up.[1877], Anna Sewell, “Earlshall”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part II, page 105:
- The full title of the unified system, the South Eastern & London, Chatham & Dover Railways, was decidedly cumbersome, and for the sake of convenience was shortened to the South Eastern & Chatham Railway.1958 November 23, “The Why and the Wherefore: South Eastern & Chatham Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 809:
2
To become shorter.
3
To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
- Spoiled of his nose, and shorten'd of his ears.1697, Virgil, “Aeneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
4
To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
5
To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.
- to shorten an allowance of food
- Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain.1699, John Dryden, Dedication to His Grace the Duke of Ormond:
1 more example
- My grandfather, as I said before, was connected with a gang of shorters, and sometimes shortened money, […]1858, George Borrow, The Romany Rye, volume 2, page 128:
- Corn flour makes delicious pie crust, and needs less lard to shorten it.1894, Helen M. Laughlin, The Journal of Agriculture Cook Book, Journal of Agriculture Co., page 212:
9
Dated to dress (a baby) in a short (rather than long) gown
- Anne and Leslie had another cry the next week when they shortened Little Jem. Anne felt the tragedy of it until evening when in his long nightie she found her own dear baby again.1917, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams:
- In January Jims was five months old and Rilla celebrated the anniversary by shortening him.1921, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Rilla of Ingleside:
- Synonyms
- abbreviate, abridge, chop down, chop off, cut short, compress, condense, curt, curtail, lop off, make shorter, pare, prune, reduce in length, shorten, trim, truncate, saw off
- Derived terms
- foreshorten, overshorten, preshorten, reshorten, shortenable, shorten down, shortener, shortening, shorten up, unshorten, unshortened