Meaning

(transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate.
2. (intransitive) To become shorter.
3. (transitive) To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
4. (transitive) To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
5. (transitive) To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.
6. (baking, of pastries, transitive) To make crumbly.
7. (nautical, transitive) To take in the slack of (a rope).
8. (nautical, transitive) To reduce (sail) by taking it in.

Example Sentences

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.

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.

Spoiled of his nose, and shorten'd of his ears.

to shorten an allowance of food

Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain.

My grandfather, as I said before, was connected with a gang of shorters, and sometimes shortened money, […]

Corn flour makes delicious pie crust, and needs less lard to shorten it.

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.

Word Forms

• shortens
• shortening
• shortened

Synonyms for shorten

Antonyms for shorten

Related Words

When Should You Use Shorten?

Use shorten when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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