Definition of "shorten"

shorten

/ˈʃɔːtən/

verb
third-person singular simple present shortens, present participle shortening, simple past and past participle shortened
1. (transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate.
  Quotations
  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, “Chapter 22”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […]
2. (intransitive) To become shorter.
3. (transitive) To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
  Quotations
  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, […]
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.
  Quotations
  Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain.
  1699, John Dryden, Dedication to His Grace the Duke of Ormond
  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
6. (baking, of pastries, transitive) To make crumbly.
  Quotations
  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
7. (nautical, transitive) To take in the slack of (a rope).
8. (nautical, transitive) To reduce (sail) by taking it in.

Definition of "shorten"

shorten

verb

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Quotations

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