Dictionary

shorten en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈʃɔɹtn̩/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈʃɔːtn̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)

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”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate.
   • 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 14, “The Why and the Wherefore: South Eastern & Chatham Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 809:
   • 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:
2. (intransitive) To become shorter.
3. (transitive) 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. (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.
   • 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:
   • Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain. 1699, John Dryden, Dedication to His Grace the Duke of Ormond:
   • to shorten an allowance of food
6. (of pastries, transitive) To make crumbly.
   • 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. (transitive) To take in the slack of (a rope).
8. (transitive) To reduce (sail) by taking it in.
9. (dated, transitive) 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:

Forms

Antonyms

extend · lengthen

Deriveds

shorten up · overshorten · unshorten · foreshorten · shortener · shortening · shorten down · reshorten · unshortened · preshorten · shortenable

Synonyms

make shorter · cut short · shorten · lop off · truncate · chop down · prune · pare · saw off · reduce in length · abridge · condense · curtail · chop off · curt · trim · compress · abbreviate

Translations (109)

ta குறை (to make shorter) · hy կարճացնել (to make shorter) · ja 縮む (to become shorter) · as চুটি হোৱা (to become shorter) · cy cwtogi (to make shorter) · ta சுருக்கு (to make shorter) · io kurteskar (to become shorter) · chr ᎠᏍᏆᎶᎦ (to become shorter) · la breviō (to make shorter) · be скарача́ць (to make shorter) · ka შეკვეცა (to make shorter) · ru укороти́ть (to make shorter) · ru сократи́ть (to make shorter) · fr raccourcir (to become shorter) · ru укороти́ться (to become shorter) · sh skratiti se (to become shorter) · he הִתְקַצֵּר (to become shorter) · br berraat (to become shorter) · lv paīsināt (to make shorter) · srn syatu (to make shorter) · eo mallongigi (to make shorter) · mk скусува (to make shorter) · mi tīporo (to make shorter) · cy byrhau (to make shorter) · it accorciarescorciare (to make shorter) · mi poro (to make shorter) · ga giorraigh (to become shorter) · mk куси (to make shorter) · ta குறுக்கு (to make shorter) · cmn 弄短 (to make shorter) · de kürzer werden (to become shorter) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to make shorter) · rup shcurtedz (to make shorter) · ru сокраща́ть (to make shorter) · pl skracać (to make shorter) · cs zkrátit (to make shorter) · mi tauporo (to make shorter) · cs zkracovat (to make shorter) · es alcorzar (to make shorter) · ga giorraigh (to make shorter) · ulw adahnaka (to make shorter) · fr raccourcir (to make shorter) · be скараці́ць (to make shorter) · ru укора́чивать (to make shorter) · ja 縮める (to make shorter) · mk крати (to make shorter) · pt encurtar (to become shorter) · pl skrócić się (to become shorter) · bg съкращавам (to make shorter) · lv īsināt (to make shorter) · gd giorraich (to make shorter) · sv förkorta (to make shorter) · gl encurtar (to make shorter) · pl skracać się (to become shorter) · mk скратува (to make shorter) · lld scurter (to make shorter) · br berraat (to make shorter) · gl acurtar (to become shorter) · ca escurçar-se (to become shorter) · la abbreviō (to make shorter) · uk скоро́чувати (to make shorter) · io kurtigar (to make shorter) · ta குறுகு (to become shorter) · ar قَصَّرَ (to make shorter) · mi tukupoto (to make shorter) · es acortar (to make shorter) · pl skrócić (to make shorter) · ja 短くなる (to become shorter) · fr s'écourter (to become shorter) · fur scurtâ (to make shorter) · fi lyhentää (to make shorter) · el συμπτύσσω (to make shorter) · scn accurzàrisi (to become shorter) · ka შემოკლება (to make shorter) · sh skratiti (to make shorter) · ja 短くする (to make shorter) · es acorzar (to make shorter) · ta குறை (to become shorter) · ro scurta (to make shorter) · grc βραχύνω (to make shorter) · scn strincìrisi (to become shorter) · fi lyhetä (to become shorter) · gl acurtar (to make shorter) · fi lyhentyä (to become shorter) · kk қысқарту (to make shorter) · ru сокраща́ться (to become shorter) · mi tāpoto (to make shorter) · sv kortna (to become shorter) · as চাপৰ হোৱা (to become shorter) · uk скороти́ти (to make shorter) · scn accurzari (to make shorter) · nrf accourchi (to make shorter) · la curtō (to make shorter) · as চুটি কৰা (to make shorter) · ru укора́чиваться (to become shorter) · sh скратити (to make shorter) · as চাপৰ কৰা (to make shorter) · fr écourter (to make shorter) · ru сократи́ться (to become shorter) · ja 短縮する (to make shorter) · de verkürzen (to make shorter) · he קיצר (to make shorter) · lv saīsināt (to make shorter) · es acortarse (to become shorter) · bg скъсявам (to make shorter) · ca escurçar (to make shorter) · cmn 縮短 /缩短 (to become shorter) · pt encurtar (to make shorter) · bg скъсявам се (to become shorter)