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Shorten

//ˈʃɔːtn̩// name, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun

1
A surname.

Verb

1
To make shorter; to abbreviate. transitive
"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."
2
edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate wordnet
3
To become shorter. intransitive
4
reduce in scope while retaining essential elements wordnet
5
To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of). transitive
"Spoiled of his nose, and shorten'd of his ears."

Show 9 more definitions

6
become short or shorter wordnet
7
To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc. transitive
8
make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration wordnet
9
To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen. transitive
"to shorten an allowance of food"
10
make short or shorter wordnet
11
To make crumbly. transitive
"Corn flour makes delicious pie crust, and needs less lard to shorten it."
12
To take in the slack of (a rope). transitive
13
To reduce (sail) by taking it in. transitive
14
to dress (a baby) in a short (rather than long) gown dated, transitive
"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."

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”).

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