short

¹short

adjective \ˈshȯrt\

Definition of SHORT

1

a : having little length

b : not tall or high : low

2

a : not extended in time : brief <a short vacation>

b : not retentive <a short memory>

c : expeditious, quick <made short work of the problem>

d : seeming to pass quickly <made great progress in just a few short years>

3

a of a speech sound : having a relatively short duration

b : being the member of a pair of similarly spelled vowel or vowel-containing sounds that is descended from a vowel that was short in duration but is no longer so and that does not necessarily have duration as its chief distinguishing feature <short i in sin>

c of a syllable in prosody (1) : of relatively brief duration (2) : unstressed

4

: limited in distance <a short trip>

5

a : not coming up to a measure or requirement : insufficient <in short supply>

b : not reaching far enough <the throw to first was short>

c : enduring privation

d : insufficiently supplied <short of cash> <short on brains>

6

a : abrupt, curt <I'm sorry I was short with you>

b : quickly provoked <a short temper>

7

: choppy 2

8

: payable at an early date <a short loan>

9

a : containing or cooked with shortening; also : flaky <short pastry>

b of metal : brittle under certain conditions

10

a : not lengthy or drawn out <a short speech>

b : made briefer : abbreviated

11

a : not having goods or property that one has sold in anticipation of a fall in prices

b : consisting of, relating to, or engaging in the sale of securities or commodities that the seller does not possess or has not contracted for at the time of the sale <short sale> <a short seller>

12

: near the end of a tour of duty

— short·ish \ˈshȯr-tish\ adjective

— short·ness \ˈshȯrt-nəs\ noun

— in short order

: with dispatch : quickly

Examples of SHORT

1. One of my legs is slightly shorter than the other.
2. He is short for his age.
3. the shortest day of the year
4. Life's too short to worry about the past.
5. The movie was very short.
6. You have done a lot in a short space of time.
7. a short burst of speed
8. I've only lived here for a short time.
9. She has made great progress in a few short years.
10. He visited for two short weeks.

Origin of SHORT

Middle English, from Old English sceort; akin to Old High German scurz short, Old Norse skortr lack

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to SHORT

Synonyms

little, low, low-lying, low-slung, sawed-off

Antonyms

altitudinous, high, lofty, tall, towering

Related Words

dwarf, dwarfish; compact, petite, slight; diminutive, half-pint, pint-size (or pint-sized), pocket, pocket-size (also pocket-sized), pygmy, small, smallish; bantam, bitty, dinky, mini, miniature, minimized, minute, puny, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, undersized (also undersize), wee; dumpy, flat, scrubby, squat, squatty, stubby, stumpy, stunted

Near Antonyms

elevated, lifted, raised, uplifted, upswept; high-rise, statuesque; gangling, gangly, lanky, rangy; big, bulky, hefty, hulking, large, largish, outsize (also outsized), oversize (or oversized), sizable (or sizeable), voluminous

²short

adverb

Definition of SHORT

1

: in a curt manner

2

: for or during a brief time <short-lasting>

3

: at a disadvantage : unawares <caught short>

4

: in an abrupt manner : suddenly <the car stopped short>

5

: at some point or degree before a goal or limit aimed at or under consideration <the bombs fell short> <quit a month short of graduation>

6

: clean across <the axle was snapped short>

7

: by or as if by a short sale

Examples of SHORT

1. He threw the ball short.
2. <the bicyclist ahead of me unexpectedly pulled up short and I unavoidably plowed into him>

First Known Use of SHORT

14th century

Related to SHORT

Synonyms

abruptly, suddenly, all of a sudden (also on a sudden)

Related Words

surprisingly, unexpectedly; directly, immediately, incontinently, instantaneously, instantly, promptly, pronto, right, right away, right off, straightaway; fast, full-tilt, posthaste, quick, quickly, rapidly, readily, snappily, speedily, swift, swiftly; hastily, impetuously, impulsively, rashly, recklessly

Near Antonyms

gradually, slowly; hesitantly

³short

noun

Definition of SHORT

1

: the sum and substance : upshot

2

a : a short syllable

b : a short sound or signal

3

plural

a : a by-product of wheat milling that includes the germ, fine bran, and some flour

b : refuse, clippings, or trimmings discarded in various manufacturing processes

4

a : knee-length or less than knee-length trousers —usually used in plural

b plural : short drawers

c : a size in clothing for short men

5

a : one who operates on the short side of the market

b plural : short-term bonds

6

plural : deficiencies

7

: short circuit

8

: shortstop

9

a : short subject

b : a brief story or article (as in a newspaper)

— for short

: as an abbreviation <named Katherine or Kate for short>

— in short

: by way of summary : briefly

Examples of SHORT

1. The short before the main movie was very funny.

First Known Use of SHORT

circa 1586

⁴short

transitive verb

Definition of SHORT

1

: short-circuit

2

: shortchange, cheat

3

: to sell (a security) short in expectation of a fall in prices

Examples of SHORT

1. The lightning shorted the TV.
2. The hair dryer must have shorted.

First Known Use of SHORT

1904

Related to SHORT

Synonyms

beat, bilk, bleed, cheat, chisel, chouse, con, cozen, defraud, diddle, do, do in, euchre, fiddle, flimflam, gaff, gyp, hose [slang], hustle, mulct, nobble [British slang], pluck, ream, rip off, rook, screw, shake down, fleece, shortchange, skin, skunk, squeeze, stick, stiff, sting, sucker, swindle, thimblerig, victimize

Related Words

extort, wrench, wrest, wring; clip, gouge, nick, overcharge, soak; exploit, milk; deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick; rope (in); betray, bitch, double-cross; bamboozle, fast-talk