short
1short
adj \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>
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
- One of my legs is slightly shorter than the other.
- He is short for his age.
- the shortest day of the year
- Life's too short to worry about the past.
- The movie was very short.
- You have done a lot in a short space of time.
- a short burst of speed
- I've only lived here for a short time.
- She has made great progress in a few short years.
- 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
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
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