shortening

noun

short·​en·​ing ˈshȯrt-niŋ 

ˈshȯr-tᵊn-iŋ

1

: the action or process of making or becoming short

specifically : the dropping of the latter part of a word so as to produce a new and shorter word of the same meaning

2

: an edible fat used to shorten baked goods

Examples of shortening in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Add shortening and continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than small peas. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026

Other reviewers swapped in butter for the shortening and reduced the brown sugar in the filling. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2026

Cut in butter or shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. — Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 16 June 2026

These defects propagate through the device layers, degrading electron mobility, increasing leakage current, and shortening device reliability lifetimes. — Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 8 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shortening

• foreshortening

Kids Definition

shortening

noun

short·​en·​ing

ˈshȯrt-niŋ, 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: a making or becoming short or shorter

2

: a fat (as butter or lard) used in baking especially to make pastry flaky or crumbly