short 4 BrE AmE ( also short out ) verb [intransitive and transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ short , ↑ shortage , ↑ shortness , shorts, ↑ shorty ; verb : ↑ shorten , ↑ short ; adverb : ↑ short , ↑ shortly ; adjective : ↑ short ]
to ↑ short-circuit , or make something do this:
The toaster shorted and caused a fire.