I. ˈshȯ(ə)r]t, -ȯ(ə)], usu ]d.+V\ adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English short, shert, from Old English scort, sceort; akin to Old High German scurz short, Old Norse skort, skortr lack, skorta to be lacking, skera to cut — more at shear
1.
a. : having little length : not extending far from end to end
the big guns pointed short , ugly snouts seaward — Bill Davidson
short pouting lips — William Empson
b. : having little height : not tall : low
a short man
of short stature
a short smokestack
2.
a. : not extended in time : of brief duration : lasting a little while only
a diversion which brought him short periods of physical peace — Louis Bromfield
a short life
a short season
b. : not retentive for more than a brief period
a short memory
c. : expeditious , quick
wished to make short work of the business — H.E.Scudder
d. : seeming to pass quickly
in the space of a few short years made terrifying headway — R.K.Carr
e. : allowing or requiring little time for preparation or action
short notice
3.
a. of a speech sound : having a relatively short duration
the vowel of dock is shorter than the vowel of dark when the r is not pronounced
b. : indicating the member of a pair of similarly spelled vowel or partly vowel sounds that is descended from a durationally short vowel but that now is not durationally short or does not have duration as its chief distinguishing feature
short a in fat
short e in equity
short i in sin
short o in odd
short u in fuss
c.
(1) of a syllable in Greek or Latin verse : of relatively brief duration
(2) of a syllable in English verse : unstressed
4.
a. : limited in vision or range
the windows on to the outer world were few, and the view from them was short and uninviting — R.W.Southern
b. : limited in distance : not covering much ground or space
a short walk
a short trip
a short flight
c. archaic : traveling only a few miles — used of a train or train passenger
5.
a. : not coming up to a measure, standard, or requirement
eliminate adulteration, short weights and measures — V.S.Alanne
: not sufficient in quantity : inadequate , insufficient , scanty
stockpile critical materials in short supply — J.M.Minifie
on short rations then, trying to live on a dollar a day — R.B.Gehman
b. : not extending, reaching, or traveling far enough
the coat is short on him
the page is two lines short
his throw was short
c. : having an insufficient supply : lacking a needed article or amount — usually used with of or in
short of cash at the end of the month
five dollars short in his accounts
somebody might marry her and leave him short a cook — H.G.Evarts
d. : enduring privation : doing without
local settler families … who may be temporarily short as a result of a poor harvest or bad planning — J.B.Watson
e. : inherently or basically weak in — used with on
long on ambition but short on brains
long on ideas but short on knowledge
6.
a. : abrupt , curt , unceremonious
the service is rendered in a blunt, impersonal, irritated, or short manner — Lou Smyth
was less short with her at such moments than usual — David Walden
b. : quick to respond to provocation : easily aroused
tempers are short in the morning — W.S.Gilbert
7.
a. : recurring quickly in succession — used of recurrent bodily phenomena (as breaths or pulse beats)
b. : having waves that break in quick succession : choppy
their swift currents and steep, short seas — American Guide Series: Massachusetts
8.
a. archaic : not distant in time : near at hand
b. : payable at an early date
9.
a. : easily broken : crumbling readily (as from shortening content) : crisp , friable
short pastry
b.
(1) of metal : brittle under certain conditions — compare cold-short , hot-short , red-short
(2) : lacking tensile strength (as through desiccation)
short lumber stock
(3) : difficult to spread because of excess sanding
short mortar
(4) : defective in tenacity or plasticity
short clay
c. : not flowing readily : sticky
short ink
10.
a. : not lengthy or drawn out in content or style : concise , succinct
could express my faith in shorter terms — John Adams
make a long story short
b. : abbreviated
doc is short for doctor
c. : of or relating to a musical score having the notes and indications of essential parts of a full score condensed onto a few staffs
11. : consisting of or containing chopped or cut straw
12.
a. : consisting of undiluted liquor : straight
a drop of something short
b. of a beverage : served in a relatively small glass usually of five ounces or less : constituting a small measure
a short beer
a short rum punch
13.
a. : not having goods or property that one has sold in anticipation of a fall in prices — usually used with of or in
short of wheat
short in cotton
b. : consisting of, relating to or involving a sale of securities, commodities, or foreign exchange that the seller does not possess or has not contracted for at the time of the sale
a short sale
short contracts
14. : having or containing fewer than the average number of cards in a particular suit ; specifically : having or containing fewer than three cards in a particular suit in bridge
15.
a. : pitched at a spot too near the bowling end to be considered of good length — used of a bowled ball in cricket
b. : placed relatively close to the batsman's wicket — used of a fielder or fielding position
short slip
short mid on
Synonyms: see brief
•
- in short order
II. adverb
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English, from short, adjective
1. : in a curt manner
always going about in his apron and talking short with everyone — W.D.Steele
2. : for or during a brief time — used in combination
short -lasting
short -living
3. : tightly
caught him up short by his coat lapels — Barnaby Conrad
4. : at a disadvantage : aback , unawares
caught short
taken short
5. : so as to interrupt
took him up short before he could continue
6. : abruptly , suddenly
would halt short , order everybody to be still, and insist that she had heard something — H.L.Davis
7. : at some point or distance before a goal or limit aimed at or approached
his throw fell five yards short
the shells dropped short
8. : clean across
the axle was snapped short
9. : by or as if by a short sale — compare sell short
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: short (I)
1. : the sum and substance : upshot — usually used with the
the short of it is, in my judgment — A.E.Stevenson †1965
2.
a. : a short musical note
b. : a short syllable
c. : a short sound or signal (as in Morse code)
the buzzer sounded in the hall: three longs and a short — Harold Brodkey
3. shorts plural
a. : a by-product of wheat milling that includes the germ, fine bran, and a small amount of flour
b. : refuse, clippings, or trimmings, discarded in various manufacturing processes
4. : straight liquor
5. shorts plural
a. : smallclothes 1
b. : knee-length or less than knee-length trousers made in various styles for informal wear or sportswear
c. : short drawers
6.
a. : one who purchases or operates on the short side of the market — compare bear I 3b
b. shorts plural : short-term bonds
7. shorts plural : items that are lacking to make up a quantity or total : deficiencies ; specifically : the copies of different printed sheets needed to complete an imperfect edition
8. : something of less than a full or required length: as
a. shorts plural : lumber of less than standard length
b. : a fish or lobster of less than the length required for legal catching
c. : a clothing size for short men
d. : one of the smaller standard firearm cartridges
e. : a short often documentary or educational film shown with a full-length feature or as part of a program of short films
f. : a brief news story or feature item in a newspaper or periodical
9. : something that falls short ; specifically : a shot that strikes or bursts short of the target
10. : short circuit
11.
a. : shortstop
plays a fine short
b. : short field
hit the ball to deep short
•
- for short
- in short
- the short and long
IV. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: short (I)
1. : to supply with less than is customary, needed, or expected
shorted him on his favorite hog jowl and turnip greens — Time
2. : shortchange , cheat
slugged a … weighman who was shorting him at the scales — Irish Digest
3. : short-circuit
V. adjective
: near the end of one's tour of duty
VI. transitive verb
: to sell (as stocks) short