/fawr shawr"tn, fohr-/ , v.t.
1. Fine Arts. to reduce or distort (parts of a represented object that are not parallel to the picture plane) in order to convey the illusion of three-dimensional space as perceived by the human eye: often done according to the rules of perspective.
2. to abridge, reduce, or contract; make shorter.
[ 1600-10; FORE- + SHORTEN ]