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short

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The definition of short is something that is not long, that measures a minimal distance from one end to the other, or that does not last for a long time.

(adjective)

An example of short is a walk that lasts only five minutes.
An example of short is hair that doesn't even go to your neck.
An example of short is a skirt that doesn't come down to your knees.
An example of short is when you can pay attention only for a moment.

See short in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

not extending far from end to end; not long or not long enough
not great in span, range, or scope: a short distance, journey, throw, view, etc.
low or relatively low in height; not tall
1. lasting only a little time; brief
2. passing quickly: a few short weeks
not retentive for long: a short memory
condensed or concise, as a literary style, story, speech, etc.
brief or abrupt to the point of rudeness; curt
quickly angered or irked
less than or lacking a sufficient or correct amount, amount of time, etc.: a short measure, short on money, short notice
not far enough to reach the mark, objective, etc.: the shot fell short
having a tendency to break or crumble; friable; specif.,
1. crisp or flaky, as pastry made from dough rich in shortening
2. brittle and inductile when cold () or hot (): said of metal
☆
1. not having in possession at the time of sale the commodity or security one is selling in anticipation of a decline in price
2. designating or of a sale of commodities or securities not in the possession of the seller
Phonet.
1. articulated for a relatively short time; brief in duration: said of a speech sound
2. popularly not diphthongized [the short a in “pan”]
Prosody
1. requiring a relatively short time to pronounce: said of syllables in quantitative verse
2. unstressed: said of syllables in accentual verse

Origin: ME < OE scort, akin to ON skort, short piece of clothing, OHG scurz, short < IE *(s)kerd- < base *(s)ker-, to cut, shear < curt

noun

something that is short; specif.,
1. a short sound or syllable, contrasted with one that is long
2. a film usually less than 30 min. in length
3. a fish or lobster below the size that may be legally taken
4. a shot that falls short of the target or objective
a variation of clothing size shorter than the average for that size
1. short, loose trousers reaching partway to the knee, worn in sports, etc.
2. ☆ men's undershorts
items needed to make up a shortage or deficiency
a byproduct of wheat milling that consists of bran, germ, and coarse meal
trimmings, clippings, etc. left over in the manufacture of various products
1. ☆ shortstop
2. short circuit
one who has not yet covered the short sale of a stock, commodity, etc.

adverb

abruptly; suddenly
rudely; curtly
briefly; concisely
so as to be short in length
by surprise; unawares: caught short
by a short sale

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to give less than what is needed, wanted, or usual
1. shortchange
2. short-circuit

Related Forms:

shortness noun

See short in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective short·er, short·est

Having little length; not long.
Having little height; not tall.
Extending or traveling not far or not far enough: a short toss.
a. Lasting a brief time: a short holiday.
b. Appearing to pass quickly: finished the job in a few short months.
Not lengthy; succinct: short and to the point.
a. Rudely brief; abrupt.
b. Easily provoked; irascible.
Inadequate; insufficient: oil in short supply; were short on experience.
Lacking in length or amount: a board that is short two inches.
Lacking in breadth or scope: a short view of the problem.
Deficient in retentiveness: a short memory.
a. Not owning the stocks or commodities one is selling in anticipation of a fall in prices.
b. Of or relating to a short sale.
a. Containing a large amount of shortening; flaky: a short pie crust.
b. Not ductile; brittle: short iron.
a. Linguistics Of, relating to, or being a speech sound of relatively brief duration, as the first vowel sound in the Latin word mălus, “evil,” as compared with the same or a similar sound of relatively long duration, as the first vowel sound in the Latin word mālus, “apple tree.”
b. Grammar Of, relating to, or being a vowel sound in English, such as the vowel sound (ă) in pat or (o͝o) in put, that is descended from a vowel of brief duration.
a. Unstressed; unaccented. Used of a syllable in accentual prosody.
b. Being of relatively brief duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody.
Slang Close to the end of a tour of military duty.

adverb shorter, shortest

Abruptly; quickly: stop short.
In a rude or curt manner.
At a point before a given boundary, limit, or goal: a missile that landed short of the target.
At a disadvantage: We were caught short by the sudden storm.
Without owning what one is selling: selling a commodity short.

noun

Something short, as:
a. Linguistics A short syllable, vowel, or consonant.
b. A brief film; a short subject.
c. A size of clothing less long than the average for that size.
d. shorts Short trousers extending to the knee or above.
e. shorts Men's undershorts.
a. A short sale.
b. One that sells short.
shorts A byproduct of wheat processing that consists of germ, bran, and coarse meal or flour.
shorts Clippings or trimmings that remain as byproducts in various manufacturing processes, often used to make an inferior variety of the product.
a. A short circuit.
b. A malfunction caused by a short circuit.
Baseball A shortstop.

verb short·ed, short·ing, shorts

verb, transitive

To cause a short circuit in.
Informal To give (one) less than one is entitled to; shortchange.
a. To sell (a stock that one does not own) in anticipation of making a profit when its price falls; make a short sale.
b. To sell unowned stock in (the stock market) in anticipation of making a profit when prices fall.

verb, intransitive

To short-circuit.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old English sceort, scort; see sker-¹ in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: