shorten
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shorten (s̸hôrt′'n)
transitive verb
- to make short or shorter; reduce in length, amount, or extent
- to furl or reef (a sail) so that less canvas is exposed to the breeze
- to add shortening in making (pastry, etc.) for crispness or flakiness
intransitive verb
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
shorten
v.
shorten implies reduction in length, extent, or duration to shorten a rope, a visit, one's life, etc.; curtail implies a making shorter than was originally intended, as because of necessity or expediency expenditures curtailed because of a reduced income; abridge implies reduction in compass by condensing, omitting parts, etc. but usually connotes that what is essential is kept to abridge a dictionary; abbreviate usually refers to the shortening of a word or phrase by contraction or by substitution of a symbol, but also has extended, sometimes jocular applications an abbreviated account of events, an abbreviated costume
Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Object
- lifespan: Refrain from sex: In many species, having sex seems to shorten lifespan.
Modifying Another Word
- considerably: Actual lease terms have shortened considerably during the last ten years.
Followed by a transitive particle
- up: Most short priced horses shorten up nearer the race time.
Used with why or when
- when: It extended as I went back, only to shorten when pulling me back in.
Infinitive complement
- make: The original interview was shortened to make room for additional material when it was republished on Ford's death - the version used here.
Present participle complement
- accord: The itinerary can be lengthened or shortened according to your own preferences.
Preposition: in
- length: Soft actuators are only able to perform work as they shorten in length.
Preposition: for
- group: Duration: 1½ hours ( can be shortened for younger groups ) Charge: £ 3.25 per child.
Preposition: by
- inch: The following year, the model was shortened by 1/4 inch.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
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MLA Style
"shorten." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/shorten>
APA Style
shorten. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/shorten

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