shortness

adjective

1. not extending far from end to end; not long or not long enough
2. not great in span, range, or scope: a short distance, journey, throw, view, etc.
3. low or relatively low in height; not tall
4. 1. lasting only a little time; brief
   2. passing quickly: a few short weeks
5. not retentive for long: a short memory
6. condensed or concise, as a literary style, story, speech, etc.
7. brief or abrupt to the point of rudeness; curt
8. quickly angered or irked
9. less than or lacking a sufficient or correct amount, amount of time, etc.: a short measure, short on money, short notice
10. not far enough to reach the mark, objective, etc.: the shot fell short
11. 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
12. ☆
    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
13. 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”]
14. Prosody
    1. requiring a relatively short time to pronounce: said of syllables in quantitative verse
    2. unstressed: said of syllables in accentual verse

noun

1. 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
2. a variation of clothing size shorter than the average for that size
3. 1. short, loose trousers reaching partway to the knee, worn in sports, etc.
   2. ☆ men's undershorts
4. items needed to make up a shortage or deficiency
5. a byproduct of wheat milling that consists of bran, germ, and coarse meal
6. trimmings, clippings, etc. left over in the manufacture of various products
7. 1. ☆ shortstop
   2. short circuit
8. one who has not yet covered the short sale of a stock, commodity, etc.

adverb

1. abruptly; suddenly
2. rudely; curtly
3. briefly; concisely
4. so as to be short in length
5. by surprise; unawares: caught short
6. by a short sale

transitive verb, intransitive verb

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