shorten

See also: Shorten

English

Etymology

From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short +‎ -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English sċortian (“to become short”), from Proto-Germanic *skurtōną (“to shorten”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɔːtən/
• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɔɹtən/

Verb

shorten (third-person singular simple present shortens, present participle shortening, simple past and past participle shortened)

1. (transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate.
   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Chapter 22[1]

     York came round to our heads and shortened the rein himself, one hole I think; every little makes a difference, be it for better or worse, and that day we had a steep hill to go up.

2. (intransitive) To become shorter.
3. (transitive) To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
   • (Can we date this quote by Dryden and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Spoiled of his nose, and shortened of his ears.

4. (transitive) To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
5. (transitive) To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.

   to shorten an allowance of food

   • (Can we date this quote by Dryden and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain.

6. (nautical, transitive) To take in the slack of (a rope).
7. (nautical, transitive) To reduce (sail) by taking it in.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:shorten

Antonyms

• extend
• lengthen

Translations

to make shorter

• Arabic: قَصَّرَ (ar) (qaṣṣara)
• Aromanian: shcurtedz
• Assamese: চুটি কৰা (suti kora), চাপৰ কৰা (sapor kora) (vertical)
• Belarusian: скарача́ць impf (skaračácʹ), скараці́ць pf (skaracícʹ)
• Breton: berraat (br)
• Catalan: escurçar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 弄短 (zh) (nòng duǎn)

• Czech: zkracovat impf, zkrátit (cs) pf
• Esperanto: mallongigi
• Finnish: lyhentää (fi)
• French: raccourcir (fr), écourter (fr)
• Friulian: scurtâ
• Georgian: შემოკლება (šemoḳleba), შეკვეცა (šeḳveca)
• German: verkürzen (de)
• Hebrew: קיצר (kitsér)
• Ido: kurtigar (io)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: scorciare (it)
• Japanese: 縮める (ちぢめる, chijimeru), 短くする (ja) (みじかくする, mijikaku suru), 短縮する (ja) (たんしゅくする, tanshuku suru)
• Ladin: scurter
• Latin: breviō, abbreviō
• Latvian: īsināt, paīsināt, saīsināt
• Macedonian: крати (krati), куси (kusi), скратува (skratuva), скусува (skusuva)
• Maori: tukupoto, tāpoto, poro, tauporo, tīporo
• Norman: accourchi (Jersey)
• Polish: skracać (pl) impf, skrócić (pl) pf
• Portuguese: encurtar (pt)
• Romanian: scurta (ro)
• Russian: укора́чивать (ru) impf (ukoráčivatʹ), укороти́ть (ru) pf (ukorotítʹ); сокраща́ть (ru) impf (sokraščátʹ), сократи́ть (ru) pf (sokratítʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: giorraich
• Serbo-Croatian: skratiti (sh), скратити
• Spanish: acortar (es), abreviar (es), reducir (es)
• Ukrainian: скоро́чувати impf (skoróčuvaty), скороти́ти pf (skorotýty)

to become shorter

• Assamese: চুটি হোৱা (suti hüa), চাপৰ হোৱা (sapor hüa) (vertical)
• Breton: berraat (br)
• Catalan: escurçar-se (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 縮短／缩短 (zh) (suōduǎn), 缩短 (zh) (suōduǎn)

• Finnish: lyhetä (fi), lyhentyä (fi)
• French: raccourcir (fr), s’écourter (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: kürzer werden
• Ido: kurteskar (io)
• Japanese: 縮む (ja) (ちぢむ, chidimu), 短くなる (ja) (みじかくなる, mijikaku naru)
• Norman: ^{(please verify)} accourchi (Jersey)
• Portuguese: encurtar (pt)
• Russian: укора́чиваться (ru) impf (ukoráčivatʹsja), укороти́ться (ru) pf (ukorotítʹsja); сокраща́ться (ru) impf (sokraščátʹsja), сократи́ться (ru) pf (sokratítʹsja)
• Spanish: acortarse (es)

Anagrams

• Hornets, Rhotens, Thorens, enhorts, hornets, snoreth, thrones