short
short Lexical Profile
short Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Measuring a small distance from end to end, or having comparatively little height or stature.
"She wore a short jacket over her summer dress."
Lasting or taking a small amount of time; brief in duration or concise in expression.
"The committee took a short break before resuming the afternoon session."
In scarce or insufficient supply; lacking the required or expected amount.
"Clean drinking water remained in short supply throughout the dry season."
Rude, brusque, or curt in manner or speech.
"He apologized for being so short with the receptionist earlier that morning."
Containing a high proportion of fat to flour, resulting in a crumbly, tender texture (of pastry or biscuits).
"Chilled butter is essential for making a crisp, short pastry crust."
• adverb
Abruptly, suddenly, or before reaching an intended point or target.
"The driver stopped short when a deer darted across the country lane."
• noun
An electrical malfunction in which current flows along an unintended path of low resistance; a short circuit.
"The technician traced the power outage to a faulty short in the main wiring harness."
A motion picture of brief duration, typically running for less than forty minutes.
"The festival opened with an animated short created by local film students."
British A small, concentrated serving of an alcoholic spirit, as opposed to a long drink such as beer.
"He ordered a pint of bitter and a whiskey short at the pub counter."
• verb
To sell borrowed financial securities or commodities in the expectation of buying them back later at a lower price.
"Several hedge funds shorted the overvalued tech stock ahead of the quarterly earnings report."
To cause or experience an accidental electrical short circuit.
"Rainwater seeped into the outdoor junction box and shorted the garden lights."
North American To give someone less money or fewer goods than they are entitled to; to shortchange.
"Check your receipt carefully to make sure the cashier did not short you."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an adverb, 'short' means abruptly or before reaching a goal (e.g., 'stopped short'), whereas 'shortly' means soon or in a few moments.
• Rhymes for short
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'scort', of West Germanic origin, ultimately tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)ker- meaning 'to cut' (which also gave English 'shirt', 'skirt', and 'shear').