short


Definition: Meaning of, short in English to English dictionary.

Pronunciation: / ʃɔːt /

  • verb
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Word Forms:
Prsesent Past Past Participle
short shorted shorted
Present Participle Third Person Singular
shorting shorts
[intransitive and transitive] also short out
  1. to SHORT-CIRCUIT, or make something do this
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  • adjective
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Word Forms:
Positive Comparative Superlative
short shorter shortest
  1. time happening or continuing for only a little time or for less time than usual
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  2. length/distance measuring a small amount in length or distance
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  3. not tall someone who is short is not as tall as most people
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  4. book/letter a book, letter etc that is short does not have many words or pages
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  5. not enough if you are short of something, you do not have enough of it
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  6. not enough if something is short, there is not enough of it
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  7. be short on something to have less of something than you should have
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  8. less than a little less than a number
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  9. short notice if something is short notice, you are told about it only a short time before it happens
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  10. in the short term/run during the period of time that is not very far into the future [↪  short-term]
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  11. have a short memory if someone has a short memory, they soon forget something that has happened
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  12. be short for something to be a shorter way of saying a name
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  13. be short of breath to be unable to breathe easily, especially because you are unhealthy
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  14. be short with somebody to speak to someone using very few words, in a way that seems rude or unfriendly
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  15. have a short temper/fuse to get angry very easily
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  16. get/be given short shrift if you or your idea, suggestion etc is given short shrift, you are told immediately that you are wrong and are not given any attention or sympathy
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  17. be nothing/little short of something used to emphasize that something is very good, very surprising etc
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  18. draw/get the short straw to be given something difficult or unpleasant to do, especially when other people have been given something better
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  19. make short work of (doing) something to finish something quickly and easily, especially food or a job
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  20. have/get somebody by the short and curlies also have/get somebody by the short hairs British English informal not polite to put someone in a situation in which they are forced to do or accept what you want
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  21. be one ... short of a ... spoken used humorously to say that someone is a little crazy or stupid
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  22. short time British English when workers work for fewer hours than usual, because the company cannot afford to pay them their full wage
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  23. in short order formal in a short time and without delay
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  24. give somebody short measure British English old-fashioned to give someone less than the correct amount of something, especially in a shop
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  25. sound technical a short vowel is pronounced quickly without being emphasized, for example the sound of a in 'cat', e in 'bet', and i in 'bit'
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  • adverb
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Word Forms:
Positive Comparative Superlative
short shorter shortest
  1. fall short of something to be less than what you need, expected, or hoped for, or to fail to reach a satisfactory standard
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  2. be running short (of/on something) if you are running short of something, or if something is running short, it is being used up and there will soon not be enough left
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  3. stop short of doing something to almost do something but then decide not to do it
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  4. stop short to suddenly stop speaking or stop what you are doing, because something has surprised you or you have just thought of something
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  5. be cut short if something is cut short, it is stopped before you expect or before it is finished
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  6. cut somebody short to interrupt and stop someone when they are speaking
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  7. pull/bring somebody up short to surprise or shock someone so that they stop what they are doing or saying to think for a moment
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  8. 3 metres/5 miles etc short of something without reaching a place you are trying to get to, because you are still a particular distance from it
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  9. two weeks/a month etc short of something two weeks, a month etc before something
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  10. short of (doing) something without actually doing something
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  11. come up short to fail to win or achieve something
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  12. go short (of something) British English to have less of something than you need
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  13. be taken short/be caught short British English informal to have a sudden strong need to go to the toilet when you are not near one
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  • noun
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Word Forms:
Singular Plural
short shorts
  1. shorts [plural] short trousers ending at or above the knees
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  2. shorts [plural] especially American English men's underwear with short legs
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  3. in short used when you want to give the main point of something
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  4. for short used as a shorter way of saying a name
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  5. [countable] informal a short film shown in the cinema
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  6. [countable] British English informal a strong alcoholic drink that is not beer or wine, drunk in a small glass [=  shot American English]
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  7. [countable] informal a SHORT CIRCUIT
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short used in phrases

  • German short-haired pointer (noun)
    1. liver or liver-and-white hunting dog developed in Germany; 3/4 pointer and 1/4 bloodhound
  • Pepin the Short (noun)
    1. 714-768 king of the Franks and father of Charlemagne who defended papal interests and founded the Carolingian dynasty in 751
  • Short's aster (noun)
    1. perennial of southeastern United States having usually blue flowers
  • break short (verb)
    1. interrupt before its natural or planned end
  • caught short (adjective)
    1. informal having an urgent need to go to the toilet
  • chuck short ribs (noun)
    1. between the chuck and the brisket
  • come short (verb)
    1. expectations or standards fail to meet
  • cut short (verb)
    1. interrupt before its natural or planned end
    2. cause to end earlier than intended
  • fall short (verb)
    1. expectations or standards fail to meet
  • fall short of (verb)
    1. fail to satisfy, as of expectations, for example
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