Search results for 'short':

short adj 1 having little physical length; not long. 2 having little height. 3 having little extent or duration; brief; concise • short day. 4 in the early future • short date. 5 indicating a seemingly short length of time • For a few short weeks we could enjoy our time together. 6 said of a temper: quickly and easily lost. 7 rudely abrupt; curt • She was very short with him. 8 said of the memory: tending not to retain things for long. 9 said of a substance, especially food: brittle. 10 said of pastry: crisp and crumbling easily. 11 failing to reach the standard; not going far enough. 12 in short supply; in demand • We are two tickets short. 13 in default. 14 referring to the sale of what one cannot supply. 15 phonetics said of a vowel sound: being the briefer of two possible lengths of vowel. 16 poetry said of a syllable: unaccented. 17 colloq said of an alcoholic drink, especially a spirit: not diluted with water; neat. 18 lacking in money • I'm a bit short at the moment. 19 cricket said of fielding positions: relatively close to the batsman. 20 said of betting odds: providing the winner with only a small profit; near even. adverb 1 abruptly; briefly • stopped short. 2 on this or the near side • The dart fell short of the board. noun 1 something that is short. 2 shortness; abbreviation or summary. 3 colloq a drink of an alcoholic spirit. 4 a short cinema film shown before the main feature film. 5 a short circuit. verb (shorted, shorting) tr & intr to short-circuit. shortness noun. be caught or taken short colloq to have an urgent need to urinate or defecate. cut someone or something short see under cut. fall short to be insufficient; to be less than a required, expected or stated amount. for short as an abbreviated form • She gets called Jenny for short. go or run short of something not to have enough of it; to have an insufficient supply of it • We're running short of milk. in short concisely stated; in a few words. in short order very quickly. in short supply not available in the required or desired quantity; scarce • Food is in short supply in Bosnia. in the short run within a short space of time; over a brief period. make short work of someone or something to settle or dispose of quickly and thoroughly • I made short work of the essay. short and sweet colloq agreeably brief. short for something an abbreviated form of it • Jenny is short for Jennifer. short of or on something deficient; lacking in it • We're always short of money • She's a bit short on tact. short of something without going as far as it; except it • We tried every kind of persuasion short of threats. stop short to come to an abrupt halt or standstill.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon sceort.

short adj 1 having little physical length; not long. 2 having little height. 3 having little extent or duration; brief; concise • short day. 4 in the early future • short date. 5 indicating a seemingly short length of time • For a few short weeks we could enjoy our time together. 6 said of a temper: quickly and easily lost. 7 rudely abrupt; curt • She was very short with him. 8 said of the memory: tending not to retain things for long. 9 said of a substance, especially food: brittle. 10 said of pastry: crisp and crumbling easily. 11 failing to reach the standard; not going far enough. 12 in short supply; in demand • We are two tickets short. 13 in default. 14 referring to the sale of what one cannot supply. 15 phonetics said of a vowel sound: being the briefer of two possible lengths of vowel. 16 poetry said of a syllable: unaccented. 17 colloq said of an alcoholic drink, especially a spirit: not diluted with water; neat. 18 lacking in money • I'm a bit short at the moment. 19 cricket said of fielding positions: relatively close to the batsman. 20 said of betting odds: providing the winner with only a small profit; near even. adverb 1 abruptly; briefly • stopped short. 2 on this or the near side • The dart fell short of the board. noun 1 something that is short. 2 shortness; abbreviation or summary. 3 colloq a drink of an alcoholic spirit. 4 a short cinema film shown before the main feature film. 5 a short circuit. verb (shorted, shorting) tr & intr to short-circuit. shortness noun. be caught or taken short colloq to have an urgent need to urinate or defecate. cut someone or something short see under cut. fall short to be insufficient; to be less than a required, expected or stated amount. for short as an abbreviated form • She gets called Jenny for short. go or run short of something not to have enough of it; to have an insufficient supply of it • We're running short of milk. in short concisely stated; in a few words. in short order very quickly. in short supply not available in the required or desired quantity; scarce • Food is in short supply in Bosnia. in the short run within a short space of time; over a brief period. make short work of someone or something to settle or dispose of quickly and thoroughly • I made short work of the essay. short and sweet colloq agreeably brief. short for something an abbreviated form of it • Jenny is short for Jennifer. short of or on something deficient; lacking in it • We're always short of money • She's a bit short on tact. short of something without going as far as it; except it • We tried every kind of persuasion short of threats. stop short to come to an abrupt halt or standstill.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon sceort.

short adj 1 having little physical length; not long. 2 having little height. 3 having little extent or duration; brief; concise • short day. 4 in the early future • short date. 5 indicating a seemingly short length of time • For a few short weeks we could enjoy our time together. 6 said of a temper: quickly and easily lost. 7 rudely abrupt; curt • She was very short with him. 8 said of the memory: tending not to retain things for long. 9 said of a substance, especially food: brittle. 10 said of pastry: crisp and crumbling easily. 11 failing to reach the standard; not going far enough. 12 in short supply; in demand • We are two tickets short. 13 in default. 14 referring to the sale of what one cannot supply. 15 phonetics said of a vowel sound: being the briefer of two possible lengths of vowel. 16 poetry said of a syllable: unaccented. 17 colloq said of an alcoholic drink, especially a spirit: not diluted with water; neat. 18 lacking in money • I'm a bit short at the moment. 19 cricket said of fielding positions: relatively close to the batsman. 20 said of betting odds: providing the winner with only a small profit; near even. adverb 1 abruptly; briefly • stopped short. 2 on this or the near side • The dart fell short of the board. noun 1 something that is short. 2 shortness; abbreviation or summary. 3 colloq a drink of an alcoholic spirit. 4 a short cinema film shown before the main feature film. 5 a short circuit. verb (shorted, shorting) tr & intr to short-circuit. shortness noun. be caught or taken short colloq to have an urgent need to urinate or defecate. cut someone or something short see under cut. fall short to be insufficient; to be less than a required, expected or stated amount. for short as an abbreviated form • She gets called Jenny for short. go or run short of something not to have enough of it; to have an insufficient supply of it • We're running short of milk. in short concisely stated; in a few words. in short order very quickly. in short supply not available in the required or desired quantity; scarce • Food is in short supply in Bosnia. in the short run within a short space of time; over a brief period. make short work of someone or something to settle or dispose of quickly and thoroughly • I made short work of the essay. short and sweet colloq agreeably brief. short for something an abbreviated form of it • Jenny is short for Jennifer. short of or on something deficient; lacking in it • We're always short of money • She's a bit short on tact. short of something without going as far as it; except it • We tried every kind of persuasion short of threats. stop short to come to an abrupt halt or standstill.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon sceort.