short : Idioms & Phrases

• a cross route which shortens the way and cuts off a circuitous passage.

Webster 1913

• in a brief time; promptly.

Webster 1913

• noun short pants that end at the knee
  Bermuda shorts.
  

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• verb interrupt before its natural or planned end
  break off; break short.
  
  • We had to cut short our vacation

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• noun between the chuck and the brisket
  

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Cold"-short` adjective

Definitions

1. Brittle when cold; as, cold-short iron.

Webster 1913

• verb fail to meet (expectations or standards)
  come short.
  

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• verb interrupt before its natural or planned end
  break off; break short.
  
  • We had to cut short our vacation
• verb cause to end earlier than intended
  
  • The spontaneous applause cut the singer short
• verb make shorter as if by cutting off
  truncate.
  
  • truncate a word
  • Erosion has truncated the ridges of the mountains
• verb terminate or abbreviate before its intended or proper end or its full extent
  curtail; clip.
  
  • My speech was cut short
  • Personal freedom is curtailed in many countries

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• verb fail to meet (expectations or standards)
  come short.
  

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• verb fail to satisfy, as of expectations, for example
  

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• adverb as an abbreviation
  
  • call me Bob for short

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• noun liver or liver-and-white hunting dog developed in Germany; 3/4 pointer and 1/4 bloodhound
  

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Hot"-short` adjective

Definitions

1. (Metal.) More or less brittle when heated; as, hot-short iron.

Webster 1913

• . See To heave a cable short, To heave a ship to, etc., under Heave.

Webster 1913

• adverb in a concise manner; in a few words
  in brief; shortly; briefly; concisely.
  
  • the history is summed up concisely in this book
  • she replied briefly
  • briefly, we have a problem
  • to put it shortly

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• in few words; in brief; briefly.

Webster 1913

• adverb without delay
  
  • John got ready in short order

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• noun short pants that end at the knee
  Bermuda shorts.
  

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• noun short tight-fitting underpants (trade name Jockey shorts)
  briefs.
  

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• noun king of the Franks and father of Charlemagne who defended papal interests and founded the Carolingian dynasty in 751 (714-768)
  Pepin III; Pepin.
  

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• verb stop abruptly
  
  • The police car pulled up short and then turned around fast

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Red"-short` adjective

Definitions

1. (Metal.) Hot-short; brittle when red-hot; -- said of certain kinds of iron. -- Red"-short`ness, n.

Webster 1913

• verb to be spent or finished
  go; run low.
  
  • The money had gone after a few days
  • Gas is running low at the gas stations in the Midwest

WordNet

• verb sell securities or commodities or foreign currency that is not actually owned by the seller, who hopes to cover (buy back) the sold items at a lower price and thus to earn a profit
  
• verb underestimate the real value or ability of
  
  • Don't sell your students short--they are just shy and don't show off their knowledge

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• noun a brokerage account of someone who sells short (sells securities he does not own)
  
• noun the aggregate of short sales on an open market
  

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• adjective satellite dealt with very quickly; to the point
  
  • the conference was short and sweet
  • make your statement short and sweet

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• noun a short aria
  arietta.
  

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• noun a bone that is of approximately equal dimension in all directions
  os breve.
  

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• noun accidental contact between two points in an electric circuit that have a potential difference
  short.
  

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Short" cir"cuit

Definitions

1. (Elec.) A circuit formed or closed by a conductor of relatively low resistance because shorter or of relatively great conductivity.

Webster 1913

• noun the purchase of securities or commodities by a short seller to close out a short sale
  

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• noun the operation of division in which the sequence of steps is performed without writing them out
  

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• noun several small arteries branching off of the splenic artery and going to the greater curvature of the stomach
  vasa brevis; arteria gastrica breves.
  

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• noun a United States unit of weight equivalent to 100 pounds
  hundredweight; quintal; centner; cwt; cental.
  

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• noun an iron with a short shaft and pitched face; for hitting short high shots
  

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• noun a short personal letter
  note; line; billet.
  
  • drop me a line when you get there

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• noun a transportation system that operates over relatively short distances
  

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• noun a list of applicants winnowed from a longer list who have been deemed suitable and from which the successful person will be chosen
  shortlist.
  

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• noun an order for food that can be prepared quickly
  

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• noun trousers that end at or above the knee
  trunks; shorts.
  

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• (Anat.), one of the false ribs.

Webster 1913

• noun cut of beef containing rib ends near the sternum
  

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• noun sale of securities or commodity futures not owned by the seller (who hopes to buy them back later at a lower price)
  short sale.
  

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• noun a vein running from the foot up the back of the leg to the knee
  

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• noun sale of securities or commodity futures not owned by the seller (who hopes to buy them back later at a lower price)
  short sale.
  

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• noun a brief and unsympathetic rejection
  summary treatment.
  
  • they made short shrift of my request

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• noun sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed)
  cat sleep; catnap; nap; snooze; forty winks.
  

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• noun a sleeve extending from the shoulder to the elbow
  

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• noun a prose narrative shorter than a novel
  

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• noun a brief film; often shown prior to showing the feature
  

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• (Whist), any suit having only three cards, or less than three. R. A. Proctor.

Webster 1913

• noun a feeling of resentful anger
  irascibility; quick temper; spleen.
  

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• noun a United States unit of weight equivalent to 2000 pounds
  net ton; ton.
  

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• noun a radio wave with a wavelength less than 100 meters (a frequency greater than 3 megahertz)
  

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• noun a card game for four players who form two partnerships; a pack of 52 cards is dealt and each side scores one point for each trick it takes in excess of six
  whist; long whist.
  

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• noun perennial of southeastern United States having usually blue flowers
  Aster shortii.
  

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• adjective satellite having a short beak
  short-beaked.
  

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• adjective satellite having a short beak
  short-beaked.
  

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• noun small American wren inhabiting wet sedgy meadows
  Cistothorus platensis; sedge wren.
  

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• adjective satellite having a relatively short body
  

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Short"-breathed` adjective

Definitions

1. Having short-breath, or quick respiration.
2. Having short life.

Webster 1913

• verb cheat someone by not returning him enough money
  short.
  
• verb deprive of by deceit
  rook; scam; gip; nobble; goldbrick; con; mulct; gyp; bunco; victimize; hornswoggle; diddle; defraud; swindle.
  
  • He swindled me out of my inheritance
  • She defrauded the customers who trusted her
  • the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change

WordNet

• verb hamper the progress of; impede
  
  • short-circuit warm feelings
• verb create a short circuit in
  short.
  
• verb avoid something unpleasant or laborious
  get around; go around; bypass.
  
  • You cannot bypass these rules!

WordNet

Short"-cir`cuit transitive verb

Wordforms

Definitions

1. (Elec.) To join, as the electrodes of a battery or dynamo or any two points of a circuit, by a conductor of low resistance.

Webster 1913

• adjective satellite of a gilt-edged security; having less than 5 years to run before redemption
  

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Short"-dat`ed adjective

Definitions

1. Having little time to run from the date. "Thy short-dated life." Sandys.

Webster 1913

• adjective satellite having short ears
  

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• noun any of various grasses that are short and can tolerate drought conditions; common on the dry upland plains just east of the Rocky Mountains
  shortgrass.
  

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• adjective satellite with short hair
  
  • a short-haired dog

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• adjective satellite inadequate in number of workers or assistants etc.
  understaffed; undermanned; short-handed.
  
  • they're rather short-handed at the moment
  • overcrowded and understaffed hospitals

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Short`-hand"ed adjective

Definitions

1. Short of, or lacking the regular number of, servants or helpers.

Webster 1913

• adjective having a short handle
  

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• adjective satellite having a brachycephalic head
  roundheaded; broad-headed.
  

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• noun grasshopper with short antennae
  acridid.
  

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Short"-joint`ed adjective

Definitions

1. Having short intervals between the joints; -- said of a plant or an animal, especially of a horse whose pastern is too short.

Webster 1913

• noun large pine of southern United States having short needles in bunches of 2-3 and red-brown bark when mature
  shortleaf pine; Pinus echinata; shortleaf yellow pine.
  

WordNet

• adjective satellite lasting a very short time
  ephemeral; transitory; transient; fugacious; passing.
  
  • the ephemeral joys of childhood
  • a passing fancy
  • youth's transient beauty
  • love is transitory but it is eternal
  • fugacious blossoms

WordNet

Short"-lived` adjective

Definitions

1. Not living or lasting long; being of short continuance; as, a short-lived race of beings; short-lived pleasure; short-lived passion.

Webster 1913

• adjective satellite having a blunt nose
  pug-nose; snub-nosed; pug-nosed.
  
  • a pug-nosed boy with freckles
  • a snub-nosed automatic

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• adjective of or relating to food that can be prepared quickly
  
  • a short-order cook

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• adjective satellite relating to the near future
  
  • a short-range policy
• adjective satellite limited to short distances
  
  • short-range planes
  • a short-range shot

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• adjective satellite relating to or extending over a limited period
  short-run.
  
  • short-run planning
  • a short-term lease
  • short-term credit

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• adjective satellite having a snout that is shorter than average
  

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Short"-spo`ken adjective

Definitions

1. Speaking in a quick or short manner; hence, gruff; curt. Colloq.

Webster 1913

• adjective of flowers have a short extension at the base of the corolla
  

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• noun similar to Gymnadenia conopsea but with smaller flowers on shorter stems and having much shorter spurs
  Gymnadenia odoratissima.
  

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• adjective satellite inadequate in number of workers or assistants etc.
  understaffed; undermanned; short-handed.
  
  • they're rather short-handed at the moment
  • overcrowded and understaffed hospitals

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• adjective satellite of plants having relatively short stalks
  

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• noun cotton with relatively short fibers
  

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• adjective satellite having a short stem
  

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• noun an acid bath used to stop the action of a developer
  stop bath; short-stop.
  

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• noun an acid bath used to stop the action of a developer
  stop bath; short-stop.
  

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• adjective satellite having a short tail
  

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• noun North American shrew with tail less than half its body length
  Blarina brevicauda.
  

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• adjective satellite quickly aroused to anger
  quick-tempered; hot-tempered; hotheaded; choleric; irascible.
  
  • a hotheaded commander

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• adjective satellite relating to or extending over a limited period
  short-run.
  
  • short-run planning
  • a short-term lease
  • short-term credit

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• noun what you can repeat immediately after perceiving it
  STM; immediate memory.
  

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• noun any of numerous large Old World hawks intermediate in some respects between typical hawks and typical eagles
  harrier eagle.
  

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Short"-waist`ed adjective

Definitions

1. Having a short waist.

Webster 1913

• adjective satellite breathing laboriously or convulsively
  pursy; winded; blown.
  

WordNet

Short"-wind`ed adjective

Definitions

1. Affected with shortness of breath; having a quick, difficult respiration, as dyspnoic and asthmatic persons. May.

Webster 1913

• adjective satellite (especially of certain insects) having very short or rudimentary wings
  brachypterous.
  

WordNet

Short"-wit`ed adjective

Definitions

1. Having little wit; not wise; having scanty intellect or judgment.

Webster 1913

• (Lumber Manuf.), the part of the end of a sawn log or plank which is beyond the place where the saw kerf ends, and which retains the plank in connection with the log, until it is split off.

Webster 1913

• the whole; a brief summing up.

Webster 1913

• (Stock Exchange), those who are unsupplied with stocks which they contracted to deliver.

Webster 1913

• to have small allowance of food. Colloq.

Webster 1913

• to be deficient; to fail of attaining. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Rom. iii. 23.

Webster 1913

• etc. See under Come, Cut, etc.

Webster 1913

• (Stock Exchange), to buy stock when the market rises, as a dealer who has sold short does in order to protect himself.

Webster 1913

• to arrest or check abruptly; to bring to a sudden termination. "Achilles cut him short, and thus replied." Dryden.

Webster 1913

• to be deficient; as, the corn falls short; they all fall short in duty.

Webster 1913

• (Naut.), to haul in cable till the ship is almost perpendicularly above the anchor.

Webster 1913

• to tack frequently.

Webster 1913

• (Stock Exchange), to sell, for future delivery, what the party selling does not own, but hopes to buy at a lower rate.

Webster 1913

• (Mil.), to diminish the length or rapidity of the step according to the established rules.

Webster 1913