Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Having little length; not long: Describing something that measures a small distance from one end to the other.
   • Low in stature; not tall: Used to describe a person or object of limited height.
   • Lasting or taking a small amount of time: Indicating a brief duration.
   • Insufficient or less than needed: Lacking an adequate amount of something.
   • Rudely brief or abrupt in manner: Marked by a curt or discourteous way of speaking.
   • Easily crumbling: Having a flaky texture due to a high fat content, as in pastry.
   • Deficient in retentiveness: Referring to a memory that does not retain information well.
   • Of a vowel or syllable: Pronounced with a relatively brief duration.

2. Adverb:

   • Abruptly or suddenly: In a manner that cuts something off or happens without warning.
   • Before the expected point or time: Falling or ceasing before reaching a target or goal.
   • In a curt or brusque manner: Speaking in a rudely brief way.
   • Without possession of something sold: Selling a security or commodity one does not currently own.

3. Noun:

   • A short circuit: An electrical fault where current flows along an unintended path of low resistance.
   • A short film: A motion picture of brief duration.
   • The position of shortstop in baseball: The fielding position between second and third base.
   • A short drink of spirits: A small, strong alcoholic beverage.

4. Verb:

   • To cause a short circuit: To create an electrical fault by connecting points of different potential.
   • To give less than due amount; to cheat: To provide someone with less than what was paid for or expected.

Examples

• Adjective:

  • She has short hair. (Her hair is not long.)
  • He is rather short for his age. (He is not tall.)
  • We took a short break. (The break was brief.)
  • We are short of staff today. (We have insufficient staff.)
  • The manager was very short with the customer. (The manager was rudely abrupt.)

• Adverb:

  • The meeting ended short. (The meeting ended abruptly.)
  • His arrow fell short of the target. (The arrow did not reach the target.)
  • "Not now," he said short. (He spoke in a curt manner.)

• Noun:

  • The fire was caused by an electrical short. (The fire was caused by a short circuit.)
  • The festival featured several animated shorts. (The festival included several short films.)

• Verb:

  • A frayed wire shorted the system. (A frayed wire caused a short circuit.)
  • The cashier shorted me by two dollars. (The cashier cheated me out of two dollars.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be caught short": To be taken by surprise, especially by a sudden need.
  • I was caught short when it started to rain and I had no umbrella.
• "to sell short" (Finance): To sell borrowed securities, hoping to buy them back later at a lower price.
  • Investors sold short, betting the stock price would fall.
• "to make short work of": To deal with or finish something quickly and easily.
  • She made short work of the difficult puzzle.

Variants and Related Words

• Shorten (verb): To make or become shorter.
  • Please shorten this paragraph.
• Shortage (noun): A deficiency or lack in the amount needed.
  • There is a water shortage.
• Shortly (adverb): In a short time; soon; or in a brief, abrupt manner.
  • I will arrive shortly. / He replied shortly.
• Shortstop (noun): The baseball fielding position between second and third base.
• Short-circuit (verb/noun): A variant spelling for causing or referring to an electrical short.

Synonyms

• Adjective (length): Brief, little, small.
• Adjective (height): Petite, small, low.
• Adjective (abrupt): Curt, brusque, terse.
• Adjective (insufficient): Deficient, lacking, inadequate.
• Adverb (suddenly): Abruptly, suddenly, unexpectedly.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Fall short (of): To fail to reach a standard, goal, or amount.
  • The donations fell short of our target.
• Run short (of): To have nearly used up a supply of something.
  • We are running short of time.
• Cut short: To stop or interrupt something before its natural conclusion.
  • The interview was cut short by an emergency.

Related Idioms

• In short: To summarize; stated briefly.
  • In short, the project was a success.
• Short and sweet: Pleasantly brief and concise.
  • His speech was short and sweet.
• For short: As an abbreviation or nickname.
  • His name is Robert, but we call him Rob for short.
• The long and the short of it: The basic fact or point of a matter.
  • The long and the short of it is that we need more funding.

Adjective

1. marked by rude or peremptory shortness
   • try to cultivate a less brusque manner
   • a curt reply
   • the salesgirl was very short with him
2. tending to crumble or break into flakes due to a large amount of shortening
   • shortbread is a short crumbly cookie
   • a short flaky pie crust
3. lacking foresight or scope
   • a short view of the problem
   • shortsighted policies
   • shortsighted critics derided the plan
   • myopic thinking
4. less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so
   • a light pound
   • a scant cup of sugar
   • regularly gives short weight
5. of speech sounds or syllables of relatively short duration
   • the English vowel sounds in `pat', `pet', `pit', `pot', putt' are short
6. not holding securities or commodities that one sells in expectation of a fall in prices
   • a short sale
   • short in cotton
7. (of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range
   • a short memory
8. not sufficient to meet a need
   • an inadequate income
   • a poor salary
   • money is short
   • on short rations
   • food is in short supply
   • short on experience
9. low in stature; not tall
   • he was short and stocky
   • short in stature
   • a short smokestack
   • a little man
10. (primarily spatial sense) having little length or lacking in length
    • short skirts
    • short hair
    • the board was a foot short
    • a short toss
11. primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
    • a short life
    • a short flight
    • a short holiday
    • a short story
    • only a few short months

Adverb

1. in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner
   • he told me curtly to get on with it
   • he talked short with everyone
   • he said shortly that he didn't like it
2. at a disadvantage
   • I was caught short
3. so as to interrupt
   • She took him up short before he could continue
4. at some point or distance before a goal is reached
   • he fell short of our expectations
5. clean across
   • the car's axle snapped short
6. without possessing something at the time it is contractually sold
   • he made his fortune by selling short just before the crash
7. quickly and without warning
   • he stopped suddenly

Noun

1. the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed between second and third base
2. accidental contact between two points in an electric circuit that have a potential difference
3. the location on a baseball field where the shortstop is stationed

Verb

1. create a short circuit in
2. cheat someone by not returning him enough money