shorten
/ˈʃɔːtn̩/ · verb
Meaning
- To make shorter; to abbreviate.
- To become shorter.
- To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
- To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
- To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.
- To make crumbly.
- To take in the slack of (a rope).
- To reduce (sail) by taking it in.
- to dress (a baby) in a short (rather than long) gown
- A surname.
Etymology / origin
From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short + -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English sċortian (“to become short”), from Proto-Germanic *skurtōną (“to shorten”).
- *skurtōną(gem-pro)→
- sċortian(ang)→
- schorten(enm)→
- shortnen(enm)→
- shorten (English)
- Relations: inh, inh, inh, inh
Related words
Descendant words
- Schürzen(German) (cog)
Sources
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