shorten

short·en  (shôrtn)

v. short·ened, short·en·ing, short·ens

v.tr.

1. To make short or shorter.

2. Nautical To take in (a sail) so that less canvas is exposed to the wind, thereby reducing speed.

3. To reduce in force, efficacy, or intensity.

4. To add shortening to (dough) so as to make flaky.

v.intr.

To become short or shorter.

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shorten·er n.

Synonyms: shorten, abbreviate, abridge, curtail, truncate
These verbs mean to diminish the length, duration, or extent of by or as if by cutting: vices that will shorten your life; abbreviated the speech; abridging the citizens' rights; curtailed their visit; truncated the conversation.

Antonym: lengthen

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shorten [ˈʃɔːt^ən]

vb

1. to make or become short or shorter

2. (Transport / Nautical Terms) (tr) Nautical to reduce the area of (sail)

3. (Cookery) (tr) to make (pastry, bread, etc.) short, by adding butter or another fat

4. (Group Games / Gambling, except Cards) Gambling to cause (the odds) to lessen or (of odds) to become less

shortener  n

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	shorten - make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration; "He shortened his trip due to illness" foreshorten - shorten lines in a drawing so as to create an illusion of depth curtail, cut short, clip - terminate or abbreviate before its intended or proper end or its full extent; "My speech was cut short"; "Personal freedom is curtailed in many countries" syncopate - omit a sound or letter in a word; "syncopate a word" cut short, truncate - make shorter as if by cutting off; "truncate a word"; "Erosion has truncated the ridges of the mountains" cut down, reduce, trim back, trim down, cut, cut back, trim, bring down - cut down on; make a reduction in; "reduce your daily fat intake"; "The employer wants to cut back health benefits" lengthen - make longer; "Lengthen this skirt, please"
	2.	shorten - reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened" abbreviate, abridge, foreshorten, contract, reduce, cut bowdlerise, bowdlerize, expurgate, castrate, shorten - edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate; "bowdlerize a novel" edit out, edit, cut - cut and assemble the components of; "edit film"; "cut recording tape" condense, concentrate, digest - make more concise; "condense the contents of a book into a summary" minify, decrease, lessen - make smaller; "He decreased his staff"
	3.	shorten - make short or shorter; "shorten the skirt"; "shorten the rope by a few inches" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" cut - shorten as if by severing the edges or ends of; "cut my hair"
	4.	shorten - become short or shorter; "In winter, the days shorten" decrease, diminish, lessen, fall - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" lengthen - become long or longer; "In Spring, the days lengthen"
	5.	shorten - edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate; "bowdlerize a novel" bowdlerise, bowdlerize, expurgate, castrate abbreviate, abridge, foreshorten, shorten, contract, reduce, cut - reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened"

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shorten

verb

1. cut, reduce, decrease, cut down, trim, diminish, dock, cut back, prune, lessen, curtail, abbreviate, truncate, abridge, downsize The day surgery will help to shorten waiting lists.
cut increase, extend, expand, prolong, stretch, lengthen, draw out, spin out, elongate, make longer, protract

2. turn up, trim It's a simple matter to shorten trouser legs.

3. get shorter, contract, diminish, dwindle, shrink When the days shorten, some people suffer from depression.

Translations

shorten [ˈʃɔːtn]

A. VT (gen) → acortar; [+ journey etc] → acortar, abreviar; [+ rations etc] → reducir

B. VI (gen) → acortarse, reducirse
the days are shortening → los días se están acortando
the odds have shortened → los puntos de ventaja se han reducido

shorten [ˈʃɔː^rt^ən]

vt

[+ visit, life] → abréger; [+ journey time] → raccourcir; [+ working hours] → réduire

[+ dress, skirt, trousers] → raccourcir

[+ book, text, programme] → raccourcir, abréger

[+ name, word] → abréger

vi [days, nights] → raccourcir

shorten

vt

(= make shorter) → verkürzen; life, name → abkürzen; dress, rope → kürzer machen, kürzen; book, programme, letter, syllabus etc → kürzen; odds → verringern; sail → reffen

pastry → Fett beigeben (+dat)

vi (evenings, days) → kürzer werden; (odds) → sich verringern

shorten [ˈʃɔːtn]

1. vt (gen) → accorciare

2. vi → accorciarsi

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shorten [ˈʃɔːtn]

1. vt (gen) → accorciare

2. vi → accorciarsi