shorten, v.
(ˈʃɔːt(ə)n)
[f. short a. + -en5.]
1. trans. To make shorter, to diminish the length of, to abridge, curtail. a. With reference to duration.
to shorten (a person's) life: in early use sometimes † to kill.
| 1513 More Rich. III (1883) 6 The king his brother (whose life hee loked that euil dyete shoulde shorten). 1614 Sir H. Spelman Law Terms xvii. (1684) 44 Trinity-Term was altred and shortned by the Statute of 32 Hen. 8 chap. 21. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 420 When Autumn weighs The Year, and adds to Nights, and shortens Days. 1733 Duchess of Queensberry Let. to Swift 21 Feb., As you can⁓not lengthen your friend's days, I must beg you, in your own words, not to shorten your own. 1824 L. M. Hawkins Annaline II. 79 [They] could not make any excuse for shortening their stay at the castle. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 665 She calmly disposed the straw about her in such a manner as to shorten her sufferings. 1885 Spectator 25 July 978/2 We may blame him for shortening a valuable life by inflicting needless hardships upon himself. |
b. To make to appear shorter; to beguile (time, a journey, etc.) by conversation or pastime.
| 1579 Montgomerie Misc. P. xlviii. 216 With Pro and Contra, so shortnit we the way. 1663 Patrick Parable Pilgrim xxviii. (1687) 323 In such delightful and useful talk as this they beguiled the time, and shortned the length of the ways. 1733 Fielding Quix. Eng. i. vii, When a lover suffers his mistress to come first to the place of appointment, he cannot blame any innocent amusement with which she would shorten his absence. 1829 Scott Anne of G. xii, The tale, which had shortened the way in so interesting a manner. 1867 All Year Round 13 July 56/2 Narrations of adventures met with on previous tramps..serve to shorten the road. |
c. With reference to compositions, speeches, discussions, etc.
| 1530 Palsgr. 704/2 Shorten your mater, for it is to longe for this audyence. 1672–5 T. Comber Comp. Temple (1702) 35 But (as is done in our Common Prayer) he shortned it because of his weakness. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 107 ¶7 To shorten my Story, she was married to another. 1850 W. R. Williams Relig. Progr. iii. (1854) 50 The Jesuits..who lengthened the creed and shortened the commandments. 1912 J. M. Thomson Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 1306–1424, Pref. 8 The custom grew up of shortening it [a list of witnesses] to ut in aliis cartis [etc.]. |
d. With reference to linear measurement. † to shorten up: to contract, draw together.
† to shorten by the head: to behead (cf. short a. 2, short v. 2 c).
| 1530 Palsgr. 704/2 A tall man may shorten hym selfe so moche that he shall nat seme so hye as a childe. 1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 273 They had shortened the course of the landes he had discouered. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 662 There his body was shortned, by the length of his hed. 1610 Shakes. Temp. iv. i. 260 Goe, charge my Goblins that they..shorten vp their sinewes With aged Cramps. 1791 G. Wallis Motherby's Med. Dict. (ed. 3) s.v. Musculus, A muscle..can contract itself so as to be shortened one third. 1798 S. Lee Canterb. T., Yng. Lady's T. II. 106 The tour..they must now necessarily shorten. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xvi. 107 This we crossed in order to shorten our way. 1883 Manch. Guard. 15 Oct. 5/7 To shorten the course of the river from London Bridge to Gravesend by 2½ miles. 1912 T. D. Atkinson Cathedr. 179 Shortening the total length of the church by about 37 feet. |
e. fig. In Biblical phrase, to shorten the arm or hand of: to limit the power of.
| 1535 Coverdale Num. xi. 23 The Lorde sayde vnto Moses: Is the Lordes hande shortened then? 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 97 Doe they thinke that his arme is shortened, or his power weakened? 1645 Harwood Loyal Subj. Retiring-room 28 Why should we think his hand will be shortned towards any of us? 1647 Trapp Comm. Rev. xx. 3 God will shorten your hand of cruelty. 1833 Lyte Hymn, ‘When at thy Footstool’, Thine arm can never shorten'd be. |
f. To diminish in working length; to tighten (a rein), in quot. fig.; to hold (a weapon) nearer to the middle, in order to deal a more effective blow or thrust.
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xliii. §4 They shorten some⁓what the reynes of their censure. 1821 Scott Kenilw. iv, He closed with him, shortening his own sword at the same time, with the purpose of despatching him. 1857 Hughes Tom Brown i. ix, Shortening the rod in his hand, and preparing for battle. 1888 F. Hume Mme. Midas i. xii. 84 Villiers..shortened his stick to give her a blow on the head. 1898 Encycl. Sport II. 298/1 (Rowing) Shorten oars, to draw the handle of the oar in-board, in order to avoid an obstacle in the river, or to pass through a narrow place such as a lock. |
g. With reference to phonetic quantity.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. xii[i]. (Arb.) 131 He that first shortned ca, in this word cano, and made long tro, in troia, and o, in oris, might haue aswell done the contrary. 1861 Paley Aeschylus (ed. 2) Eumen. 996 note, Homer shortens the α in δαίδος. 1871 Roby Lat. Gram. i. ii. xviii. § 583 The imperative-forms in Plautus and Terence often shortened the final vowel. |
† h. To diminish in number or quantity. Obs.
| 1598 Dallington Method Trav. L 2 b, The Nobilitie of France is exceedingly shortned in number. 1611 Second Maiden's Tragedy 2385 (Malone Soc.) Thy glories shalbe shortend. |
i. Hort. To cut back in pruning. Also to shorten in, shorten back.
| 1706 London & Wise Retir'd Gard. I. ii. ii. 110 We..only shorten the young shoots. 1842 Loudon Suburban Hort. 457 The short lateral shoots, which are shortened in at the winter pruning to two or three buds. Ibid. 475 The shoots on the upper or farther extended branches may be shortened back to half or one-third of their lengths. |
j. To clip (coin).
| 1857 Borrow Rom. Rye xli, My grandfather..sometimes shortened money, and at other times passed off what had been shortened by other gentry. |
2. intr. To grow shorter. a. To diminish in length (either of duration or measurement).
| 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 369 Thus euer the time passed, and the dayes shortened. 1663 Gerbier Counsel 36 The third story of Columns would shorten so much. 1676 Marvell Mr. Smirke 21, I am glad to see my labour shorten. 1821 Lamb Elia Ser. i. New Yr.'s Eve, In proportion as the years both lessen and shorten, I set more count upon their periods. 1850 Miss Warner Wide Wide World xxxvi, Ellen's face shortened considerably. 1899 E. E. Hale Lowell & Friends ii. 17 As the days shortened, morning prayers came later. |
† b. To become less diffuse. Obs. rare—1.
| 1727 Wodrow Corr. (1843) III. 299 After this interruption, Mr Grant shortened. |
† c. Of the breath: To become shorter.
| 1765 J. Brown Chr. Jrnl. 78 My breath shortens; my pulse beats high. |
d. Of a price, odds: To be lowered or lessened.
| 1884 H. Smart Post to Finish xliv, The odds shortened rapidly. Still the fielders continued to lay the lessening price. 1891 N. Gould Double Event xl. 302 The horse's price shortened. 1913 Engl. Rev. May 301 To use the bookmaker's parlance, the prices shorten somewhat. |
3. trans. † a. To hold in check, restrain. Obs.
| 1596 Spenser State Irel. Wks. (Globe) 663/2 They should not be able once to styrre or murmure, but that it shoulde be knowen, and they shortened according to theyr demerites. 1700 Dryden Fables Ded. B 2 b, Here, where the Subject is so fruitful..I am shorten'd by my Chain. |
† b. To render (an intention) ineffectual. (Cf. short v. 5.) Obs.
| 1605 Shakes. Lear iv. vii. 9 Yet to be knowne shortens my made intent. |
c. To keep from the attainment of.
| 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. I. iii. vii, Whereon the Parlement, shortened of its prey, would look with yellow despair. 1850 Blackie æschylus I. 234 Of thy due honours shortened. |
† 4. To cause to go short, to supply insufficiently. Const. of, in. Obs.
| 1599 Life Sir T. More in Wordsw. Eccl. Biog. (1853) II. 51 So shortened of money..he was rid of many occasions that hinder good proceedings. 1621 R. Cocks Diary (Hakl. Soc.) II. 149, I knew they had..shortned thenglish in all they demanded, contrary to the kinges promis. |
5. Naut. a. to shorten sail(s: to take in some of the sails of a vessel in order to slacken speed.
| 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. ix. 44 As you approach the shore, shorten your sailes. 1748 Anson's Voy. i. iv. 35 We shortned sail for her to come up with us. 1805 Nelson in Nicolas Disp. (1846) VII. 107 The Ships of the Fleet are directed, particularly in the night, to shorten sail. 1884 Times (weekly ed.) 25 Feb. 15/3 Sail is being shortened all round. |
| transf. 1824 Scott St. Ronan's xxx, ‘You are a gay old gentleman!’ said Jekyl, relaxing his pace; ‘and if we must be fellow-travellers..I must even shorten sail for you.’ |
b. to shorten in: to heave in (the cable) so that a shorter length remains overboard. Also absol.
| 1854 G. B. Richardson Univ. Code v. (ed. 12) 1284 Shorten in cable. Ibid. 4981 Shorten in tow-lines. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. s.v., Shorten in, when alluding to the anchor, by heaving in cable. |
6. To make ‘short’ or friable. Also (of manure) intr. for refl.
| 1733 W. Ellis Chiltern & Vale Farm. 24 The Chalk or Sand will shorten and crumble the Clay before the Plough. Ibid. 30 They as carefully take care to clamp up their Yard Dungs..in order to rot and shorten against the next Wheat or Barly Season. 1883 Harper's Mag. Apr. 659/1 The crust being shortened with..suet. |
7. To put (a child) into short clothes.
| 1871 Punch 9 Dec. 240/1 An authentic fragment of the blue sash he wore the day he was shortened. 1897 Hall Caine Christian i. i. 6 At the end of the first year she wrote: ‘I have shortened our darling’. |
Hence ˈshortened, ˈshortening ppl. adjs.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 252 Se sceortiᵹenda dæᵹ hæfð liðran ᵹewederu þonne se langienda dæᵹ. 1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. 57/3 The dissease of a shortened tunge. 1621 G. Sandys Ovid's Met. ix. (1626) 194 Her shortning curles scarce hang beneath her eares. 1645 Milton Passion i, In Wintry solstice like the shortn'd light Soon swallow'd up in dark and long out living night. 1700 Dryden Pal. & Arc. iii. 509 That none shall dare With shortned Sword to stab in closer War. 1785 Burns Cotter's Sat. Nt. ii, The short'ning winter-day is near a close. 1805–17 R. Jameson Char. Min. (ed. 3) 199 Shortened heavy-spar. 1825 Scott Talism. xxii, His red and inflamed eye, his heated hand, and his shortened respiration. 1857 Kingsley Two Y. Ago ii, Ships..driving fast to the eastward with shortened sail. 1874 Gladstone Corr. Ch. & Relig. (1910) I. 397 The Bills for Clerical Subscription..and the Shortened Services. 1887 Ruskin Præterita II. 263 In the shortening days of 1845. 1913 Chesterton Victorian Age 30 Tom Moore,..a shortened shadow of Lord Byron. |
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Add: 8. intr. Horsemanship. Ellipt. for to shorten (one's) stride s.v. stride n. 1 c. Usu. said of the horse; occas. metonymically of the rider. Also with up.
| 1981 Washington Post 27 Oct. e4/5 His strategy was to ‘keep the flow of the horse's stride steady and not shorten up around the corners’. 1986 Horse & Rider Sept. 16/1 He is fairly short backed and so he can shorten and bounce as required. 1987 Carriage Driving Spring 11/1 My first duty after the initial inspection was to observe each of the novice singles at the walk and trot to ascertain soundness..and..I felt that two of the ponies were shortening behind. |