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   short

   /ʃɔːt/

   adjective

   • 1. measuring a small distance from end to end: "short dark hair" Similar smalllittletinyminusculeinformal:teenyteeny-weenylowsquatstubbyminiaturedwarfweedirectstraightOpposite longtallroundabout
   • ▪ (of a journey) covering a small distance: "the hotel is a short walk from the sea"
   • ▪ (of a garment or sleeves on a garment) only covering the top part of a person's arms or legs: "a short skirt"
   • ▪ (of a person) small in height: "he is short and tubby" Similar smalllittlepetitetinysquatstockydumpystubbyelfindwarfishdiminutiveLilliputianweeinformal:pint-sizedteenyteeny-weenypocket-sizedknee-high to a grasshopperfubsyOpposite tall
   • ▪ (of a ball in cricket, a shot in tennis, etc.) travelling only a small distance before bouncing: "he uses his opportunities to attack every short ball"
   • ▪ denoting fielding positions relatively close to the batter: "short midwicket"
   • 2. lasting or taking a small amount of time: "visiting London for a short break" Similar briefmomentarytemporaryshort-livedimpermanentshort-termcursoryfleetingpassingfugitiveflyinglightningtransitorytransientephemeralevanescentfadingquickmeteoricrare:fugacious
   • ▪ seeming to last less time than is the case; passing quickly: "in 10 short years all this changed"
   • ▪ (of a person's memory) retaining things for only a small amount of time: "he has a short memory for past misdeeds"
   • ▪ (of stocks or other securities or commodities) sold in advance of being acquired, with reliance on the price falling so that a profit can be made.
   • ▪ (of a broker, position in the market, etc.) buying or based on short stocks or other securities or commodities.
   • ▪ denoting or having a relatively early date for the maturing of a bill of exchange.
   • 3. relatively small in extent: "a short speech" Similar concisebriefsuccinctto the pointcompacttersecurtsummaryeconomicalcrispshort and sweetpithyepigrammaticlaconicpointedthumbnailabridgedabbreviatedcondensedsynopticcompendioussummarizedcontractedcurtailedtruncatedOpposite longoverlongverbose
   • ▪ not having enough of (something); lacking or deficient in: "they were very short of provisions"
   • ▪ in insufficient supply: "food is short" Similar scarcein short supplyscantscantymeagresparsehard to findhard to come bynot enoughtoo littleinsufficientdeficientinadequatelackingwantingat a premiumlike gold dustnot to be hadscarcer than hen's teethpaltrynegligiblethininformal:not to be had for love nor moneyrare:exiguousOpposite plentiful
   • 4. (of a vowel) categorized as short with regard to quality and length (e.g. in standard British English the vowel /ʊ/ in good is short as distinct from the long vowel /uː/ in food).
   • ▪ (of a vowel or syllable) having the lesser of the two recognized durations.
   • 5. (of a person) terse; uncivil: "he was often sharp and rather short with her" Similar curtsharpabruptbluntbrusqueterseoffhandgruffungraciousgracelesssurlysnappytestytartrudediscourteousuncivilimpoliteill-manneredbad-manneredOpposite patientcourteous
   • 6. (of odds or a chance) reflecting or representing a high level of probability: "they have been backed at short odds to win thousands of pounds"
   • 7. (of pastry) containing a high proportion of fat to flour and therefore crumbly. Similar crumblycrispycrispbrittlefriablefattyshortcrust
   • ▪ (of clay) having poor plasticity.

   adverb

   • 1. (chiefly in sport) at, to, or over a relatively small distance: "you go deep and you go short"
   • ▪ not as far as the point aimed at; not far enough: "all too often you pitch the ball short"

   noun

   • 1. a drink of spirits served in a small measure. British
   • 2. a short film as opposed to a feature film.
   • 3. a short sound such as a short signal in Morse code or a short vowel or syllable: "her call was two longs and a short"
   • 4. a short circuit.
   • 5. a person who sells short.
   • ▪ short-dated stocks.
   • 6. a mixture of bran and coarse flour.

   verb

   • 1. short-circuit or cause to short-circuit: "the electrical circuit had shorted out"
   • 2. sell (stocks or other securities or commodities) in advance of acquiring them, with the aim of making a profit when the price falls: "the rule prevents sellers from shorting a stock unless the last trade resulted in a price increase"

   Word Origin Old Englishsceort, of Germanic origin; related to shirt and skirt.

   Derivatives

   • 1. shortish adjective

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • S

     1

   • H

     4

   • O

     1

   • R

     1

   • T

     1

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