intransitive verb. To make short or shorter.

intransitive verb. To reduce in force, efficacy, or intensity.

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

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

intransitive verb. To become short or shorter.

To become short or shorter; contract; diminish in length: as, ropes shorten when wet.

To make anything short: used with in in the nautical phrase to shorten in on the cable, to heave in short or shorter.

To come short; fail.

To make short or shorter; abridge; curtail: as, to shorten hours of work; to shorten the skirt of a dress.

To make appear short: as, pleasant companionship shortens a journey; a concave mirror shortens the face.

Figuratively, to make inefficient or incapable. Compare short-armed.

To take in; contract; lessen in extent or amount: as, to shorten sail; to shorten an allowance.

To check; confine; restrain.

To deprive.

To cause to come short or fail.

To make short or friable, as pastry with butter or lard.

To pronounce or measure as short: as, to shorten a vowel or syllable.

intransitive verb. To become short or shorter

transitive verb. To make short or shorter in measure, extent, or time

transitive verb. To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen; to abridge; to curtail; to contract

transitive verb. To make deficient (as to); to deprive; -- with of.

transitive verb. To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, pot liquor, or the like.

transitive verb. to take in the slack of it.

transitive verb. to reduce sail by taking it in.

verb. To make shorter; to abbreviate.

verb. To become shorter.

verb. make short or shorter

verb. make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration

verb. reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

verb. become short or shorter

verb. edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

"delightful tale, though I have trouble pronouncing the names and I like that the title shorten to Miss Blah, which defines beauty pageants for me, a very enjoyable read"