Short | Mean of short in English Dictionary

/ˈʃoɚt/

• extending a small distance from one end to the other end
1. Her hair is short. = She has short hair.
2. It's just a short distance from here. = It's just a short distance away.
3. the shortest rope
4. One of my legs is slightly shorter than the other.
5. The coat is short on him. = The coat is too short for him. [=the coat should be longer in order to fit him correctly]
• not great in distance
1. a short walk/drive/trip
2. This way is shorter.
• having little height
1. He is short for his age.
2. a short girl

• lasting or continuing for a small amount of time
1. a short delay/vacation/speech
2. the shortest day of the year
3. Life's too short to worry about the past.
4. The movie/meeting was very short.
5. You have done a lot in a short space/period of time.
6. a short burst of speed
7. I've only lived here for a short time/while.
8. It's just a short walk from here. [=you can walk there from here in a few minutes]
9. She has a very short memory. [=she forgets about events, conversations, etc., soon after they happen]
• seeming to pass quickly
1. She has made great progress in a few short years.
2. He visited for two short weeks.
• having few pages, items, etc.
1. a short book/poem
2. I have a list of things I need to do before we go, but it's pretty short.
3. short sentences
• covering only part of the arms or legs
1. boys in short pants
2. a shirt with short sleeves [=sleeves that end at or above the elbows]
3. a short skirt [=a skirt that ends above the knees and especially several inches above the knees]
• existing in less than the usual or needed amount
1. We should hurry. Time is short. [=we don't have much time]
2. Money has been short lately. [=I haven't had enough money lately]
3. Gasoline is in short supply. [=little gasoline is available]
4. (US) We can be ready on short notice. = (Brit) We can be ready at short notice. [=very quickly]
5. (US) Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice. = (Brit) Thank you for meeting with me at such short notice. [=even though you did not know that I wanted to meet with you until a short time ago]
• having less than what is needed
1. I can't pay the bill. I'm a little short (of money). [=I don't have enough money]
2. The team was short (by) two players. = The team was two players short.
3. short on time/food/money
4. She's a little short on patience today. [=she is feeling somewhat impatient]
5. He's not short on self-confidence. [=he has plenty of self-confidence]
6. He was long on criticism but short on useful advice. [=he was very critical but did not give any useful advice]
• less than
1. His recovery is nothing short of a miracle. = His recovery is nothing short of miraculous. [=his recovery is a miracle; his recovery is miraculous]
• not reaching far enough
1. The throw to first base was short.
2. a short throw
• made smaller by having part removed
1. a short tax form
2. “Doc” is short for “doctor.”
3. “Ben” is short for “Benjamin.”
4. “www” is short for “World Wide Web.”
• talking to someone in a very brief and unfriendly way
1. I'm sorry I was short [=abrupt, curt] with you.
• quickly and without delay
1. In short order the group set up camp.
2. The papers were organized in short order.
• pleasantly brief
1. That's the way we like the meetings—short and sweet.
2. I've got a few announcements, but I'll keep it short and sweet. [=I will talk for only a few minutes]
• to or at a point that is not as far as expected or desired
1. The ball fell short.
2. He threw the ball short.
3. He began to run/answer and then pulled up short. [=stopped suddenly and did not finish]
4. We made as many cookies as we could, but we came up short [=we had fewer than we needed to have] and there weren't enough for everyone.
5. Time is running short. [=there is little time left to do, accomplish, etc., something]
6. He finished in 30 seconds—just one second short of the world record. [=he finished in 30 seconds and the world record is 29 seconds]
7. She quit school a month short of [=before] graduation.
8. We came up short of [=we did not achieve] our goal.
9. Sales for the month came short of our estimates. [=we sold less than we had predicted we would sell]
10. The attack was just short of a full invasion.
11. She's just short of six feet tall. [=she is almost six feet tall]
12. The performance was just short of perfection. = The performance was (only a) little short of perfect.
13. The running back was stopped short of the goal line. [=was stopped just before the goal line]
14. He stopped well short of the line. [=long before reaching the line]
15. The boss said that she was unhappy with some employees, but she stopped short of naming which ones. [=but she did not say which employees she was unhappy with]
16. We have plenty of shirts left, but we're running short of [=running out of] smaller sizes. [=the available supply of smaller sizes is almost used up]
• in a sudden manner
1. The hunter stopped short [=suddenly] when he saw the deer.
2. I was wandering through the exhibit when I was brought up short by a striking photograph. [=when a striking photograph made me suddenly stop]
• for or during a short time
1. Her career was short-lasting.
• in a way that makes something short
1. Keep the grass mowed short.
2. Her dark hair was cut/cropped short. [=she had short hair]
• to end (something) earlier than expected
1. We had to cut our vacation short.
2. The speech was cut short. [=the speech was interrupted and not finished]
• except for (something)
1. Short of replacing the motor, I have tried everything to fix the car.
2. Short of a catastrophe [=unless something terrible happens], I think we'll succeed.
• suddenly needing to use a toilet when there is no toilet available
• Noun
• pants that end at or above the knees
1. a pair of shorts
2. Your shorts are dirty.
3. short shorts [=shorts that cover very little of the legs]
• a short movie
1. The short before the main movie was very funny.
• a small amount of liquor that you drink quickly
1. a short of vodka
• in a shorter form
1. My name is Benjamin, or Ben for short.
• in a few words
1. The trip was, in short, a disaster.
2. In short [=in summary], the company is doing extremely well.
• Verb
• to cause (something) to have a short circuit
1. The lightning shorted the TV.
2. Water shorted out the flashlight.
• to stop working because of a short circuit
1. The hair dryer must have shorted.
2. The toaster oven shorted out.