shorten: Meaning and Definition of

short•en

Pronunciation: (shôr'tn), [key]
— v.t.
  1. to make short or shorter.
  2. to reduce, decrease, take in, etc.: to shorten sail.
  3. to make (pastry, bread, etc.) short, as with butter or other fat.
  4. choke (def. 8).
—v.i.
  1. to become short or shorter.
  2. (of odds) to decrease.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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