Meaning of 'short'

adverb

quickly and without warning

Synonyms: abruptly

adverb

in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner

Synonyms: shortly

adverb

at a disadvantage

Example: "I was caught short"

Synonyms: unawares

adverb

so as to interrupt

Example: "I took them up short before they could continue."

adverb

at some point or distance before a goal is reached

Example: "They fell short of our expectations."

adverb

clean across

Example: "the car's axle snapped short"

adverb

without possessing something at the time it is contractually sold

Example: "They made their fortune by selling short just before the crash."

adjective

tending to crumble or break into flakes due to a large amount of shortening

Example: "shortbread is a short crumbly cookie"

adjective

(primarily spatial sense) having little length or lacking in length

Example: "short skirts"

adjective

primarily temporal sense

Synonyms: long

adjective

of speech sounds or syllables of relatively short duration

Example: "the English vowel sounds in `pat', `pet', `pit', `pot', putt' are short"

adjective

not holding securities or commodities that one sells in expectation of a fall in prices

Example: "a short sale"

adjective

lacking foresight or scope

Example: "a short view of the problem"

Synonyms: shortsighted unforesightful myopic

adjective

(of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range

Example: "a short memory"

Synonyms: forgetful unretentive

adjective

not sufficient to meet a need

Synonyms: inadequate poor

adjective

less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so

Synonyms: light scant

adjective

low in stature

Synonyms: little

noun

the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed between second and third base

Synonyms: shortstop

noun

the location on a baseball field where the shortstop is stationed

noun

accidental contact between two points in an electric circuit that have a potential difference

Synonyms: short circuit

verb

create a short circuit in

Synonyms: short-circuit

verb

cheat someone by not returning him enough money

Synonyms: short-change

adjective

marked by rude or peremptory shortness

Synonyms: curt