short

SHORT, adjective [Latin curtus.]1. Not long; not having great length or extension; as a short distance; a short ferry; a short flight; a short piece of timber.The bed is shorter than a man can stretch himself on it. Isaiah 28:20.2. Not extended in time; not of long duration.The triumphing of the wicked is short. Job 20:5.3. Not of usual or suffifient length, reach or extent.Weak though I am of limb, and short of sight. Pope.4. Not of long duration; repeated at small intervals of time; as short breath.5. Not of adequate extent or quantity; not reaching the point demanded, desired or expected; as a quantity short of our expectations.Not therefore am I shortOf knowing what I ought. Milton.6. Deficient; defective; imperfect. This account is short of the truth.7. Not adequate; insufficient; scanty; as, provisions are short; a short allowance of water for the voyage.8. Not sufficiently supplied; scantily furnished.the English were inferior in number, and grew short in their provisions.Hayward.9. Not far distant in time; future.He commanded those who were appointed to attend him, to be ready by a short day. Clarendon.10. Not fetching a compass; as in the phrase, to turn short.11. Not going to the point intended; as, to stop short.12. Defective in quantity; as sheep short of their wool.13. Narrow; limited; not extended; not large or comprehensive.Their own short understandings reachNo farther than the present. Rowe.14. Brittle; friable; breaking all at once without splinters or shatters; as marl so short that it cannot be wrought into a ball.15. Not bending.The lance broke short. Dryden.16. Abrupt; brief; pointed; petulant; severe. I asked him a question, to which he gave a short answer.To be short, to be scantily supplied; as, to be short of bread or water.To come short, to fail; not to do what is demanded or expected, or what is necessary for the purpose; applied to persons. We all come short of perfect obedience to God's will.2. Not to reach or obtain.3. To fail; to be insufficient. Provisions come short.To cut short, to abridge; to contract; to make to small or defective; also, ot destroy or consume.To fall short, to fail; to be inadequate or scanty; as, provisions fall short; money falls short.2. To fail; not to do or accomplish; as, to fall short on duty.3. To be less. The measure falls short of the estimate.To stop short, to stop at once; also, to stop without reaching the point intended.To turn short, to turn on the spot occupied; to turn without making a compass.For turning short he struck with all his might. Dryden.To be taken short, to be seized with urgent necessity.In short, a few words; briefly; to sum up or close in a few words.SHORT, noun A summary account; as the short of the matter.The short and long in our play is preferred. Shak.SHORT, adverb Not long; as short-enduring joy; a short-breathed man.In connection with verbs, short is a modifying word, or used adverbially; as, to come short, etc.SHORT, verb transitive 1. To shorten.2. verb intransitive To fail; to decrease. [Not in use.]