foreshorten
Americanverb (used with object)
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Fine Arts. to reduce or distort (parts of a represented object that are not parallel to the picture plane) in order to convey the illusion of three-dimensional space as perceived by the human eye: often done according to the rules of perspective.
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to abridge, reduce, or contract; make shorter.
verb
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to represent (a line, form, object, etc) as shorter than actual length in order to give an illusion of recession or projection, in accordance with the laws of linear perspective
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to make shorter or more condensed; reduce or abridge
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of foreshorten
Explanation
When an artist foreshortens, she makes an object appear closer or a distance shorter than it is, to create a sense of depth in a painting or drawing. To foreshorten is to create a kind of optical illusion simply by making lines shorter or angling the perspective in a certain way. It's a technique used in art and design, but it's also a phenomenon you may observe in the world: "The angle from which she's looking foreshortens the mountain, making it look closer." This word dates from about 1600.
Vocabulary lists containing foreshorten
Visual Arts - High School
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Art History
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Visual Arts - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mantegna exploits the new Renaissance pictorial science to dramatically foreshorten the body of Christ, showing it feet-forward in a way that emphasises the terrible reality of death.
From The Guardian • Jun. 19, 2014
If there were reasons to foreshorten the mission, however, they were apparently not medical.
From Time Magazine Archive
His use of telephoto lenses to foreshorten perspective is so expert that it is often unnoticeable.
From Time Magazine Archive
"My advice to business leaders is not to foreshorten the horizon at a moment like this."
From Time Magazine Archive
After all, foreshortening is only good drawing, and a good draughtsman will foreshorten well, while a bad draughtsman will not.
From The Painter in Oil A complete treatise on the principles and technique necessary to the painting of pictures in oil colors by Parkhurst, Daniel Burleigh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
