foreshorten

[ fawr-shawr-tn, fohr- ]
/ fɔrˈʃɔr tn, foʊr- /

verb (used with object)

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.
to abridge, reduce, or contract; make shorter.

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Origin of foreshorten

First recorded in 1600–10; fore- + shorten

OTHER WORDS FROM foreshorten

un·fore·short·ened, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for foreshorten

British Dictionary definitions for foreshorten

foreshorten
/ (fɔːˈʃɔːtən) /

verb (tr)

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
to make shorter or more condensed; reduce or abridge
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012