shortcut

[ shawrt-kuht ]

/ ˈʃɔrtˌkʌt /

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See synonyms for shortcut on Thesaurus.com

noun

a shorter or quicker way.

a method, procedure, policy, etc., that reduces the time or energy needed to accomplish something.

Computers.

a link to a software application, file, or website, usually represented as a graphical icon that can be clicked on to quickly access or open it: You can create a desktop shortcut to a web page you've visited.
Also called keyboard shortcut . hotkey.

adjective

constituting or providing a shorter or quicker way: shortcut methods.

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Origin of shortcut

First recorded in 1560–70; short + cut

Other definitions for shortcut (2 of 2)

short-cut

[ shawrt-kuht ]

/ ˈʃɔrtˌkʌt /

verb (used with object), short-cut, short-cut·ting.

to cause to be shortened by the use of a shortcut.

verb (used without object), short-cut, short-cut·ting.

to use or take a shortcut.

Origin of short-cut

First recorded in 1560–70

OTHER WORDS FROM short-cut

short-cutter, noun

How to use shortcut in a sentence

As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In this cockamamie get-rich scheme, would they all issue an apology if he cut a check?
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The precision it took to craft such a cohesive, wholly compelling work over 12 years is nothing short of remarkable.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In short, fatherhood gets little attention in policy debates.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

But the qualities Mario Cuomo brought to public life—compassion, integrity, commitment to principle—remain in short supply today.
President Cuomo Would’ve Been a Lion|Jonathan Alter|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If the "Y" Beach lot press their advantage they may cut off the enemy troops on the toe of the Peninsula.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Sometimes the stems are quite bare; on other occasions they are partly branched; in any case the branches are short.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
Many of their cannon balls that fell far short of us, were collected and returned to them with powerful effect.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
He was tall and of familiar figure, and the firelight was playing in the tossed curls of his short, fair hair.
The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden
They are ovoid in shape, and lie in pairs, end to end, often forming short chains.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for shortcut

short cut

noun

a route that is shorter than the usual one

a means of saving time or effort

verb short-cut -cuts, -cutting or -cut

(intr) to use a short cut

Word Origin for short cut

C16: from cut (in the sense: a direct route)

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