short order

¹ American  

noun

1. a dish or serving of food that is quickly prepared upon request at a lunch counter.

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short-order ² American  

[shawrt-awr-der] / ˈʃɔrtˌɔr dər /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or specializing in short orders.

   a short-order cook; short-order diner.

2. performed or supplied quickly.

   They obtained a short-order divorce decree.

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short order British  

noun

1. 1. food that is easily and quickly prepared

   2. ( as modifier )

      short-order counter

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short order Idioms  

1. Quickly; see in short order .

2. An order of food to be prepared and served quickly, as in It's just a diner, serving short orders exclusively . This expression, dating from about 1890, gave rise to the adjective short-order , used not only in short-order cook , a cook specializing in short orders, but in other terms such as short-order divorce , a divorce quickly obtained owing to liberal divorce laws.

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Etymology

Origin of short order¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Origin of short-order¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

In short order, the story of Mary Ann Patten becomes a sensation in San Francisco, then in New York, then internationally.

From The Wall Street Journal

The brain of a self-driving car is constantly updated and refined; it will learn to coordinate seamlessly with other drivers, human and AI, in short order.

From The Wall Street Journal

“In short order the warren of oddly shaped rooms in the carriage house became spaces for lectures, workshops, and impromptu performances,” Mr. Gennari writes.

From The Wall Street Journal

In short order they found the gymnasium by following the scent of gym shoes.

From Literature

In short order, the Salomon Brothers trading floor gave birth to small markets in bonds funded by all sorts of strange stuff: credit card receivables, aircraft leases, auto loans, health club dues.

From Literature