short-order

¹

[shawrt-awr-der]

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.

short order

²

noun

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

short order

noun

1. 1. food that is easily and quickly prepared

   2. ( as modifier )

      short-order counter

Word History and Origins

Origin of short-order¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Origin of short-order²

First recorded in 1890–95

Idioms and Phrases

Quickly; see in short order .

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.

Example Sentences

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

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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.

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So the idea that companies are all going to double their sales, doubling real GDP per capita, in short order, is a nonstarter.

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Here comes CBS, like an old-school TV network — which, it is, after all — premiering its new and returning shows in short order like a real fall season.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Many customers defaulted in short order, resulting in cars being repossessed, which Tricolor then resold.

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