short order

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noun

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

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Origin of short order

First recorded in 1890–95

Words nearby short order

short metre, Short money, short notice, on, short odds, short of, short order, short-range, short rate, short ribs, short-run, shorts

Other definitions for short order (2 of 2)

short-order

[ shawrt-awr-der ]

/ ˈʃɔrtˌɔr dər /

adjective

of, relating to, or specializing in short orders: a short-order cook; short-order diner.

performed or supplied quickly: They obtained a short-order divorce decree.

Origin of short-order

First recorded in 1900–05

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use short order in a sentence

Early in 2020, when we still had hope that the spread of Covid-19 would be suppressed in a few weeks or months and we’d be back to our lives in short order, film critics joked about what the 2021 Sundance Film Festival selection would be like.
4 new movies that explore — or predict — a year dominated by a pandemic|Alissa Wilkinson|February 5, 2021|Vox
In short order, he has already become a play caller worthy of the Super Bowl, a vital leader in a league that needs him.
Byron Leftwich is a rising star on a Bucs coaching staff that shows the power of diversity|Adam Kilgore|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
More discoveries in November 2019, January 2020, and April 2020 added up to at least five zero-day vulnerabilities being exploited from the same bug class in short order.
Google says it’s too easy for hackers to find new security flaws|Bobbie Johnson|February 3, 2021|MIT Technology Review
They used GIS to perform the biannual survey and census of homeless people, gathering details on the conditions and needs of 400 people in short order.
Envisioning better health outcomes for all|Jason Sparapani|January 26, 2021|MIT Technology Review

The company became a true industry disruptor in short order, and growth has been swift.
‘Brand tech’ company You & Mr. Jones adds $60M to its Series B|Anthony Ha|January 12, 2021|TechCrunch
In short order, as I counted noses, it became clear that the first Northern couple who would seize the floor would be my parents.
What That RNC Aide’s Equal Pay Blunder on MSNBC Says About Her Party|Michael Tomasky|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And after the epidemic burnt out in Reunion, it moved to India, where 1.25 million cases were seen in short order.
Chikungunya: The Mosquito-Borne Virus That Contorts Your Limbs|Kent Sepkowitz|March 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And in short order, they would fill every available position.
Republicans’ Unemployment Shame|Jamelle Bouie|December 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In short order, Limbaugh goes from complaining about the rule change to comparing it to rape.
Rush Compares Filibuster Reform to Rape, Proving Yet Again He Is America’s Worst Person|Jamelle Bouie|November 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In short order, the SEALs—played by Taylor Kitsch (of Friday Night Lights), Eric Bana, and others—are assembled for a mission.
First Look: 'Lone Survivor'|Jamelle Bouie|October 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If the Mounted Police are half as good man-hunters as they are said to be, they ought to round up that bunch in short order.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
The united forces of the boys, including the Warrens, made things comfortable for the new arrivals in short order.
The Rival Campers Afloat|Ruel Perley Smith
And yet, Wolden assures me that he can deliver this to you in short order.
Hunters Out of Space|Joseph Everidge Kelleam
But Grandma Sherwood couldn't get ready for six starving savages in such short order.
Marjorie's Busy Days|Carolyn Wells
No osteria or trattoria by the roadside, but will give you this on short order if you do not seek anything more substantial.
Italian Highways and Byways from a Motor Car|Francis Miltoun

British Dictionary definitions for short order

short order

noun

mainly US and Canadian

food that is easily and quickly prepared
(as modifier)short-order counter

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with short order

short order

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.