shortcut

[shawrt-kuht]

noun

1. a shorter or quicker way.

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

3. Computers.

   1. 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.

   2. Also called keyboard shortcut. hotkey.

adjective

1. constituting or providing a shorter or quicker way.

   shortcut methods.

Word History and Origins

Origin of shortcut¹

First recorded in 1560–70; short + cut

Example Sentences

He recalls a race in Arkansas in 2023 where he caught racers taking a shortcut specifically against the rules and forced them to return to the official course.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"In cardamom, there's no shortcut. You can't automate everything. It's one of those crops that needs both science and soul."

Read more on BBC

It didn’t fit with his zeal for living or his disdain for shortcuts.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Woo might be faster than me, but five years of annoying Autumn means I know where the shortcuts are.

Read more on Literature

This year, the Nova Scotia resident has avoided even passing through the US on her way to Ontario, a shortcut for an otherwise 18-hour drive.

Read more on BBC