shortcut

American  

[shawrt-kuht] / ˈʃɔrtˌkʌt /

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.

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adjective

1. constituting or providing a shorter or quicker way.

   shortcut methods.

Etymology

Origin of shortcut

First recorded in 1560–70; short + cut

Example Sentences

This isn’t the first time that someone has tried to use AI as a shortcut, with parlous consequences.

From Los Angeles Times

Unified instructor who said teachers can tell when a student’s work is original or is not and try to steer them clear of shortcuts and plagiarism.

From Los Angeles Times

As a shortcut, I believe only the negative ones.

From The Wall Street Journal

He agrees that influencers promising a shortcut to success and a way to "get out of the Matrix" can seem appealing to people who think they've "got no other choice".

From BBC

It adds a concentrated, woodsy bass note that reads as “expensive” rather than “shortcut.”

From Salon