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

That shortcut should be reserved for situations where there is no observable transaction between a willing buyer and a willing seller.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

For more than 40 years, train passengers arriving into Aberdeen looking for a shortcut into the city centre have faced a notoriously tiring 32-step climb.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

What emerges isn’t a shortcut so much as a shift in architecture.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

You probably know it already — you’ve seen oil pumpjacks laboring away in nutty places, like on the La Cienega Boulevard shortcut through Baldwin Hills to the airport.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

As soon as Lorena disappears down the shortcut path through the hibiscus hedge, Mami calls out, “Coast is clear!”

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez