shortening

American  

[shawrt-ning, shawr-tn-ing] / ˈʃɔrt nɪŋ, ˈʃɔr tn ɪŋ /

noun

1. butter, lard, or other fat, used to make pastry, bread, etc., short.

2. Phonetics. the act, process, or an instance of making or becoming short.

3. Linguistics.

   1. the act or process of dropping one or more syllables from a word or phrase to form a shorter word with the same meaning, as in forming piano from pianoforte or phone from telephone.

   2. clipped form.

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shortening British  

/ ˈʃɔːtənɪŋ /

noun

1. butter, lard, or other fat, used in a dough, cake mixture, etc, to make the mixture short

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Etymology

Origin of shortening

First recorded in 1535–45; shorten + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The report also raised concerns about shortening the first meeting Universal Credit claimants have with a work coach from 50 to 30 minutes.

From BBC

Rain is forecast for Sunday's first day, possibly shortening the Test and limiting the impact spin could have.

From BBC

The NFL currently isn’t allowed to communicate with them from the Super Bowl to the middle of May, and it believes shortening that dead period could allow for more rules discussions and training.

From The Wall Street Journal

Because telomeres respond to environmental influences, including diet, the team explored whether moderate coffee intake might slow telomere shortening in individuals with serious mental health disorders.

From Science Daily

Here are 10 milestones in the evolution of office workers’ wardrobes, including the introduction of mass-produced suits, the shortening of skirts and the disappearance of hats.

From The Wall Street Journal