shortening Definition

shorten
verb shortened, shortening

tr & intr
1. To make or become shorter.

Thesaurus: lessen, reduce, curtail, condense, abbreviate, abridge, summarize, abstract, trim, truncate; Antonym: extend, protract.
2. To make something seem short or to fall short.

Example: Those trousers shorten your legs
3. To make (pastry) crumbly, by adding butter, lard, etc.
4. naut.
To draw in (the sails).
5. cards.
Said of odds, etc: to make them shorten; to lower.

Etymology: 16c.

---

shortening
noun

1. Butter, lard or other fat used for making pastry more crumbly.

Etymology: 16c.