Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - short

~1 adj »LENGTH/HEIGHT/DISTANCE« 1 measuring a small amount in distance or length  (a short corridor with two rooms on each side | a short skirt | It's a short drive from the airport. | Anita had her hair cut short.) 2 »PERSON« someone who is short is of less than average height  (a short plump woman) 3 be 3 feet/10 miles/2 metres short of to have not quite reached a place you are trying to get to  (Our car broke down two miles short of the town.) TIME 4 happening or continuing for only a little time or for less time than usual  (a short meeting | I'm afraid there will be a short delay. | Morris gave a short laugh. | I've only been living in Brisbane a short time. | Some people have short memories, don't they? | a short space of time)  (Both her parents died within a short space of time.) 5 at short notice BrE also on short notice AmE with very little warning that something is going to happen  (The party was arranged at very short notice. | I can't make it Friday. It's a bit short notice I'm afraid.) 6 in the short term during the period of time that is not very far into the future  (Interest rates are unlikely to fall in the short term.)  (- see also short­term) 7 in short order in a short time and without delay  (All the tents were put up in short order.) 8 make short work of informal to finish something quickly and easily, especially a meal or a job  (The kids made short work of the sandwiches.) 9 short and sweet spoken not taking a long time and less boring or unpleasant than you expected  (They won't listen to a long lecture, so just keep it short and sweet.) NOT ENOUGH 10 a) not having enough of something you need  (be short of)  (I'm a little short of money at the moment. | Your little girl's not short of confidence, is she? | be 5p/$10 etc short)  (Have you all paid me? I'm still about $9 short.) b) be short if time, money etc is short, there is not as much of it as you need  (Money was short in those days. We had to get by on $30 a week. | It'll be difficult - time and resources are short.) 11 be in short supply if something is in short supply, there is not enough of it available  (Gasoline was in short supply just after the war.) 12 be (a bit/rather) short BrE to not have much money  (Could you lend me -5? I'm a bit short tonight.) 13 be short on informal to have less of something than you should have  (Sometimes I think he's a little short on common sense.) 14 give sb short measure to give someone less than the correct amount of something, especially in a shop AMOUNT 15 just short of/a little short of etc not quite as much as; a little less than  (The total cost will be just short of $17 million. | Her time was only 2 seconds short of the world record.) BOOK/SPEECH ETC 16 a book, letter, speech etc that is short does not have many words or pages  (a short article on energy conservation)  (- see also short story) SHORT FORM OF 17 be short for to be a shorter way of saying a name  (Her name is Alex, short for Alexandra.) 18 for short as a shorter way of saying a name  (the Reformed Electoral System (or the RES for short)) PRONUNCIATION 19 technical a short vowel is pronounced quickly and without being emphasized  (/ae/, as in `cat', is a short vowel.) »OTHER MEANINGS« 20 be short with to speak to someone using very few words, in a way that seems rude or unfriendly  (Sorry I was short with you on the phone this morning - I was being hassled by the kids.) 21 give sb/sth short shrift to not give much attention or sympathy to someone  (Her suggestions were given short shrift by the chairman. | get short shrift)  (My warnings, as usual, got short shrift.) 22 have a short temper to get angry very easily 23 nothing/little short of used to emphasize that something is very good, very surprising etc  (Brigitte's recovery seemed nothing short of a miracle.) 24 draw/get the short straw to be given something difficult or unpleasant to do, especially when other people have been given something better 25 life's too short spoken used to say that something is too unimportant to worry about or spend time on - shortness n ~2 adv 1 be running short if you are running short of something, or if something is running short, it is being used up and there will soon not be enough left  (We're running short of coffee again. | Our supplies of beer were running short. | Let's go - time's running short.) 2 stop short to suddenly stop speaking or stop what you are doing, for example because something has surprised you or you have just thought of something 3 stop short of doing sth to almost do something but decide against actually doing it  (Paula stopped just short of accusing me of lying.) 4 pull/bring sb up short to make someone suddenly stop moving or stop what they are doing  (The sight of the gun in her hand pulled me up short.) 5 cut sb short to stop someone before they have finished speaking, by interrupting them  (I was halfway through my explanation when Walter cut me short.) 6 cut sth short to suddenly bring something to an end before it has properly finished  (His death at the age of 38 cut short a brilliant career.) 7 fall short of to be less than the result, level, or standard that you expect or to fail to achieve something you are hoping for  (The appeal for money has fallen well short of its target. | I'm afraid the results fell short of our expectations.) 8 go short (of) to have less food, money etc than you need  (She made sure that her children never went short.) 9 short of (doing) sth without actually doing something  (Short of locking her in her room, he couldn't really stop her from seeing Jack.) 10 be taken short/be caught short BrE informal to have a sudden strong need to go to the toilet ~3 n 1 in short used when you want to say, in just a few words, what is the most important point about a situation  (In short, he is a liar.) 2 shorts plural a) short trousers ending at or above the knees  (a pair of tennis shorts) b) especially AmE men's underpants 3 BrE informal a strong alcoholic drink, drunk in a small glass 4 informal a short film shown before the main film at a cinema 5 informal a short circuit  (a short in the system) ~4 v informal to short­circuit, or make something do this  (Maybe the battery has shorted.)