SHORT, adjective [Latin curtus.]

1. Not long; not having great length or extension; as a short distance; a short ferry; a short flight; a short piece of timber.

The bed is shorter than a man can stretch himself on it. Isaiah 28:20.

2. Not extended in time; not of long duration.

The triumphing of the wicked is short. Job 20:5.

3. Not of usual or suffifient length, reach or extent.

Weak though I am of limb, and short of sight. Pope.

4. Not of long duration; repeated at small intervals of time; as short breath.

5. Not of adequate extent or quantity; not reaching the point demanded, desired or expected; as a quantity short of our expectations.

Not therefore am I short

Of knowing what I ought. Milton.

6. Deficient; defective; imperfect. This account is short of the truth.

7. Not adequate; insufficient; scanty; as, provisions are short; a short allowance of water for the voyage.

8. Not sufficiently supplied; scantily furnished.

the English were inferior in number, and grew short in their provisions.

Hayward.

9. Not far distant in time; future.

He commanded those who were appointed to attend him, to be ready by a short day. Clarendon.

10. Not fetching a compass; as in the phrase, to turn short.

11. Not going to the point intended; as, to stop short.

12. Defective in quantity; as sheep short of their wool.

13. Narrow; limited; not extended; not large or comprehensive.

Their own short understandings reach

No farther than the present. Rowe.

14. Brittle; friable; breaking all at once without splinters or shatters; as marl so short that it cannot be wrought into a ball.

15. Not bending.

The lance broke short. Dryden.

16. Abrupt; brief; pointed; petulant; severe. I asked him a question, to which he gave a short answer.

To be short, to be scantily supplied; as, to be short of bread or water.

To come short, to fail; not to do what is demanded or expected, or what is necessary for the purpose; applied to persons. We all come short of perfect obedience to God's will.

2. Not to reach or obtain.

3. To fail; to be insufficient. Provisions come short.

To cut short, to abridge; to contract; to make to small or defective; also, ot destroy or consume.

To fall short, to fail; to be inadequate or scanty; as, provisions fall short; money falls short.

2. To fail; not to do or accomplish; as, to fall short on duty.

3. To be less. The measure falls short of the estimate.

To stop short, to stop at once; also, to stop without reaching the point intended.

To turn short, to turn on the spot occupied; to turn without making a compass.

For turning short he struck with all his might. Dryden.

To be taken short, to be seized with urgent necessity.

In short, a few words; briefly; to sum up or close in a few words.

SHORT, noun A summary account; as the short of the matter.

The short and long in our play is preferred. Shak.

SHORT, adverb Not long; as short-enduring joy; a short-breathed man.

In connection with verbs, short is a modifying word, or used adverbially; as, to come short, etc.

SHORT, verb transitive

1. To shorten.

2. verb intransitive To fail; to decrease. [Not in use.]