From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short +‎ -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English sċortian (“to become short”), from Proto-Germanic *skurtōną (“to shorten”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɔːtn̩/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɔɹtn̩/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)tən

shorten (third-person singular simple present shortens, present participle shortening, simple past and past participle shortened)

1. (transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate.
   • [1877], Anna Sewell, “Earlshall”, in Black Beauty:[…], London: Jarrold and Sons,[…], →OCLC, part II, page 105:

     York came round to our heads and shortened the rein himself, one hole I think; every little makes a difference, be it for better or worse, and that day we had a steep hill to go up.

   • 1958 November, “The Why and the Wherefore: South Eastern & Chatham Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 809:

     The full title of the unified system, the South Eastern & London, Chatham & Dover Railways, was decidedly cumbersome, and for the sake of convenience was shortened to the South Eastern & Chatham Railway.

2. (intransitive) To become shorter.
3. (transitive) To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
   • 1697, Virgil, “Aeneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis.[…], London: […] Jacob Tonson,[…], →OCLC:

     Spoiled of his nose, and shorten'd of his ears.

4. (transitive) To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
5. (transitive) To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.

   to shorten an allowance of food

   • 1699, John Dryden, Dedication to His Grace the Duke of Ormond:

     Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain.

   • 1858, George Borrow, The Romany Rye, volume 2, page 128:

     My grandfather, as I said before, was connected with a gang of shorters, and sometimes shortened money, […]

6. (baking, of pastries, transitive) To make crumbly.
   • 1894, Helen M. Laughlin, The Journal of Agriculture Cook Book, Journal of Agriculture Co., page 212:

     Corn flour makes delicious pie crust, and needs less lard to shorten it.

7. (nautical, transitive) To take in the slack of (a rope).
8. (nautical, transitive) To reduce (sail) by taking it in.
9. (transitive, dated) to dress (a baby) in a short (rather than long) gown
   • 1917, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams:

     Anne and Leslie had another cry the next week when they shortened Little Jem. Anne felt the tragedy of it until evening when in his long nightie she found her own dear baby again.

   • 1921, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Rilla of Ingleside:

     In January Jims was five months old and Rilla celebrated the anniversary by shortening him.

• See also Thesaurus:shorten

• extend
• lengthen

• Herston, Hornets, Rhotens, Thorens, Thorsen, enhorts, hornets, snoreth, thrones