shorten

1. (transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate.Examples: "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."transitive

2. (intransitive) To become shorter.intransitive

3. (transitive) To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).Examples: "Spoiled of his nose, and shorten'd of his ears."transitive

4. (transitive) To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.transitive

5. (transitive) To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.Examples: "to shorten an allowance of food"; "Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain."; "My grandfather, as I said before, was connected with a gang of shorters, and sometimes shortened money, […]"transitive

6. (baking, of pastries, transitive) To make crumbly.Examples: "Corn flour makes delicious pie crust, and needs less lard to shorten it."transitive