1. Act of decreasing in length
   "the dress needs shortening"
    
2. Fat such as butter or lard used in baked goods
   "The recipe called for vegetable shortening in the pie crust"

1. Make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration
   "He shortened his trip due to illness"
    
2. Make short or shorter
   "shorten the skirt"; "shorten the rope by a few inches"
    
3. Become short or shorter
   "In winter, the days shorten"
    
4. Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
   "The manuscript must be shortened";
   - abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, cut, contract, reduce
    
5. Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
   "shorten a novel";
   - bowdlerize, bowdlerise [Brit], expurgate, castrate

Derived forms: shortenings

Type of: alter, bring down, change, come down, cut, cut back, cut down, decrease, dent, diminish, diminution, edible fat, fall, go down, lessen, minify, modify, reduce, reduction, sink, step-down, trim, trim back, trim down

Antonym: lengthen

Encyclopedia: Shortening