shortenest

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate.
   • 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.[1877], Anna Sewell, “Earlshall”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part II, page 105
2. (intransitive) To become shorter.
3. (transitive) To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
   • Spoiled of his nose, and shorten'd of his ears.1697, Virgil, “Aeneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC
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
6. (transitive) To make crumbly.
   • Corn flour makes delicious pie crust, and needs less lard to shorten it.1894, Helen M. Laughlin, The Journal of Agriculture Cook Book, Journal of Agriculture Co., page 212

See all 10 meanings of shorten