English Lexicon

Shortening

/ˈʃɔːr.tən.ɪŋ/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A fat, such as butter or lard, used in baking to create a crumbly texture.

    "The recipe calls for shortening to ensure the cookies are soft and flaky."
  2. 2

    The act or process of making something shorter.

    "The shortening of the text made it easier to read."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)
Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'shortening' originates from the Middle English word 'shorten', derived from the Old English 'sceortian', which means to make short. The suffix '-ing' indicates the action or process of making something shorter, evolving in usage to refer specifically to fats used in baking that shorten the texture of baked goods.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Shortening"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Shortening"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Shortening" Synonym Map