Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Shŏrt, a. p. 1222Not long; having brief length or linear extension; as, a short distance; a short ferry; a short flight; a short piece of timber. The bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it. Isa.…Shôrt, n. p. 1222A summary account; as, the short of the matter. The short and the long is our play is preferred. Shak. 2. (pl.) The part of ground grain sifted out which is next finer than the bran, “The first…Shôrt, adv. p. 1222In a short manner, as briefly, limitedly, abruptly, suddenly, and the like; as, to stop short; to turn short. The lance broke short. Dryden. To sell short, (Stock Exchange), to sell, for future…Shôrt, v. t. p. 1222To shorten; to make shorter. [Obs.]Shôrt, v. i. p. 1222To fail; to decrease. [Obs.]Shôrt'-brĕathed, a. p. 1222Having short breath, or quick respiration. 2. Having short life.Shôrt'-cāke, n. p. 1222A soft and friable cake, in which butter or lard has been mixed with the flour.Short'-cōm'ing, n. p. 1222The act of failing or coming short; as, (a.) The failure of a crop, or the like. (b.) Neglect of, or failure in, performance of duty.Shôrt'-dāt'ed, a. p. 1222Having little time to run from the date. “Thy short-dated life.” Sandys.Shôrt'-drawn, a. p. 1222Being of short breathing; imperfectly inspired, as breath.Short’en, v. t. p. 1222To make short in measure, extent, or time; as, to shorten distance; to shorten a road; to shorten days of calamity. 2. To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen; to abridge; to…Short'en, v. i. p. 1222To become short or shorter; as, the day shortens in northern latitudes from June to December. 2. To contract; as, a cord shortens by being wet; a metallic rod shortens by cold.Shôrt'en-er, n. p. 1222One who, or that which, shortens.Short'en-ing, n. p. 1222A making or becoming short or shorter. 2. (Cookery.) That which renders pastry short or friable, as butter or lard.Short'-hānd, n. p. 1222A compendious method of writing by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols, for words; short writing: stenography; brachygraphy. [See Illust. under PHONOGRAPHY.]Shŏrt'-hĕad, n. p. 1222A sucking whale less than one year old;—so called by sailors. Simmonds.Shôrt'-joint'ed, a. p. 1222Having short intervals between the joints;—said of a plant, and especially of a horse, when the pastern is too short.Short'-lived, a. p. 1222Not living or lasting long; being of short continuance; as, a short-lived race of beings; short-lived pleasure; short-lived passion.Shōrt'ly, adv. p. 1222In a short or brief time or manner. I shall grow jealous of you shortly. Shak. The armies came shortly in view of each other. Clarendon. 2. In few words; briefly; as, to express ideas more shortly in…Short'ness, n. p. 1222The quality of being short; brevity; conciseness; want of reach or extension; limited extent; deficiency; as, the shortness of a journey, or of distance; the shortness of the days in winter; the…Shôrt'-sight, n. p. 1222Short-sightedness.Short'-sight'ed, a. p. 1222Not able to see far; near-sighted; myopic. 2. Not able to look far into futurity; not able to understand things deep or remote; of limited intellect. 3. Having little regard for the future; heedless.Short'-sight/ed-ness, n. p. 1222A defect in vision, consisting in the inability to see things at a distance, or at the distance to which the sight ordinarily extends; myopy. 2. Defective or limited intellectual sight; inability to…Short'-spōk'en, a. p. 1222Speaking in a quick or short manner; uttering short, sharp sentences; hence, gruff. [Colloq.]Shŏrt'-wāist'ed, a. p. 1223Having a short waist; short from the armpits to the waist, or that part of the body just above the hips; — said of persons. 2. Short from the shoulder to the commencement of the skirt, to the part…Shōrt'-wind'ed, a. p. 1223Affected with shortness of breath; having a quick respiration, as dyspnœic and asthmatic persons. May.Shôrt'-wĭt/ted, a. p. 1223Having little wit; not wise; of scanty intellect or judgment. Hales.Shōr'y, a. p. 1223Lying near the shore or coast. [Obs.]Shŏt, imp. & p. p. p. 1223of shoot. See SHOOT.Shŏt, n. p. 1223The act of shooting; discharge of a missile weapon. He caused twenty shot of his greatest cannon to be made at the king’s army. Clarendon. 2. A missile weapon, particularly a ball or bullet…Shōt, n. p. 1223Share or proportion; reckoning; scot. Here no shots are where all sharers be. Chapman. A man is never welcome to a place, till some certain shot be paid, and the hostess say, Welcome. Shak.Shŏt, v. t. p. 1223To load with shot over a cartridge; as, to shot the guns. Totten.Shōt'-bēlt, n. p. 1223A belt having a pouch for carrying shot.Shōt'-bēlt'ed, a. p. 1223Wearing a belt carrying shot.Shōt'-elŏg, n. p. 1223A person tolerated because he paid the shot for the rest of the company, otherwise a mere clog on them. “Thou common shot-clog, gull of all companies.” Chapman.Shōte, n. p. 1223<br>1. A fish resembling the trout. Carew.<br>2. [Also written shoot. See SHOOT, n., 4.] A young hog; a shoat.Shōt'-free, a. p. 1223Not to be injured by shot. [Obs.] 2. Free from charge; exempted from any share of expense; scot-free. Shak. 3. Unpunished. [Obs.]Shŏt'-gār'land, n. p. 1223(Naut.) A wooden frame to contain shot, secured to the coverings and ledges round the hatchways of a ship.Shŏt'-gāuge, n. p. 1223An instrument for measuring the diameter of round shot. Totten.Shŏt'-hōle, n. p. 1223A hole made by a shot or bullet discharged.Shŏt'-lŏck'er, n. p. 1223(Naut.) A strongly framed compartment in the hold of a vessel, for containing shot.Shŏt'-prŏp, n. p. 1223(Naut.) A wooden prop covered with tarred hemp, to stop a hole made by the shot of an enemy in a ship's side.Shōts, n. pl. p. 1223The refuse of cattle taken from a drove. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.Shŏt'ten, a. p. 1223Having ejected the spawn. Shak. 2. Having been shot out, as into angles or nooks;—used in composition. [Obs. and rare.] Shak. 3. Shot out of its socket; dislocated, as a bone.Shotten herring p. 1223a gutted herring dried for keeping; hence, a mean, meager fellow. Shak.Shŏt'-tow'er, n. p. 1223A lofty tower for making shot, by dropping from its summit melted lead, which cools in the descent, and is received into water or other liquid.Shŏt'-win'dōw, n. p. 1223A window projecting from the wall. Wright. ☞ Ritson, quoted by Halliwell, explains it as a window that opens and shuts; and Wodrow describes it as a window of shutters made of timber and a few inches…Shough, n. p. 1223A kind of shaggy dog; a shock. [Obs.] See SHOCK.Shough, interj. p. 1223Shoo or shu. See SHOO.Should, imp. p. 1223of shall. See SHALL. [O. Eng. sholde, shulde, A-S. scolde, sceolde. See SHALL.] Used as an auxiliary verb, either in the past time or conditional present. Syn. — Ought. See OUGHT. — For the…Shōul'der, n. p. 1223(Anat.) The joint by which the arm of a human being, or the fore leg of a quadruped, is connected with the body; the projection formed by the bones and the muscles about that joint, at the base of…Shōul'der, v. t. p. 1223To push or thrust with the shoulder; to push with violence. “As they the earth would shoulder from her seat.” Spenser. Around her numberless the rabble flowed, Shouldering each other, crowding for a…Shōul'der-bēlt, n. p. 1223A belt that passes across the shoulder.Shōul'der-blāde, n. p. 1223(Anat.) The flat bone of the shoulder, or blade-bone, which, in man and mammals, is broad and triangular; the scapula; omoplate.Shōul’der-blŏck, n. p. 1223(Naut.) A large single block left almost square at the upper end, and cut sloping in the direction of the sheave.Shōul'der-clāp'per, n. p. 1223One who claps another on the shoulder, or who uses great familiarity. [Obs.] Shak.Shōul'der-knŏt, n. p. 1223An ornamental knot of ribbon or lace, worn on the shoulder; a kind of epaulet.Shōul'der-shŏt'ten, a. p. 1223Strained in the shoulder, as a horse.Shōul'der-slip, n. p. 1223Dislocation of the shoulder, or of the humerus. Swift.Shōul'der-strāp, n. p. 1223A strap worn on or over the shoulder; specifically (Mil. & Naval), a narrow strap worn on the shoulder of a commissioned officer, indicating, by a suitable device, the rank he holds in the service.