Extend vs Shorten - What's the difference?
extend | shorten |
To increase in extent.
To possess a certain extent.
To cause to increase in extent.
To cause to last for a longer period of time.
To straighten (a limb).
To bestow; to offer; to impart; to apply.
To increase in quantity by weakening or adulterating additions.
(UK, legal) To value, as lands taken by a writ of extent in satisfaction of a debt; to assign by writ of extent.
To make shorter; to abbreviate.
* 1877 , (Anna Sewell), (Black Beauty) Chapter 22[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Black_Beauty/22]
To become shorter.
To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
* Dryden
To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.
* Dryden
(nautical) To take in the slack of (a rope).
(nautical) To reduce (sail) by taking it in.
In lang=en terms the difference between extend and shorten
is that extend is to straighten (a limb) while shorten is to reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.As verbs the difference between extend and shorten
is that extend is to increase in extent while shorten is to make shorter; to abbreviate.extend
English
Verb
(en verb)- to extend sympathy to the suffering
- to extend liquors
Synonyms
* enlarge * expand * increase * lengthen * stretch * widenDerived terms
* extendible (adjective) * extensible (adjective) * extensive (adjective) * extension * extentAnagrams
*shorten
English
Verb
(en verb)- 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.
- Spoiled of his nose, and shortened of his ears.
- to shorten an allowance of food
- Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain.