Shorten vs Overshorten - What's the difference?
shorten | overshorten |
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.
To shorten too much; make excessively or inappropriately short.
* 1936 , Harold Vincent Marrot (editor), The Life and Letters of John Galsworthy ,
In lang=en terms the difference between shorten and overshorten
is that shorten is to reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen while overshorten is to shorten too much; make excessively or inappropriately short.As verbs the difference between shorten and overshorten
is that shorten is to make shorter; to abbreviate while overshorten is to shorten too much; make excessively or inappropriately short.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.
Synonyms
* See also .Antonyms
* lengthenAnagrams
* * English ergative verbsovershorten
English
Verb
(en verb)page 696(second, revised edition; Heinemann)
- This plant has only a certain capacity for daylight, and to overshorten the nights would injure it.