Short has 29 different meanings across 6 categories:
the location on a baseball field where the shortstop is stationed
"The coach yelled from third base that we were leaving too much open space between second and short."
accidental contact between two points in an electric circuit that have a potential difference
"The technician realized the power surge was caused by a short when sparks flew from the damaged wire insulation near the fuse box."
A short circuit.
"The old wiring caused a short circuit and tripped the breaker again."
In plain English: A short is a person who has a very small height compared to other people.
"The short for that story is quite different from the full version."
cheat someone by not returning him enough money
"The cashier shorted me five cents on my change, so I had to ask for a refund."
create a short circuit in
"The old wiring began to spark and smoke because someone had accidentally created a short circuit by touching two exposed wires together."
To cause a short circuit in (something).
"The loose battery terminal sparked and instantly shorted the entire electrical system of his car."
In plain English: To short something means to cut it into smaller pieces or reduce its length.
"The video cuts are so short that you can't see what happens between them."
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
"a short life"
"a short flight"
"a short holiday"
"a short story"
"only a few short months"
(primarily spatial sense) having little length or lacking in length
"short skirts"
"short hair"
"the board was a foot short"
"a short toss"
of insufficient quantity to meet a need
"an inadequate income"
"a poor salary"
"money is short"
"on short rations"
"food is in short supply"
"short on experience"
"the jejune diets of the very poor"
not holding securities or commodities that one sells in expectation of a fall in prices
"a short sale"
"short in cotton"
of speech sounds or syllables of relatively short duration
"the English vowel sounds in `pat', `pet', `pit', `pot', putt' are short"
lacking foresight or scope
"a short view of the problem"
"shortsighted policies"
"shortsighted critics derided the plan"
"myopic thinking"
tending to crumble or break into flakes due to a large amount of shortening
"shortbread is a short crumbly cookie"
"a short flaky pie crust"
Having a small distance from one end or edge to another, either horizontally or vertically.
"The shelf is so short that I can barely fit my books on it without them falling off the sides."
In plain English: Short means having little length, height, or duration compared to something else.
Usage: Use this adjective when describing the physical length of an object rather than its height alone. It applies equally to horizontal distances like short roads and vertical ones like short curtains.
without possessing something at the time it is contractually sold
"he made his fortune by selling short just before the crash"
Abruptly, curtly, briefly.
"She cut her remarks short and left before anyone could ask a question."
In plain English: Short means being close to something or happening for only a brief time.
"They can walk short distances without getting tired."
Deficient in.
"The patient's blood test revealed a severe deficiency of vitamin D, so the doctor prescribed supplements to address the short levels found in his system."
A surname.
"My neighbor, who is famously short for his full name of Shorty, always greets me with a wave from across the street."
The word "short" comes from Old English, where it originally meant having a small length or duration. It traveled into modern English through Middle English while remaining closely related to words like "shirt" and "skirt."