Shortening: meaning, definitions and examples

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shortening

[ ˈʃɔːtənɪŋ ]

^{Context #1}

abbreviation

The act of making something shorter or more concise.

Synonyms

abbreviation, compression, condensation

Examples of usage

The shortening of the document saved a lot of time in the meeting.
The shortening of the URL made it easier to share online.

^{Context #2}

cooking

A type of solid fat used in baking to make pastries flaky.

Synonyms

butter, fat, lard

Examples of usage

The recipe calls for a cup of shortening for the pie crust.
Butter can be used as a substitute for shortening in some recipes.

^{Context #3}

cooking

The process of making a dough or pastry mixture crumbly by rubbing in fat.

Synonyms

combine, crumble, rub in

Examples of usage

Shortening the dough before baking will result in a flaky texture.
Make sure to properly shorten the pastry mixture for the best results.

Translations

Translations of the word "shortening" in other languages:

🇵🇹 encurtamento

🇮🇳 संक्षिप्तीकरण

🇩🇪 Verkürzung

🇮🇩 pemendekan

🇺🇦 скорочення

🇵🇱 skrócenie

🇯🇵 短縮

🇫🇷 raccourcissement

🇪🇸 acortamiento

🇹🇷 kısaltma

🇰🇷 단축

🇸🇦 اختصار

🇨🇿 zkrácení

🇸🇰 skrátenie

🇨🇳 缩短

🇸🇮 skrajšanje

🇮🇸 stytting

🇰🇿 қысқарту

🇬🇪 შემოკლება

🇦🇿 qısaldılması

🇲🇽 acortamiento

Word origin

The word 'shortening' has its origins in the Middle English word 'shorten', which comes from the Old English word 'sceortian'. The term has been used since the 14th century to refer to the act of making something shorter or more concise. In the context of cooking, 'shortening' first appeared in the early 19th century to describe a type of solid fat used in baking.