shortening

noun

short·​en·​ing ˈshȯrt-niŋ 

ˈshȯr-tᵊn-iŋ

1

: the action or process of making or becoming short

specifically : the dropping of the latter part of a word so as to produce a new and shorter word of the same meaning

2

: an edible fat used to shorten baked goods

Examples of shortening in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Melt 1 1/2 cups shortening and 3/4 cup nut butter and mix with the dry ingredients. —Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Dec. 2024

Kimball started tinkering with a basic snickerdoodle recipe that traditionally starts with sugar, butter, shortening, eggs, vanilla and cream of tartar. —Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 4 Dec. 2024

Speaking of chaos, last year’s street race at Chicago was definitely that, with rain delays, wet streets, plenty of crashes and a last-minute shortening of the race due to the sun setting. —Jeff Gluck, The Athletic, 3 July 2024

After covering the pans with shortening and preheating the oven, Manganello began mixing up his cake using the small, colorful utensils that came with the Easy-Bake. —Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shortening

noun

short·​en·​ing

ˈshȯrt-niŋ,

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: a making or becoming short or shorter

2

: a fat (as butter or lard) used in baking especially to make pastry flaky or crumbly