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shortening
WIKTIONARY
shortening
Noun
  • Solid fat, such as margarine, lard or butter, used to make shortcrust pastry. US, cooking
  • verbal noun of shorten
Verb
  • present participle of shorten
shorten
Verb
  • To make shorter; to abbreviate. transitive
  • To become shorter. intransitive
  • To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of). transitive
  • To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc. transitive
  • To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen. transitive
  • To take in the slack of (a rope). nautical, transitive
  • To reduce (sail) by taking it in. nautical, transitive