sho rt-haul ADJ [ADJ n] Short-haul is used to describe things that involve transporting passengers or goods over short distances. Compare long-haul . □ Short-haul flights operate from Heathrow and Gatwick.
short|ish /ʃɔː r t I ʃ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Shortish means fairly short. □ …a shortish man, with graying hair.
short|list /ʃɔː r tl I st/ (shortlists , shortlisting , shortlisted ) The spelling short list is used in American English and sometimes in British English for the noun. 1 N‑COUNT If someone is on a shortlist , for example for a job or a prize, they are one of a small group of people who have been chosen from a larger group. The successful person is then chosen from the small group. □ [+ of ] If you've been asked for an interview you are probably on a shortlist of no more than six.
2 VERB [usu passive] If someone or something is shortlisted for a job or a prize, they are put on a shortlist. [mainly BRIT ] □ [be V -ed + for ] He was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize for literature several times. [Also be V -ed + as ]
sho rt-li ved ADJ Something that is short-lived does not last very long. □ Any hope that the speech would end the war was short-lived.
short|ly ◆◇◇ /ʃɔː r tli/ ADV [ADV with v, ADV adv] If something happens shortly after or before something else, it happens not long after or before it. If something is going to happen shortly , it is going to happen soon. □ Their trial will shortly begin. □ The work will be completed very shortly. □ [+ after ] Shortly after moving into her apartment, she found a job. [Also + before ]
sho rt me s|sage sy s|tem (short message systems ) also short message service N‑COUNT A short message system is a way of sending short written messages from one mobile phone to another. The abbreviation SMS is also used.
sho rt-ra nge ADJ [ADJ n] Short-range weapons or missiles are designed to be fired across short distances.
sho rt-si ghted also shortsighted
1 ADJ If you are short-sighted , you cannot see things properly when they are far away, because there is something wrong with your eyes. [mainly BRIT ] □ Testing showed her to be very short-sighted. in AM, usually use near-sighted ● short-sightedness N‑UNCOUNT □ Radical eye surgery promises to cure short-sightedness.
2 ADJ If someone is short-sighted about something, or if their ideas are short-sighted , they do not make proper or careful judgments about the future. □ Environmentalists fear that this is a short-sighted approach to the problem of global warming. ● short-sightedness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] The government now recognises the short-sightedness of this approach.
sho rt-sta ffed ADJ A company or place that is short-staffed does not have enough people working there. [mainly BRIT ] □ The hospital is desperately short-staffed. in AM, use short-handed
short|stop /ʃɔː r tstɒp/ (shortstops ) N‑COUNT In baseball, a shortstop is a player who tries to stop balls that go between second and third base.
sho rt sto |ry (short stories ) N‑COUNT A short story is a written story about imaginary events that is only a few pages long. □ He published a collection of short stories.
sho rt-te mpered ADJ Someone who is short-tempered gets angry very quickly. □ I'm a bit short-tempered sometimes.
sho rt-term ◆◇◇ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Short-term is used to describe things that will last for a short time, or things that will have an effect soon rather than in the distant future. □ Investors weren't concerned about short-term profits over the next few years. □ This is a cynical manipulation of the situation for short-term political gain. □ The company has 90 staff, almost all on short-term contracts.
sho rt-te rmism N‑UNCOUNT If you accuse people of short-termism , you mean that they make decisions that produce benefits now or soon, rather than making better decisions that will produce benefits in the future. [DISAPPROVAL ]
sho rt-time → see short ➊
sho rt-wave also short wave , shortwave N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Short-wave is a range of short radio wavelengths used for broadcasting. □ I use the short-wave radio to get the latest war news.
shot ◆◆◇ /ʃɒ t/ (shots )
1 Shot is the past tense and past participle of shoot .
2 N‑COUNT A shot is an act of firing a gun. □ He had murdered Perceval at point blank range with a single shot. □ They fired a volley of shots at the target.
3 N‑COUNT [adj N ] Someone who is a good shot can shoot well. Someone who is a bad shot cannot shoot well. □ He was not a particularly good shot because of his eyesight.
4 N‑COUNT In sports such as football, golf, or tennis, a shot is an act of kicking, hitting, or throwing the ball, especially in an attempt to score a point. □ [+ at ] He had only one shot at goal.
5 N‑COUNT A shot is a photograph or a particular sequence of pictures in a film. □ [+ of ] …a shot of a fox peering from the bushes.
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you have a shot at something, you attempt to do it. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ at ] The heavyweight champion will be given a shot at Holyfield's world title.
7 N‑COUNT A shot of a drug is an injection of it. □ [+ of ] He administered a shot of Nembutal.
8 N‑COUNT A shot of a strong alcoholic drink is a small glass of it. [AM ] □ [+ of ] …a shot of vodka.