shortening

Definitions

A fat, such as butter, lard, or vegetable oil, used to make pastry or bread crumbly or flaky.

The act or process of making something shorter in length, duration, or extent.

A reduction in the amount or duration of something.

Examples

The recipe calls for a tablespoon of vegetable shortening to make the pie crust extra flaky.

The shortening of the work week has led to increased productivity among the employees.

She used shortening instead of butter to ensure the cookies maintained their shape in the oven.

Synonyms

abridgment reduction curtailment truncation compression contraction trimming

Antonyms

lengthening extension prolongation expansion increase augmentation stretching