to cut short is to shorten
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
"Cut short all intermission" (Macbeth, iv, 3). To cut it short (cp. AUDLEY) means to bring to an end what you are doing or saying.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to cut short is to shorten” mean?
"Cut short all intermission" (Macbeth, iv, 3). To cut it short (cp. AUDLEY) means to bring to an end what you are doing or saying.
Is “to cut short is to shorten” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.