• vt. 缩短；减少；变短
• vi. 缩短；变短

来自 short,短的，-en,使。

shorten (v.)

1510s, "make shorter;" 1560s, "grow shorter," from short (adj.) + -en (1); the earlier form of the verb was simply short, from Old English sceortian "to grow short, become short; run short, fail," gescyrtan "to make short."

1. As they shorten, cells become more prone to disease and death.

细胞变小后就会更容易感染疾病，也更容易死亡。

来自柯林斯例句

2. Her father paid £1,000 for an operation to shorten her nose.

她父亲花了1,000英镑给她做了削鼻手术。

来自柯林斯例句

3. When the days shorten in winter some people suffer depression.

冬季天短，有些人会变得抑郁消沉。

来自柯林斯例句

4. Injury problems could shorten his career.

受伤的问题有可能缩短他的职业生涯。

来自《权威词典》

5. Minor accidents can shorten the life of a car.

小事故会缩短汽车寿命.

来自《现代汉英综合大词典》