different between shorten vs incur

English

Etymology

From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short +? -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English s?ortian (“to become short”), from Proto-Germanic *skurt?n? (“to shorten”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /????t?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /????t?n/

Verb

shorten (third-person singular simple present shortens, present participle shortening, simple past and past participle shortened)

1. (transitive) To make shorter; to abbreviate.
   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Chapter 22[1]

     York came round to our heads and shortened the rein himself, one hole I think; every little makes a difference, be it for better or worse, and that day we had a steep hill to go up.

2. (intransitive) To become shorter.
3. (transitive) To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).

   • Spoiled of his nose, and shorten'd of his ears.

4. (transitive) To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
5. (transitive) To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.

   to shorten an allowance of food

   • 1699, John Dryden, Dedication to His Grace the Duke of Ormond

     Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain.

   • 1858, George Borrow, The Romany Rye (volume 2, page 128)

     My grandfather, as I said before, was connected with a gang of shorters, and sometimes shortened money, […]

6. (nautical, transitive) To take in the slack of (a rope).
7. (nautical, transitive) To reduce (sail) by taking it in.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:shorten

Antonyms

• extend
• lengthen

Translations

Anagrams

• Herston, Hornets, Rhotens, Thorens, Thorsen, enhorts, hornets, snoreth, thrones

English

Alternative forms

• encur

Etymology

From Middle English incurren, from Anglo-Norman encurir, Middle French encourir, from Old French encorre, from Latin incurrere.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?n?k??/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?n?k?/
• Rhymes: -??(r)

Verb

incur (third-person singular simple present incurs, present participle incurring, simple past and past participle incurred)

1. (transitive) to bring upon oneself or expose oneself to, especially something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to become liable or subject to
   • 1891, Henry Graham Dakyns (translator), The works of Xenophon, "The Hellenica", Book 5, Chapter 3,

     [T]he master in his wrath may easily incur worse evil himself than he inflicts—[...]

   • 1910, Nicholas Machiavelli, translated by Ninian Hill Thomson, The Prince, Chapter XIX,

     And here it is to be noted that hatred is incurred as well on account of good actions as of bad;

   1. (chiefly law, accounting) to render somebody liable or subject to
      • 1861, Francis Colburn Adams, An Outcast, Chapter VII,

        The least neglect of duty will incur[...] the penalty of thirty-nine well laid on in the morning.

      • 1605, George Chapman, Ben Jonson and John Marston, Eastward Ho

        Lest you incur me much more damage in my fame than you have done me pleasure in preserving my life.

2. (obsolete, transitive) to enter or pass into
3. (obsolete, intransitive) to fall within a period or scope; to occur; to run into danger

Synonyms

• (to bring down or expose oneself to): encounter, contract (debts, etc.)
• (to render liable or subject to): occasion

Related terms

• incurrence
• incursion
• incursive

Translations

Anagrams

• Runic, runic