different between shorten vs plication

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

Etymology

From Middle French plicacion, and its source, Latin plicatio.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pl??ke??(?)n/

Noun

plication (countable and uncountable, plural plications)

1. (now chiefly biology, geology) An act of folding. [from 15th c.]
2. (now chiefly biology, geology) A fold or pleat. [from 18th c.]
   • 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society 2011, p. 96:

     But the recognition of nappes set out the research project: you need not simply throw up your hands in despair at perverse plications and ceaseless crenelations in the Alps.

3. (surgery) A surgical procedure in which a body part is strengthened or shortened by pulling together folds of excess material, and suturing them into place. [from 20th c.]

Synonyms

• plicature