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riting by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols, for letters, words, etc.; short writing; stenography. See Illust. under Phonography.

A sucking whale less than one year old; -- so called by sailors.

One of a breed of large, heavy domestic cattle having short horns. The breed was developed in England.

In a short or brief time or manner; soon; quickly. Chaucer. I shall grow jealous of you shortly. Shak. The armies came shortly in view of each other. Clarendon.

The quality or state of being short; want of reach or extension; brevity; deficiency; as, the shortness of a journey; the shortness of the days in winter; the shortness of an essay; the shortness of the memory; a shortness of provisions; shortness of breath.

Having little regard for the future; heedless. -- Short"sight`ed*ly, adv. -- Short"sight`ed*ness, n. Cunning is a kind of shortsightedness. Addison.

The player stationed in the field bewtween the second and third bases.

Any one of several species of small wrenlike Asiatic birds having short wings and a short tail. They belong to Brachypterix, Callene, and allied genera.

A plant of the genus Coronilla (C. scorpioides); -- so named from its curved pods.

See Calceolaria.

A European herbaceous plant (Achillea Ptarmica) allied to the yarrow, having a strong, pungent smell.

To snore. [R.] "The snorting citizens." Shak.

One who snorts.

A common plant (Saponaria officinalis) of the Pink family; -- so called because its bruised leaves, when agitated in water, produce a lather like that from soap. Called also Bouncing Bet.

Chance; lot; destiny. [Obs.] By aventure, or sort, or cas [chance]. Chaucer. Let blockish Ajax draw The sort to fight with Hector. Shak.

Capable of being sorted.

Suitable. [Obs.] otgrave.

Pertaining to a sort. [Obs.] Locke.

Suitableness; agreement. [Obs.] hak.

One who, or that which, sorts.