The difference between Curtail and Shorten
When used as verbs, curtail means to cut short the tail of an animal, whereas shorten means to make shorter.
Curtail is also noun with the meaning: a scroll termination, as of a step, etc.
check bellow for the other definitions of Curtail and Shorten
-
Curtail as a verb (transitive, obsolete):
To cut short the tail of an animal
Examples:
"Curtailing horses procured long horse-hair."
-
Curtail as a verb (transitive):
To shorten or abridge the duration of something; to truncate.
Examples:
"When the audience grew restless, the speaker curtailed her speech."
-
Curtail as a verb (transitive, figuratively):
To limit or restrict, keep in check.
-
Curtail as a noun (architecture):
A scroll termination, as of a step, etc.
-
Shorten as a verb (transitive):
To make shorter; to abbreviate.
-
Shorten as a verb (intransitive):
To become shorter.
-
Shorten as a verb (transitive):
To make deficient (as to); to deprive (of).
-
Shorten as a verb (transitive):
To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, etc.
-
Shorten as a verb (transitive):
To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen.
Examples:
"to shorten an allowance of food"
-
Shorten as a verb (nautical, transitive):
To take in the slack of (a rope).
-
Shorten as a verb (nautical, transitive):
To reduce (sail) by taking it in.