Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Derogatory A person who is short in stature.
  • noun Informal Something of less than usual size, length, or duration, such as a wetsuit that has short sleeves and legs that end above the knee.
  • adjective Of less than usual size, length, or duration.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun informal A short person.
  • noun informal A term of endearment for a child, younger sibling, shorter person, etc.
  • noun this sense?) (slang, hip-hop) An attractive young female, especially: a girl who is "down", who is counted among close male friends and sometimes loose sexually; or, one's "girl", one's "boo"; or, a girl that a male does not know but wishes to meet.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From short +‎ -y.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word shorty.

Examples

  • Then please do us the courtesy of going and watching Megan Fox straddle a motorcycle in shorty shorts again while giant robot topple a city.

    'New Moon' director Chris Weitz: 'This was made for the fans' | EW.com 2009

  • A suit with cut-off arms and legs is called a shorty and is good whenever maximum freedom of movement is needed.

    How To Buy & Sell just about Everything Jeff Wuorio 2003

  • A suit with cut-off arms and legs is called a shorty and is good whenever maximum freedom of movement is needed.

    How To Buy & Sell just about Everything Jeff Wuorio 2003

  • A suit with cut-off arms and legs is called a shorty and is good whenever maximum freedom of movement is needed.

    How To Buy & Sell just about Everything Jeff Wuorio 2003

  • She is also the VP of Watermargin and a writer for the Bully Pulpit; this sexy woman - a woman whose interests align with most women everywhere (whether its feminist advocacy or authentic Mexican food) - tells us that she's dedicated to her long-term shorty, Petunia Garcia.

    Stories from The Sun 2009

  • I guess when you start getting facial hair, because I'm still called a shorty and I'm 18.

    Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago 1997

  • Mr. JONES: I'm still called a shorty because I'm 18.

    Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago 1997

  • In a part of the world where people's physical traits are often the basis for nicknames - even unflattering ones like "fatty" or "shorty" - "veinticuatro" "twenty-four" in English is not an insult but rather a term of endearment, and Hernandez, now 37, said his uniqueness has made him a popular guy.

    SFGate: Top News Stories By FERNANDO GONZALEZ 2011

  • In case you did not come from the inner city like I did and do not understand what those lyrics mean, A shorty is a baby.

    unknown title 2009

  • In case you did not come from the inner city like I did and do not understand what those lyrics mean, A shorty is a baby.

    unknown title 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.