shortening

noun

1. (US, countable, uncountable)Fat that is solid at room temperature, especially hydrogenated vegetable oil (known as vegetable shortening), used to make shortcrust pastry and in deep fat frying.
2. (countable, form-of, noun-from-verb, uncountable)verbal noun of shorten: the process by which something is made shorter; a reduction in length.

verb

1. (form-of, gerund, participle, present)present participle and gerund of shorten