short-time

English

Etymology

From short time.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

short-time (comparative more short-time, superlative most short-time)

1. Lasting a short time; of short duration.
   • 1913 September, Meyer Jacobstein, “Farm Credit in a Northwestern State”, in The American Economic Review, volume 3, page 601:

     The average rate on short-time loans, based on these bank reports, is 10.75 per cent.

   • 1914, “Editorials”, in Holstein-Friesian World, volume 11, page 546:

     The hue and cry against the short-time test was started by breed competitors and was largely a matter of sour grapes, and breeders who listen to this cry are simply playing into the hands of their enemies. Whatever valid objections there ever may have been to the short-time test made early in the period of lactation has been met and entirely counteracted by the short-time test made eight months after calving.

   • 1915, American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Legal Department, Commission Leaflet, page 526:

     It will be a reasonable requirement to insist that short-time users pay their charges in advance and that unless paid in advance before the tenth of the month the company may discontinue service.

   • 2007, Andrei A. Znamenski, The Beauty of the Primitive: Shamanism and Western Imagination:

     To many contemporary observers, especially to those who were short-time visitors, the bizarre bodily movements and ritual manipulations of the native spiritual practitioners were little different from arctic hysteria.

2. Occurring with a short time of a specific event.
   • 1952, Technical Note - National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics:

     In this higher approximation to the short-time effects, the shock is no longer stationary or trapped unless it is supported by a negative steady-flow back pressure;

   • 1957, Robert William March, Elsie Ruth de Noyer Anderson, Jack Eldon Klein, Analysis of Short-time Changes in the Price of Butter at Chicago, page 2:

     The degree to which short-time changes in price are associated with short-time changes in supply of and demand for butter provides some basis for appraising the pricing system.

   • 1998, Richard Bucher Sowers, Short-Time Geometry of Random Heat Kernels, page 6:

     To borrow some terminology from statistical physics, we are interested here in the “quenched” short-time behavior of p_y, as opposed to its "annealed" behavior.

   • 2017, Cang Hui, David M. Richardson, Invasion Dynamics:

     Lines represent short-time trajectories with travelling time T < 14 days.

3. Pertaining to work that has been short-timed.
   • 1984, Ramelle MaCoy, Martin J. Morand, Short-time Compensation: A Formula for Work Sharing, page 206:

     The short-time weekly benefit amount shall be the product of the regular weekly unemployment compensation amount multiplied by the percentage of reduction of at least 10 percent in the individual's usual weekly hours of work.

   • 1987, Esther R. Johnson, Short-time Compensation: A Handbook of Basic Source Material, page 16:

     He is nevertheless entitled to the short-time weekly benefit amount of $30.00 regardless of the partial benefit provisions.

   • 2010, Bob Hart, Working Time and Employment:

     In several European countries short-time working is effectively subsidized by the government in those individual firm cases where it can be shown that adverse economic conditions require a substantial reduction in the working time of existing employees in order fo the firm to remain viable.

Verb

short-time (third-person singular simple present short-times, present participle short-timing, simple past and past participle short-timed)

1. (transitive, human resources) To reduce the amount of workhours in a given time period.
   • 1962, I.U.D. Bulletin - Volume 7, page 13:

     The United Steelworkers have estimated that some 40,000 workers have been laid off and that many more have been short-timed.

   • 1989, Ellen Smith, Memories of a Country Girlhood, page 122:

     I had been there six months when a lot of workers were short-timed.

   • 2012, William S. Burroughs, Nova Express:

     Man, we been short-timed?

2. (Vietnam, prostitution) To hire or be hired as a sex worker for the time period that ends when ejaculation is reached.
   • 2011, Herbie R. Taylor, A Boy from Barnhart: Times Remembered, page 316:

     A freelance prostitute who was named the Indian Princess for the Indian costume she wore was a legend in Tong Du Chon. This young lady only “short-timed” officers generally in the rank of major or above.

   • 2013, Christopher R. Cox, A Good Death, page 119:

     Thien even stole money from a farang who short-timed her and then passed out in his hotel room.

3. (transitive) To cut short the duration of something.
   • 1890 October, T.C. Noble, “John Milton in Westminster”, in The Bookmart, volume 7, page 203:

     But our poet's happiness was short-timed, for both mother and child died shortly after, and both were buried in our church.

   • 1900, Allen Culling Clark, Thomas Law: A Biographical Sketch, page 10:

     Marital felicity was short-timed.

   • 2000, Patrick R. Penland, Narcissus Spurned: Lest the Pool Stir, Unnoticed, page 9:

     Although their courtship had been short-timed the way of the Lord had fortunately endowed him with the integrity of this emancipated female partner.