Fat used in baking to make pastry or bread tender and flaky. The process or result of making something shorter.
From 'shorten' plus the suffix '-ing.' The culinary sense developed because fat 'shortens' gluten strands in dough, making pastry more tender and crumbly rather than tough and chewy. This technical meaning emerged in 18th-century baking terminology.
The baking term 'shortening' has nothing to do with length - it refers to the way fat breaks up or 'shortens' the long protein chains in flour. This creates the flaky, tender texture we want in pie crusts. It's a perfect example of how technical jargon can seem mysterious until you understand the underlying process.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.