foreshorten

[ fawr-shawr-tn, fohr- ]

verb (used with object)

1. Fine Arts. to reduce or distort (parts of a represented object that are not parallel to the picture plane) in order to convey the illusion of three-dimensional space as perceived by the human eye: often done according to the rules of perspective.
2. to abridge, reduce, or contract; make shorter.

foreshorten

/ fɔːˈʃɔːtən /

verb

1. to represent (a line, form, object, etc) as shorter than actual length in order to give an illusion of recession or projection, in accordance with the laws of linear perspective
2. to make shorter or more condensed; reduce or abridge

Other Words From

• unfore·shortened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of foreshorten¹

First recorded in 1600–10; fore- + shorten

Example Sentences

Sansom gave Shardlake a deformed spine — unkind folks call him “crookback” — and, along with the prosthetics, Hughes, born with radial dysplasia, brings his own foreshortened, twisted right arm.

From Los Angeles Times

Until they realize that living together, as messy as it is likely to be, is far preferable to the existential fear of foreshortened, forestalled and anxiety-filled lives recycled forever.

From Salon

But that version of the story has been so foreshortened that I think it skips over the most significant facts, not to mention the unanswered questions.

From Salon

One of the more intriguing aspects of his foreshortened life was an attitude described here as Romantic Cruelism: a pose of complete indifference or dark humor even in the face of tragedy.

From New York Times

The exception is Tom Sliter’s intimate close-up of two skaters’ feet and ankles, in which only foreshortened shadows disclose the existence of the full bodies beyond the frame.

From Washington Post