short order

¹ American  

noun

1. a dish or serving of food that is quickly prepared upon request at a lunch counter.

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short-order ² American  

[shawrt-awr-der] / ˈʃɔrtˌɔr dər /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or specializing in short orders.

   a short-order cook; short-order diner.

2. performed or supplied quickly.

   They obtained a short-order divorce decree.

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short order British  

noun

1. 1. food that is easily and quickly prepared

   2. ( as modifier )

      short-order counter

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short order Idioms  

1. Quickly; see in short order .

2. An order of food to be prepared and served quickly, as in It's just a diner, serving short orders exclusively . This expression, dating from about 1890, gave rise to the adjective short-order , used not only in short-order cook , a cook specializing in short orders, but in other terms such as short-order divorce , a divorce quickly obtained owing to liberal divorce laws.

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Etymology

Origin of short order¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Origin of short-order²

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

"And I think it'll be done in short order."

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Becoming the No. 1 LNG exporter in the world in relative short order is thanks in large part to U.S. shale production that went into overdrive in the mid-2000s.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

This is the stuff that usually ends in short order with a resignation, either of the member’s own volition or at the speaker’s insistence.

From Slate • Feb. 28, 2026

“Scrubs” being what it is, the joy returns in short order.

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026

In short order, I’d come upon the three urchins, more intent on skipping stones across the creek than filling their buckets.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson