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Glite Dictionary
🔗 A link tool ✂️ Something that reduces
shortener

shortener

3 3.7
A service or tool that turns long web addresses into brief links for sharing
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɔrtənər/
  • Texting
translation icon : acortador de URL
  • Since Twitter's growth explosion, URL shorteners seem to be popping up every five minutes.
  • URL shortener

Examples

  • Many marketers rely on a shortener to simplify lengthy URLs for social media posts.

  • Using a shortener like bit.ly can make sharing links easier and more efficient.

  • I have never heard of someone using a link shortener for email.

    Blog text (7)

  • Copy and paste the link into a link shortener such as bit.ly.

    Blog text (30)

  • Twitter - When posting on Twitter, we recommend using a URL shortener for the full video URL.

    Blog text (16)

  • Do you know when your favorite URL shortener's registration expires?

    Blog text (19)

  • Since most of the sources used in answering text reference questions are web sources, URL shorteners like bit.ly can be helpful in saving characters and shortening the message.

    Academic text (2014)

  • When sending out newsletters, you should consider a shortener to keep links tidy.

Synonyms

shrinker
vsshortener
1 6.1

A tool or person that makes things smaller in size

turns long web addresses into compact links for sharing and tracking

Surface Forms

shortener singular
shorteners plural

Morphology

shortener = shorten (transparent) = short + en + er

Derived from 'shorten' + '-er'; the specialized sense 'URL shortener' names a tool/service that makes links shorter, which is a direct extension of the basic meaning.

Etymology

Shortener in tech keeps the same idea: it is a tool that turns long web addresses into 'short' links, like trimming a long ribbon so the address is easier to share and remember.