short order

noun

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

Origin

1890-95

short-order

[shawrt-awr-der] /ˈʃɔrtˌɔr dər/

adjective

of, pertaining to, or specializing in short orders:

a short-order cook; short-order diner.

performed or supplied quickly:

They obtained a short-order divorce decree.

Origin

1900-05

Examples from the web for short order

Scientists fear that if the bridge falls the entire shelf could disintegrate in relatively short order.
But in short order, scientists worldwide would be utterly depressed.
But then, the heating element inside turns cherry red, and in short order the edges of the briquettes start to glow.
Meanwhile, companies at risk had little choice but to shape up in short order.
Nominal wages are simply not flexible enough to get the job done in short order and there is much to fear from populist backlash.
If it can be scientifically determined, multiple people will discover it and publish it in short order.
And they will, in relatively short order, be releasing a more comprehensive picture.
In short order the council dissolved the rubber-stamp parliament.
And in short order, he became a superhero, the first pop icon to attain global saturation.
In short order he was again at the helm and set out to modernize the company's computers.

British Dictionary definitions for short order

short order

noun

(mainly US & Canadian)

food that is easily and quickly prepared
(as modifier): short-order counter

Word Origin and History for short order

short-order

adj.

of restaurants, from 1897, from adverbial expression in short order "rapidly, with no fuss," from short (adj.) + order (n.).

Idioms and Phrases with short order

short order

Quickly; see in short order

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.