Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- of, relating to, or specializing in short orders: a short-order cook; short-order diner.
- performed or supplied quickly: They obtained a short-order divorce decree.
noun
- a dish or serving of food that is quickly prepared upon request at a lunch counter.
noun
- mainly US and Canadian
- food that is easily and quickly prepared
- (as modifier)short-order counter
of restaurants, from 1897, from adverbial expression in short order “rapidly, with no fuss,” from short (adj.) + order (n.).
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.