a person or thing of less than average height or size
shorty in American English
(ˈʃɔrti) (nounplural shorties)
informal
noun
1.
a person of less than average stature
2.
a garment designed to be of short length, as a hospital bed jacket
adjective
3.
noting a garment designed to be of short length
a shorty nightgown
Also: shortie
Word origin
[1905–10; short + -y2]This word is first recorded in the period 1905–10. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: aspect ratio, cadre, one-shot, overcall, stabilizer-y is a noun-forming suffix with a variety of functions in contemporary English, addedto monosyllabic bases to create words that are almost always informal. Its earliestuse, probably still productive, was to form endearing or familiar names or commonnouns from personal names, other nouns, and adjectives (Billy; Susie; birdie; doggie; granny; sweetie; tummy). The hypocoristic feature is absent in recent coinages, however, which are simplyinformal and sometimes pejorative (boonies; cabby; groupie; hippy; looie; Okie; preemie; preppy; rookie). Another function is to form from adjectives nouns that denote exemplary or extremeinstances of the quality named by the adjective (baddie; biggie; cheapie; toughie), sometimes focusing on a restricted, usually unfavorable sense of the adjective(sharpie; sickie; whitey). A few words in which the informal character of -y and -ie has been lost are now standard in formal written English (goalie; movie)