From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
shortly
adv 1: for a short time; "he was at the airport shortly before
she was expected to arrive"
2: in the near future; "the doctor will soon be here"; "the book
will appear shortly"; "she will arrive presently"; "we should
have news before long" [syn: soon, shortly, presently,
before long]
3: in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner; "he told me curtly
to get on with it"; "he talked short with everyone"; "he said
shortly that he didn't like it" [syn: curtly, short,
shortly]
4: in a concise manner; in a few words; "the history is summed
up concisely in this book"; "she replied briefly"; "briefly,
we have a problem"; "to put it shortly" [syn: concisely,
briefly, shortly, in brief, in short]
5: at a short distance; "the hem fell shortly below her knees"
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Shortly \Short"ly\, adv. [AS. sceortlice.]
1. In a short or brief time or manner; soon; quickly.
--Chaucer.
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I shall grow jealous of you shortly. --Shak.
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The armies came shortly in view of each other.
--Clarendon.
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2. In few words; briefly; abruptly; curtly; as, to express
ideas more shortly in verse than in prose.
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