/ Dictionary / Index S short rate: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: short' rate" Pronunciation: [key] — Insurance. Insurance. a charge, proportionately higher than the annual rate, made for insurance issued or continued in force by the insured for less than one year. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. short-range short-run Related Content Daily Word Quiz: paradox Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language