The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Foreshorten \Fore*short"en\, v. t.
   1. (Fine Art) To represent on a plane surface, as if extended
      in a direction toward the spectator or nearly so; to
      shorten by drawing in perspective.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Fig.: To represent pictorially to the imagination.
      [1913 Webster]

            Songs, and deeds, and lives that lie
            Foreshortened in the tract of time.   --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

foreshorten
    v 1: reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The
         manuscript must be shortened" [syn: abridge,
         foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, contract,
         reduce] [ant: dilate, elaborate, enlarge, expand,
         expatiate, exposit, expound, flesh out,
         lucubrate]
    2: shorten lines in a drawing so as to create an illusion of
       depth