short of sth
prep. phr..prep. phr.. not having enough of something that you need. You use this when you are missing a specific amount or a specific thing.
prep. phr.. indicating a deficiency or lack of a specific resource, quality, or quantity. Often functions as a predicative adjective phrase following the verb 'to be'.
I am a bit short of cash today.
The hospital is currently short of staff due to the flu season.
Despite being short of evidence, the detective remained convinced that the suspect was hiding the truth about the missing documents.
usually follows the verb 'to be' and is followed by a noun or a gerund.
contrast with 'short on', which is more common in American English; 'short of' is the standard British form and also appears in the fixed idiom 'nothing short of'.
We are short from milk.We are short of milk.the preposition 'of' is the standard partner for 'short' when expressing a lack of something.