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
3.in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner;
he told me curtly to get on with it
4.in a concise manner; in a few words;
the history is summed up concisely in this book
5.at a short distance;
the hem fell shortly below her knees