Short selection from shorter selection (5)
I believe the answer is:
terse
'short' is the definition.
(terse can mean short or brusque)
'selection from shorter selection' is the wordplay.
'selection from' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'TERSE' is hidden in the letters of 'shorter selection'.
(Other definitions for terse that I've seen before include "Concise about trees" , "Brief; abrupt" , "Abrupt, concise" , "Of speech, short and pithy" , "Curt, concise" .)