The term 'SHORTEST GREAT LAKE NAME' is solved by the crossword solution 'ERIE', which is a four-letter word. Erie is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, located on the border between the United States and Canada. It is the fourth largest of the Great Lakes by surface area, and the smallest by volume. It is also the shallowest of the Great Lakes, with an average depth of only 62 feet. The lake is named after the Erie tribe of Native Americans who lived along its southern shore.