On a Mac, a shortcut is called an "Alias." You can identify an Alias by the small curved arrow in the corner of the icon. Deleting an Alias leaves the original file untouched.
If you realize you deleted the actual file and not a shortcut: how to delete shortcut from desktop
If you want a clean look without permanently deleting your shortcuts, you can hide them: How to Remove Shortcuts from Desktop Easily - Comodo News On a Mac, a shortcut is called an "Alias
However, if you have pinned a "Shelf" item (the bar at the bottom of the screen) or created a web shortcut: On a Mac