| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| shack | verb t. | To shed or fall, as corn or grain at harvest., To feed in stubble, or upon waste corn., To wander as a vagabond or a tramp., The grain left after harvest or gleaning; also, nuts which have fallen to the ground., Liberty of winter pasturage., A shiftless fellow; a low, itinerant beggar; a vagabond; a tramp. |
| shadd | noun | Rounded stones containing tin ore, lying at the surface of the ground, and indicating a vein. |
| shade | noun | Comparative obscurity owing to interception or interruption of the rays of light; partial darkness caused by the intervention of something between the space contemplated and the source of light., Darkness; obscurity; — often in the plural., An obscure place; a spot not exposed to light; hence, a secluded retreat., That which intercepts, or shelters from, light or the direct rays of the sun; hence, also, that which protects from heat or currents of air; a screen; protection; shelter; cover; as, a lamp shade., Shadow., The soul after its separation from the body; — so called because the ancients it to be perceptible to the sight, though not to the touch; a spirit; a ghost; as, the shades of departed heroes., The darker portion of a picture; a less illuminated part. See Def. 1, above., Degree or variation of color, as darker or lighter, stronger or paler; as, a delicate shade of pink., A minute difference or variation, as of thought, belief, expression, etc.; also, the quality or degree of anything which is distinguished from others similar by slight differences; as, the shades of meaning in synonyms., To shelter or screen by intercepting the rays of light; to keep off illumination from., To shelter; to cover from injury; to protect; to screen; to hide; as, to shade one’s eyes., To obscure; to dim the brightness of., To pain in obscure colors; to darken., To mark with gradations of light or color., To present a shadow or image of; to shadow forth; to represent. |
| shady | superl. | Abounding in shade or shades; overspread with shade; causing shade., Sheltered from the glare of light or sultry heat., Of or pertaining to shade or darkness; hence, unfit to be seen or known; equivocal; dubious or corrupt. |
| shaft | noun | The slender, smooth stem of an arrow; hence, an arrow., The long handle of a spear or similar weapon; hence, the weapon itself; (Fig.) anything regarded as a shaft to be thrown or darted; as, shafts of light., That which resembles in some degree the stem or handle of an arrow or a spear; a long, slender part, especially when cylindrical., The trunk, stem, or stalk of a plant., The stem or midrib of a feather., The pole, or tongue, of a vehicle; also, a thill., The part of a candlestick which supports its branches., The handle or helve of certain tools, instruments, etc., as a hammer, a whip, etc., A pole, especially a Maypole., The body of a column; the cylindrical pillar between the capital and base (see Illust. of Column). Also, the part of a chimney above the roof. Also, the spire of a steeple., A column, an obelisk, or other spire-shaped or columnar monument., A rod at the end of a heddle., A solid or hollow cylinder or bar, having one or more journals on which it rests and revolves, and intended to carry one or more wheels or other revolving parts and to transmit power or motion; as, the shaft of a steam engine., A humming bird (Thaumastura cora) having two of the tail feathers next to the middle ones very long in the male; — called also cora humming bird., A well-like excavation in the earth, perpendicular or nearly so, made for reaching and raising ore, for raising water, etc., A long passage for the admission or outlet of air; an air shaft., The chamber of a blast furnace. |
| shaik | noun | See Sheik. |
| shail | verb i. | To walk sidewise. |
| shake | obs. p. p. of Shake., To cause to move with quick or violent vibrations; to move rapidly one way and the other; to make to tremble or shiver; to agitate., Fig.: To move from firmness; to weaken the stability of; to cause to waver; to impair the resolution of., To give a tremulous tone to; to trill; as, to shake a note in music., To move or remove by agitating; to throw off by a jolting or vibrating motion; to rid one’s self of; — generally with an adverb, as off, out, etc.; as, to shake fruit down from a tree., To be agitated with a waving or vibratory motion; to tremble; to shiver; to quake; to totter., The act or result of shaking; a vacillating or wavering motion; a rapid motion one way and other; a trembling, quaking, or shivering; agitation., A fissure or crack in timber, caused by its being dried too suddenly., A fissure in rock or earth., A rapid alternation of a principal tone with another represented on the next degree of the staff above or below it; a trill., One of the staves of a hogshead or barrel taken apart., A shook of staves and headings., The redshank; — so called from the nodding of its head while on the ground. | |
| shako | noun | A kind of military cap or headdress. |
| shaky | superl. | Shaking or trembling; as, a shaky spot in a marsh; a shaky hand., Full of shakes or cracks; cracked; as, shaky timber., Easily shaken; tottering; unsound; as, a shaky constitution; shaky business credit. |
| shale | noun | A shell or husk; a cod or pod., A fine-grained sedimentary rock of a thin, laminated, and often friable, structure., To take off the shell or coat of; to shell. |
| shall | verb i. & auxiliary. | To owe; to be under obligation for., To be obliged; must., As an auxiliary, shall indicates a duty or necessity whose obligation is derived from the person speaking; as, you shall go; he shall go; that is, I order or promise your going. It thus ordinarily expresses, in the second and third persons, a command, a threat, or a promise. If the auxillary be emphasized, the command is made more imperative, the promise or that more positive and sure. It is also employed in the language of prophecy; as, “the day shall come when . . . , ” since a promise or threat and an authoritative prophecy nearly coincide in significance. In shall with the first person, the necessity of the action is sometimes implied as residing elsewhere than in the speaker; as, I shall suffer; we shall see; and there is always a less distinct and positive assertion of his volition than is indicated by will. “I shall go” implies nearly a simple futurity; more exactly, a foretelling or an expectation of my going, in which, naturally enough, a certain degree of plan or intention may be included; emphasize the shall, and the event is described as certain to occur, and the expression approximates in meaning to our emphatic “I will go.” In a question, the relation of speaker and source of obligation is of course transferred to the person addressed; as, “Shall you go?” (answer, “I shall go”); “Shall he go?” i. e., “Do you require or promise his going?” (answer, “He shall go”.) The same relation is transferred to either second or third person in such phrases as “You say, or think, you shall go;” “He says, or thinks, he shall go.” After a conditional conjunction (as if, whether) shall is used in all persons to express futurity simply; as, if I, you, or he shall say they are right. Should is everywhere used in the same connection and the same senses as shall, as its imperfect. It also expresses duty or moral obligation; as, he should do it whether he will or not. In the early English, and hence in our English Bible, shall is the auxiliary mainly used, in all the persons, to express simple futurity. (Cf. Will, v. t.) Shall may be used elliptically; thus, with an adverb or other word expressive of motion go may be omitted. |
| shalm | noun | See Shawm. |
| shalt | 2d per. sing. of Shall. | |
| shaly | adjective | Resembling shale in structure. |
| shama | noun | A saxicoline singing bird (Kittacincla macroura) of India, noted for the sweetness and power of its song. In confinement it imitates the notes of other birds and various animals with accuracy. Its head, neck, back, breast, and tail are glossy black, the rump white, the under parts chestnut. |
| shame | noun | A painful sensation excited by a consciousness of guilt or impropriety, or of having done something which injures reputation, or of the exposure of that which nature or modesty prompts us to conceal., Reproach incurred or suffered; dishonor; ignominy; derision; contempt., The cause or reason of shame; that which brings reproach, and degrades a person in the estimation of others; disgrace., The parts which modesty requires to be covered; the private parts., To make ashamed; to excite in (a person) a comsciousness of guilt or impropriety, or of conduct derogatory to reputation; to put to shame., To cover with reproach or ignominy; to dishonor; to disgrace., To mock at; to deride., To be ashamed; to feel shame. |
| shank | noun | See Chank., The part of the leg from the knee to the foot; the shin; the shin bone; also, the whole leg., Hence, that part of an instrument, tool, or other thing, which connects the acting part with a handle or other part, by which it is held or moved., That part of a key which is between the bow and the part which enters the wards of the lock., The middle part of an anchor, or that part which is between the ring and the arms., That part of a hoe, rake, knife, or the like, by which it is secured to a handle., A loop forming an eye to a button., The space between two channels of the Doric triglyph., A large ladle for molten metal, fitted with long bars for handling it., The body of a type., The part of the sole beneath the instep connecting the broader front part with the heel., A wading bird with long legs; as, the green-legged shank, or knot; the yellow shank, or tattler; — called also shanks., Flat-nosed pliers, used by opticians for nipping off the edges of pieces of glass to make them round., To fall off, as a leaf, flower, or capsule, on account of disease affecting the supporting footstalk; — usually followed by off. |
| shape | noun | To form or create; especially, to mold or make into a particular form; to give proper form or figure to., To adapt to a purpose; to regulate; to adjust; to direct; as, to shape the course of a vessel., To image; to conceive; to body forth., To design; to prepare; to plan; to arrange., To suit; to be adjusted or conformable., Character or construction of a thing as determining its external appearance; outward aspect; make; figure; form; guise; as, the shape of a tree; the shape of the head; an elegant shape., That which has form or figure; a figure; an appearance; a being., A model; a pattern; a mold., Form of embodiment, as in words; form, as of thought or conception; concrete embodiment or example, as of some quality., Dress for disguise; guise., A rolled or hammered piece, as a bar, beam, angle iron, etc., having a cross section different from merchant bar., A piece which has been roughly forged nearly to the form it will receive when completely forged or fitted. |
| shard | noun | A plant; chard., A piece or fragment of an earthen vessel, or a like brittle substance, as the shell of an egg or snail., The hard wing case of a beetle., A gap in a fence., A boundary; a division. |
| share | noun | The part (usually an iron or steel plate) of a plow which cuts the ground at the bottom of a furrow; a plowshare., The part which opens the ground for the reception of the seed, in a machine for sowing seed., A certain quantity; a portion; a part; a division; as, a small share of prudence., Especially, the part allotted or belonging to one, of any property or interest owned by a number; a portion among others; an apportioned lot; an allotment; a dividend., Hence, one of a certain number of equal portions into which any property or invested capital is divided; as, a ship owned in ten shares., The pubes; the sharebone., To part among two or more; to distribute in portions; to divide., To partake of, use, or experience, with others; to have a portion of; to take and possess in common; as, to share a shelter with another., To cut; to shear; to cleave; to divide., To have part; to receive a portion; to partake, enjoy, or suffer with others. |
| shark | verb t. & i. | Any one of numerous species of elasmobranch fishes of the order Plagiostomi, found in all seas., A rapacious, artful person; a sharper., Trickery; fraud; petty rapine; as, to live upon the shark., To pick or gather indiscriminately or covertly., To play the petty thief; to practice fraud or trickery; to swindle., To live by shifts and stratagems. |
| sharp | superl. | Having a very thin edge or fine point; of a nature to cut or pierce easily; not blunt or dull; keen., Terminating in a point or edge; not obtuse or rounded; somewhat pointed or edged; peaked or ridged; as, a sharp hill; sharp features., Affecting the sense as if pointed or cutting, keen, penetrating, acute: to the taste or smell, pungent, acid, sour, as ammonia has a sharp taste and odor; to the hearing, piercing, shrill, as a sharp sound or voice; to the eye, instantaneously brilliant, dazzling, as a sharp flash., High in pitch; acute; as, a sharp note or tone., Raised a semitone in pitch; as, C sharp (C/), which is a half step, or semitone, higher than C., So high as to be out of tune, or above true pitch; as, the tone is sharp; that instrument is sharp. Opposed in all these senses to flat., Very trying to the feelings; piercing; keen; severe; painful; distressing; as, sharp pain, weather; a sharp and frosty air., Cutting in language or import; biting; sarcastic; cruel; harsh; rigorous; severe; as, a sharp rebuke., Of keen perception; quick to discern or distinguish; having nice discrimination; acute; penetrating; sagacious; clever; as, a sharp eye; sharp sight, hearing, or judgment., Eager in pursuit; keen in quest; impatient for gratification; keen; as, a sharp appetite., Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous., Keenly or unduly attentive to one’s own interest; close and exact in dealing; shrewd; as, a sharp dealer; a sharp customer., Composed of hard, angular grains; gritty; as, sharp sand., Steep; precipitous; abrupt; as, a sharp ascent or descent; a sharp turn or curve., Uttered in a whisper, or with the breath alone, without voice, as certain consonants, such as p, k, t, f; surd; nonvocal; aspirated., To a point or edge; piercingly; eagerly; sharply., Precisely; exactly; as, we shall start at ten o’clock sharp., A sharp tool or weapon., The character [/] used to indicate that the note before which it is placed is to be raised a half step, or semitone, in pitch., A sharp tone or note., A portion of a stream where the water runs very rapidly., A sewing needle having a very slender point; a needle of the most pointed of the three grades, blunts, betweens, and sharps., Same as Middlings, 1., An expert., To sharpen., To raise above the proper pitch; to elevate the tone of; especially, to raise a half step, or semitone, above the natural tone., To play tricks in bargaining; to act the sharper., To sing above the proper pitch. |
| shash | noun | The scarf of a turban., A sash. |
| shave | obs. p. p. of Shave., To cut or pare off from the surface of a body with a razor or other edged instrument; to cut off closely, as with a razor; as, to shave the beard., To make bare or smooth by cutting off closely the surface, or surface covering, of; especially, to remove the hair from with a razor or other sharp instrument; to take off the beard or hair of; as, to shave the face or the crown of the head; he shaved himself., To cut off thin slices from; to cut in thin slices., To skim along or near the surface of; to pass close to, or touch lightly, in passing., To strip; to plunder; to fleece., To use a razor for removing the beard; to cut closely; hence, to be hard and severe in a bargain; to practice extortion; to cheat., A thin slice; a shaving., A cutting of the beard; the operation of shaving., An exorbitant discount on a note., A premium paid for an extension of the time of delivery or payment, or for the right to vary a stock contract in any particular., A hand tool consisting of a sharp blade with a handle at each end; a drawing knife; a spokeshave., The act of passing very near to, so as almost to graze; as, the bullet missed by a close shave. | |
| shawl | noun | A square or oblong cloth of wool, cotton, silk, or other textile or netted fabric, used, especially by women, as a loose covering for the neck and shoulders., To wrap in a shawl. |
| shawm | noun | A wind instrument of music, formerly in use, supposed to have resembled either the clarinet or the hautboy in form. |