• Shank

    Pronunciation

    • IPA: /ʃæŋk/
    • US IPA: /ʃeɪŋk/
    • Rhymes: -æŋk

    Origin

    Middle English shanke, from Old English sceanca, from Proto-Germanic *skankô (compare West Frisian skonk, Low German Schanke, Dutch/German Schenkel 'shank, leg', Norwegian skank), from *skankaz (compare Old Norse skakkr 'wry, crooked'), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)keng (compare Middle Irish scingim 'I spring', Ancient Greek skázein 'to limp').

    Full definition of shank

    Adjective

    shank

    1. (slang) Bad.

    Noun

    shank

    (plural shanks)
    1. The part of the leg between the knee and the ankle.
      • ShakespeareHis youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
        For his shrunk shank.
    2. Meat from that part of an animal.
    3. A straight, narrow part of an object, such as a key or an anchor; shaft; stem.
    4. The handle of a pair of shears, connecting the ride to the neck.
    5. The center part of a fishhook between the eye and the hook, the 'hook' being the curved part that bends toward the point.
    6. A protruding part of an object, by which it is or can be attached.
    7. The metal part on a curb bit that falls below the mouthpiece of the bit, which length controls the severity of the leverage action of the bit, and to which the reins of the bridle are attached.
    8. (sports) A poorly played golf shot in which the ball is struck by the part of the club head that connects to the shaft. See thin,fat,toe.
    9. (slang) An improvised stabbing weapon.
    10. Any of several species of Old World wading bird in the genus Tringa that are primarily distinguished by their brightly colored legs.
    11. A loop forming an eye to a button.
    12. (architecture) The space between two channels of the Doric triglyph.
    13. (metalworking) A large ladle for molten metal, fitted with long bars for handling it.
    14. (printing, dated) The body of a type.
    15. (shoemaking) The part of the sole beneath the instep connecting the broader front part with the heel.
    16. Flat-nosed pliers, used by opticians for nipping off the edges of pieces of glass to make them round.

    Derived terms

    Verb

    1. (archaic, Ulster) to travel on foot
    2. (slang) to stab, especially with an improvised blade
    3. (slang) to remove another's pants, especially in jest; to depants
    4. (transitive, chiefly golf, football) to hit or kick the ball in an unintended direction
      • 2011, September 28, Tom Rostance, Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos, Marouane Chamakh then spurned a great chance to kill the game off when he ran onto Andrey Arshavin's lofted through ball but shanked his shot horribly across the face of goal.
    5. (intransitive) To fall off, as a leaf, flower, or capsule, on account of disease affecting the supporting footstalk; usually followed by off.

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