shank

SHANGK/ʃæŋk/

27 meanings of shank

1
lower legnouncountable
The part of your leg between your knee and your ankle.
A long scar ran down the front of her shank.
The cold creek water came up to his shanks as he waded across.
Similarshin
Note
2
leg meatnouncountable or uncountable
Meat from the lower leg of an animal.
We cooked a lamb shank slowly until the meat fell off the bone.
The butcher sold us two beef shanks for soup.
Similarshin
3
stabverbslangtransitive
To stab someone, often with a homemade knife.
The guard was afraid someone would shank him in the yard.
Two prisoners shanked a man during a fight in the lunch line.
Similarstab, shiv, jab
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4
prison knifenounslangcountable
A homemade knife, first made by people in prison.
The guards found a shank hidden in his mattress.
He made a shank out of a sharpened spoon.
Similarshiv
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5
narrow stemnouncountable
The long, thin, straight part of something, like a key or an anchor.
The shank of the old key was bent, so it would not turn.
Rust had eaten deep into the anchor's shank.
Similarshaft, stem
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6
nouncountable
A bad golf shot where the ball is hit by the part of the club where the head meets the stick.
His shank sent the ball straight into the trees.
She hit two shanks in a row and just laughed.
Note
7
mishit (golf)verbtransitive
In golf, to hit the ball by mistake with the part where the club head meets the stick.
I always shank the ball when I'm nervous.
He shanked his first shot into the pond.
Similarmishit
8
fitting endnouncountable
The part that sticks out of a tool or object so it can be fixed onto something.
Push the shank of the bit into the drill and tighten it.
The shank of the screwdriver tip snaps into the handle.
Similarshaft
9
off targetverbtransitive
To hit or kick a ball the wrong way by mistake.
He shanked the ball over the fence during tennis practice.
Don't worry if you shank a kick in your first game.
Similarslice, miskick, mishit
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10
pants prankverbslangtransitive
To pull down or take off someone's pants, usually as a joke.
My brother tried to shank me at the pool, but I held on to my swim shorts.
In gym class the boys shanked their friend, yanking his shorts down to his knees.
Similardepants, debag
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11
tail endnouncountable
The last part of something, especially of a stretch of time.
We walked home in the shank of the afternoon, just as the sun went down.
By the shank of the trip we had run out of money and lived on bread.
Similarend, remainder, rest, tail
Oppositebeginning, start (entry)
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12
early partnouncountable
The main part or the start of a period of time.
Why leave now? It's still the shank of the evening.
We did most of our chores in the shank of the morning.
Similarbeginning, start (entry)
Oppositeend
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13
fishhooknouncountable
The middle part of a fishhook, between the hole for the line and the curved end.
Push the worm up over the shank of the hook.
This hook has a long shank, so it is easy to take out of the fish's mouth.
14
button loopnouncountable
A small loop on the back of a button that you sew through.
This button has a shank, so you can't see any holes on the front.
Her coat buttons have metal shanks on the back.
15
shoe archnouncountable
The narrow part of the bottom of a shoe, under the arch, between the front and the heel.
The bottom of my shoe is worn at the toe but fine at the shank.
Mud gets packed into the shank of my boot, where the sole curves up under my foot.
Note
16
metal shoe stripnouncountable
A strip of metal inside a shoe that makes its narrow middle part stronger.
Work boots often have a steel shank for extra support.
The shank in my old shoe broke, so now the middle bends.
Note
17
shears handlenouncountable
The handle part of a pair of shears.
Hold the shears by the shanks and squeeze slowly.
One shank of the old shears was wrapped in tape.
18
horse bitnouncountable
The metal bar below the mouthpiece of a horse's curb bit. The reins attach to it, and longer bars press harder.
This bit has long shanks, so keep a light hand on the reins.
The rein clips onto a ring at the bottom of the shank.
19
add button loopverbtransitive
To give a button a shank, a small loop that works as its eye.
Grandma shanks the buttons on every coat she makes.
This machine can shank hundreds of buttons an hour.
20
add shoe stripverbtransitive
To put the shank into a shoe while the shoe is being made.
My job is to shank the shoes before the soles go on.
At the factory, Dad shanked boots all day, gluing a metal strip into each one.
Note
21
rot and dropverbintransitive
Of a leaf, flower, or seed pod: to drop off because the small stem holding it is sick.
If the stems rot, the buds will shank off before they open.
After the wet spring, most of the grape flowers shanked off.
22
foundry ladlenouncountable
A big ladle with long bars for carrying and pouring hot melted metal.
Two workers lifted the shank and poured the hot iron into the mold.
The shank glowed orange as the bronze ran out of it.
Similarladle
23
glass pliersnouncountable
Flat pliers that eyeglass makers use to snip the edges off pieces of glass to make them round.
The optician used a shank to round the edge of the new lens.
She snipped the corners off the glass with her shank.
24
architecturenouncountable
In Doric buildings, the flat band between two grooves on a triglyph.
Rain had worn the shanks of the stone triglyphs smooth.
The stone carver cut each shank so it stood flat between the grooves.
Note
25
printing typenoundatedcountable
In printing with metal type, the main body of a piece of type, between its shoulder and its foot.
In the old print shop, each piece of type had a letter on top and a long metal shank below.
The printer threw out the piece of type because its shank was bent.
Note
26
wading birdnouncolloquialcountable
A redshank or greenshank, a wading bird with brightly colored legs.
We saw a shank feeding at the edge of the mud.
The shanks called loudly as they flew over the marsh.
Note
27
walkverbarchaicUlster
To go somewhere on foot.
The cart had a broken wheel, so we had to shank home.
Grandda shanked to the market every Saturday.
Similarwalk
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Old English sċanca, "leg".