# shoulder

Pronunciation: US say "SHOHL-dur" /ˈʃoʊldɚ/; UK say "SHOHL-duh" /ˈʃəʊldə/

## Noun

1. The part of the upper body that forms a fairly flat surface extending outward from the neck toward the arm.
   - Simple: The flat part of your body where your neck meets your arm.
   - _The hiker shifted the pack's straps to ease the strain on his shoulder._
   - _Years of heavy lifting left her shoulders broad and muscular._
2. In topography, a shelflike stretch of ground that lies between a higher level of land and a lower one.
   - Simple: A flat area of land, like a wide step, between a higher level and a lower level.
   - _The village grew up on a broad shoulder above the floodplain, safe from the spring floods but well below the plateau._
   - _On the survey map, the shoulder shows up as a band of widely spaced contour lines between two steep slopes._
3. An often unpaved strip of land along the edge of a road, where vehicles can drive or park in an emergency.
   - Simple: The strip of ground at the edge of a road where cars can stop in an emergency.
   - _The driver eased onto the shoulder to let the ambulance pass._
   - _Loose gravel on the shoulder makes sudden stops dangerous._
8. The joint where the arm meets the trunk, sometimes taken to include the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around it.
   - Simple: The joint that connects your arm to the rest of your body.
   - _The surgeon repaired a torn ligament in her shoulder._
   - _Swimmers often develop strong shoulders from years of training._
9. A cut of meat taken from the upper joint of the foreleg and the muscle surrounding it.
   - Simple: A cut of meat from the upper front leg of an animal.
   - _The butcher boned and rolled a shoulder of lamb._
   - _Slow cooking turns a tough shoulder into tender, falling-apart meat._
10. The part of a garment that covers and sits over the shoulder.
   - Simple: The part of a shirt or coat that covers your shoulder.
   - _The coat's shoulders were padded to give a broader look._
   - _He brushed some lint off the shoulder of his blazer._
11. Any part of an object that forms a shape resembling a human shoulder.
   - Simple: A part of an object shaped like a human shoulder.
   - _Machinists cut a precise shoulder into the steel shaft where its diameter changes._
   - _The carved chair leg widens into a graceful shoulder near the seat._
12. A source of support or comfort that helps to sustain someone.
   - Simple: Someone or something that gives you support and help.
   - _He became the shoulder his grieving sister leaned on._
   - _The community proved a steady shoulder for the displaced families._
13. The curved section between a bottle's narrow neck and its wider body.
   - Simple: The rounded part of a bottle where the neck joins the body.
   - _The label wraps neatly around the shoulder of the bottle._
   - _Bordeaux bottles are known for their high, sharply defined shoulder._
14. The curved upper part of a stringed instrument's body, where the neck is attached.
   - Simple: The rounded part of a guitar or violin where the neck joins the body.
   - _The cutaway removes part of the shoulder so players can reach the upper frets._
   - _She admired the elegant curve of the cello's shoulder._
18. A period (a season or time of day) when air traffic is relatively light, falling between peak and off-peak demand.
   - Simple: A time of year or day when fewer planes are flying and travel is quieter.
   - _Fares dip noticeably in the shoulder, after the summer rush ends._
   - _Carriers add fewer flights during the morning shoulder._
20. An abrupt projection on an object that forms an abutment or limits motion, such as the step around a tenon at the end of a timber.
   - Simple: A raised edge or step on an object that stops another part from moving past it.
   - _The joiner cut the tenon so its shoulder seated flush against the rail._
   - _A machined shoulder on the shaft stops the bearing from sliding inward._

## Verb

4. To accept responsibility for something, taking it on as your own.
   - Simple: To take on a duty or problem and agree to deal with it.
   - _The new manager will shoulder responsibility for the entire department._
   - _Parents shoulder the duty of raising their children well._
5. To take on and carry a burden, such as a financial obligation.
   - Simple: To take on and carry a heavy cost or duty.
   - _Taxpayers will shoulder the expense of rebuilding the bridge._
   - _Small businesses shoulder rising insurance costs every year._
6. To push a person or thing by pressing one's shoulder against it.
   - Simple: To push a person or thing using your shoulder.
   - _The player shouldered his opponent off the ball._
   - _Firefighters shoulder the jammed gate until it gives way._
7. To lift something and place it onto one's shoulders in order to carry it.
   - Simple: To lift something up and rest it on your shoulders.
   - _She shouldered the heavy sack of grain and walked to the barn._
   - _Movers shoulder the wooden beams across the yard._
15. To lift and rest something against one's shoulder, typically to carry or support it.
   - Simple: To lift and rest something against your shoulder.
   - _The honor guards shoulder their rifles in perfect unison._
   - _He shouldered the rifle and took careful aim._
16. To dominate or pressure someone through bullying, manipulation, or asserting one's authority over them.
   - Simple: To push someone around or use power over them to get your way.
   - _The veteran officers shoulder rookies into taking the worst shifts._
   - _She shouldered her rivals out of the running for the promotion._
17. To move forward by pushing with one's shoulders, or as though doing so.
   - Simple: To push your way forward using your shoulders.
   - _She shouldered past the reporters waiting outside the courtroom._
   - _Commuters shoulder into the train the moment the doors open._
19. To work or cut something so that it forms a step or projection resembling a shoulder.
   - Simple: To cut or shape something so it has a raised, shoulder-like edge or step.
   - _He shouldered the tenon to give the frame a snug seat._
   - _The operators shoulder each spindle before the final sanding._

## Verb

21. Of a servant, to defraud one's employer by pocketing money entrusted to one's care. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Of a servant long ago, to secretly steal money from the person they work for.
   - _The steward had shouldered the estate for a decade before the ledgers betrayed him._
   - _Unscrupulous valets often shoulder the gentlemen who trust them._

## Other meanings

- (noun) The part of a wave that has not yet broken.
- (noun) The angled section between the neck and the main body of a cartridge.
- (verb) To slope downwards from the crest and whitewater portion of a wave.
- (verb) To round and slightly raise the top edges of slate shingles so that they form a tighter fit at the lower edge and can be swung aside to expose the nail.
- (noun) The part of a key between the cuts and the bow.
- (noun) The flat portion of type that is below the bevelled portion that joins up with the face.
- (noun) The angle of a bastion included between the face and flank.

## Origin

From Middle English 'schuldre', from Old English 'sculdor' ("shoulder"), going back to Proto-West Germanic '*skuldru', which is of uncertain origin. It is perhaps related to the Proto-Germanic word for "shield", and is cognate with Dutch 'schouder' and German 'Schulter'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/shoulder (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).