shank

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The part of the human leg between the knee and ankle.
2. n. A corresponding part in other vertebrates.
3. n. The whole leg of a human.
4. n. A leg or leglike part.
5. n. A cut of meat from the leg of a steer, calf, sheep, or lamb.
6. n. The long narrow part of a nail or pin.
7. n. A stem, stalk, or similar part.
8. n. Nautical The stem of an anchor.
9. n. The long shaft of a fishhook.
10. n. The part of a tobacco pipe between the bowl and stem.
11. n. The shaft of a key.
12. n. The narrow section of the handle of a spoon.
13. n. Printing The section of a body of type between the shoulder and the foot.
14. n. The narrow part of the sole of a shoe under the instep.
15. n. A piece of material, such as metal, that is used to reinforce or shape this part of a shoe.
16. n. A projection, such as a ring, on the back of a button by which it is sewn to cloth.
17. n. See tang¹.
18. n. The part of a tool, such as a drill, that connects the functioning head to the handle.
19. n. The latter or remaining part, especially of a period of time.
20. n. The early or primary part of a period of time: the shank of the evening.
21. v. Sports To hit (a golf ball) with the heel of the club, causing the ball to veer in the wrong direction.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The leg, or the part of the leg which extends from the knee to the ankle; the tibia or shin-bone.
2. n. Technically, in anatomy and zoology, the shin, crus, or leg proper, between the knee and the ankle: the second segment of the hind limb, represented by the length of the tibia.
3. n. In a horse, popularly, the part of the fore leg between the so-called knee and the fetlock, corresponding to the metacarpus. See cut under horse.
4. n. In a bird, popularly, the part of the foot between where the feathers usually end and the roots of the toes, commonly held upright and appearing like a part of the leg, not of the foot, as it really is; the tarsometatarsus.
5. n. In entomology, the tibia: same as shin
6. n. In botany, the footstalk or pedicel of a flower.
7. n. A stocking, or the part of a stocking which covers the leg; specifically, a stocking in the process of being knitted (a Scotch use); also, a legging or leg-covering.
8. n. That part of an instrument, tool, or the like which connects the acting part, with a handle or the part by which it is held or moved, Specifically The stem of a key, between the bow and the bit.
9. n. That part of a shoe which connects the broad part of the sole with the heel. See cut under boot.
10. n. In metallurgy, a large ladle to contain molten metals, managed by a straight bar at one end and a cross-bar with handles at the other end, by which it is tipped to pour out the metal.
11. n. The shaft of a mine.
12. n. plural Flat pliers with jaws of soft iron used for nibbling glass for lenses preparatory to grinding. See nibbling.
13. n. In arch.:
14. n. The shaft of a column.
15. n. The plain space between the grooves of the Doric triglyph.
16. n. A kind of fur, mentioned as used for trimming outer garments in the sixteenth century, and as derived from the legs of animals.
17. n. The latter end or part of anything.
18. To be affected with disease of the pedicel or footstalk; fall off by decay of the footstalk: often with off.
19. To take to one's legs: frequently with an impersonal it: as, to shank it (that is, to make the journey on foot).
20. To send off without ceremony.
21. In the making of lenses, to break off (the rough edges) with pliers of soft iron.
22. n. A shell: same as chank.

Wiktionary

1. adj. slang Bad.
2. n. The lower part of the leg; shin.
3. n. Meat from that part of an animal.
4. n. A straight, narrow part of an object; shaft; stem.
5. n. The handle of a pair of shears, connecting the ride to the neck.
6. n. The center part of a fishhook between the eye and the hook, the 'hook' being the curved part that bends toward the point.
7. n. A protruding part of an object, by which it is or can be attached.
8. n. 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.
9. n. 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.
10. n. slang An improvised stabbing weapon.
11. v. archaic, Ulster to travel on foot
12. v. slang to stab, especially with an improvised blade
13. v. slang to remove another's pants, especially in jest; to depants
14. v. transitive, soccer to hit or kick the ball in an unintended direction
15. v. intransitive To fall off, as a leaf, flower, or capsule, on account of disease affecting the supporting footstalk; usually followed by off.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) See chank.
2. n. The part of the leg from the knee to the foot; the shin; the shin bone; also, the whole leg.
3. n. 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.
4. n. That part of a key which is between the bow and the part which enters the wards of the lock.
5. n. The middle part of an anchor, or that part which is between the ring and the arms.
6. n. That part of a hoe, rake, knife, or the like, by which it is secured to a handle.
7. n. A loop forming an eye to a button.
8. n. (Arch.) The space between two channels of the Doric triglyph.
9. n. (Founding) A large ladle for molten metal, fitted with long bars for handling it.
10. n. (Print.) The body of a type.
11. n. (Shoemaking) The part of the sole beneath the instep connecting the broader front part with the heel.
12. n. (Zoöl.) A wading bird with long legs; ; -- called also shanks.
13. n. Flat-nosed pliers, used by opticians for nipping off the edges of pieces of glass to make them round.
14. v. To fall off, as a leaf, flower, or capsule, on account of disease affecting the supporting footstalk; -- usually followed by off.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. hit (a golf ball) with the heel of a club, causing the ball to veer in the wrong direction
2. n. cylinder forming the part of a bolt between the thread and the head
3. n. the part of the human leg between the knee and the ankle
4. n. cylinder forming the part of a bit by which it is held in the drill
5. n. cylinder forming a long narrow part of something
6. n. a poor golf stroke in which the heel of the club hits the ball
7. n. the narrow part of the shoe connecting the heel and the wide part of the sole
8. n. a cut of meat (beef or veal or mutton or lamb) from the upper part of the leg
9. n. lower part of the leg extending from the hock to the fetlock in hoofed mammals