shank

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“
Sherwood had that morning watched with much admiration the bending of that same spur-shank, and his respect for Andy was beautiful to behold Lord, but this is a big, wild country," he was saying enthusiastically, "and the people in it are big and Wild," supplied Andy.

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Definitions (57)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (21)

  1. noun The part of the human leg between the knee and ankle.
  2. noun A corresponding part in other vertebrates.
  3. noun The whole leg of a human.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (24)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

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Examples (50)

  • Most vintage machines take low-shank, side attaching attachments, but there are slant-shank variations (for slant-shank Singers, obvisously), and if you have a vintage Japanese-made machine you may need a high-shank attachment.
  • This being securely lashed to the shank, and also to the stock, the whole length of the spar was crossed at right angles by capstan bars, to the ends of which as many handspikes as there was room for were lashed also at right angles. —  The Lieutenant and Commander
  • Slide the bait on the shank, then slide the bait from the needle onto the hair. —  Find Free Articles - ArticlesBase
  • Braised lamb shank is a hearty dish, cooked slowly for hours until the meat easily yields from the hefty bone. —  Queens Gazette
  • When the guards opened the cell door, the inmate ran at the officers and stabbed them with a handmade weapon, commonly referred to as a shank, the sergeant said.
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This word has been looked up 105 times.

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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English shanke, from Old English sceanca.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English shanke, schanke, schonke, sceonke, sconke, from Anglo-Saxon sceanca, scanca, sceonca, the bone of the leg, also a hollow bone, = OFries, skunka, schonk = Dutch schonk, a bone, = Low German schunke, also schake, leg, = Swedish skank = Danish skank, leg, shank; cf. diminutive D. schenkel = Middle High German G. schenkel, shank, leg, thigh, = Icelandic skekill, shank; allied to Old High German scincho, scincha, shank, hollow bone (later Italian dial. schinco, stinco, shin-bone), Middle High German schinke, German schinken, ham, = Swedish skinka = Dan, skinke, ham. From the same ult. source is derived English skink.
  2. from shank, n.
 

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/ʃæŋk/
by American Heritage

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