shoulder

Meanings

Noun

• The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and forearm socket.
• Anything forming a shape resembling a human shoulder.
• A shelf between two levels.
• The flat portion of type that is below the bevelled portion that joins up with the face.
• The portion between the neck and the body.
• That which supports or sustains; support.
• The part of a key between the cuts and the bow.File:Parts of a Yale lock-type key.svg|thumb|Parts of a Yale lock-type key
• The part of a wave that has not yet broken.
• A season or a time of day when there is relatively little air traffic.

Verb

• To push (a person or thing) using one's shoulder.
• To put (something) on one's shoulders.
• To place (something) against one's shoulders.
• To bear a burden, as a financial obligation.
• To accept responsibility for.
• To form a shape resembling a shoulder.
• To move by or as if by using one's shoulders.
• 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.
• To slope downwards from the crest and whitewater portion of a wave.
• Of a servant: to embezzle money from (the employer).

Related

Narrower meaning words

• hard shoulder, soft shoulder

Origin

• From Middle English schuldre, sholder, shulder, schulder, from Old English sculdra, sculdor, from Proto-West Germanic *skuldru ("shoulder"), of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *skelduz ("shield"), see shield. Cognate with Old Frisian skuldere ("shoulder") (West Frisian skouder ("shoulder")), Middle Low German scholder ("shoulder"), Low German Schuller ("shoulder"), Dutch schouder ("shoulder"), German Schulter ("shoulder").