English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

Sherman

noun

The Sherman tank, the main American and Allied battle tank of World War II.

Sherpa

noun

A member of a Himalayan ethnic group from Nepal and Tibet, well known for skill in high-altitude mountaineering.

Sherri

name

A feminine given name, a variant spelling of Sherry.

sherry

noun

A fortified wine originally from Jerez, Spain, ranging from dry to sweet.

Sherwood

name

A surname, or the name of the historic forest in Nottinghamshire, England.

Sheryl

name

A feminine given name, a variant of Cheryl, popularized in the twentieth century.

shetland

noun

A lightweight, loosely woven wool fabric, or wool from Shetland sheep used to make it.

Shetty

name

An Indian surname common among communities from the state of Karnataka.

shh

intj

Used to tell someone to be quiet.

shhh

intj

A drawn-out version of shh, used for extra emphasis.

Shi

name

A Chinese surname, written with a character that can mean "history" or "clan."

Shia

name

A masculine given name notably borne by American actor Shia LaBeouf.

shiatsu

noun

A Japanese massage therapy in which the practitioner applies pressure with thumbs and palms to specific points on the body.

Shiba

name

A Japanese surname and the name of a small dog breed, the Shiba Inu.

Shibata

name

A Japanese surname, also the name of a city in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

Shibuya

name

A busy special ward of Tokyo, Japan, famous for its crossing, shopping, and nightlife.

shield

noun

A piece of protective armour carried in the hand or on the arm to block blows or weapons.

shielded

adj

Fitted with a protective covering or barrier.

shielding

noun

Material or a barrier used to block or reduce a harmful force, such as radiation or a magnetic field.

Shields

name

A surname, and the name of several small towns and communities in the United States.

shift

verb

To move something from one place or position to another.

shifting

noun

A change or movement from one state, place, or position to another.

shifty

adj

Looking or behaving as if dishonest or untrustworthy; evasive.

shifu

noun

A respected master or teacher, especially of a martial art or craft; a variant spelling of sifu.

Shigeru

name

A Japanese male given name.

Shih

name

A Chinese surname, from the Wade-Giles romanisation of several different Mandarin surnames.

shikha

noun

A single lock of hair left uncut on an otherwise shaved head, traditionally worn by orthodox Hindu priests.

Shikoku

name

The smallest of Japan's four main islands.

shill

noun

Someone paid to promote or endorse something while pretending to be an impartial customer.

Shilling

noun

A former British coin worth one-twentieth of a pound, still used as a currency unit in several countries.

Shiloh

name

A biblical city where the Ark of the Covenant was once kept.

shim

noun

A thin piece of material used to fill a gap, level a surface, or provide support.

Shima

name

A Japanese surname.

shimada

noun

A traditional formal Japanese hairstyle for unmarried women, in which the hair is gathered and pinned atop the head.

Shimizu

name

A Japanese surname.

Shimla

name

The capital city of Himachal Pradesh in northern India.

shimmer

verb

To shine with a soft, faint, flickering light.

shimmering

adj

Shining with a soft, flickering light.

shimmy

noun

A dance move involving rapid, alternating shaking of the shoulders or hips.

Shimon

name

A male given name and surname of Hebrew origin.

shin

noun

The front part of the lower leg, between the knee and the ankle.

Shinagawa

name

A special ward of Tokyo, Japan.

Shinde

name

A surname of Hindi origin, common in India.

shindig

noun

A lively, noisy party or celebration.

shine

verb

To give off or reflect light brightly.

shiner

noun

A bruise around the eye from being struck; a black eye.

shingle

noun

A thin, often overlapping piece of roofing or wall covering material.

shingles

noun

A painful viral infection causing a blistering rash, caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus.

shinigami

noun

A god or spirit of death in Japanese folklore and popular fiction.

shining

adj

Giving off or reflecting bright light.

Shinjuku

name

A major special ward of Tokyo, Japan, home to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office.

shinobi

noun

A male ninja, especially in traditional Japanese history and fiction.

Shinobu

name

A unisex Japanese given name.

Shinpei

name

A Japanese male given name.

Shinto

name

Japan's indigenous religion, centred on the worship of nature spirits and ancestors.

Shinwell

name

An English surname, notably borne by British Labour politician Emanuel Shinwell.

shiny

adj

Reflecting light off a smooth surface.

Shiori

name

A feminine Japanese given name, often meaning "bookmark" or "poem."

ship

noun

A large vessel built to carry people or cargo across water.

shipbuilding

noun

The industry or process of designing and constructing ships.

shipment

noun

A batch of goods sent together to a destination.

shipped

adj

Sent or loaded as cargo, or travelling aboard a vessel.

shipping

noun

The business or process of transporting goods.

shipshape

adj

Neat, tidy, and well organised.

shipwreck

noun

A ship that has sunk or been wrecked, or its remains.

shipwrecked

adj

Left stranded as a result of a ship being wrecked.

shipyard

noun

A place where ships are built and repaired.

Shira

name

A feminine given name of Hebrew origin, meaning "song."

Shiraz

noun

A dark-skinned grape variety used for making red wine, also called Syrah.

shire

noun

A county or administrative region, especially in England or Australia.

Shirin

name

A feminine given name of Persian origin, meaning "sweet."

shirk

verb

To avoid a duty or responsibility.

Shirl

name

A feminine given name, an informal short form of Shirley.

Shirley

name

A given name, originally an English surname meaning "bright meadow," popular for girls from the 1920s to 1950s.

shiro

noun

An Ethiopian and Eritrean stew made from powdered chickpeas or broad-bean flour.

shirt

noun

A garment worn on the upper body, usually with sleeves and a collar.

shirtless

adj

Not wearing a shirt; bare-chested.

shish

adj

Cooked on a skewer, as in shish kebab.

shit

noun

(vulgar) Solid waste passed from the body; feces.

shitbag

noun

(vulgar, slang) A thoroughly worthless or despicable person.

shite

noun

(vulgar, chiefly British/Irish) Nonsense, trash, or rubbish.

shitfaced

adj

(vulgar, slang) Extremely drunk.

shithead

noun

(vulgar) A stupid or contemptible person.

shithole

noun

(vulgar, slang) A filthy, run-down, or generally unpleasant place.

shithouse

noun

(vulgar, dated) An outdoor toilet or outhouse.

shitless

adj

(vulgar, informal) Extremely frightened, as in "scared shitless."

shitload

noun

(vulgar, slang) A very large amount of something.

shits

noun

(vulgar, informal) Diarrhoea.

shitstorm

noun

(vulgar, informal) A chaotic, unpleasant situation, often involving public backlash.

shitter

noun

(vulgar, slang) A toilet.

shitting

noun

(vulgar) The act of defecating.

shitty

adj

(vulgar, informal) Very bad, unpleasant, or of poor quality.

shiv

noun

A makeshift knife, often improvised from an everyday object.

shiva

noun

In Judaism, a seven-day period of formal mourning for a close relative.

Shivaji

name

A masculine Indian given name, famously borne by the seventeenth-century Maratha king who founded the Maratha Empire.

Shivani

name

A female given name of Sanskrit origin, popular in India.

shiver

verb

To tremble briefly, usually from cold, fear, or a strong emotion.

shivering

noun

The action of trembling, typically from cold, fear, or fever.

Shizuka

name

A Japanese given name used for both men and women.

Shizuko

name

A Japanese female given name.

Shlomo

name

A Jewish male given name, the Hebrew form of "Solomon."

sho

noun

A Japanese free-reed mouth organ, related to the Chinese sheng, used in traditional court music.

shoal

noun

A large group of fish swimming together.

Shoals

name

A surname and place name, notably Muscle Shoals, a city in Alabama known for its music recording studios.

shock

noun

A sudden, jarring surprise or emotional blow.

shocked

adj

Feeling sudden surprise or dismay, often mixed with disapproval.

shocker

noun

Something so unexpected or badly done that it startles people.

shocking

adj

Extremely surprising, upsetting, or disturbing.

shockingly

adv

To a surprising or disturbing degree.

shod

adj

Wearing shoes, or fitted with a protective covering (as a horse with horseshoes or a wheel with tires).

shoddy

adj

Badly made or of poor quality.

shoe

noun

An outer covering for the foot, usually with a sturdy sole, that stops short of the ankle.

shoebox

noun

The cardboard box a pair of shoes is sold in.

shoelace

noun

A cord or string used to fasten a shoe.

shoemaker

noun

A person who makes or repairs shoes.

shoeshine

noun

The act of polishing shoes, or the glossy result.

shogun

noun

The top military ruler of feudal Japan, who governed in the emperor's name.

shogunate

noun

The government, rank, or period of rule of a shogun.

shoji

noun

A sliding Japanese screen or door made of a wooden frame covered in translucent paper.

Sholto

name

A masculine given name of Scottish Gaelic origin, historically associated with Scottish nobility.

Shona

name

A Bantu language spoken mainly in Zimbabwe and parts of Mozambique.

Shone

verb

Past tense of "shine" — gave off light, or performed impressively.

shoo

verb

To wave or gesture at a person or animal to make them go away.

shook

verb

Past tense of "shake."

Shoop

noun

An image that has been digitally altered, usually in Photoshop, to create a misleading or comedic effect.

shoot

verb

To fire a weapon, or to hit someone or something with a projectile from one.

shooter

noun

A person who fires a weapon.

shooting

noun

An incident in which someone is shot, or the sport of firing guns at targets.

shootout

noun

A gun battle, especially a decisive one.

shoots

adj

Fine, okay, or in agreement (Hawaiian pidgin usage).

shop

noun

A place, physical or online, where goods or services are sold.

shopkeeper

noun

A person who owns or runs a small retail shop.

shoplift

verb

To steal goods from a shop while it is open for business.

shoplifter

noun

A person who steals goods from a shop.

shoplifting

noun

The crime of stealing goods from a shop.

shopper

noun

A person who is shopping or who shops regularly.

shopping

noun

The activity of buying goods, or of browsing for things to buy.

shore

noun

The land bordering a sea, lake, or other large body of water.

shoreline

noun

The line or boundary where land meets a body of water.

short

adjective

Not long in length, distance, or duration.

shortage

noun

A situation where there is not enough of something needed.

shortbread

noun

A crumbly, buttery biscuit traditionally made with sugar, butter, and flour, popular in Britain.

shortcake

noun

A sweet, crumbly cake or biscuit, often served in layers with fruit and cream.

shortcut

verb

To take a quicker or more direct route or method than usual.

shorted

adjective

Wearing shorts.

shorten

verb

To make something shorter in length, duration, or extent.

shorter

noun

A comparative form of short; also, someone who engages in short selling.

shorthand

noun

A fast system of writing using symbols or abbreviations instead of full words.

shorthanded

adjective

Not having enough staff or workers to operate normally.

shorting

noun

The practice of short selling — betting a stock or asset will fall in price.