General
shank
What does shank mean?
A knife, particularly a blade carried as a weapon. Core MLE street vocab — used across UK drill, road rap and everyday London slang. Originally prison slang for an improvised blade, it migrated into the ends decades ago and stuck.
"Police stopped him and found a shank in his waistband."
Origin
American prison slang from the early 1900s for a homemade blade. Crossed into UK street usage and got absorbed into MLE.
Frequently asked questions
What does shank mean?
A shank is a knife — or, as a verb, to stab someone with one.
How do you use shank in a sentence?
"He got caught with a shank hidden in his cell."
Is shank a violent term?
Yes, it refers to a knife and the act of stabbing, so it carries a violent, often prison-related connotation.
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