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noun

shingle

SHIHNG-guhl

Shingle (noun) means a thin, often overlapping piece of roofing or wall covering material. Example: “Several shingles blew off the roof in the storm.”

noun
1
A thin, often overlapping piece of roofing or wall covering material.
"Several shingles blew off the roof in the storm."
2
A small signboard, especially one advertising a professional office.
"The lawyer hung out her shingle after opening her own practice."
3
Small, smooth pebbles found on a beach, or a beach covered in them.
"They walked carefully over the shingle toward the sea."
verb
1
To cover a roof or wall with shingles.
"The roofers shingled the whole house in a single day."

How to use shingle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA small overlapping roof tile, or (unrelated sense) loose smooth beach pebbles.

Common pairings
wood shingles hang out a shingle a shingle beach

Word forms

shingled past tense, shingled past tense, shingles plural, shingles plural, shingles plural, shingles singular, shingles singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Several _____ blew off the roof in the storm.

Etymology

From Old English sċindel, ultimately from Latin scandula, related to a root meaning "to split" — early shingles were split from wood.

Origin: Latin

Related words

Rhymes for shingle

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Frequently asked questions

What does “shingle” mean?

The word “shingle” means a thin, often overlapping piece of roofing or wall covering material. In plain terms, a small overlapping roof tile, or (unrelated sense) loose smooth beach pebbles.

How do you pronounce “shingle”?

“Shingle” is pronounced SHIHNG-guhl (/ˈʃɪŋ.ɡəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “shingle” in a sentence?

Here is “shingle” used in a sentence: “Several shingles blew off the roof in the storm.”

What part of speech is “shingle”?

Depending on how it is used, “shingle” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “shingle” come from?

The word “shingle” comes from Latin. From Old English sċindel, ultimately from Latin scandula, related to a root meaning "to split" — early shingles were split from wood.

How many meanings does “shingle” have?

“Shingle” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thin, often overlapping piece of roofing or wall covering material.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial