shaft
noun
\ ˈshaft
\
\
plural shafts\ ˈshaf(t)s
, for sense 1b usually ˈshavz \
, for sense 1b usually ˈshavz \
Definition of shaft
(Entry 1 of 2)
b
or plural shaves\ ˈshavz \
: pole
specifically
: either of two long pieces of wood between which a horse is hitched to a vehicle
\
: pole
specifically
: either of two long pieces of wood between which a horse is hitched to a vehicle
c(1)
: an arrow especially for a longbow
(2)
: the body or stem of an arrow extending from the nock to the head
2
: a sharply delineated beam of light shining through an opening
3
: something suggestive of the shaft of a spear or arrow especially in long slender cylindrical form: such as
a
: the trunk of a tree
b
: the cylindrical pillar between the capital and the base
c
: the handle of a tool or instrument (such as a golf club)
d
: a commonly cylindrical bar used to support rotating pieces or to transmit power or motion by rotation
e
: the stem or central axis of a feather
f
: the upright member of a cross especially below the arms
g
: the cylindrical part of a long bone between the enlarged ends
h
: a small architectural column (as at each side of a doorway)
i
: a column, obelisk, or other spire-shaped or columnar monument
j
: a vertical or inclined opening of uniform and limited cross section made for finding or mining ore, raising water, or ventilating underground workings (as in a cave)
k
: the part of a hair that is visible above the surface of the skin — see hair illustration
l
: a vertical opening or passage through the floors of a building
4a
: a projectile thrown like a spear or shot like an arrow
b
: a scornful, satirical, or pithily critical remark or attack
c
: harsh or unfair treatment
—usually used with the gave them the shaft
shaft
verb
shafted;
shafting;
shafts
Definition of shaft (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Examples of shaft in a Sentence
Noun
the shaft of a spear the shaft of a golf clubVerb
You really got shafted in that deal.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Two prospectors came upon it in a mine shaft near Elsinore, California. — Richard Ruelas, AZCentral.com, "Lost to Time From the Don Bolles files: Murder and the drug ring's pot plane," 9 July 2019 Borgonie has found teeming communities of nematodes two miles below Earth's surface, in South African mine shafts with scant oxygen and scalding heat. — Daniel Ackerman, Anchorage Daily News, "Ancient life awakens amid thawing ice caps and permafrost," 8 July 2019 The body of Arian Palanas Lozano, 28, also from the Philippines, was found down the same shaft six days later. — Fox News, "Decomposing body of Cyprus serial killer's youngest victim discovered in lake," 14 June 2019 Bounds’ smog-alert chamber is reached by a spiral staircase winding 20 feet into the ground in a well-like shaft. — Scott Harrison, latimes.com, "From the Archives: Underground smog shelter," 12 June 2019 Authorities are trying to rescue a worker who fell down an elevator shaft following a methane gas explosion Wednesday afternoon at a coal mine in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. — Ben Tobin, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky coal mine explosion knocks worker down 380-foot shaft," 2 Aug. 2019 Also, Hutchison and Mack also want to build a six-car garage west of the building for the condo residents, and add an exterior elevator shaft. — Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Conversion of Historic former Schlitz tavern in Riverwest neighborhood to condos wins initial city OK," 9 July 2019 But auxiliary features like stairwells and elevator shafts will not count toward the parking requirements. — Hillary Davis, latimes.com, "Costa Mesa backs off recently tightened parking requirements for some commercial developments," 7 June 2019 The rooftop currently houses mechanical equipment and a light shaft, the company said. — Madison Iszler, ExpressNews.com, "Aztec Theatre to feature rooftop bar, event space," 15 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Part of the problem, experts say, is that health care fraud is often misunderstood as shafting greedy insurers — not the folks paying for health insurance. — Marshall Allen, ProPublica, "Health Insurers Make It Easy for Scammers to Steal Millions. Who Pays? You.," 19 July 2019 How can the Bulldogs get to the second weekend, fans ask, if they are shafted in their seed line? — David Woods, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: How they play, more than how they're seeded, matters to Bulldogs," 10 Mar. 2018 But unity remains elusive for the party whose ugly presidential primary in 2016 led to Hillary Clinton mortally damaged on Election Day after Bernie Sanders supporters left her high and dry, embittered that the party had shafted their man. — Maria Panaritis, Philly.com, "For Pa. Democrats, family feud threatens gerrymandering joy | Maria Panaritis," 14 Feb. 2018 Part of the problem, experts say, is that health care fraud is often misunderstood as shafting greedy insurers — not the folks paying for health insurance. — Marshall Allen, ProPublica, "Health Insurers Make It Easy for Scammers to Steal Millions. Who Pays? You.," 19 July 2019 How can the Bulldogs get to the second weekend, fans ask, if they are shafted in their seed line? — David Woods, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: How they play, more than how they're seeded, matters to Bulldogs," 10 Mar. 2018 But unity remains elusive for the party whose ugly presidential primary in 2016 led to Hillary Clinton mortally damaged on Election Day after Bernie Sanders supporters left her high and dry, embittered that the party had shafted their man. — Maria Panaritis, Philly.com, "For Pa. Democrats, family feud threatens gerrymandering joy | Maria Panaritis," 14 Feb. 2018 But some of the same forces that contributed to Trump’s victory here feed the skepticism over the tax bill — a sense that working people are getting shafted, a jaded view of Washington, and deep skepticism toward Congress. — Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "GOP tax cuts generate little excitement in blue-collar county that swung hard for Trump," 18 Dec. 2017 The government was forced to redraft certain settlements with owners after shafting them by not accounting for valuable nearby water rights. — James Warren, The Hive, "The Massive, Botched Land Grab Behind Trump’s Border Wall," 14 Dec. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shaft.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for shaft
shaft
noun
English Language Learners Definition of shaft
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the long, narrow part of a weapon, tool, instrument, etc.
: a bar in a machine which holds or turns other parts that move or spin