shoulder
noun
shoul·der
| \ ˈshōl-dər
\
\
Definition of shoulder
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: the laterally projecting part of the human body formed of the bones and joints with their covering tissue by which the arm is connected with the trunk
b
: the region of the body of nonhuman vertebrates that corresponds to the shoulder but is less projecting
2a
: the two shoulders and the upper part of the back
—usually used in plural
b
shoulders plural
: capacity for bearing a task or blame
placed the guilt squarely on his shoulders
3
: a cut of meat including the upper joint of the foreleg and adjacent parts — see lamb illustration
4
: the part of a garment at the wearer's shoulder
5
: an area adjacent to or along the edge of a higher, more prominent, or more important part: such as
a(1)
: the part of a hill or mountain near the top
(2)
: a lateral protrusion or extension of a hill or mountain
b
: either edge of a roadway
specifically
: the part of a roadway outside of the traveled way
6
: a rounded or sloping part (as of a stringed instrument or a bottle) where the neck joins the body
shoulder
verb
shouldered;
shouldering\ ˈshōl-d(ə-)riŋ
\
\
Definition of shoulder (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to push or thrust with or as if with the shoulder : jostle
shouldered his way through the crowd
2a
: to place or bear on the shoulder
shouldered her knapsack
b
: to assume the burden or responsibility of
shoulder the blame
: to push with or as if with the shoulders aggressively
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Other Words from shoulder
Noun
shouldered
\ ˈshōl-dərd
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for shoulder
Synonyms: Verb
accept, assume, bear, take over, undertake
Antonyms: Verb
disavow, disclaim, disown, repudiate
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Examples of shoulder in a Sentence
Noun
He rested the baby's head on his shoulder. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. She carried a backpack on one shoulder. The horse is five feet high at the shoulder. We had pork shoulder for dinner.Verb
He shouldered the blame for the project's failure. The company will shoulder the costs of the repairs. She shouldered the full burden of raising three children. He shouldered the door open. She shouldered through the crowd. She shouldered her way through the crowd. The soldiers shouldered their rifles and marched away.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Andrews got just about all of the first-team work at center while Ryan Kelly was out with a shoulder injury, and with Quenton Nelson out of action on Monday, Andrews was in the starting lineup at left guard. — Joel A. Erickson, Indianapolis Star, "Colts camp observations: Rock Ya-Sin, Deon Cain light up shortened practice," 12 Aug. 2019 Player: Mitchell Trubisky Team: Chicago Bears In 2018, Trubisky ranked 15th in QB scoring in four-point TD leagues despite missing two games with a right shoulder injury. — Shawn Childs, SI.com, "Mitchell Trubisky 2019 Fantasy Football Player Profile," 12 Aug. 2019 Redmond was on the PUP list with a shoulder injury. — Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati.com, "Bengals notebook: Michael Jordan getting reps with starters, Ryan Finley playing No. 2 QB," 12 Aug. 2019 The dual-threat signal-caller was pressed into action following a shoulder injury to then senior starter Patrick Angelovic. — Andrew Turner, Daily Pilot, "High School Football Preview: Edison to trust that process will lead to winning season," 10 Aug. 2019 This year, Knebel was lost to Tommy John surgery before the season began and Jeffress opened the year with a shoulder injury and has been playing catchup ever since. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "After being spoiled by his bullpen in '18, Craig Counsell has had to orchestrate more moving parts," 10 Aug. 2019 Bears wide receiver Anthony Miller is looking forward to a healthy second season after battling a left shoulder injury for most of 2018. — Colleen Kane, chicagotribune.com, "Anthony Miller leaves Bears practice with foot/ankle injury as Trey Burton eases back into action," 10 Aug. 2019 McCarron suffered a shoulder injury in the second preseason game that cost him practice time and caused him to miss the third preseason game. — Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, "Injury endangers AJ McCarron’s preseason availability for Texans," 7 Aug. 2019 Although experiencing a minor shoulder injury, Montijo willed his way in the division finals with an eighth-place finish in 15:45.2, becoming the program’s first athlete to qualify for state contention. — Vincent Nguyen, Burbank Leader, "Looking Back: Providence excels amidst challenges in new league," 6 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Washington shouldered the early carries as running backs Josh Jacobs and Jalen Richard were among the nearly 30 players - mostly starters - the Raiders held out of the game. — Matt Kawahara, SFChronicle.com, "Raiders open preseason with 14-3 win over Rams," 10 Aug. 2019 On the wing, many fans don't feel as though Willian and Pedro can shoulder the responsibility next season. — SI.com, "Chelsea 2019/20 Season Preview: Strengths, Weaknesses, Key Man and Predictions," 7 Aug. 2019 Rifles typically can fire more powerful cartridges than pistols and shoulder stocks allow the rifles to be fired more accurately. — Cameron Knight, USA TODAY, "Dayton shooter used a modified gun that may have exploited a legal loophole," 5 Aug. 2019 Players are to wear only helmets for the first two practices, then helmets and shoulder pads for the next two. — Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati.com, "Ready for fall sports? New OHSAA rules officially take effect as season kicks off Thursday," 1 Aug. 2019 But Income Share Agreements prove that shouldering enormous risk doesn’t have to be a prerequisite for students. — Austen Allred, WIRED, "To End Student Debt, Tie Tuition to Post-Graduation Salaries," 31 July 2019 Crews continue to clean up mud and debris in the right lane and shoulder five miles west of Glenwood Springs in South Canyon, the Colorado Department of Transportation said in a news release. — Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post, "Westbound I-70 outside Glenwood Springs open to traffic as crews clean up mudslide," 27 July 2019 Of course, being too hasty in deliberating and releasing regulatory guidance could lead to the SEC shouldering blame for any lapses or fraudulent activity. — Rey Mashayekhi, Fortune, "U.S. Risks Falling Behind the World in Embracing Crypto, Warns “Crypto Mom” SEC Commissioner," 16 July 2019 The first circuit started with a squat/shoulder press/triceps extension combo using 5-lb. — Hannah Harper, Health.com, "I Worked Out With Ashley Graham—and My Abs Were on Fire," 8 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shoulder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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