n.
- The joint connecting the arm with the torso.
- The part of the human body between the neck and upper arm.
- The joint of a vertebrate animal that connects the forelimb to the trunk.
- The part of an animal near this joint.
- The part of a bird's wing between the wrist and the trunk.
- The area of the back from one shoulder to the other. Often used in the plural.
- A cut of meat including the joint of the foreleg and adjacent parts.
- The portion of a garment that covers the shoulder.
- An angled or sloping part, as:
- The angle between the face and flank of a bastion in a fortification.
- The area between the body and neck of a bottle or vase.
- The area of an item or object that serves as an abutment or surrounds a projection, as:
- The end surface of a board from which a tenon projects.
- Printing. The flat surface on the body of type that extends beyond the letter or character.
- The edge or border running on either side of a roadway.
v., -dered, -der·ing, -ders. v.tr.
- To carry or place (a burden, for example) on the shoulders.
- To take on; assume: shouldered the blame for his friends.
- To push or apply force to, with or as if with the shoulder.
- To make (one's way) by or as if by shoving obstacles with one's shoulders.
- To push with the shoulders.
- To make one's way by or as if by shoving obstacles with one's shoulders.
put (one's) shoulder to the wheel
- To apply oneself vigorously; make a concentrated effort.
- In close proximity; side by side.
- In close cooperation.
- Delivered directly from the shoulder. Used of a punch.
- Honestly; candidly.
[Middle English shulder, from Old English sculdor.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.