shin
noun
the front part of the leg from the knee to the ankle.
shin
1 American
[shin]
/ ʃɪn /
noun
-
the front part of the leg from the knee to the ankle.
-
the lower part of the foreleg in cattle.
-
the shinbone or tibia, especially its sharp edge or front portion.
-
Chiefly British. a cut of beef similar to the U.S. shank, usually cut into small pieces for stewing.
verb (used with or without object)
-
shins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shinned,
past participle, past
-
shinning
present participle
shin
2
American
[sheen, shin]
/ ʃin, ʃɪn /
noun
-
the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
-
the consonant sound represented by this letter.
shīn
3
American
[sheen]
/ ʃin /
noun
Shin
4
American
[shin, sheen]
/ ʃɪn, ʃin /
noun
Buddhism.
shin
1
British
/ ʃɪn /
noun
-
the front part of the lower leg
-
the front edge of the tibia
-
a cut of beef, the lower foreleg
verb
-
to climb (a pole, tree, etc) by gripping with the hands or arms and the legs and hauling oneself up
-
(tr) to kick (a person) in the shins
shin
2
British
/ ʃɪn /
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shinsimple
-
shinssimple
-
have shinnedperfect
-
has shinnedperfect
-
am shinningprogressive
-
are shinningprogressive
-
is shinningprogressive
-
have been shinningperfect progressive
-
has been shinningperfect progressive
Past
-
shinnedsimple
-
had shinnedperfect
-
was shinningprogressive
-
were shinningprogressive
-
had been shinningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shin1
before 1000; Middle English shine, Old English scinu; cognate with Dutch scheen, German Schien ( bein )
Origin of shin2
1895–1900; < Hebrew shīn, akin to shēn tooth
Origin of shīn3
From Arabic
Origin of Shin4
1895–1900; < Japanese: literally, faith < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese zhēn truth
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Milwaukee Brewers: Huntington Beach Marina High product Jake Bauers has suffered from shin splints almost all season, and the pain has kept him from playing the outfield lately.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Alabi went on to suffer a season-ending shin injury in January, but former head coach Eddie Howe backed the teenager to have a bright future if he continued to work hard.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The Bayer Leverkusen defender caught Mexico's Jesus Gallardo high on the shin following a sliding challenge in the 54th minute.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
You have soccer cranks who didn’t care about the sport 24 hours ago ready to march in the streets wearing shin guards and a full red-striped Waldo kit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
On her right shin, visible even in the dimness of the indoor light, a thin pink scar jags down from her knee.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
Shin said further rate increases are likely, with the pace depending on incoming data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Shin is currently chief financial and risk officer at Jollibee, and CEO of JFC International.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Japan's Shin Miidera, a 16-year-old attacker playing for partner club Yokohama F. Marinos, is another CFG are monitoring very closely.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in late July that the Shin Bet domestic security service had warned him of "various threats to the integrity of the elections, both internal and external".
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
The cutter did not suspect Shin when the clothes went missing.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Parton, never dropping her megawatt smile, replied, “If you had’ve, it would have been something very natural. But I would have probably kicked your shins or something.”
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Each participant must wear trousers, with straw available for them to create a layer of padding on their shins.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
In slalom, racers typically knock down gates with their arms or shins, which are protected by plastic shin guards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2026
Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined by a sprained ankle while Holmgren was nursing sore shins, both joining Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams on OKC's injured list.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
Maddie had her man’s greatcoat on and was tying it up around her shins so it wouldn’t catch in the bicycle chain.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
And the 37-year-old settled the game when he shinned Lamine Yamal's header across goal and past his own keeper.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2023
Clucas' effort took a deflection off the boot of Moussa Sissoko and flew into the corner, while Tymon shinned a first-time cross over Elliot's head.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2021
“See, it’s not difficult,” Mr. Violini, a restoration specialist at the Vatican Museums, said as he slowly shinned up the frescoed stairwell leading up to a once-private papal chapel in Rome.
From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2019
Out went Geoff Cameron, whose shinned clearance had gifted Nani the opening goal against Portugal, and whose drop in concentration was a contributing factor, but certainly not the sole cause, in the second.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 27, 2014
I twisted them off and shinned back down.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
As it was, it took two set-pieces break down the visitors, with Hofmann shinning a volley through a crowded penalty area after the initial ball in was not cleared.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2024
The 16-year-old was signed in December after shinning in Tacoma Defiance matches last year.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 17, 2022
"All love on my end shawty, Keep shinning!"
From Fox News ● Feb. 22, 2021
I experienced Ustvolskaya’s magnificent chords and resonances as heat and light, while that shinning orb overhead became a giant gong.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2018
He doubted more and more that climbing steps into the bank was equal to shinning it up a beanstalk.
From A Canadian Bankclerk by J. P. Buschlen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
