shakedown

or shake-down

[ sheyk-doun ]

noun

1. extortion, as by blackmail or threats of violence.
2. a thorough search:

   a shakedown of prison cells to uncover hidden drugs.

3. a bed, as of straw or blankets, spread on the floor.
4. any makeshift bed.
5. the act or process of shaking down.
6. Also called shakedown cruise,. a cruise or flight intended to prepare a new vessel or aircraft for regular service by accustoming the crew to its features and peculiarities, breaking in and adjusting machinery, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of shakedown¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; noun, adj. use of verb phrase shake down

Example Sentences

On a shakedown hike, first-timers get a low-risk chance to learn how to use their gear and figure out if their setup meets their needs.

From Outside Online

That’s where the shakedown hike—an overnight or short multiday trip with your thru-hiking kit—can help you.

From Outside Online

A pack shakedown is when an experienced thru-hiker examines your pack item-by-item to help you shed weight.

From Outside Online

Hikers tend to carry their fears, and by examining your gear, the pack shakedown allows you to dump what you won’t use and pack the lightest possible version of what you will.

From Outside Online

That creates a good shakedown test for your truck and your navigation skills—not to mention your expectations about traveling the peninsula.

From Outside Online

Bryan Singer himself claimed he was the victim of a “sick, twisted shakedown.”

From The Daily Beast

There is still time for one more non-Mitt to get his shakedown cruise, even before Iowa.

From The Daily Beast

Lies, Forstmann tells Charlie Gasparino exclusively, from a "shakedown artist."

From The Daily Beast

A lot of posh produce is nothing more than a consumer shakedown.

From The Daily Beast

He walked absently through the not-unpleasant routine of the shakedown.

From Project Gutenberg

This money is yours—and you will have a shakedown for the night—only on condition that you stick to what you've said.

From Project Gutenberg

"I'll make a shakedown for myself in the store room," he answered.

From Project Gutenberg

Bambo's usual shakedown was deserted; the pallet where the children should have been was unoccupied.

From Project Gutenberg

Every berth was taken, so I had a shakedown in the corridor, which was much more airy than any cabin.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blackmail