shanty

¹

[shan-tee]

noun

plural

shanties 

1. a crudely built hut, cabin, or house.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting a shanty or shanties.

   a shanty quarter outside the town walls.

2. of a low economic or social class, especially when living in a shanty.

   shanty people.

verb (used without object)

shantied, shantying 

1. to inhabit a shanty.

shanty

²

Also chant·y,
Sometimes shan·tey

[shan-tee]

noun

plural

shanties 

1. a sailors' song, especially one sung in rhythm to work.

shanty

¹

/ ˈʃæntɪ /

noun

1. a ramshackle hut; crude dwelling

2. a public house, esp an unlicensed one

3. 1. a log bunkhouse at a lumber camp

   2. the camp itself

shanty

²

/ ˈʃæntɪ, ˈʃæntɪ, ˈtʃæn- /

noun

1. a song originally sung by sailors, esp a rhythmic one forming an accompaniment to work

Other Word Forms

• shantylike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shanty¹

1810–20; probably < Canadian French chantier lumber camp, hut; French: yard, depot, gantry, stand for barrels < Latin cant ( h ) ērius rafter, prop, literally, horse in poor condition, nag < Greek kanthḗlios pack ass

Origin of shanty²

First recorded 1855–60; alteration of French chanter “to sing”; chant

Word History and Origins

Origin of shanty¹

C19: from Canadian French chantier cabin built in a lumber camp, from Old French gantier _gantry

Origin of shanty²

C19: from French chanter to sing; see _chant

Example Sentences

The concert ended with the traditional programme of sea shanties and patriotic songs like Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory - as the audience waved flags, set off party poppers and waved stuffed toys.

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The remaining three account holders were a rickshaw driver, a widow doing tailoring work in a small shanty town and a carpenter.

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Meanwhile, a crackdown on informal settlements that police say harbour criminals saw more than 220 shanty homes bulldozed in August.

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The so-called “treasures of the seas” aren’t going to be pillaged without our help, and I soon find myself improvising sea shanties and engaging in a game of liar’s dice.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In Gurugram, an upscale suburb just outside Delhi, gleaming SUVs, futuristic skyscrapers and neat apartments stand in stark contrast to nearby mosquito swarms, trash heaps and tarpaulin shanties.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• cabin 
• cottage 
• hut 
• lean-to