shadoof

or sha·duf

[ shah-doof ]

/ ʃɑˈduf /

Save This Word!

noun

a device used in Egypt and other Eastern countries for raising water, especially for irrigation, consisting of a long suspended rod with a bucket at one end and a weight at the other.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of shadoof

First recorded in 1830–40, shadoof is from the Egyptian Arabic word shadūf

Words nearby shadoof

shades of, shade tree, shadfly, shading, shadkhan, shadoof, shadow, shadow bands, shadowbox, shadow cabinet, shadow dance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use shadoof in a sentence

The man who works the shadoof stands near the water's edge, below the slender arm of the balance.
Chatterbox, 1906|Various
Drawing water with the aid of the shadoof is said to be very hard work, especially in so hot a country as Egypt.
Chatterbox, 1906|Various
This is the shadoof, the same which was used in the time of Moses.
From Egypt to Japan|Henry M. Field
A shadoof, such as may be seen on the Nile, serves to draw water to irrigate the gardens.
How I Found Livingstone|Henry M. Stanley

The men working at the 21 shadoof on the river brink have only a strip of cloth around their loins.
From Egypt to Japan|Henry M. Field

British Dictionary definitions for shadoof

shadoof

shaduf

/ (ʃəˈduːf) /

noun

a mechanism for raising water, consisting of a pivoted pole with a bucket at one end and a counterweight at the other, esp as used in Egypt and the Near East

Word Origin for shadoof

C19: from Egyptian Arabic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012