shank

American  

[shangk] / ʃæŋk /

noun

• shanks
  plural

1. Anatomy. the part of the lower limb in humans between the knee and the ankle; leg.

2. a corresponding or analogous part in certain animals.

3. the lower limb in humans, including both the leg and the thigh.

4. a cut of meat from the top part of the front foreshank or back hind shank leg of an animal.

5. a narrow part of various devices, as a tool or bolt, connecting the end by which the object is held or moved with the end that acts upon another object.

6. a straight, usually narrow, shaftlike part of various objects connecting two more important or complex parts, as the stem of a pipe.

7. Slang. shiv.

8. a knob, small projection, or end of a device for attaching to another object, as a small knob on the back of a solid button, or the end of a drill for gripping in a shaft.

9. the long, straight part of an anchor connecting the crown and the ring.

10. the straight part of a fishhook away from the bent part or prong.

11. Music. crook.

12. Informal.

    1. the early or main part of a period of time.

       It was just the shank of the evening when the party began.

    2. the latter part of a period of time.

       They didn't get started until the shank of the morning.

13. the narrow part of the sole of a shoe, lying beneath the instep.

14. shankpiece.

15. Printing. the body of a type, between the shoulder and the foot.

16. Golf. a shot veering sharply to the right after being hit with the base of a club shaft.

17. the part of a phonograph stylus or needle on which the diamond or sapphire tip is mounted.

18. Jewelry. the part of a ring that surrounds the finger; hoop.

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verb (used with object)

• shanks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• shanked,
  past participle,  past
• shanking
  present participle

1. Golf. to hit (a golf ball) with the base of the shaft of a club just above the club head, causing the ball to go off sharply to the right.

2. Slang. to cut or stab (someone) with a shank; shiv.

3. Slang. to undermine or discredit (someone) in a sneaky manner, as with innuendo, rumor, accusation, or the like.

verb (used without object)

• shanks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• shanked,
  past participle,  past
• shanking
  present participle

1. Chiefly Scot. to travel on foot.

shank British  

/ ʃæŋk /

noun

1. anatomy the shin

2. the corresponding part of the leg in vertebrates other than man

3. a cut of meat from the top part of an animal's shank

4. the main part of a tool, between the working part and the handle

5. the part of a bolt between the thread and the head

6. the cylindrical part of a bit by which it is held in the drill

7. the ring or stem on the back of some buttons

8. the stem or long narrow part of a key, anchor, hook, spoon handle, nail, pin, etc

9. the band of a ring as distinguished from the setting

10. 1. the part of a shoe connecting the wide part of the sole with the heel

    2. the metal or leather piece used for this

11. printing the body of a piece of type, between the shoulder and the foot

12. engineering a ladle used for molten metal

13. music another word for crook

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verb

1. (intr) (of fruits, roots, etc) to show disease symptoms, esp discoloration

2. (tr) golf to mishit (the ball) with the foot of the shaft rather than the face of the club

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unshanked
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shanks
  plural

Participles

• shanking
  present
• shanked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• shank
  simple
• shanks
  simple
• have shanked
  perfect
• has shanked
  perfect
• am shanking
  progressive
• are shanking
  progressive
• is shanking
  progressive
• have been shanking
  perfect progressive
• has been shanking
  perfect progressive

Past

• shanked
  simple
• had shanked
  perfect
• was shanking
  progressive
• were shanking
  progressive
• had been shanking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will shank
  simple
• will have shanked
  perfect
• will be shanking
  progressive
• will have been shanking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of shank

First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English sc(e)anca; cognate with Low German schanke “leg, thigh”; akin to German Schenkel “thigh,” Schinken “ham (of the leg)”

Explanation

Your shanks are your shins, the lower part of your leg. It hurts like crazy to bang your shank on the edge of a coffee table. Shank comes from a Germanic source related to Schenkel, or "thigh." It's most common to talk about shanks in terms of meat, like lamb shanks or beef shanks, rather than your own shins. The shape of lower leg bones influence other ways shank is used, to refer to objects from drill bits to the narrow piece of a shoe's sole that connects to its heel. For unclear reasons, to shank means to hit a golf or tennis ball badly.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shank shanks shanked shanking

The Five-Pocket Tote has classic denim details such as belt loops, shank buttons and bar tack stitching.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

In its more standardized form across the journalism industry, this kind of ethical nihilism has been a rusty shank to the gut of consumer advocacy journalists the last few years.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2024

Former world number one Woods carded five birdies and five bogeys, ending the first day in California with a bogey after firing a surprise shank far to the right on the 18th fairway.

From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2024

A shank is rare, especially for Woods, but it has been a while since he mentioned back spasms.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2024

One hundred fathoms down a marlin was eating the sardines that covered the point and the shank of the hook where the hand-forged hook projected from the head of the small tuna.

From "The Old Man and The Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

He lines up the drop-goal - and shanks it.

From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026

Frontier offers wild game options, including a venison cheese steak, smoked and braised elk shanks and BBQ boar mac and cheese.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2024

The pho had a deeply fragrant broth and three large shanks of short rib that wasn’t quite falling off the bone.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 28, 2022

In the last decade or so, younger Arab Americans have raised Little Arabia’s profile on social media through photos of falafels, shawarma and lamb shanks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2022

Lamont sat back on his shanks and pointed at himself.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

In a nervy start to the tie-break, Gauff shanked a second-serve return wide before snatching a backhand volley into the net.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

They’d responded to the opening Hawkeye score with a sloppy three-and-out series, followed by a shanked punt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2025

A limping Evans had shanked a late drop-goal and Leinster hung on to win.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2025

The first came when Brody Richter shanked a punt for 16 yards late in the first quarter, allowing the Huskies to take over at UCLA’s 36-yard line.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2024

W. Clark, Manchester, Ind. I claim the arrangement of forked pitman, A G G', bolt, H, screw shanked hook, D, and nuts, F F', or their equivalents, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

From Scientific American, Volume 17, No. 26 December 28, 1867 A Weekly Journal of Practical Information, Art, Science, Mechanics, Chemistry, and Manufactures. by Various

The first time a World Cup game was played in the U.S., the opening ceremony featured Oprah Winfrey tumbling off a stage and Diana Ross shanking a penalty shot several yards wide of the goal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

He is more likely to expire on the back nine of a golf course after shanking a par 5 off the tee than any man I’ve ever known.

From Salon ● May 15, 2025

He told reporters on Thursday that he had been suffering with back spasms along with soreness in his surgically repaired leg after uncharacteristically shanking an approach on the 18th.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2024

Whether improperly closing a door or shanking a kick in soccer, our brains tell us when we've made a mistake because these sounds differ from what we expect to hear.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2023

The next process is that of shanking, or attaching small metal loops, by which they are fastened to garments.

From The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. VIII, No. 354, October 9, 1886 by Charles Peters