shanty
1 Americannoun
adjective
-
of, relating to, or constituting a shanty or shanties.
a shanty quarter outside the town walls.
-
of a low economic or social class, especially when living in a shanty.
shanty people.
verb (used without object)
noun
noun
-
a ramshackle hut; crude dwelling
-
a public house, esp an unlicensed one
-
-
a log bunkhouse at a lumber camp
-
the camp itself
-
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
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”; see origin at chant
Explanation
A shanty is a small, rough shelter or dwelling. Modern shanties are commonly found in shantytowns, informal neighborhoods made up of crude, homemade shelters. A crude, run-down shack can be called a shanty, and the temporary, portable structures that ice fishermen set up for shelter are also shanties. This sense of shanty derives from the French Canadian chantier, or "lumberjack's headquarters." Shanty can also refer to a song that sailors sing while they work. This meaning comes from chanty, "boisterous sailor song," from the French chanter, "to sing."
Vocabulary lists containing shanty
A Long Walk to Water
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
There's No Word Like Home
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
On opening day, Micheal Boushele grilled brats next to his family’s fishing shanty under sunny skies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
The blaze broke out in the early hours of the morning in Guryong village, often described as one of the South Korean capital's last remaining shanty towns.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
Despite the archaic language, it has the simplicity of a sea shanty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
"My family has been torn apart," Ms Khatun says, as she sits in her parent's one-room shanty in West Bengal.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025
He told Hunt he had just spent two days with Burnham, including two nights at the shanty.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Earlier this week, Typhoon Kalmaegi sent floodwaters rushing through the towns and cities of Cebu province, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and massive shipping containers.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2025
He sang sea shanties, determined to stay upbeat.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025
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.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2025
Strikers took to the streets, occupied railroad depots, often with their families, waved signs, and erected tents and hastily constructed shanties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2025
For the sound of traditional Western folk music, look for collections of folk music from England or Australia, sea shanties, or American cowboy songs.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
We shantied together on the Muddywaski, and a better man than John Burton never rode a log in the Ottaway country, which is sayin’ a good deal.
From The Bail Jumper by Stead, Robert J. C.
I shantied for a week with Crop, under the shadow of Mount Marcy.
From Wild Northern Scenes Sporting Adventures with the Rifle and the Rod by Hammond, S. H. (Samuel H.)
They shantied on the outlet, just at the foot of the lake, below the high rocky bluff round which the little bay there sweeps.
From Wild Northern Scenes Sporting Adventures with the Rifle and the Rod by Hammond, S. H. (Samuel H.)
Alistair Beaton's script is not so much a play as a series of sketches; Anthony Neilson's production is remorselessly larky, with lots of arch posturing and yo-ho-ho shantying.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 28, 2010
He had been working his farm for a spell and had gone back reluctantly to shantying because he needed the money in a slack season.
From Children of the Tenements by Relyea, C. M. (Charles Mark)
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.
