shin

¹

[shin]

noun

1. the front part of the leg from the knee to the ankle.

2. the lower part of the foreleg in cattle.

3. the shinbone or tibia, especially its sharp edge or front portion.

4. Chiefly British.,  a cut of beef similar to the U.S. shank, usually cut into small pieces for stewing.

verb (used with or without object)

shinned, shinning 

1. to climb by holding fast with the hands or arms and legs and drawing oneself up.

shin

²

[sheen, shin]

noun

1. the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

shīn

³

[sheen]

noun

1. the 13th letter of the Arabic alphabet.

Shin

⁴

[shin, sheen]

noun

Buddhism.

1. a Japanese offshoot of the Pure Land Sect, requiring only faith in Amida for salvation through his accumulated merit.

shin

¹

/ ʃɪn /

noun

1. the front part of the lower leg

2. the front edge of the tibia

3. a cut of beef, the lower foreleg

verb

1. to climb (a pole, tree, etc) by gripping with the hands or arms and the legs and hauling oneself up

2. (tr) to kick (a person) in the shins

shin

²

/ ʃɪn /

noun

1. the 21st letter in the Hebrew alphabet (ש), transliterated as sh

Word History and Origins

Origin of shin¹

before 1000; Middle English shine, Old English scinu; cognate with Dutch scheen, German Schien ( bein )

Origin of shin²

1895–1900; < Hebrew shīn, akin to shēn tooth

Origin of shin³

From Arabic

Origin of shin⁴

1895–1900; < Japanese: literally, faith < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese zhēn truth

Word History and Origins

Origin of shin¹

Old English scinu; related to Old High German scina needle, Norwegian dialect skina small disc

Origin of shin²

from Hebrew shīn, literally: tooth

Example Sentences

Nordbrock had a small mark on his arm, “where it had been touching my shin,” MacLeod said, but no other signs of trauma.

From Los Angeles Times

Dr Mark Bowditch, President of the British Orthopaedic Association told BBC Sport that a tibia is, "the shin bone and the main weight bearing bone from the knee to the ankle".

From BBC

During the challenge, Mr Cook faced setbacks including a shin muscle injury.

From BBC

A woman lotions her legs in the locker room, cream dripping down her shins like smoke and pooling in a puddle beneath her.

From Los Angeles Times

One stunning piece, excavated 60 years ago from a tomb in the foothills of mountainous northwest Bulgaria, about 70 miles from Sofia, is the left shin and knee guard from a soldier’s armor.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• tibia