shingle
1[ shing-guh l ]
/ ˈʃɪŋ gəl /
noun
a thin piece of wood, slate, metal, asbestos, or the like, usually oblong, laid in overlapping rows to cover the roofs and walls of buildings.
a woman's close-cropped haircut.
Informal. a small signboard, especially as hung before a doctor's or lawyer's office.
verb (used with object), shin·gled, shin·gling.
to cover with shingles, as a roof.
to cut (hair) close to the head.
Nearby words
shindy, shine, shine up to, shiner, shiner perch, shingle, shingle oak, shingles, shingling, shingly, shingon
Idioms
hang out one's shingle, Informal. to establish a professional practice, especially in law or medicine; open an office.
have/be a shingle short, Australian Slang. to be mentally disturbed, mad, or eccentric.
Origin of shingle
11150–1200; Middle English scincle, sc(h)ingle < Medieval Latin scindula lath, shingle (Middle English -g- apparently by association with another unidentified word), Latin scandula (Medieval Latin -i- perhaps by association with Greek schíza lath, splinter, or related words)
Related forms
shin·gler, nounDefinition for shingle (2 of 3)
shingle
2[ shing-guh l ]
/ ˈʃɪŋ gəl /
noun
small, waterworn stones or pebbles such as lie in loose sheets or beds on a beach.
a beach, riverbank, or other area covered with such small pebbles or stones.
Origin of shingle
21530–40; apparently variant of earlier chingle; compare Norwegian singel small stones
Definition for shingle (3 of 3)
shingle
3[ shing-guh l ]
/ ˈʃɪŋ gəl /
verb (used with object), shin·gled, shin·gling. Metalworking.
to hammer or squeeze (puddled iron) into a bloom or billet, eliminating as much slag as possible; knobble.
Origin of shingle
3Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for shingle
British Dictionary definitions for shingle (1 of 3)
shingle
1/ (ˈʃɪŋɡəl) /
noun
a thin rectangular tile, esp one made of wood, that is laid with others in overlapping rows to cover a roof or a wall
a woman's short-cropped hairstyle
US and Canadian a small signboard or nameplate fixed outside the office of a doctor, lawyer, etc
a shingle short Australian informal unintelligent or mentally subnormal
verb (tr)
to cover (a roof or a wall) with shingles
to cut (the hair) in a short-cropped style
Derived Forms
shingler, nounWord Origin for shingle
C12 scingle, from Late Latin scindula a split piece of wood, from Latin scindere to split
British Dictionary definitions for shingle (2 of 3)
shingle
2/ (ˈʃɪŋɡəl) /
noun
coarse gravel, esp the pebbles found on beaches
a place or area strewn with shingle
Derived Forms
shingly, adjectiveWord Origin for shingle
C16: of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian singl pebbles, Frisian singel gravel
British Dictionary definitions for shingle (3 of 3)
shingle
3/ (ˈʃɪŋɡəl) /
verb
(tr) metallurgy to hammer or squeeze the slag out of (iron) after puddling in the production of wrought iron
Word Origin for shingle
C17: from Old French dialect chingler to whip, from chingle belt, from Latin cingula girdle; see cingulum
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
Idioms and Phrases with shingle
shingle
see hang out one's shingle.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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