shook
1 Americannoun
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a set of staves and headings sufficient for one hogshead, barrel, or the like.
-
a set of the parts of a box, piece of furniture, or the like, ready to be put together.
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a shock of sheaves or the like.
noun
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(in timber working) a set of parts ready for assembly, esp of a barrel
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a group of sheaves piled together on end; shock
verb
adjective
Usage
What else does shook mean? Shook is the past tense form of shake, used as a slang term to describe feelings ranging from discombobulation and fear to rage and elation, kind of like "all shaken up."
Etymology
Origin of shook1
First recorded in 1890–95, for the adjective
Origin of shook2
First recorded in 1760–70; short for shook cask, variant of shaken cask, one dismounted for shipment
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.
Afterward, the councilmember shook hands with Carlos Perea, executive director of the nonprofit Harbor Institute and one of the news conference’s organizers.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
"There was a huge noise and the whole ship shook," Pooniya recalled.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
The scandal shook the country and upended the career of Kim Soo-hyun, who is a household name in South Korea.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
For more than two dozen seasons, Nolan Ryan threw blazing pitches with a consistency that shook even the strongest batters.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Sometimes I would slip the Bible from its little sack with hands that shook, so mysterious had it become to me.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
