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.
-
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.
"I handed her my camera and Neil and I shook hands beside his car as she took the photograph - it was fantastic."
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
The scale of those losses remains overwhelming even as we pass three years since the day that shook Jews around the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The earthquake shook areas of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, according to the USGS.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
That threat shook the Nato alliance and sorely tested the US-Danish relationship.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Then he took my hand and shook it solemnly.
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.
