shook
1 Americannoun
-
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
-
(in timber working) a set of parts ready for assembly, esp of a barrel
-
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.
The King shook off royal formality and replaced it with some dance moves on the second day of his nine-day visit to the Caribbean.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Portland guard Damian Lillard shook off uncharacteristically poor free-throw shooting to finish with 21 points and a dagger three-pointer to put the Trail Blazers up by six with 43 seconds left.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The rise of prestige television and streaming shook up the established hierarchy.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
Trading in single-stock options contracts are near levels reached in 2021, when a new generation of amateur investors shook up Wall Street.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
I almost put my hand up, but Hugo shook his head.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
