noun
shack
shak
noun
1
A small, roughly built hut or cabin.
"They spent the summer in a fishing shack by the lake."
"The old shack had no electricity or running water."
verb
1
To live somewhere casually, especially with a romantic partner (usually "shack up").
"They decided to shack up together after only three months of dating."
How to Use Shack
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA rough, small building — or, informally, to move in and live with someone.
When to use it
"Shack up" is informal/casual, commonly used about unmarried couples living together.
Common pairings
shack up with
rundown shack
beach shack
Word Forms
shacked past tense, shacked past tense, shacks plural, shacks plural, Shacks plural, shacks singular, shacks singular
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They spent the summer in a fishing _____ by the lake.
Etymology
Origin uncertain; possibly from Mexican Spanish jacal, itself from a Nahuatl word for an adobe hut.