noun
shank
SHANGK
noun
1
The lower leg, between the knee and the ankle, in people or animals.
"The recipe called for two lamb shanks, slow-cooked until tender."
2
The narrow shaft or stem of a tool or object, such as a key, drill bit, or fishhook.
"The screwdriver's shank had bent slightly from overuse."
verb
1
In golf, to accidentally hit the ball with the part of the club head nearest the shaft, sending it off at a bad angle.
"He shanked his approach shot straight into the trees."
How to Use Shank
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the lower leg (especially meat cut from it) or the narrow straight part of a tool.
Common pairings
lamb shank
shank of a drill bit
shank a golf shot
Word Forms
shanker comparative, shanked past tense, shanks plural, Shanks plural, shanks singular, shankest superlative
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The recipe called for two lamb _____, slow-cooked until tender.
Etymology
From Old English sceanca, "leg," related to old Germanic words for leg or thigh.