noun
shin
shihn
noun
1
The front part of the lower leg, between the knee and the ankle.
"He banged his shin on the coffee table."
"Football players wear pads to protect their shins."
verb
1
To climb up or down something, such as a pole or rope, using only the arms and legs.
"The boy shinned up the tree to fetch the ball."
How to Use Shin
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe bony front part of your lower leg — the part you bruise easily if you kick something by accident.
Common mistake
Not related to "skin," even though the words look and sound alike.
Common pairings
shin pad
shin guard
shin up a tree
Word Forms
shinned past tense, shins plural, shins plural, shins singular
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Etymology
From Old English scinu, unrelated to the word "skin" despite the similarity.