Shaft - English meaning

noun

A long rigid piece of wood, metal, or similar material, typically used as an obstruction, fastening, or weapon.

Usage examples:

An iron bar

verb

Fasten (something, especially a door or window) with a bar or bars.

Usage examples:

She bolted and barred the door

preposition

Except for.

Usage examples:

His kids were all gone now, bar one

noun

A long, sturdy piece of squared timber or metal used to support the roof or floor of a building.

Usage examples:

There are very fine oak beams in the oldest part of the house

verb

Transmit (a radio signal or broadcast) in a specified direction.

Usage examples:

The satellite beamed back radio signals to scientists on earth

noun

A line of light coming from the sun or a bright light, esp. as seen against a darker background

Usage examples:

A beam of sunlight, a laser beam scans the disc’s surface., [ i ] the sun beamed down on the ball f…

verb

Make (a hole) in something with a tool or by digging.

Usage examples:

Bore a hole in the wall to pass the cable through

noun

The hollow part inside a gun barrel or other tube.

Usage examples:

Barrels have ventilated ribs, hard-chromed bores, interchangeable choke tubes (three provided) and …

verb

Cause (someone) to feel weary and uninterested by dull talk or behaviour.

Usage examples:

She is too polite to bore us with anecdotes

noun

A deep, narrow hole made in the ground, especially to locate water or oil.

Usage examples:

Encia workmen are punching boreholes deep into the ground to suck up oily chemicals which leaked in…

noun

A deep hole made in the ground when looking for oil, gas, or water

Usage examples:

We must sink a borehole so that people will have water., they obtained information about the rock b…

verb

(of a person or animal) hit (someone or something) with the head or horns.

Usage examples:

She butted him in the chest

noun

A push or blow, especially one given with the head.

Usage examples:

The characters can fight hand to hand using punches, kicks, nudges, butts, combos…

noun

The person or thing at which criticism or ridicule is directed.

Usage examples:

His singing is the butt of dozens of jokes

adjective

(of a person's eyes) looking downwards.

Usage examples:

Her modestly downcast eyes

noun

A shaft dug in a mine for extra ventilation.

Usage examples:

The probable explanation is, that the return air was leaking across into the downcast shaft at vari…

adjective

Looking down, usually because of being shy or sad

noun

A tube or passageway in a building or machine for air, liquid, cables, etc.

Usage examples:

Leading the air through ducts in the floor

verb

Convey through a duct.

Usage examples:

A ventilation system that must be ducted through the wall

noun

A tube or pipe in a building that carries liquid or air or protects wires

Usage examples:

Air conditioning requires ventilating ducts., tear ducts

noun

Each of the four slender jointed parts attached to either hand (or five, if the thumb is included).

Usage examples:

She raked her hair back with her fingers

verb

Touch or feel with the fingers.

Usage examples:

The thin man fingered his moustache

verb

Any of the terminal members of the hand

noun

A duct for smoke and waste gases produced by a fire, a gas heater, a power station, or other fuel-burning installation.

Usage examples:

No air rises up the chimney, usually because the flue is blocked

noun

A pipe that leads from a fire, stove, or heating device to the outside of a building, taking smoke, gases, or hot air away

noun

A pipe that leads from a fire or heater to the outside of a building, taking smoke, gases, or hot air away

verb

Shine brightly, especially with reflected light.

Usage examples:

Light gleamed on the china cats

noun

A faint or brief light, especially one reflected from something.

Usage examples:

The gleam of a silver tray

verb

To shine with a soft light

Usage examples:

Street lights gleamed brightly in the snow., the gleam of silver candlesticks

verb

Feel or manipulate with the hands.

Usage examples:

Heavy paving slabs can be difficult to handle

noun

The part by which a thing is held, carried, or controlled.

Usage examples:

A holdall with two carrying handles

verb

Touch, lift, or hold

noun

The handle of a weapon or tool, especially a sword, dagger, or knife.

Usage examples:

Quad's hands gripped sword hilts, cueing mack to bring his rifle to a firing position.

noun

The handle of a sharp-pointed weapon such as a sword

noun

A long weapon with a wooden shaft and a pointed steel head, formerly used by a horseman in charging.

Usage examples:

The warriors bore lances tipped with iron or steel

verb

Prick or cut open (an abscess or boil) with a lancet or other sharp instrument.

Usage examples:

Abscesses should not be lanced until there is a soft spot in the centre

noun

A long, thin pole with a sharp point that soldiers used in the past as a weapon when riding horses

Usage examples:

She had a boil lanced at the doctor's this morning.

noun

The action or process of moving through or past somewhere on the way from one place to another.

Usage examples:

There were moorings for boats wanting passage through the lock

verb

Subject (a strain of microorganisms or cells) to a passage.

Usage examples:

Each recombinant virus was passaged nine times successively

noun

A movement performed in advanced dressage and classical riding, in which the horse executes a slow elevated trot, giving the impression of dancing.

noun

An instrument for writing or drawing, consisting of a thin stick of graphite or a similar substance enclosed in a long thin piece of wood or fixed in a cylindrical case.

Usage examples:

Have a pencil and paper ready

verb

Write, draw, or colour with a pencil.

Usage examples:

A previous owner has pencilled their name inside the cover

noun

A thin, usually wooden, tube-shaped device for writing or drawing which has colored material in the center and a point at one end

Usage examples:

[ c ] colored pencils, [ u ] make your corrections in pencil (= using a pencil).

noun

The wooden shaft of a pike.

Usage examples:

The judge will refrain from any references to his quill, or his gavel, or his pikestaff, and allow …

noun

→  be (as) plain as the nose on your face

noun

A large hole in the ground.

Usage examples:

I do not see any risk of these pits becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

verb

Set someone or something in conflict or competition with.

Usage examples:

You'll get the chance to pit your wits against the world champions

verb

Remove the pit from (fruit).

Usage examples:

Leave some cherries whole so people can see later on how hard you worked pitting real cherries.

noun

A long, slender, rounded piece of wood or metal, typically used with one end placed in the ground as a support for something.

Usage examples:

A tent pole

verb

Another term for perch3 (sense 1 of the noun).

noun

Either of the two locations ( north pole or south pole ) on the surface of the earth (or of a celestial object) which are the northern and southern ends of the axis of rotation.

noun

Any of the main wing or tail feathers of a bird.

Usage examples:

Outside the banquet hall there was a small oak table, upon which rested a yellowed parchment and a …

verb

Another term for penne.

Usage examples:

A dish of pasta quills tossed in a spicy tomato sauce

noun

A long, sharp point on a porcupine, or a large feather with the end cut to a sharp point that was used, esp. in the past, as a pen

noun

A stem of a plant, especially a grass, bearing flower stalks at short intervals.

Usage examples:

Inflorescences are the terminal toothbrush type, with five to 70 pairs of flowers on a rachis appro…

noun

Each of the lines in which light (and heat) may seem to stream from the sun or any luminous body, or pass through a small opening.

Usage examples:

A ray of sunlight came through the window

verb

Spread from or as if from a central point.

Usage examples:

Delicate lines rayed out at each corner of her eyes

noun

A broad flat marine or freshwater fish with a cartilaginous skeleton, winglike pectoral fins, and a long slender tail. many rays have venomous spines or electric organs.

Usage examples:

Participants will dive amidst one of europe's largest collection of sharks, as well as 2000 other f…

noun

A thin straight bar, especially of wood or metal.

Usage examples:

Concrete walls reinforced with steel rods

noun

A long, thin pole made of wood, metal, or other material

Usage examples:

A fishing/curtain rod

noun

A person's leg, especially the part from the knee to the ankle.

Usage examples:

The old man's thin, bony shanks showed through his trousers

verb

Strike (the ball) with the heel of the club.

Usage examples:

I shanked a shot and hit a person on a shoulder

noun

All the people employed by a particular organization.

Usage examples:

A staff of 600

verb

Another term for stave (sense 2).

noun

A mixture of plaster of paris, cement, or a similar material, used for temporary building work.

Usage examples:

Staff may easily be bent, sawed, bored, or nailed.

noun

The main body or stalk of a plant or shrub, typically rising above ground but occasionally subterranean.

Usage examples:

Both the blue and the yellow have the classic, satiny translucent petals of the poppy tribe, both, …

verb

Originate in or be caused by.

Usage examples:

Many of the universities' problems stem from rapid expansion

verb

Stop or restrict (the flow of something).

Usage examples:

A nurse did her best to stem the bleeding

noun

A thin piece of wood that has fallen or been cut off a tree.

Usage examples:

Hayes picked up a fallen stick and twirled it idly between his fingers.

verb

Push a sharp or pointed object into or through (something).

Usage examples:

He stuck his fork into the sausage

verb

A long thin implement resembling a length of wood

noun

The goods or merchandise kept on the premises of a shop or warehouse and available for sale or distribution.

Usage examples:

The store has a very low turnover of stock

adjective

(of a product or type of product) usually kept in stock and thus regularly available for sale.

Usage examples:

25 per cent off stock items

verb

Have or keep a supply of (a particular product or type or product) available for sale.

Usage examples:

Most supermarkets now stock a range of organic produce

noun

A long, thin line or mark of a different substance or colour from its surroundings.

Usage examples:

A streak of oil

verb

Cover (a surface) with streaks.

Usage examples:

Tears streaking her face, cynthia looked up

noun

A mark of a color that is different from what surrounds it, or a thin strip of light

Usage examples:

Streaks of gray and black colored the marble., the comet appeared as a dazzling streak in the sky.,…

noun

A shaft, especially one of a pair, used to attach a cart or carriage to the animal drawing it.

Usage examples:

Ball joints have been used in the connections between the thills or shafts and the horse's harness.

noun

An artificial underground passage, especially one built through a hill or under a building, road, or river.

Usage examples:

A road tunnel through the pyrenees

verb

Short for wind tunnel.

noun

A shaft through which air leaves a mine.

Usage examples:

Approaching demolition, various holes appeared in the brickwork of the upcast shaft allowing access…

verb

Cast (something) upward.

Usage examples:

Upcast light

adjective

(of a person) sitting or standing with the back straight.

Usage examples:

An upright posture

adverb

In or into an upright position.

Usage examples:

She was sitting upright in bed

noun

A post or rod fixed vertically, especially as a structural support.

Usage examples:

The stone uprights of the parapet

noun

An opening that allows air, gas, or liquid to pass out of or into a confined space.

Usage examples:

Remove any debris blocking the vents

verb

Give free expression to (a strong emotion).

Usage examples:

We vent our spleen on drug barons

noun

An opening or slit in a garment, especially in the lower part of the seam at the back of a coat.

Usage examples:

It's made from super 120's italian wool and features a three-button closure, side vents and picksti…

adverb

In a good or satisfactory way.

Usage examples:

The whole team played well

adjective

In good health; free or recovered from illness.

Usage examples:

I don't feel very well

exclamation

Used to express a range of emotions including surprise, anger, resignation, or relief.

Usage examples:

Well, really! the manners of some people!

noun

A shaft or inclined passage leading from one level to another, but not rising to the surface.

Usage examples:

A winze 50 feet deep