Shack

//ʃæk// adj, name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Alternative form of shag (“exhausted; tiring”). Singapore, Singlish, alt-of, alternative, slang
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.
Noun
  1. 1
    A crude, roughly built hut or cabin.

    "The men resided in a huge bunk house, which consisted of one room only, with a shack outside where the cooking was done. In the large room were a dozen bunks ; half of them in a very dishevelled state, […]"

  2. 2
    Grain fallen to the ground and left after harvest. countable, obsolete, uncountable
  3. 3
    small crude shelter used as a dwelling wordnet
  4. 4
    Any poorly constructed or poorly furnished building.

    "The stations are generally very poor, even for a branch line; some are mere wooden shacks, and Moniaive itself is one of the least prepossessing terminal stations I have ever seen."

  5. 5
    Nuts which have fallen to the ground. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Show 5 more definitions
  1. 6
    The room from which a ham radio operator transmits. slang
  2. 7
    Freedom to pasturage in order to feed upon shack. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "[…] first comes the case of tenants with a customary right to shack their sheep and cattle who have overburdened the fields with a larger number of beasts than their tenement entitles them to, or who have allowed their beasts to feed in the field out of shack time."

  3. 8
    A shiftless fellow; a low, itinerant beggar; a vagabond; a tramp. UK, US, countable, dialectal, obsolete, uncountable

    "Some peple hev a fakilty two get along into the world, whilst others air poor shacks & good for nothing."

  4. 9
    Bait that can be picked up at sea. countable, uncountable
  5. 10
    A drink, especially an alcoholic one. Nigeria, countable, slang, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To live (in or with); to shack up.
  2. 2
    To shed or fall, as corn or grain at harvest. obsolete
  3. 3
    move, proceed, or walk draggingly or slowly wordnet
  4. 4
    To feed in stubble, or upon waste. obsolete

    "They [turkeys] are then sold‥to the larger farmers to ‘shack’ upon the barley or oat stubbles."

  5. 5
    make one's home in a particular place or community wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    To wander as a vagabond or tramp. UK, dialectal
  2. 7
    To hibernate; to go into winter quarters. US, intransitive
  3. 8
    To drink, especially alcohol. Nigeria, slang

Etymology

Etymology 1

Unknown. Some authorities derive this word from Mexican Spanish jacal, from Nahuatl xacalli (“adobe hut”). Alternatively, the word may instead come from ramshackle/ramshackly (e.g., old ramshackly house) or perhaps it may be a back-formation from shackly.

Etymology 2

Unknown. Some authorities derive this word from Mexican Spanish jacal, from Nahuatl xacalli (“adobe hut”). Alternatively, the word may instead come from ramshackle/ramshackly (e.g., old ramshackly house) or perhaps it may be a back-formation from shackly.

Etymology 3

Obsolete variant of shake. Compare Scots shag (“refuse of barley or oats”).

Etymology 4

Obsolete variant of shake. Compare Scots shag (“refuse of barley or oats”).

Etymology 5

From shagged or shagged out.

Next best steps

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: shack