shaft — a long narrow part or section forming the handle of a tool or club, the body of a spear or arrow, or similar
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a long narrow part or section forming the handle of a tool or club, the body of a spear or arrow, or similar
Pronunciation (IPA): /ʃæft/
Example Sentences
- The mining shaft was so deep that dropping a coin took 10 seconds to make a sound.
- My boss totally shafted me by giving my promotion to his nephew who can't even spell 'promotion'.
- The photographer captured a beautiful shaft of light illuminating the ancient cathedral.
shaft
NOUN[/ʃæft/]
a long narrow part or section forming the handle of a tool or club, the body of a spear or arrow, or similar
The warrior carved a new shaft for his spear.
The blacksmith replaced the broken shaft of the battle axe. (LONG BODY + HANDLE PART = SHAFT)
A shaft of light revealed the draft of an ancient craft.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Old English 'sceaft', which originally referred to the shaft or handle of a spear or arrow. It evolved from a Proto-Germanic root related to verbs meaning 'to cut' or 'to carve', reflecting the concept of a shaft as a wooden rod fashioned by cutting and shaping.
Breakdown
sceaft (Old English shaft, rod) → shaft. The root is connected to Proto-Germanic *skaftaz, related to cutting or shaping, conceptually describing a 'carved or cut stick'.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The mining shaft was so deep that dropping a coin took 10 seconds to make a sound.”
“My boss totally shafted me by giving my promotion to his nephew who can't even spell 'promotion'.”
“The photographer captured a beautiful shaft of light illuminating the ancient cathedral.”
“When the elevator shaft broke down, the 50th floor suddenly became everyone's worst nightmare.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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