SHAFT

quill, calamus, shaft

(noun) the hollow spine of a feather

shaft

(noun) a long rod or pole (especially the handle of an implement or the body of a weapon like a spear or arrow)

shaft

(noun) a long vertical passage sunk into the earth, as for a mine or tunnel

shaft, scape

(noun) (architecture) upright consisting of the vertical part of a column

shaft

(noun) a vertical passageway through a building (as for an elevator)

spear, lance, shaft

(noun) a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon

cock, prick, dick, shaft, pecker, tool, putz

(noun) obscene terms for penis

diaphysis, shaft

(noun) the main (mid) section of a long bone

shot, shaft, slam, dig, barb, jibe, gibe

(noun) an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect; “his parting shot was ‘drop dead’”; “she threw shafts of sarcasm”; “she takes a dig at me every chance she gets”

shaft

(noun) a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer

beam, beam of light, light beam, ray, ray of light, shaft, shaft of light, irradiation

(noun) a column of light (as from a beacon)

cheat, chouse, shaft, screw, chicane, jockey

(verb) defeat someone through trickery or deceit

shaft

(verb) equip with a shaft

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Noun

shaft (plural shafts)

(obsolete) The entire body of a long weapon, such as an arrow.

The long, narrow, central body of a spear, arrow, or javelin.

(by extension) Anything cast or thrown as a spear or javelin.

Any long thin object, such as the handle of a tool, one of the poles between which an animal is harnessed to a vehicle, the driveshaft of a motorized vehicle with rear-wheel drive, an axle, etc.

A beam or ray of light.

The main axis of a feather.

(lacrosse) The long narrow body of a lacrosse stick.

A vertical or inclined passage sunk into the earth as part of a mine

A vertical passage housing a lift or elevator; a liftshaft.

A ventilation or heating conduit; an air duct.

(architecture) Any column or pillar, particularly the body of a column between its capital and pedestal.

The main cylindrical part of the penis.

The chamber of a blast furnace.

Usage notes

In Early Modern English, the shaft referred to the entire body of a long weapon, such that an arrow's "shaft" was composed of its "tip", "stale" or "steal", and "fletching". Palsgrave (circa 1530) glossed the French j[']empenne as "I fether a shafte, I put fethers upon a steale". Over time, the word came to be used in place of the former "stale" and lost its original meaning.

Synonyms

• stale, stail, steal, stele, steel (arrows, spears)

• (main axis of a feather): rachis

• mineshaft (vertical underground passage)

Verb

shaft (third-person singular simple present shafts, present participle shafting, simple past and past participle shafted)

(transitive, slang) To fuck over; to cause harm to, especially through deceit or treachery.

Synonym: Thesaurus:deceive

(transitive) To equip with a shaft.

(transitive, slang) To fuck; to have sexual intercourse with.

Synonym: Thesaurus:copulate with

Anagrams

• Faths, hafts

Source: Wiktionary

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Shaft, n. Etym: [OE. shaft, schaft, AS. sceaft; akin to D. schacht, OHG. scaft, G. schaft, Dan. & Sw. skaft handle, haft, Icel. skapt, and probably to L. scapus, Gr. Scape, Scepter, Shave.]

1. The slender, smooth stem of an arrow; hence, an arrow. His sleep, his meat, his drink, is him bereft, That lean he wax, and dry as is a shaft. Chaucer. A shaft hath three principal parts, the stele [stale], the feathers, and the head. Ascham.

2. The long handle of a spear or similar weapon; hence, the weapon itself; (Fig.) anything regarded as a shaft to be thrown or darted; as, shafts of light. And the thunder, Winged with red lightning and impetuous rage, Perhaps hath spent his shafts. Milton. Some kinds of literary pursuits . . . have been attacked with all the shafts of ridicule. V. Knox.

3. That which resembles in some degree the stem or handle of an arrow or a spear; a long, slender part, especially when cylindrical. Specifically: (a) (Bot.) The trunk, stem, or stalk of a plant. (b) (Zoöl.) The stem or midrib of a feather. See Illust. of Feather. (c) The pole, or tongue, of a vehicle; also, a thill. (d) The part of a candlestick which supports its branches. Thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold . . . his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. Ex. xxv. 31.

(e) The handle or helve of certain tools, instruments, etc., as a hammer, a whip, etc. (f) A pole, especially a Maypole. [Obs.] Stow. (g) (Arch.) The body of a column; the cylindrical pillar between the capital and base (see Illust. of Column). Also, the part of a chimney above the roof. Also, the spire of a steeple. [Obs. or R.] Gwilt. (h) A column, an obelisk, or other spire-shaped or columnar monument. Bid time and nature gently spare The shaft we raise to thee. Emerson. (i) (Weaving)

Definition: A rod at the end of a heddle. (j) (Mach.) A solid or hollow cylinder or bar, having one or more journals on which it rests and revolves, and intended to carry one or more wheels or other revolving parts and to transmit power or motion; as, the shaft of a steam engine. See Illust. of Countershaft.

4. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A humming bird (Thaumastura cora) having two of the tail feathers next to the middle ones very long in the male; -- called also cora humming bird.

5. Etym: [Cf. G. schacht.] (Mining)

Definition: A well-like excavation in the earth, perpendicular or nearly so, made for reaching and raising ore, for raising water, etc.

6. A long passage for the admission or outlet of air; an air shaft.

7. The chamber of a blast furnace. Line shaft (Mach.), a main shaft of considerable length, in a shop or factory, usually bearing a number of pulleys by which machines are driven, commonly by means of countershafts; -- called also line, or main line.

– Shaft alley (Naut.), a passage extending from the engine room to the stern, and containing the propeller shaft.

– Shaft furnace (Metal.), a furnace, in the form of a chimney, which is charged at the top and tapped at the bottom.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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