SHANGHAI

Shanghai

(noun) the largest city of China; located in the east on the Pacific; one of the largest ports in the world

shanghai, impress

(verb) take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship; “The men were shanghaied after being drugged”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Verb

shanghai (third-person singular simple present shanghais, present participle shanghaiing, simple past and past participle shanghaied)

(transitive) To force or trick (someone) into joining a ship as part of the crew.

(transitive) To abduct or coerce.

(transitive, US) To trick (a person) into entering a jurisdiction where they can lawfully be arrested.

(transitive) To commandeer; appropriate; hijack

Synonyms

• (force or trick someone into joining a ship; abduct or coerce): press-gang

Noun

shanghai (plural shanghais)

(US, archaic) A tall dandy.

Etymology 2

Noun

shanghai (plural shanghais)

(AU, NZ) A slingshot.

Etymology

Proper noun

Shanghai

A direct-administered municipality, a major port city in eastern China, between Jiangsu and Zhejiang, comprising Shanghai proper and its suburbs.

Synonyms

• Paris of the East

Hypernyms

• (districts) Huangpu, Jing'an, Xuhui, Minhang, Jiading, Changning, Putuo, Hongkou, Yangpu, Baoshan, Jinshan, Songjiang, Qingpu, Fengxian, Zhabei, Chongming

• (new area) Pudong

Noun

Shanghai (plural Shanghais)

A type of long-legged chicken believed to be of Asian origin.

Source: Wiktionary


Shang`hai", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shanghaied; p. pr. & vb. n. Shanghaiing.]

Definition: To intoxicate and ship (a person) as a sailor while in this condition. [Written also shanghae.] [Slang, U.S.]

Shang`hai", n. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A large and tall breed of domestic fowl.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

17 May 2025

ANTHOZOAN

(noun) sessile marine coelenterates including solitary and colonial polyps; the medusoid phase is entirely suppressed


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest iced coffee is 14,228.1 liters and was created by Caffé Bene (South Korea), in Yangju, South Korea, on 17 July 2014. They poured iced black Americano on the giant cup that measured 3.3 meters tall and 2.62 meters wide.

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