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

10 June 2025

COMMUNICATIONS

(noun) the discipline that studies the principles of transmiting information and the methods by which it is delivered (as print or radio or television etc.); “communications is his major field of study”


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Coffee Trivia

In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, demonstrated the first working example of an espresso machine.

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