Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense shoulders, present participle shouldering, past tense, past participle shouldered
1. countable noun [oft poss NOUN]
Your shoulders are between your neck and the tops of your arms.
She led him to an armchair, with her arm round his shoulder.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw me watching him.
2. countable noun
The shoulders of a piece of clothing are the parts that cover your shoulders.
...extravagant fashions with padded shoulders.
3. plural noun
When you talk about someone's problems or responsibilities, you can say that they carry them on their shoulders.
No one suspected the anguish he carried on his shoulders.
I hope he understands the burden that's on his shoulders.
4. verb
If you shoulder the responsibility or the blame for something, you accept it.
He has had to shoulder the responsibility of his father's mistakes. [VERB noun]
Some of the blame for the disastrous night must be shouldered by the promoters. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: bear, carry, take on, accept More Synonyms of shoulder
5. verb
If you shoulder something heavy, you put it across one of your shoulders so that you can carry it more easily.
The rest of the group shouldered their bags, gritted their teeth and set off. [VERB noun]
He shouldered his bike and walked across the finish line. [VERB noun]
6. verb
If you shoulder someone aside or if you shoulder your way somewhere, you push past people roughly using your shoulder.
The policemen rushed past him, shouldering him aside. [V n with aside]
She could do nothing to stop him as he shouldered his way into the house. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
He shouldered past Harlech and opened the door. [V + past]
[Also V + through]
Synonyms: push, thrust, elbow, shove More Synonyms of shoulder
7. variable noun
A shoulder is a joint of meat from the upper part of the front leg of an animal.
...shoulder of lamb.
8. See also cold shoulder, hard shoulder
9.
See a shoulder to cry on
10.
See head and shoulders
11.
See look over one's shoulder
12.
See shoulder to shoulder
13.
See shoulder to shoulder
14. a chip on one's shoulder
15. to rub shoulders with
shoulder in British English
(ˈʃəʊldə)
noun
1.
the part of the vertebrate body where the arm or a corresponding forelimb joins the trunk: the pectoral girdle and associated structures
2.
the joint at the junction of the forelimb with the pectoral girdle
3.
a cut of meat including the upper part of the foreleg
4. printing
the flat surface of a piece of type from which the face rises
5. tanning
the portion of a hide covering the shoulders and neck of the animal, usually including the cheeks
6.
the part of a garment that covers the shoulder
7.
anything that resembles a shoulder in shape or position
8.
the strip of unpaved land that borders a road
9. engineering
a substantial projection or abrupt change in shape or diameter designed to withstand thrust
10. photography
the portion of the characteristic curve of a photographic material indicating the maximum density that can be produced on the material
11. jewellery
the part of a ring where the shank joins the setting
12. a shoulder to cry on
13. give someone the cold shoulder
14. put one's shoulder to the wheel
15. rub shoulders with
16. shoulder to shoulder
verb
17. (transitive)
to bear or carry (a burden, responsibility, etc) as if on one's shoulders
18.
to push (something) with or as if with the shoulder
19. (transitive)
to lift or carry on the shoulders
20. shoulder arms
Word origin
Old English sculdor; related to Old High German sculterra
shoulder in American English
(ˈʃoʊldər)
noun
1.
a.
the joint connecting the arm or forelimb with the body
b.
the part of the body including this joint and extending to the base of the neck
2. [pl.]
the two shoulders and the part of the back between them
, often used figuratively with reference to this region as a place where burdens areoften carried
3.
a cut of meat consisting of the upper foreleg and attached parts
4.
the part of a garment that covers the shoulder
5.
something like a shoulder in shape or position; shoulderlike projection
6.
that part of the top of a piece of type which extends beyond the base of the raised character
7. US
the strip of land along the edge of a paved road; berm
verb transitive
8.
to push or thrust along or through, with or as with the shoulder
to shoulder one's way through a crowd
9.
to take or carry upon the shoulder
10.
to assume the burden of
verb intransitive
11.
to push with the shoulder or shoulders
Idioms:
cry on someone's shoulder
put one's shoulder to the wheel
shoulder arms
shoulder to shoulder
straight from the shoulder
turn a cold shoulder to
Word origin
ME schuldere < OE sculdor, akin to Ger schulter < IE *skḷdhrā, shoulder blade used as a spade < base *(s)kel-, to cut > shell, shilling, skull
shoulder in Mechanical Engineering
(ʃoʊldər)
Word forms: (regular plural) shoulders
noun
(Mechanical engineering: General)
A shoulder is a large projection or a part of something where the shape or diameter changessuddenly, designed to withstand thrust.
The retaining rings create a rigid shoulder which can retain thrust loads.
These bearings have an extended shoulder on one end of the outer ring, allowing angular contact between the shaft and bearingduring times of high thrust.
A shoulder is a large projection or a part of something where the shape or diameter changessuddenly, designed to withstand thrust.
More idioms containing
shoulder
a chip on your shoulder
come straight from the shoulder
give someone the cold shoulder
put your shoulder to the wheel
a shoulder to cry on
stand shoulder to shoulder
Examples of 'shoulder' in a sentence
shoulder
Lay the stuffed lamb shoulder on top and surround with the carrots and shallots.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Press your shoulders and upper back into the floor and pull your stomach in tight.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
So do not cradle the phone between the head and shoulder for extended lengths of time.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
She also suffered serious neck and shoulder injuries which cops fear could scar her for life.
The Sun (2012)
They also have the great advantage of making the shoulders seem broader.
Cameron, Kenneth M Into Africa - a social history of the East African Safari (1989)
He got out and a lorry driver stopped on the hard shoulder to help him.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Relax your face then relax from the shoulders all the way down to your feet.
The Sun (2016)
We think those with the broadest shoulders bear the biggest share of the burden.
The Sun (2014)
The translator puts her arm round his shoulder and strokes his hair.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We shoulder the blame when it is not ours to bear.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The arms have stretched away from the body too much at the shoulder joint.
Lewis, Beverly Winning Golf for Women (1993)
The shoulders are a part of the body that can give telltale signs during a race.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We shoulder that responsibility and there are no excuses now.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They have to shoulder the burden of history too.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Whole families went about with crooked legs or twisted shoulders.
Bryant, Arthur The Search for Justice - a history of Britain and the British people Volume III (1990)
Their chat can last for hours or just minutes if the target gives him the cold shoulder.
The Sun (2008)
These nerves normally run from the shoulder down the arm to the finger tips.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Now he just keeps the bat on his shoulder and hopes for a walk.
Christianity Today (2000)
In those days you could get a shoulder of lamb for one and six.
Max Arthur Lost Voices of the Edwardians: 19011910 in the words of the Men & Women Who WereThere (2006)
It hit him round about the shoulder or upper arm.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
My consciousness moves into the stiffness of my neck and shoulders.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
You can't go shouldering them aside or doing sliding tackles.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Word lists with
shoulder
parts of clothes, parts of clothing
In other languages
shoulder
British English: shoulder /ˈʃəʊldə/ NOUN
Your shoulders are the parts of your body between your neck and the tops of your arms.
He glanced over his shoulder.
American English: shoulder
Arabic: كَتِف
Brazilian Portuguese: ombro
Chinese: 肩膀
Croatian: rame
Czech: rameno
Danish: skulder
Dutch: schouder
European Spanish: hombro
Finnish: olkapää
French: épaule
German: Schulter
Greek: ώμος
Italian: spalla
Japanese: 肩
Korean: 어깨
Norwegian: skulder
Polish: ramię
European Portuguese: ombro
Romanian: umăr
Russian: плечо
Latin American Spanish: hombro
Swedish: axel skuldra
Thai: ไหล่
Turkish: omuz
Ukrainian: плече
Vietnamese: vai
British English: shoulder VERB
If you shoulder the responsibility or the blame for something, you accept it.
He has had to shoulder the responsibility of his father's mistakes.
American English: shoulder
Brazilian Portuguese: arcar com
Chinese: 肩负
European Spanish: cargar con
French: endosser
German: auf sich nehmen
Italian: addossarsi
Japanese: 引き受ける
Korean: 떠맡다
European Portuguese: arcar com
Latin American Spanish: cargar con
All related terms of 'shoulder'
cold shoulder
If one person gives another the cold shoulder , they behave towards them in an unfriendly way , to show them that they do not care about them or that they want them to go away .
hard shoulder
The hard shoulder is the area at the side of a motorway or other road where you are allowed to stop if your car breaks down.
shoulder arms
to bring the rifle vertically close to the right side with the muzzle uppermost and held at the trigger guard
shoulder bag
A shoulder-bag is a bag that has a long strap so that it can be carried on a person's shoulder.
shoulder high
A shoulder-high object is as high as your shoulders.
shoulder knot
a knot of ribbon or lace formerly worn as an ornament on the shoulder
shoulder pad
Shoulder pads are small pads that are put inside the shoulders of a jacket , coat , or other article of clothing in order to raise them.
soft shoulder
On a busy road such as a freeway, the soft shoulder is the area at the side of the road where vehicles are allowed to stop in an emergency .
cover-shoulder
a type of blouse worn in Ghana
frozen shoulder
a painful stiffness in a shoulder joint
shoulder blade
Your shoulder blades are the two large, flat , triangular bones that you have in the upper part of your back , below your shoulders.
shoulder board
either of a pair of oblong pieces of stiffened cloth worn on the shoulders of certain uniforms and showing insignia of rank
shoulder charge
an instance of a player charging into another so that there is contact between their shoulders ( permissible in some circumstances )
shoulder flash
an emblem worn high on the arm as an insignia
shoulder girdle
→ pectoral girdle
shoulder joint
the joint at the junction of the forelimb with the pectoral girdle
shoulder-length
Shoulder-length hair is long enough to reach your shoulders.
shoulder patch
an emblem worn high on the arm as an insignia
shoulder season
a travel season between peak and off-peak seasons, esp. spring and fall, when fares tend to be relatively low
shoulder strap
The shoulder straps on a piece of clothing such as a dress are two narrow straps that go over the shoulders.
shoulder harness
a restraining device consisting of an anchored strap passing diagonally across the chest , used with a seat belt, as in an automobile
shoulder holster
a holster that is worn on the shoulder
shoulder operation
When a patient has an operation , a surgeon cuts open their body in order to remove, replace , or repair a diseased or damaged part.
shoulder surfing
a form of credit-card fraud in which the perpetrator stands behind and looks over the shoulder of the victim as he or she withdraws money from an automated teller machine, memorizes the card details, and later steals the card
shoulder to shoulder
If two or more people stand shoulder to shoulder , they are standing next to each other, with their shoulders touching .
off-the-shoulder
not covering the shoulder
the cold shoulder
a show of indifference ; slight
shoulder-length hair
hair that reaches a person's shoulders
shoulder responsibility
If you have responsibility for something or someone, or if they are your responsibility , it is your job or duty to deal with them and to take decisions relating to them.
lap and shoulder belt
a car seat belt
stand shoulder to shoulder
to work co-operatively with and support someone else in order to achieve a common aim
a chip on your shoulder
a feeling of anger and resentment because you think that you have been treated unfairly in the past
a shoulder to cry on
If someone offers you a shoulder to cry on or is a shoulder to cry on , they listen sympathetically as you talk about your troubles.
chip on one's shoulder
an inclination to fight or quarrel
cry on someone's shoulder
to tell one's troubles to someone in seeking comfort or sympathy
look over one's shoulder
If you say that someone is looking over their shoulder , you mean that they feel anxious all the time about what someone may do to them.
turn a cold shoulder to
to treat with disdain ; snub
picnic
When people have a picnic , they eat a meal out of doors , usually in a field or a forest , or at the beach .
a chip on one's shoulder
If you say that someone has a chip on their shoulder , you think that they feel inferior or that they believe they have been treated unfairly.
straight from the shoulder
moving straight forward from the shoulder
come straight from the shoulder
to be direct and completely honest
give someone the cold shoulder
to deliberately ignore someone
have a chip on one's shoulder
to be aggressively sensitive about a particular thing or bear a grudge
put your shoulder to the wheel
to put a great deal of effort into a difficult task
put one's shoulder to the wheel
to work very hard
scapula
Your scapula is your shoulder blade .
scapulae
either of two large flat triangular bones, one on each side of the back part of the shoulder in humans
Chinese translation of 'shoulder'
shoulder
(ˈʃəuldəʳ)
n(c)
肩膀 (jiānbǎng) (个(個), gè)
vt
[responsibility, blame]承担(擔) (chéngdān)
to look over one's shoulder (= feel anxious) 焦虑(慮)不安 (jiāolǜ bù'ān)
to rub shoulders with sb (= mix with) 和某人有交往 (hé mǒurén yǒu jiāowǎng)
to work shoulder to shoulder (= co-operate) 齐(齊)心协(協)力地工作 (qí xīn xié lì de gōngzuò)
we will stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies我们(們)将(將)与(與)我们(們)的同盟并(並)肩协(協)力 (wǒmen jiāng yǔ wǒmen de tóngméng bìngjiān xiélì)