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Webster 1913 Edition

Shoulder

Shoul′der

,
Noun.
[OE.
shulder
,
shuldre
,
schutder
, AS.
sculdor
; akin to D.
schoulder
, G.
schulter
, OHG.
scultarra
, Dan.
skulder
, Sw.
skuldra
.]
1.
(Anat.)
The joint, or the region of the joint, by which the fore limb is connected with the body or with the shoulder girdle; the projection formed by the bones and muscles about that joint.
2.
The flesh and muscles connected with the shoulder joint; the upper part of the back; that part of the human frame on which it is most easy to carry a heavy burden; – often used in the plural.
Then by main force pulled up, and on his
shoulders
bore
The gates of Azza.
Milton.
Adown her
shoulders
fell her length of hair.
Dryden.
3.
Fig.: That which supports or sustains; support.
In thy
shoulder
do I build my seat.
Shakespeare
4.
That which resembles a human shoulder, as any protuberance or projection from the body of a thing.
The north western
shoulder
of the mountain.
Sir W. Scott.
5.
The upper joint of the fore leg and adjacent parts of an animal, dressed for market;
as, a
shoulder
of mutton
.
6.
(Fort.)
The angle of a bastion included between the face and flank. See Illust. of
Bastion
.
7.
An abrupt projection which forms an abutment on an object, or limits motion, etc., as the projection around a tenon at the end of a piece of timber, the part of the top of a type which projects beyond the base of the raised character, etc.
Shoulder belt
,
a belt that passes across the shoulder.
–
Shoulder blade
(Anat.)
,
the flat bone of the shoulder, to which the humerus is articulated; the scapula.
–
Shoulder block
(Naut.)
,
a block with a projection, or shoulder, near the upper end, so that it can rest against a spar without jamming the rope.
–
Shoulder clapper
,
one who claps another on the shoulder, or who uses great familiarity.
[Obs.]
Shak.
–
Shoulder girdle
.
(Anat.)
See
Pectoral girdle
, under
Pectoral
.
–
Shoulder knot
,
an ornamental knot of ribbon or lace worn on the shoulder; a kind of epaulet or braided ornament worn as part of a military uniform.
–
Shoulder-of-mutton sail
(Naut.)
,
a triangular sail carried on a boat’s mast; – so called from its shape.
–
Shoulder slip
,
dislocation of the shoulder, or of the humerous.
Swift.
–
Shoulder strap
,
a strap worn on or over the shoulder. Specifically
(Mil. & Naval)
, a narrow strap worn on the shoulder of a commissioned officer, indicating, by a suitable device, the rank he holds in the service. See Illust. in App.

Shoul′der

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Shouldered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Shouldering
.]
1.
To push or thrust with the shoulder; to push with violence; to jostle.
As they the earth would
shoulder
from her seat.
Spenser.
Around her numberless the rabble flowed,
Shouldering
each other, crowding for a view.
Rowe.
2.
To take upon the shoulder or shoulders;
as, to
shoulder
a basket
; hence, to assume the burden or responsibility of;
as, to
shoulder
blame; to
shoulder
a debt.
As if Hercules
Or burly Atlas
shouldered
up their state.
Marston.
Right shoulder arms
(Mil.)
,
a position in the Manual of Arms which the piece is placed on the right shoulder, with the lock plate up, and the muzzle elevated and inclined to the left, and held as in the illustration.

Webster 1828 Edition

Shoulder

SHOULDER

,
Noun.
1. The joint by which the arm of a human being or the fore leg of a quadruped is connected with the body; or in man, the projection formed by the bones called scapula or shoulder blades, which extend from the basis of the neck in a horizontal direction.
2. The upper joint of the fore leg of an animal cut for th emarket; as a shoulder of mutton.
3. Shoulders, in the plural, the upper part of the back.
Adown her shoulders fell her length of hair. Dryden.
4. Figuratively, support; sustaining power; or that which elevates and sustains.
For on thy shoulders do I build my seat. Shak.
5. Among artificers, something like the human shoulder; a horizontal or rectangular projection from the body of a thing.

SHOULDER

,
Verb.
T.
1. To push or thrust with the shoulder; to push with violence.
Around her numberless the rabble flow'd,

Definition 2024

shoulder

shoulder

English

Noun

shoulder ‎(plural shoulders)

  1. The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and forearm socket.
    1. The part of the human torso forming a relatively horizontal surface running away from the neck.
      The parrot was sitting on Steve's shoulder.‎
      • 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher, chapter1:
        But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […].
      • 1915, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price, chapterI:
        With just the turn of a shoulder she indicated the water front, where, at the end of the dock on which they stood, lay the good ship, Mount Vernon, river packet, the black smoke already pouring from her stacks. In turn he smiled and also shrugged a shoulder.
    2. (anatomy) The joint between the arm and the torso, sometimes including the surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
    3. A cut of meat comprised of the upper joint of the foreleg and the surrounding muscle.
    4. The portion of a garment where the shoulder is clothed.
  2. Anything forming a shape resembling a human shoulder.
  3. (topography) A shelf between two levels.
    1. A part of a road where drivers may stop in an emergency; a hard shoulder.
      He stopped the car on the shoulder of the highway to change the flat tire.‎
    2. The portion of a hill or mountain just below the peak.
      • Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
        the north western shoulder of the mountain
    3. A lateral protrusion of a hill or mountain.
    4. The angle of a bastion included between the face and flank.
    5. An abrupt projection which forms an abutment on an object, or limits motion, etc., such as the projection around a tenon at the end of a piece of timber.
  4. (printing) The flat portion of type that is below the bevelled portion that joins up with the face.
  5. (of an object) The portion between the neck and the body.
    1. (music) The rounded portion of a stringed instrument where the neck joins the body.
    2. The rounded portion of a bottle where the neck meets the body.
    3. (firearms) The angled section between the neck and the main body of a cartridge.
  6. (figuratively) That which supports or sustains; support.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

shoulder ‎(third-person singular simple present shoulders, present participle shouldering, simple past and past participle shouldered)

  1. (transitive) To push (a person or thing) using one's shoulder.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Edmond Spenser
      As they the earth would shoulder from her seat.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Rowe
      Around her numberless the rabble flowed, / Shouldering each other, crowding for a view.
  2. (transitive) To carry (something) on one's shoulders.
  3. (transitive, figuratively) To bear a burden, as a financial obligation.
    • 1950, Colin Arthur Cooke, Corporation, Trust and Company: An Essay in Legal History, page 111:
      The shareholders were then shouldering a burden of liability out of proportion to their mere ownership of theoretical fractions of the business.
  4. (transitive) To put (something) on one's shoulders.
    • 2008 June, Men's Health, The World's Simplest Workout, volume 23, page 120:
      Like a power clean, shouldering a sandbag — lifting it from the floor to your shoulder in one explosive movement — requires a coordinated effort from your core, upper body, and legs.
  5. (transitive, figuratively) To accept responsibility for.
    shoulder the blame
  6. (transitive) To place (something) against one's shoulders.
    • 2004, Chris Christian, Larry Sterett, Rick Sapp, The Gun Digest Book of Trap & Skeet Shooting, page 221:
      All three sets are nicely sculptured along the bottom to prevent interference when shouldering your gun with proper shooting form.
  7. (transitive) To form a shape resembling a shoulder.
    • 1977, Roger W. Autor Bolz, Production Processes: The Productivity Handbook, page 12-81:
      allowance at the bottom of blind bores for the chamfered tip of the reamer will obviate additional operations with shouldering or bottoming reamers to completely finish the entire length of a hole.
  8. (intransitive) To move by or as if by using one's shoulders.
    • Rudyard Kipling
      A yoke of the great sulky white bullocks […] came shouldering along together.
    • 2003, Harrison E. Salisbury, The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad, page 304:
      He had seen them in the beer halls, shouldering up to the head of the queues
    • 2008, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, page 483:
      Mr. Wagstaff strolled with me along the wooded arm of land shouldering northwards from Bethlehem Bay.
  9. (transitive) To round and slightly raise the top edges of slate shingles so that they form a tighter fit at the lower edge and can be swung aside to expose the nail.
  10. (intransitive) To slope downwards from the crest and whitewater portion of a wave.

Translations

Etymology

From Middle English sholder, shulder, schulder, from Old English sculdor, sculdra ‎(“shoulder”), from Proto-Germanic *skuldrô ‎(“shoulder”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *skelduz ‎(“shield”), see shield. Cognate with Old Frisian skuldere ‎(“shoulder”) (West Frisian skouder ‎(“shoulder”)), Middle Low German scholder ‎(“shoulder”), Low German Schuller ‎(“shoulder”), Dutch schouder ‎(“shoulder”), German Schulter ‎(“shoulder”), Danish skulder ‎(“shoulder”), Swedish skuldra ‎(“shoulder”).

Pronunciation

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