Meaning & use
Shank
Last updated
The lower part of the leg between the knee and ankle, or a corresponding cut of meat; also, the narrow connecting part of a tool or object.
See it in a sentence
The butcher trimmed the lamb shank before roasting it.
The screwdriver's shank had bent from years of heavy use.
A note on using this word
In prison slang, 'shank' also refers to a homemade knife, and as a verb it means to stab someone with one.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
A makeshift knife, especially one fashioned in prison.
Guards confiscated a shank hidden under his mattress.
3. verb
To mishit a golf shot so the ball flies off at a sharp angle.
He shanked the ball into the rough.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Shank”, then compare your use with the examples above.