Definitions for shoulder
ˈʃoʊl dərshoul·der

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shoulder(noun)

   the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

2. shoulder(noun)

   a cut of meat including the upper joint of the foreleg

3. shoulder, shoulder joint, articulatio humeri(noun)

   a ball-and-socket joint between the head of the humerus and a cavity of the scapula

4. shoulder(noun)

   the part of a garment that covers or fits over the shoulder

   "an ornamental gold braid on the shoulder of his uniform"

5. shoulder, berm(verb)

   a narrow edge of land (usually unpaved) along the side of a road

   "the car pulled off onto the shoulder"

6. shoulder(verb)

   lift onto one's shoulders

7. shoulder(verb)

   push with the shoulders

   "He shouldered his way into the crowd"

8. shoulder(verb)

   carry a burden, either real or metaphoric

   "shoulder the burden"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shoulder(Noun)

   The joint between the arm and the torso, sometimes including the surrounding area.

   The parrot was sitting on Steve's shoulder.

   Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

2. shoulder(Noun)

   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.

   Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

3. shoulder(Noun)

   A cut of meat comprised of the upper joint of the foreleg and the surrounding muscle.

   Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

4. shoulder(Noun)

   The portion of a garment where the shoulder is clothed.

   Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

5. shoulder(Noun)

   The portion of a hill or mountain just below the peak.

   Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

6. shoulder(Noun)

   The lateral protrusion of a hill or mountain.

   Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

7. shoulder(Noun)

   (printing) The flat portion of type that is below the bevelled portion that joins up with the face.

   Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

8. shoulder(Noun)

   (music) The rounded portion of stringed instrument where the neck joins the body.

   Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

9. shoulder(Noun)

   The rounded portion of a bottle where the neck meets the body.

   Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

10. shoulder(Verb)

    To push (a person or thing) using one's shoulder.

    Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

11. shoulder(Verb)

    To carry (something) on one's shoulders.

    Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

12. shoulder(Verb)

    To accept responsibility for.

    shoulder the blame

    Etymology: From sholder, shulder, schulder, from sculdor, sculdra, from *, of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to skelduz, see shield. Cognate with skuldere, scholder, schouder, Schulter.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shoulder(noun)

   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

   Etymology: [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.]

2. Shoulder(noun)

   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

   Etymology: [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.]

3. Shoulder(noun)

   fig.: That which supports or sustains; support

   Etymology: [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.]

4. Shoulder(noun)

   that which resembles a human shoulder, as any protuberance or projection from the body of a thing

   Etymology: [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.]

5. Shoulder(noun)

   the upper joint of the fore leg and adjacent parts of an animal, dressed for market; as, a shoulder of mutton

   Etymology: [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.]

6. Shoulder(noun)

   the angle of a bastion included between the face and flank. See Illust. of Bastion

   Etymology: [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.]

7. Shoulder(noun)

   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

   Etymology: [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.]

8. Shoulder(verb)

   to push or thrust with the shoulder; to push with violence; to jostle

   Etymology: [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.]

9. Shoulder(verb)

   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

   Etymology: [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shoulder

   The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle, the scapula, and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which "shoulder joint" generally refers to. In human anatomy, the shoulder joint comprises the part of the body where the humerus attaches to the scapula, the head sitting in the glenoid fossa. The shoulder is the group of structures in the region of the joint. There are two kinds of cartilage in the joint. The first type is the white cartilage on the ends of the bones which allows the bones to glide and move on each other. When this type of cartilage starts to wear out, the joint becomes painful and stiff. The labrum is a second kind of cartilage in the shoulder which is distinctly different from the articular cartilage. This cartilage is more fibrous or rigid than the cartilage on the ends of the ball and socket. Also, this cartilage is also found only around the socket where it is attached. The shoulder must be mobile enough for the wide range actions of the arms and hands, but also stable enough to allow for actions such as lifting, pushing and pulling. The compromise between mobility and stability results in a large number of shoulder problems not faced by other joints such as the hip.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shoulder

   In fortification, that part of a bastion adjacent to the junction of a face with a flank. The actual meeting of these two lines forms the "angle of the shoulder."

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shoulder

   The upper part of a blade of a sword. Also, the salient angle of the flank of a bastion. To shoulder, to lay on the shoulder, or to rest anything against it. Hence, to shoulder arms, a word of command in the manual exercise.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. shoulder

   A joint in the body of an animal or human being.

   She used the power of her shoulder to use her tennis racket.

   Submitted by MaryC on February 15, 2020  

Entomology(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Shoulder

   loosely applied to an obtuse angulation; more generally to the humeral angle of fore wings or elytra: the anterior angles of thorax in Lepidoptera; the angles of prothorax in Heteroptera: the lateral angles of metazona of pronotum in Orthoptera.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'shoulder' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2243

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'shoulder' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3075

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'shoulder' in Nouns Frequency: #537

How to pronounce shoulder?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say shoulder in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of shoulder in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of shoulder in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of shoulder in a Sentence

1. Ohio Gov. John Kasich:

   We as Americans must assert leadership and we need to stand shoulder to shoulder with France and the French people, this is a moment to bring us together.

2. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper:

   Part of that duty requires Islamic State militants to stand tall and shoulder Islamic State militants share of the burden in the fight against ISIL.

3. Zaira Wasim:

   He kept nudging my shoulder and continued to move his foot up and down my back and neck, is this how we are going to take care of girls?

4. Julie Cote:

   We found in terms of muscle activity there were patterns that seemed to be healthier in the neck and shoulder while people were walking.

5. Liesl Tesch:

   I think he said 'dinero' (money), and then he said something else, but I don't know what he said, lifted the gun up towards me and then pushed me in the shoulder and I just fell down on the cobblestones.

Images & Illustrations of shoulder

Popularity rank by frequency of use