shank: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal, technical (specific domains: anatomy, butchery, manufacturing, golf, prison slang)
Quick answer
What does “shank” mean?
The part of the leg between the knee and the ankle in humans or a corresponding part in animals.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The part of the leg between the knee and the ankle in humans or a corresponding part in animals; the lower part of the leg.
A long, narrow, straight part of a tool or object (e.g., a shank of a key, drill, or anchor); a poor-quality, improvised knife made from something else (prison slang); the part of a piece of meat that corresponds to the leg (e.g., a lamb shank); in golf, a shot that is struck with the heel of the club and veers sharply to the right (for a right-handed player).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely consistent. 'Lamb shank' is equally common in culinary contexts. The verb 'to shank' (to stab with an improvised weapon) may be slightly more frequent in American media depictions of prison life.
Connotations
Similar connotations across dialects. The anatomical sense is neutral/technical. The weapon/golf senses are informal and carry negative associations of violence or poor skill.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday conversation except in specific domains (cooking, technical descriptions, specific slang/golf contexts).
Grammar
How to Use “shank” in a Sentence
N (anatomical/object part)V + N (to shank a person)N of N (the shank of the evening - archaic)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “shank” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The inmate was accused of trying to shank a guard with a sharpened toothbrush.
- He completely shanked his approach shot into the woods.
American English
- In the movie, the character gets shanked in the prison yard.
- I shanked the ball so badly it almost hit the clubhouse.
adverb
British English
- None. 'Shank' is not used as an adverb.
American English
- None. 'Shank' is not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- A shank button is one with a loop on the back rather than holes.
- He suffered a shank injury from the rusty metal.
American English
- The drill uses a shank adapter for different bits.
- It was a classic shank putter, not a mallet.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in manufacturing: 'The shank of the bolt was threaded.'
Academic
In anatomy, archaeology (bone analysis), or materials science.
Everyday
Most common in cooking ('braised lamb shank') or informal talk about golf ('I shanked my drive') or crime ('he was shanked in prison').
Technical
Standard in butchery, tool/engineering design ('drill shank'), and golf terminology.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “shank”
- Using 'shank' to mean the whole leg (it's only the lower part).
- Using the verb 'shank' in formal contexts.
- Pronouncing it /ʃeɪŋk/ (like 'shake') instead of /ʃæŋk/ (like 'bank').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not inherently. Its anatomical and technical senses are neutral. However, its slang meaning as a verb (to stab) or noun (an improvised knife) is associated with crime and violence, making it inappropriate for formal contexts.
They refer to overlapping parts of the lower leg. 'Shin' usually refers specifically to the front (anterior) part of the leg between knee and ankle, often highlighting the bone (tibia). 'Shank' is a slightly more general term for the whole lower leg segment, often used in butchery and tool metaphors.
Very rarely. The verb 'to shank' is almost exclusively used in golf and sometimes football/soccer to describe a wildly mis-kicked ball that goes sharply off-target, usually with the inside or outside of the foot rather than the laces.
It is considered archaic or literary. You might encounter it in older literature or in stylized modern writing aiming for an old-fashioned tone, but it is not part of contemporary everyday speech.
The part of the leg between the knee and the ankle in humans or a corresponding part in animals.
Shank is usually informal, technical (specific domains: anatomy, butchery, manufacturing, golf, prison slang) in register.
Shank: in British English it is pronounced /ʃæŋk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ʃæŋk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The shank of the evening (archaic, literary: the main part of the evening)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SHANK of LAMB: the meat comes from the lower part of the animal's LEG. The word also relates to the straight part of a tool, like an anchor's 'leg'.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE LEG/SUPPORTING PART OF AN OBJECT IS A SHANK (e.g., shank of a key, anchor, drill). A BAD ACTION/ERRATIC MOVEMENT IS A SHANK (golf, prison attack).
Practice
Quiz
In a culinary context, what is most likely referred to as a 'shank'?