shunt: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Predominantly technical, medical, and informal.
Quick answer
What does “shunt” mean?
To move something or someone to a different, often less important, place or position, typically using force or a quick push.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To move something or someone to a different, often less important, place or position, typically using force or a quick push.
To divert or sidetrack; a component or action that provides an alternative path for electricity or fluid.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In BrE, 'shunt' is a common informal term for a car accident, especially a minor rear-end collision. This usage is rare in AmE.
Connotations
In both varieties, 'shunt' can have a negative connotation when referring to people (e.g., being 'shunted aside'). The BrE 'car accident' usage is neutral/informal.
Frequency
More frequent in BrE overall due to the specific traffic/collision meaning. In technical contexts (engineering, medicine), frequency is similar.
Grammar
How to Use “shunt” in a Sentence
shunt something/somebody + preposition (aside, into, off)be shunted + preposition (to, into)shunt something/somebody + adverb particleVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “shunt” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The train was shunted into a siding to let the express pass.
- After the merger, several managers were shunted off to regional offices.
- My insurance premium went up after my third shunt this year.
American English
- The surgeon will shunt fluid from the brain to the abdomen.
- The circuit uses a resistor to shunt excess current.
- They always shunt the difficult clients to the new trainee.
adjective
British English
- The shunt valve required adjustment.
- He works as a shunt driver in the rail yard.
American English
- The shunt resistor overheated.
- The patient has a shunt placement scheduled.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used metaphorically: 'New management shunted the old project team to a different department.'
Academic
Rare in humanities; appears in engineering/medical literature: 'The data was shunted to a backup server.' 'A ventriculoperitoneal shunt was installed.'
Everyday
Informal, often negative: 'I got shunted from one call centre agent to another.' (BrE) 'I had a minor shunt on the roundabout this morning.'
Technical
Core usage: Electronics (a low-resistance connection), Railways (moving rolling stock), Medicine (a tube diverting bodily fluid), Computing (redirecting data).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “shunt”
- Using 'shunt' as a neutral synonym for 'move' (e.g., 'I shunted the chair' sounds odd).
- Using the BrE 'car crash' meaning in AmE contexts where it may not be understood.
- Misspelling as 'shun' (which means to avoid).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, its core meaning is not highly formal. While it is standard in technical jargon (medicine, electronics), its general use meaning 'to push aside' is informal and often carries a negative tone.
Yes, but carefully. It is often used to describe moving someone to a less important position against their will or in a dismissive manner (e.g., 'shunted into a back-office job'). It can be perceived as dehumanising.
Both imply redirection. 'Divert' is more neutral and broad (divert traffic, divert a river). 'Shunt' suggests a more forceful, mechanical, or less considered movement, often to a less desirable location or a holding pattern.
For the word 'shunt', there is no significant phonetic divergence between standard British (RP) and General American pronunciations. Both use the /ʃ/ sound (as in 'ship') and the /ʌ/ vowel (as in 'cup'), resulting in /ʃʌnt/.
To move something or someone to a different, often less important, place or position, typically using force or a quick push.
Shunt: in British English it is pronounced /ʃʌnt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ʃʌnt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to shunt the responsibility”
- “to be shunted into a siding (figurative, for career stagnation)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SHUNT as a SHove to the side, like a SHUNTed train carriage is pUshed iNTo a siding.
Conceptual Metaphor
TREATING PEOPLE/THINGS LIKE FREIGHT TRAIN CARS (being moved without agency, relegated to sidings).
Practice
Quiz
In British English, which of the following is a common informal meaning of 'shunt'?