shaft UK /ˈʃɑːft/US /ˈʃæft/noun 18verb 3forms 3 noun18 •The long, narrow, central body of a spear, arrow, or javelin.Her hand slipped off the javelin's shaft towards the spearpoint and that's why her score was lowered. •A vertical or inclined passage sunk into the earth as part of a mine.Your grandfather used to work with a crane hauling ore out of the gold mine's shafts. •A vertical passage housing a lift or elevator.Darn it, my keys fell through the gap and into the elevator shaft. •A ventilation or heating conduit.Our parrot flew into the air duct and got stuck in the shaft. •The chamber of a blast furnace. •Any long thin object, such as the handle of a tool. •One of the poles between which a draught animal is harnessed to a vehicle. •The long narrow body of a lacrosse stick.Sarah, if you wear gloves your hands might not slip on your shaft and you can up your game, girl! •The main axis of a feather.I had no idea that they removed the feathers' shafts to make the pillows softer! •Any column or pillar, particularly the body of a column between its capital and pedestal.Spirit, that made those heroes dare / To die, or leave their children free / Bid Time and Nature gently spare / The shaft we raise to thee. — 1847 •The main cylindrical part of the penis.The female labia minora is homologous to the penis shaft skin of males. •A beam or ray of light.Isn't that shaft of light from that opening in the cave beautiful? •A rotating machine element used to transmit power; a driveshaft •Anything cast or thrown as a spear or javelin.[…]and the Thunder, / Wing'd with red Lightning and impetuous rage, / Perhaps hath spent his shafts […] — 1667 •(slang, vulgar) An act of sexual intercourse.I sat on the sofa, got up, changed channels and doubted there'd be time to have a quick shaft and feign an orgasm today. — 2012 •A component of a loom which holds the heddles and is raised by treadles to create the shed.Eight shafts are required to weave this structure. If you have four shafts, you may weave something similar by threading alternate blocks to plain weave and 2/2 basket. — 1990 •A relatively small area of precipitation that an onlook can discern from the dry surrounding area. •(no longer used) The entire body of a long weapon, such as an arrow.A shaft hath three principal parts, the stele, the feathers, and the head. — 1545 verb3 •To equip with a shaft. •(slang) To fuck over; to cause harm to, especially through deceit or treachery.Your boss really shafted you by stealing your idea like that. •(slang, vulgar) To fuck; to have sexual intercourse with.Turns out my roommate was shafting my girlfriend. formsshafted · shafting · shafts
