shin

¹ American  

[shin] / ʃɪn /

noun

1. the front part of the leg from the knee to the ankle.

2. the lower part of the foreleg in cattle.

3. the shinbone or tibia, especially its sharp edge or front portion.

4. Chiefly British. a cut of beef similar to the U.S. shank, usually cut into small pieces for stewing.

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verb (used with or without object)

shinned, shinning

1. to climb by holding fast with the hands or arms and legs and drawing oneself up.

shin ² American  

[sheen, shin] / ʃin, ʃɪn /

noun

1. the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

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shīn ³ American  

[sheen] / ʃin /

noun

1. the 13th letter of the Arabic alphabet.

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Shin ⁴ American  

[shin, sheen] / ʃɪn, ʃin /

noun

Buddhism.

1. a Japanese offshoot of the Pure Land Sect, requiring only faith in Amida for salvation through his accumulated merit.

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shin ¹ British  

/ ʃɪn /

noun

1. the front part of the lower leg

2. the front edge of the tibia

3. a cut of beef, the lower foreleg

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verb

1. to climb (a pole, tree, etc) by gripping with the hands or arms and the legs and hauling oneself up

2. (tr) to kick (a person) in the shins

shin ² British  

/ ʃɪn /

noun

1. the 21st letter in the Hebrew alphabet (ש), transliterated as sh

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Etymology

Origin of shin¹

before 1000; Middle English shine, Old English scinu; cognate with Dutch scheen, German Schien ( bein )

Origin of shin²

1895–1900; < Hebrew shīn, akin to shēn tooth

Origin of shīn³

From Arabic

Origin of Shin⁴

1895–1900; < Japanese: literally, faith < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese zhēn truth

Example Sentences

Gagging on the stench, he smeared his feet, shins and hands.

From Literature

It is the kind of place where you can lose an hour just looking at shin guards.

From The Wall Street Journal

This shin thing will heal just as fast, if it’s even a thing at all.

From Literature

A sense of urgency pushed me faster and faster, and I barely registered the pain as my shins hit stray barrels and crates in the dark.

From Literature

In the remote Ocotillo washes, where the scrubs claw at people’s shins, he recently found what he believes to be the remains of a human finger.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• tibia