shog

[ shog, shawg ]

verb (used with object)

, shogged, shog·ging.

1. to shake; jolt.

verb (used without object)

, shogged, shog·ging.

1. to jog along.

noun

1. a shake; jolt.

Word History and Origins

Origin of shog¹

1350–1400; Middle English shoggen (v.); perhaps akin to shock ¹

Example Sentences

If perchance a trot, it was a mere shog, comfortable enough with a short seat and high cantle.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Shog

What does shog mean?

Shog can be a verb meaning to shake or jolt, or a noun meaning a shake or jolt. It can also be used as a verb meaning to jog along.

Shog is used in the Scottish and British dialects, but very rarely.

Shog was the Dictionary.com Word of the Day on June 19, 2019!

Example: The thunder was so loud that it shogged me awake!

Where does shog come from?

The first records of shog come from around the 1400s. It is derived from the Middle English word shoggen, which may be related to shock.

Shakespeare used shog a few times in Henry V to mean something like “move on” or “get going,” much like jog along. In fact, the word jog may have originated as a blend of jot (a dialectical term meaning “to jog”) and shog (in its sense of “shake” or “jog”).

At some point, the noun sense of shog (“a shake or jolt”) became more figurative, meaning “a shock.” In 1786, Scottish poet Robert Burns used it this way in his collection Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect. In 1888, Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson used it in the same way: This will be a rare shog to poor Sir Oliver; he will turn paper-colour.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms of shog?

• shogs (plural noun, present tense verb)
• shogged (past tense verb)
• shogging (progressive tense verb)

What are some synonyms for shog?

• shake
• jolt
• rattle
• jog

What are some words shog may be commonly confused with?

• shock

How is shog used in real life?

Today, shog is very rarely used. When it is used, it is typically by British or Scottish speakers.

Are you SHOGGING? That's to shake, sway or swing.

— The Leeds Library (@theleedslibrary) September 12, 2016

Try using shog!

Is shog used correctly in the following sentence?

By the end of the race, I was so tired that I was just shogging along.