1
c(1)
: an arrow especially for a longbow
(2)
: the body or stem of an arrow extending from the nock to the head
2
: a sharply delineated beam of light shining through an opening
3
: something suggestive of the shaft of a spear or arrow especially in long slender cylindrical form: such as
a
: the trunk of a tree
b
: the cylindrical pillar between the capital and the base
c
: the handle of a tool or instrument (such as a golf club)
d
: a commonly cylindrical bar used to support rotating pieces or to transmit power or motion by rotation
e
: the stem or central axis of a feather
f
: the upright member of a cross especially below the arms
g
: the cylindrical part of a long bone between the enlarged ends
h
: a small architectural column (as at each side of a doorway)
i
: a column, obelisk, or other spire-shaped or columnar monument
j
: a vertical or inclined opening of uniform and limited cross section made for finding or mining ore, raising water, or ventilating underground workings (as in a cave)
k
: the part of a hair that is visible above the surface of the skin see hair illustration
l
: a vertical opening or passage through the floors of a building
4
a
: a projectile thrown like a spear or shot like an arrow
b
: a scornful, satirical, or pithily critical remark or attack
c
: harsh or unfair treatment
—usually used with the
gave them the shaft
shafted; shafting; shafts
Synonyms
Examples of shaft in a Sentence
Noun
the shaft of a spear
the shaft of a golf club
Verb
You really got shafted in that deal.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jade Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Nov. 2024
Pit is a cramped, two-story series of mining shafts.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 July 2024
But things are about to kick off, as Yoshii/Ratel’s many aggrieved associates team up, becoming a kind of collective vent for and magnifier of the frustrations of all the buyers and sellers who’ve ever been shafted by an unscrupulous middleman.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 31 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shaft 
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Noun
Three-to-four-feet deep grave shafts were found while preparing to begin archaeological excavation east of the White River.
—Jade Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Nov. 2024
Pit is a cramped, two-story series of mining shafts.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
Winner: Disney Lines Disney: The Disney parks have been shafting their annual pass holders recently.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 July 2024
But things are about to kick off, as Yoshii/Ratel’s many aggrieved associates team up, becoming a kind of collective vent for and magnifier of the frustrations of all the buyers and sellers who’ve ever been shafted by an unscrupulous middleman.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 31 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shaft
Dictionary Entries Near shaft
Cite this Entry
“Shaft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shaft. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
shaft
noun
plural shafts
ˈshaf(t)s 
: a long slender cylindrical body or part: as
a
: the cylindrical part of a long bone between the enlarged ends
b
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