Word: shoulder Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English schuldre, sholder, shulder, schulder, from Old English sċuldra, sċuldor (“shoulder”), from Proto-West Germanic *skuldru (“shoulder”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *skelduz (“shield”), see shield. Cognate with Old Frisian skuldere (“shoulder”) (West Frisian skouder (“shoulder”)), Middle Low German scholder (“shoulder”), Low German Schuller, Schulder (“shoulder”), Dutch schouder (“shoulder”), German Schulter (“shoulder”). Pronunciation: /ˈʃəʊldə/, /ˈʃoʊldɚ/ 1. The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and arm socket. Example: The parrot was sitting on Steve's shoulder. Example: But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…]. 2. The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and arm socket. 3. The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and arm socket. Example: In the firſt Courſe there was a Shoulder of Mutton, cut into an Æquilateral Triangle, a Piece of Beef into a Rhomboides, and a Pudding into a Cycloid. 4. The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and arm socket. 5. Anything forming a shape resembling a human shoulder. 6. A shelf between two levels. Example: He stopped the car on the shoulder of the highway to change the flat tire. Example: The shoulders are graded and the verges cleared well back to lessen the chances of hitting stray stock. 7. A shelf between two levels. Example: […]the north-western shoulder of the mountain[…] 8. A shelf between two levels. Example: I certainly was not prepared for the cosy nestling valleys that snuggled against the shoulders of the hills; a land where the graystone cottages and farmsteads still prevailed, but where they had taken on something of the softness of their kind in Gloucester and the Cotswolds, and seemed almost like growths of the soil; […]. 9. A shelf between two levels. 10. A shelf between two levels. Example: Having thus fully described my improved winnowing machine, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is in the forming of a series of shoulders one above another on the inclined board, forming the bottom of the hopper,... 11. The flat portion of type that is below the bevelled portion that joins up with the face. 12. The portion between the neck and the body. 13. The portion between the neck and the body. 14. The portion between the neck and the body. 15. That which supports or sustains; support. Labels: figuratively Example: passage[…]in thy ſhoulder do I builde my Seate; 16. The part of a key between the cuts and the bow. 17. The part of a wave that has not yet broken. Example: You see you're going to make it into the safety of the shoulder. It feels like the happiest day of your life. 18. A season or a time of day when there is relatively little air traffic. Example: For a round-trip journey starting from the UK during the shoulder period (1 April-30 June) […] Example: the determination of noise-induced disturbances during the shoulder hours and their consequences for the consecutive sleep period