<B>shirk, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to avoid or get out of doing (work or a duty). <BR> <I>Ex. He lost his job because he shirked his work. Common men cannot shirk world politics and at the same time enjoy private freedom (H. G. Wells).</I> (SYN) evade, shun, neglect. <DD><I>noun </I> a person who shirks or does not do his share; person who avoids work, duty, obligations, or the like. <BR> <I>Ex. You think we're all a lot of shirks (Edith Wharton).</I> noun <B>shirker.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="shirleypoppy">
<B>Shirley poppy,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a showy variety of corn poppy, usually with a single flower and white base, widely grown in flower gardens. </DL>
<A NAME="shirr">
<B>shirr, </B>verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to draw up or gather (cloth) on parallel threads, especially to trim (a garment) with shirring. <DD><B> 2. </B>to bake (eggs) in a shallow dish, or in individual dishes, with butter, and (sometimes) cream, and breadcrumbs. <DD><I>noun </I> a shirred arrangement of cloth. </DL>
<A NAME="shirring">
<B>shirring, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a gathering of cloth by sewing with parallel threads and pulling on the threads. </DL>
<A NAME="shirt">
<B>shirt, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a garment for the upper part of a man's or boy's body. It is usually of cotton, linen, or other washable fabric and is commonly buttoned down the front. A shirt has long or short sleeves and usually a collar and is worn as an outer garment or under a vest or jacket. <DD><B> 2a. </B>any one of various women's or girls' garments patterned on this. <DD><B> b. </B><B>=shirtwaist.</B> <DD><B> 3. </B>an undergarment for the upper part of the body; undershirt. <DD><B> 4. </B><B>=nightshirt.</B> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to clothe with or as if with a shirt. <BR><I>expr. <B>keep one's shirt on,</B> </I>(U.S. Slang.) to stay calm; keep one's temper. <BR> <I>Ex. It don't make any difference ... so you can just keep your shirt on (R. D. Saunders).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>lose one's shirt,</B> </I>(U.S. Slang.) to lose everything one owns. <BR> <I>Ex. The same people who hopefully predicted that my father would lose his shirt now say that he had the Midas touch (New Yorker).</I> adj. <B>shirtlike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="shirtband">
<B>shirtband, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the neckband, collar, or other band of a shirt. </DL>
<A NAME="shirtdress">
<B>shirt dress,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a shirtwaist dress; shirtwaister. <BR> <I>Ex. ... pale blue Osmaline shirt dress, the bib front hand-embroidered in silk, the collar, cuffs, and sleeves silk-stitched (Sunday Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shirtfront">
<B>shirt front,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the part of a shirt covering the chest. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=dickey</B> (1) (def. 1). </DL>
<A NAME="shirting">
<B>shirting, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> cloth for shirts. <BR> <I>Ex. He is also one of the most brilliant designers of shirting alive today (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shirtless">
<B>shirtless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> without a shirt or shirts. <BR> <I>Ex. barefooted and shirtless boys.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shirtmaker">
<B>shirtmaker, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person whose work is making or altering shirts. </DL>
<A NAME="shirtsleeve">
<B>shirtsleeve</B> or <B>shirt-sleeve, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a sleeve of a shirt. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>informal; direct. <BR> <I>Ex. a shirtsleeve conference, shirtsleeve diplomacy.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>plainspoken; homespun; folksy. <BR> <I>Ex. He was the local shirtsleeve philosopher (New Yorker).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>in</B> (<B>one's</B>) <B>shirtsleeves,</B> </I>with one's jacket or coat off; wearing one's shirt. <BR> <I>Ex. Lincoln thought it friendly to open the door himself in his shirtsleeves when two most elegant ladies came to call (Baron Charnwood). Working in shirtsleeves, Jake and Roy eschewed the usual trappings of executive life (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shirtsleeved">
<B>shirtsleeved</B> or <B>shirt-sleeved, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> in shirtsleeves; wearing a shirt without a coat. <BR> <I>Ex. shirt-sleeved men watering their lawns in the gentle half-light (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shirttail">
<B>shirttail, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> the divided lower part of a shirt, especially the back part. <BR> <I>Ex. His dress, however, has improved ... and although he occasionally wears his shirttails out they are more often neatly tucked in (New Yorker).</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> casual; informal. <BR> <I>Ex. a shirttail conference.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>hang onto one's shirttails,</B> </I>to depend completely upon one. <BR> <I>Ex. The Tunisian newspaper L'Action ... said "the hard reality teaches us every day that hanging onto the shirttails of the West brings us only insults and humiliation" (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shirtwaist">
<B>shirtwaist, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a woman's or girl's tailored blouse, usually with a collar and cuffs, worn with a separate skirt. <DD><B> 2. </B>a one-piece dress with a shirtlike top. <DD><I>adj. </I> having a bodice that resembles a shirt. <BR> <I>Ex. a trim shirtwaist dress.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shirtwaister">
<B>shirtwaister, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a one-piece dress with a shirtwaist top. <BR> <I>Ex. Of these charming shirtwaisters, some printed, others in woven cotton, the best are high waisted, slim (Observer).</I> </DL>
<B>shish kebab,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> square pieces of lamb or beef roasted or broiled on skewers or a spit with tomatoes, peppers, onion slices, etc. </DL>
<A NAME="shittah">
<B>shittah, </B>noun, pl. <B>shittahs,</B> <B>shittim,</B> or <B>shittah tree,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a tree from which shittim was obtained, probably a species of acacia with a hard, durable wood (in the Bible, Isaiah 41:19). </DL>
<A NAME="shittim">
<B>shittim, </B>noun, or <B>shittim wood,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the tough, durable wood of the shittah tree, from which the Ark of the Covenant and various parts of the Jewish tabernacle were built (in the Bible, Exodus 25:10-27:6). <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of various buckthorns of the United States, especially the cascara. </DL>
<A NAME="shiv">
<B>shiv, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Slang.) a knife or razor. </DL>
<A NAME="shiva">
<B>shiva</B> or <B>shivah, </B>noun, pl. <B>shivas,</B> <B>shivahs.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Judaism.) the initial seven days of mourning for a parent, brother, sister, husband, or wife, beginning immediately after burial. </DL>
<A NAME="shiva">
<B>Shiva, </B>noun. =Siva.</DL>
<A NAME="shivaree">
<B>shivaree, </B>noun, verb, <B>-reed,</B> <B>-reeing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) <DD><I>noun </I> a mock serenade to a newly married couple, made by beating as on kettles or pans, especially one performed by neighbors and friends outside the couple's bedroom; charivari. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to greet or serenade with a shivaree. <BR> <I>Ex. A crowd started out to shivaree the bride and groom</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shive">
<B>shive</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a thin, flat cork for stopping a wide-mouthed bottle. <DD><B> 2. </B>(British Dialect.) a slice, especially of bread. </DL>
<A NAME="shive">
<B>shive</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a particle of husk. <DD><B> 2. </B>a piece of thread or fluff, as on the surface of cloth. <BR><I>expr. <B>shives,</B> </I>the refuse of hemp or flax. <BR> <I>Ex. Chipboard can also be made from peanut shells, flax shives and bagasse (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shiver">
<B>shiver</B> (1), verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to shake as with cold, fear, or excitement; tremble; quiver. <BR> <I>Ex. A sudden gust of cold wind made me shiver. The leaves shivered in the breeze. He shivered as with an ague (Hawthorne). As a dog withheld a moment ... shivers ere he springs (Tennyson).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to sound or resound vibrantly. <BR> <I>Ex. a cry that shiver'd to the tingling stars (Tennyson).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to cause (a sail or sails) to flutter through the action of the wind on the edge or edges, as by luffing the helm. <DD><I>noun </I> the act or condition of shaking from cold, fear, or excitement. <BR> <I>Ex. Cold shivers went down Trilby's back as she listened (George du Maurier).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>the shivers,</B> </I>a fit of shivering; ague; chills. <BR> <I>Ex. It gives me the cold shivers when I think what might have become of me (Century Magazine).</I> noun <B>shiverer.</B> adv. <B>shiveringly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="shiver">
<B>shiver</B> (2), verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to break into small pieces; shatter or split into fragments or pieces. <BR> <I>Ex. a tree shivered by lightning. He shivered the mirror with a hammer.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to be shattered or split; fly into small pieces. <BR> <I>Ex. His statue fell, and shivered on the stones (James A. Froude).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a small piece; splinter. <BR> <I>Ex. thorns of the crown and shivers of the cross (Tennyson).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shivers">
<B>shivers, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>shiver</B> (1). </DL>
<B>shivery</B> (1), adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>quivering from or as if from cold, fear, or excitement; shivering. <BR> <I>Ex. Shivery, we had another drink; climbed into the car, and moved on (Atlantic).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>inclined to shiver, especially from cold. <BR> <I>Ex. ... the frail, shivery ... little being, enveloped in a tangle of black silk wraps (Harriet Beecher Stowe).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>chilly. <BR> <I>Ex. shivery weather.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>causing shivers, especially from fear. <BR> <I>Ex. a shivery experience.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shivery">
<B>shivery</B> (2), adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> apt to shatter or split; brittle. </DL>
<A NAME="shives">
<B>shives, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>shive</B> (2). </DL>
<A NAME="shivoo">
<B>shivoo, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Australian Slang.) a noisy party or celebration. </DL>
<A NAME="shivy">
<B>shivy</B> or <B>shivey, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> containing shives, as of wool or hair. </DL>
