shame|less /ʃe I mləs/ ADJ If you describe someone as shameless , you mean that they should be ashamed of their behaviour, which is unacceptable to other people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a shameless attempt to stifle democratic debate. ● shame|less|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ …a shamelessly lazy week-long trip.
sham|poo /ʃæmpuː / (shampoos , shampooing , shampooed )
1 N‑VAR Shampoo is a soapy liquid that you use for washing your hair. □ …a bottle of shampoo. □ …bubble baths, soaps and shampoos.
2 VERB When you shampoo your hair, you wash it using shampoo. □ [V n] Shampoo your hair and dry it. WORD HISTORY shampoo
A shampoo was originally a massage rather than a wash. The word 'shampoo' comes from the Hindi verb chāmpnā , meaning 'press', 'knead', or 'massage'.
sham|rock /ʃæ mrɒk/ (shamrocks ) N‑COUNT A shamrock is a small plant with three round leaves on each stem. The shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland.
shan|dy /ʃæ ndi/ (shandies ) N‑UNCOUNT Shandy is a drink which is made by mixing beer and lemonade. [BRIT ] □ …half a pint of shandy. ● N‑COUNT A glass of shandy can be referred to as a shandy .
shank /ʃæ ŋk/ (shanks )
1 N‑COUNT The shank of an object is the long, thin, straight part of the object. □ These hooks are sharp with long shanks.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Shanks are the lower parts of the legs; used especially with reference to meat. □ Turn the shanks and baste them once or twice as they cook.
shan't /ʃɑː nt, ʃæ nt/ Shan't is the usual spoken form of 'shall not'.
shan|ty /ʃæ nti/ (shanties )
1 N‑COUNT A shanty is a small rough hut which poor people live in, built from tin, cardboard, or other materials that are not very strong.
2 N‑COUNT A shanty is a song which sailors used to sing while they were doing work on a ship.
sha n|ty town (shanty towns ) also shantytown N‑COUNT A shanty town is a collection of rough huts which poor people live in, usually in or near a large city.
shape ◆◆◇ /ʃe I p/ (shapes , shaping , shaped )
1 N‑COUNT [oft in N ] The shape of an object, a person, or an area is the appearance of their outside edges or surfaces, for example whether they are round, square, curved, or fat. □ Each mirror is made to order and can be designed to almost any shape or size. □ [+ of ] …little pens in the shape of baseball bats. □ …sofas and chairs of contrasting shapes and colours. □ The buds are conical or pyramidal in shape. □ These bras should be handwashed to help them keep their shape.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to something that you can see as a shape if you cannot see it clearly, or if its outline is the clearest or most striking aspect of it. □ [+ of ] Lying in bed we often see dark shapes of herons silhouetted against the moon.
3 N‑COUNT A shape is a space enclosed by an outline, for example a circle, a square, or a triangle. □ He suggested that the shapes represented a map of Britain and Ireland.
4 N‑SING The shape of something that is planned or organized is its structure and character. □ [+ of ] The last two weeks have seen a lot of talk about the future shape of Europe.
5 VERB Someone or something that shapes a situation or an activity has a very great influence on the way it develops. □ [V n] Like it or not, our families shape our lives and make us what we are.
6 VERB If you shape an object, you give it a particular shape, using your hands or a tool. □ [V n + into ] Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a loaf.
7 → see also shaped
8 PHRASE If you say that something is the shape of things to come , you mean that it is the start of a new trend or development, and in future things will be like this. □ The new railway station is said to be the shape of things to come.
9 PHRASE If you say, for example, that you will not accept something in any shape or form , or in any way, shape or form , you are emphasizing that you will not accept it in any circumstances. [EMPHASIS ] □ I don't condone violence in any shape or form.
10 PHRASE If someone or something is in shape , or in good shape , they are in a good state of health or in a good condition. If they are in bad shape , they are in a bad state of health or in a bad condition. □ He was still in better shape than many young men. □ The trees were in bad shape from dry rot.
11 PHRASE You can use in the shape of to state exactly who or what you are referring to, immediately after referring to them in a general way. □ The Prime Minister found a surprise ally today in the shape of Jacques Delors, the Commission President.
12 PHRASE If you lick , knock, or whip someone or something into shape , you use whatever methods are necessary to change or improve them so that they are in the condition that you want them to be in. □ You'll have four months in which to lick the recruits into shape.
13 PHRASE If something is out of shape , it is no longer in its proper or original shape, for example because it has been damaged or wrongly handled. □ Once most wires are bent out of shape, they don't return to the original position.
14 PHRASE If you are out of shape , you are unhealthy and unable to do a lot of physical activity without getting tired.