Shaft
noun
The long, thin part of something.
The shaft of the arrow was made of wood.
Often appears as...
- arrow shaft
- elevator shaft
noun
A long hole or tunnel in the ground, for example for mining.
The miners were trapped in the shaft.
noun
An act of treating someone unfairly.
She felt she got the shaft when she was passed over for promotion.
Often appears as...
- get the shaft
- give someone the shaft
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
noun
A beam of light or radiation.
A shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds.
Often appears as...
- shaft of sunlight
- shaft of light
noun
A column that forms part of a building or structure.
The church features a tall shaft by the entrance.
Often appears as...
- elevator shaft
- column shaft
noun
A pointed tool or weapon, such as an arrow or a spear.
The warrior threw the shaft at his enemy.
noun
The long, thin part of something.
The shaft of the arrow was made of wood.
Often appears as...
- arrow shaft
- elevator shaft
noun
A long hole or tunnel in the ground, for example for mining.
The miners were trapped in the shaft.
noun
An act of treating someone unfairly.
She felt she got the shaft when she was passed over for promotion.
Often appears as...
- get the shaft
- give someone the shaft
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
noun
A beam of light or radiation.
A shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds.
Often appears as...
- shaft of sunlight
- shaft of light
noun
A column that forms part of a building or structure.
The church features a tall shaft by the entrance.
Often appears as...
- elevator shaft
- column shaft
noun
A pointed tool or weapon, such as an arrow or a spear.
The warrior threw the shaft at his enemy.
Definition 1 of 6
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Objects
Refers to slender extending parts especially of tools or instruments.
He gripped the golf club's shaft tightly.
Pro Tip 2/2Typically Straight
Shafts are usually straight and provide support or conveyance.
A tent pole is a simple kind of shaft.
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Objects
Refers to slender extending parts especially of tools or instruments.
He gripped the golf club's shaft tightly.
Pro Tip 2/2Typically Straight
Shafts are usually straight and provide support or conveyance.
A tent pole is a simple kind of shaft.
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Objects
Refers to slender extending parts especially of tools or instruments.
He gripped the golf club's shaft tightly.
Pro Tip 2/2Typically Straight
Shafts are usually straight and provide support or conveyance.
A tent pole is a simple kind of shaft.
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Video examples
Do schools kill...
By the way, there's a shaft of nerves that joins the two halves of the brain, called the corpus callosum. It's thicker in women. Following off from Helen yesterday, this is probably why women are better at multitasking. Because you are, aren't you? There's a raft of research, but I know it from my personal life.
Video examples
My glacier cave...
The ice in the ceiling was glowing blue and green because the sunlight from far above was shining through the ice and lighting it all up. Now, we couldn't understand why this cave was so much colder than Snow Dragon until we got to the end, and we found out why. There was a huge pit or shaft called a moulin
Video examples
The Evolution of Ancient...
That's where the body of a king is going to rest in eternity. So you've gone to all this trouble to create this incredible monument around the body of that person. It's pretty amazing. To house his mummy, huge chunks of granite were slid down a passage into the shaft
Video examples
Design and future...
just an individual component but an entire system so one manufacturer is improving an engine by starting with a piston that makes it lighter and then that allows the return spring to be thinner which then allows the shaft to be shorter and then the changes cascades
Video examples
Why a Giant Machine Is...
complete advance that's getting mixed up into a mixture of soil and water and solution and then getting pulled up all the way to the conveyor belt and that conveyor belt then takes the material out to the shaft where it's dumped into
Video examples
Lisa Kristine: Photos...
When my hand slips, I suddenly remember a miner I had met days before who had lost his grip and fell countless feet down that shaft. As I stand talking to you today, these men are still deep in that hole,
Video examples
Record Cave Dive Leaves...
and the water is just above freezing because of the extreme conditions divers have been unable to reach the cave source one diver lost his life attempting to explore the main shaft in
Video examples
BBC Earth 50 Top Natural...
slowly inexorably it spreads down through the shafts towards the deeper part of the nest
Video examples
Best Of Ants PIPE BBC Earth
slowly inexorably it spreads down through the shafts towards the deeper part of the nest
Video examples
Ants Rip Queen's Legs...
slowly inexorably it spreads down through the shafts towards the deeper part of the nest
Video examples
Do schools kill...
By the way, there's a shaft of nerves that joins the two halves of the brain, called the corpus callosum. It's thicker in women. Following off from Helen yesterday, this is probably why women are better at multitasking. Because you are, aren't you? There's a raft of research, but I know it from my personal life.
Video examples
My glacier cave...
The ice in the ceiling was glowing blue and green because the sunlight from far above was shining through the ice and lighting it all up. Now, we couldn't understand why this cave was so much colder than Snow Dragon until we got to the end, and we found out why. There was a huge pit or shaft called a moulin
Video examples
The Evolution of Ancient...
That's where the body of a king is going to rest in eternity. So you've gone to all this trouble to create this incredible monument around the body of that person. It's pretty amazing. To house his mummy, huge chunks of granite were slid down a passage into the shaft
Video examples
Design and future...
just an individual component but an entire system so one manufacturer is improving an engine by starting with a piston that makes it lighter and then that allows the return spring to be thinner which then allows the shaft to be shorter and then the changes cascades
Video examples
Why a Giant Machine Is...
complete advance that's getting mixed up into a mixture of soil and water and solution and then getting pulled up all the way to the conveyor belt and that conveyor belt then takes the material out to the shaft where it's dumped into
Video examples
Lisa Kristine: Photos...
When my hand slips, I suddenly remember a miner I had met days before who had lost his grip and fell countless feet down that shaft. As I stand talking to you today, these men are still deep in that hole,
Video examples
Record Cave Dive Leaves...
and the water is just above freezing because of the extreme conditions divers have been unable to reach the cave source one diver lost his life attempting to explore the main shaft in
Video examples
BBC Earth 50 Top Natural...
slowly inexorably it spreads down through the shafts towards the deeper part of the nest
Video examples
Best Of Ants PIPE BBC Earth
slowly inexorably it spreads down through the shafts towards the deeper part of the nest
Video examples
Ants Rip Queen's Legs...
slowly inexorably it spreads down through the shafts towards the deeper part of the nest
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Ali Smith
Scottish Writer
When we meet a work of art, there's something about that encounter that isn't fixed in time, but rather, it unfixes time: the shaft opens. The past and present exist in the same moment, and we know, as beings, that we are connected. All the people who lived before us, all who will come after us, are connected in this moment.
Quote examples
Lee Trevino
American Golfer
I love watching Anthony Kim play, but I'm not a fan of the way he grips down a good two inches on his full-swing shots. Choking down lightens the club's swing weight and effectively makes the shaft stiffer. It also makes it difficult to hit the ball high enough for all situations.
Quote examples
Ernie Els
South African Golfer
When you get to the tee on a really long par 5, I know what you're feeling. You want to let the shaft out on the driver and try to bomb it down there. I get the same feeling. But a big tee shot is not always the best strategy, especially on a long hole.
Quote examples
Mark Schlereth
Special teams get the shaft when most people talk football. Unless a kicker's bombing a game-winner or a return man is going the distance, that important third of the game is all but forgotten.
Quote examples
Ben Crenshaw
American Athlete
I know most players do, but I always keep both eyes opened. I still do it. I see two shafts, the real one and the transparent one. I look for what's on the inside edge of the transparent one.
Quote examples
Tony Finau
American Athlete
When your hands are cold, and you're hitting with old, low-quality irons - my first one was a Merlin model with a green shaft - you learn what to do to hit the ball solid.
Quote examples
George Crook
American Soldier
When I jerked it out the head remained in my leg, where it remains still. There were a couple of inches of blood on the shaft of the arrow when I pulled it out.
Quote examples
Rza
American Musician
When we was making a song called 'Bring Da Ruckus,' we took the snare, and we put it in an elevator shaft and recorded it.
Quote examples
Powell Clayton
American Politician
In my preaching the shafts are ever aimed at the brainwashed horde.
Quote examples
Rita Wilson
American Actress
As a woman, I feel women get the shaft all the time.
Quote examples
Ali Smith
Scottish Writer
When we meet a work of art, there's something about that encounter that isn't fixed in time, but rather, it unfixes time: the shaft opens. The past and present exist in the same moment, and we know, as beings, that we are connected. All the people who lived before us, all who will come after us, are connected in this moment.
Quote examples
Lee Trevino
American Golfer
I love watching Anthony Kim play, but I'm not a fan of the way he grips down a good two inches on his full-swing shots. Choking down lightens the club's swing weight and effectively makes the shaft stiffer. It also makes it difficult to hit the ball high enough for all situations.
Quote examples
Ernie Els
South African Golfer
When you get to the tee on a really long par 5, I know what you're feeling. You want to let the shaft out on the driver and try to bomb it down there. I get the same feeling. But a big tee shot is not always the best strategy, especially on a long hole.
Quote examples
Mark Schlereth
Special teams get the shaft when most people talk football. Unless a kicker's bombing a game-winner or a return man is going the distance, that important third of the game is all but forgotten.
Quote examples
Ben Crenshaw
American Athlete
I know most players do, but I always keep both eyes opened. I still do it. I see two shafts, the real one and the transparent one. I look for what's on the inside edge of the transparent one.
Quote examples
Tony Finau
American Athlete
When your hands are cold, and you're hitting with old, low-quality irons - my first one was a Merlin model with a green shaft - you learn what to do to hit the ball solid.
Quote examples
George Crook
American Soldier
When I jerked it out the head remained in my leg, where it remains still. There were a couple of inches of blood on the shaft of the arrow when I pulled it out.
Quote examples
Rza
American Musician
When we was making a song called 'Bring Da Ruckus,' we took the snare, and we put it in an elevator shaft and recorded it.
Quote examples
Powell Clayton
American Politician
In my preaching the shafts are ever aimed at the brainwashed horde.
Quote examples
Rita Wilson
American Actress
As a woman, I feel women get the shaft all the time.
Example 1 of 10
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