noun “shoulder”
singular shoulder, plural shoulders
- the upper part of your body between your neck and your arm
Sign up to see the translation of definitions and examples into any language.
She rested her head on his shoulder while they watched the movie.
- a piece of meat from the upper part of an animal's front leg and the nearby muscle
For dinner, we roasted a shoulder of lamb with garlic and rosemary.
- the part of a shirt, jacket, or other clothing that covers your shoulder
The dress had beautiful embroidery on the shoulders.
- the side area of a road where cars can stop in case of an emergency
She pulled over onto the shoulder to make a phone call safely.
- the part of a hill or mountain that sticks out sideways
The hikers rested on the shoulder of the mountain, enjoying the panoramic view below.
- the part of a musical instrument like a violin or guitar where the neck widens to join the main body
The violinist carefully polished the shoulder of her instrument to keep it in perfect condition.
- the part of a bottle where the neck widens to meet the main body
The label on the wine bottle was placed just below the shoulder.
- the part of a bullet cartridge where the narrow neck widens to join the larger body
The bullet jammed because there was dirt on the shoulder of the cartridge.
verb “shoulder”
infinitive shoulder; he shoulders; past tense shouldered; past part. shouldered; ger. shouldering
- to push someone or something with your shoulder
He shouldered the heavy door open with a grunt.
- to use your power to push someone aside in reaching your goals
She shouldered her way to the top management by intimidating her colleagues.
- to lift something and carry it on your shoulder
He shouldered the heavy backpack and started his hike up the mountain.
- to take responsibility for something, often a problem or a difficult task
She had to shoulder the burden of organizing the entire event by herself.
- in chess, to use your king to block the opponent's king from moving to important squares
In the endgame, he skillfully shouldered the opponent's king away from the pawn's promotion square.