Definition of shaft. Meaning of shaft. Synonyms of shaft

Here you will find one or more explanations in English for the word shaft. Also in the bottom left of the page several parts of wikipedia pages related to the word shaft and, of course, shaft synonyms and on the right images related to the word shaft.

Definition of shaft

Shaft
Shaft Shaft, n. [OE. shaft, schaft, AS. sceaft; akin to D. schacht, OHG. scaft, G. schaft, Dan. & Sw. skaft handle, haft, Icel. skapt, and probably to L. scapus, Gr. ????, ????, a staff. Probably originally, a shaven or smoothed rod. Cf. Scape, Scepter, Shave.] 1. The slender, smooth stem of an arrow; hence, an arrow. His sleep, his meat, his drink, is him bereft, That lean he wax, and dry as is a shaft. --Chaucer. A shaft hath three principal parts, the stele [stale], the feathers, and the head. --Ascham. 2. The long handle of a spear or similar weapon; hence, the weapon itself; (Fig.) anything regarded as a shaft to be thrown or darted; as, shafts of light. And the thunder, Winged with red lightning and impetuous rage, Perhaps hath spent his shafts. --Milton. Some kinds of literary pursuits . . . have been attacked with all the shafts of ridicule. --V. Knox. 3. That which resembles in some degree the stem or handle of an arrow or a spear; a long, slender part, especially when cylindrical. Specifically: (a) (Bot.) The trunk, stem, or stalk of a plant. (b) (Zo["o]l.) The stem or midrib of a feather. See Illust. of Feather. (c) The pole, or tongue, of a vehicle; also, a thill. (d) The part of a candlestick which supports its branches. Thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold . . . his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. --Ex. xxv. 31. (e) The handle or helve of certain tools, instruments, etc., as a hammer, a whip, etc. (f) A pole, especially a Maypole. [Obs.] --Stow. (g) (Arch.) The body of a column; the cylindrical pillar between the capital and base (see Illust. of Column). Also, the part of a chimney above the roof. Also, the spire of a steeple. [Obs. or R.] --Gwilt. (h) A column, an obelisk, or other spire-shaped or columnar monument. Bid time and nature gently spare The shaft we raise to thee. --Emerson. (i) (Weaving) A rod at the end of a heddle. (j) (Mach.) A solid or hollow cylinder or bar, having one or more journals on which it rests and revolves, and intended to carry one or more wheels or other revolving parts and to transmit power or motion; as, the shaft of a steam engine. See Illust. of Countershaft. 4. (Zo["o]l.) A humming bird (Thaumastura cora) having two of the tail feathers next to the middle ones very long in the male; -- called also cora humming bird. 5. [Cf. G. schacht.] (Mining) A well-like excavation in the earth, perpendicular or nearly so, made for reaching and raising ore, for raising water, etc. 6. A long passage for the admission or outlet of air; an air shaft. 7. The chamber of a blast furnace. Line shaft (Mach.), a main shaft of considerable length, in a shop or factory, usually bearing a number of pulleys by which machines are driven, commonly by means of countershafts; -- called also line, or main line. Shaft alley (Naut.), a passage extending from the engine room to the stern, and containing the propeller shaft. Shaft furnace (Metal.), a furnace, in the form of a chimney, which is charged at the top and tapped at the bottom.
shaft
Band Band (b[a^]nd), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Banded; p. pr. & vb. n. Banding.] 1. To bind or tie with a band. 2. To mark with a band. 3. To unite in a troop, company, or confederacy. ``Banded against his throne.' --Milton. Banded architrave, pier, shaft, etc. (Arch.), an architrave, pier, etc., of which the regular profile is interrupted by blocks or projections crossing it at right angles.

Meaning of shaft from wikipedia

- Look up shaft or shafts in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Shaft may refer to: Shaft (mechanical engineering), a rotating machine element used to transmit...
- A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a...
- and in its four sequels—Shaft's Big Score!, Shaft in Africa, Shaft (2000) and Shaft (2019)—as well as in the seven 1973–74 Shaft television films. Samuel...
- Shaft mining or shaft sinking is the action of excavating a mine shaft from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. Shallow shafts...
- A shaft tomb or shaft grave is a type of deep rectangular burial structure, similar in shape to the much shallower cist grave, containing a floor of pebbles...
- Shaft (stylized as SHAFT; ****anese: 株式会社シャフト, Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha Sha****o), also known as Shaft Animation Studio, is a ****anese animation studio...
- precipitation shaft is a weather phenomenon, visible from the ground at large distances from the storm system, as a dark vertical shaft of heavy rain...
- Shaft is a 2000 American action crime thriller film co-written, co-produced, and directed by John Singleton and starring Samuel L. Jackson in the title...
- Balance shafts are used in piston engines to reduce vibration by cancelling out unbalanced dynamic forces. The counter balance shafts have eccentric weights...
- Shaft is a 1971 American blaxploitation crime action thriller film directed by Gordon Parks and written by Ernest Tidyman and John D. F. Black. It is...