- (often in compounds) a long, narrow passage that usually goes straight down in a building or underground, used especially for a lift or as a way of allowing air in or out
- a lift/elevator shaft
- a mineshaft
- a ventilation shaft
Extra Examples- The workers go down to the tunnels through a vertical shaft sunk from the top of the cliff.
- They lowered him down to the bottom of the deep shaft.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deep
- vertical
- narrow
- …
- dig
- drill
- sink
- …
- down a/the shaft
- in a/the shaft
- into a/the shaft
- …
- the bottom of a shaft
- the top of a shaft
Definitions on the go
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- the long narrow part of an arrow, hammer, golf club, etc.
- The clubs are fitted with graphite shafts.
- (often in compounds) a metal bar that joins parts of a machine or an engine together, enabling power and movement to be passed from one part to another see also camshaft, crankshaftTopics Engineeringc2
- [usually plural] either of the two long poles at the front of a carriage or cart between which a horse is fastened in order to pull it
- shaft of light, sunlight, etc. (literary) a long, narrow area of light
- A shaft of moonlight fell on the lake.
- (figurative) a shaft of inspiration
- shaft of pain, fear, etc. (literary) a sudden strong feeling of pain, etc. that travels through your body
- Shafts of fear ran through her as she heard footsteps behind her.
- shaft of something (formal) a clever remark that is intended to upset or annoy somebody
- a shaft of wit
Word OriginOld English scæft, sceaft ‘handle, pole’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schaft, German Schaft, and perhaps also to sceptre. Early senses of the verb (late Middle English) were ‘fit with a handle’ and ‘send out shafts of light’.
Idioms
See shaft in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee shaft in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishgive somebody the shaft
- (North American English, informal) to treat somebody unfairly
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shaft