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Definition of shoulder verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

shoulder

verb
 
/ˈʃəʊldə(r)/
 
/ˈʃəʊldər/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they shoulder
 
/ˈʃəʊldə(r)/
 
/ˈʃəʊldər/
he / she / it shoulders
 
/ˈʃəʊldəz/
 
/ˈʃəʊldərz/
past simple shouldered
 
/ˈʃəʊldəd/
 
/ˈʃəʊldərd/
past participle shouldered
 
/ˈʃəʊldəd/
 
/ˈʃəʊldərd/
-ing form shouldering
 
/ˈʃəʊldərɪŋ/
 
/ˈʃəʊldərɪŋ/
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    accept responsibility

  1. [transitive] shoulder something to accept the responsibility for something
    • to shoulder the responsibility/blame for something
    • women who shoulder the double burden of childcare and full-time work
    Extra Examples
    • He was unwilling to shoulder this responsibility alone.
    • I think everyone has got to shoulder the responsibility for this defeat.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + shoulder
    • have to
    • must
    • be willing to
    See full entry
  2. push with shoulder

  3. [transitive, intransitive] to push forward with your shoulder in order to get somewhere
    • shoulder your way + adv./prep. He shouldered his way through the crowd and went after her.
    • + adv./prep. She shouldered past a woman with a screaming baby.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • roughly
    • aside
    • out of the way
    phrases
    • shoulder your way past somebody/​something
    • shoulder your way through something
    See full entry
  4. [transitive] shoulder somebody/something + adv./prep. to push somebody/something out of your way with your shoulder
    • He shouldered the man aside.
    Extra Examples
    • We were shouldered roughly out of the way.
    • She made her way to the door, shouldering the other kids out of the way.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • roughly
    • aside
    • out of the way
    phrases
    • shoulder your way past somebody/​something
    • shoulder your way through something
    See full entry
  5. carry on shoulder

  6. [transitive] shoulder something to carry something on your shoulder
    • She shouldered her bag and set off home.
    • to shoulder arms (= to hold a weapon, rifle, etc. against your shoulder while you are not using it)
  7. Word OriginOld English sculdor, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch schouder and German Schulter.
See shoulder in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
previously
adverb
 
 
From the Word list
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B1
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