sheepshank

sheep·shank
S1H4E1E1P3S1H4A1N1K5
UK/ˈʃiːpʃæŋk/US/ˈʃipˌʃæŋk/

noun

A type of knot which is useful for shortening a rope or taking up slack without cutting it.

Scrabble 22
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Meanings

nounsheepshank (plural sheepshanks)

plural sheepshanks

  1. nauticalA type of knot which is useful for shortening a rope or taking up slack without cutting it.
verbsheepshank (third-person singular simple present sheepshanks, present participle sheepshanking, simple past and past participle sheepshanked)

present singular third person sheepshanks · participle present sheepshanking · participle past sheepshanked · past sheepshanked

  1. transitiveTo shorten (a rope) using a sheepshank knot.

Origin

Originally sheepshank knot or sheepshanks knot, from sheep + shank (“part of the leg between the knee and ankle”); the connection between the knot and a sheep’s leg is unclear.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian възел за скъсяване на въже, скъсявам
  • възел за скъсяване на въже (văzel za skăsjavane na văže)type of knot
  • скъсявам (skăsjavam)to shorten (a rope) using a sheepshank knot
Dutch trompetsteek
  • trompetsteektype of knot
Finnish lyhennyssolmu, trumpettisolmu
  • lyhennyssolmutype of knot
  • trumpettisolmutype of knot
French nœud de jambe de chien
  • nœud de jambe de chientype of knot
Russian узел камикадзе
  • узел камикадзе (uzel kamikadze)type of knot
Swedish trumpetstek
  • trumpetstektype of knot
Cite this entry
APA

sheepshank. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheepshank

MLA

“sheepshank.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheepshank. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sheepshank,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sheepshank.

Source: sheepshank on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.