shoulder

I. shoul‧der¹ S2 W2 /ˈʃəʊldə $ ˈʃoʊldər/ BrE AmE noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: sculdor]
1. BODY PART [countable] one of the two parts of the body at each side of the neck where the arm is connected:
She tapped the driver on the shoulder.
He put his arm around her shoulders.
His shoulders were broad and powerful.
2. CLOTHES [countable] the part of a piece of clothing that covers your shoulders:
a jacket with padded shoulders
3. MEAT [uncountable and countable] the upper part of the front leg of an animal that is used for meat
shoulder of
a shoulder of pork
4. be looking over your shoulder to feel worried that something unpleasant is going to happen to you
5.
a) a shoulder to cry on someone who gives you sympathy:
Ben is always there when I need a shoulder to cry on.
b) cry on sb’s shoulder to get sympathy from someone when you tell them your problems
6. shoulder to shoulder
a) having the same aims and wanting to achieve the same thing SYN side by side
shoulder to shoulder with
We are working shoulder to shoulder with local residents.
b) physically close together SYN side by side:
Blacks and whites stood shoulder to shoulder in the stands to applaud.
7. on sb’s shoulders if blame or a difficult job falls on someone’s shoulders, they have to take responsibility for it:
The blame rests squarely on Jim’s shoulders.
8. put your shoulder to the wheel to start to work with great effort and determination
9. ROAD-SIDE [countable] American English an area of ground beside a road, where drivers can stop their cars if they are having trouble ⇨ ↑hard shoulder, ↑soft shoulder
10. CURVED SHAPE [countable] a rounded part just below the top of something
⇨ give somebody the cold shoulder at ↑cold¹(7), ⇨ have a chip on your shoulder at ↑chip¹(5), ⇨ be/stand head and shoulders above the rest at ↑head¹(29), ⇨ rub shoulders with at ↑rub¹(5), ⇨ straight from the shoulder at ↑straight¹(10)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ shrug your shoulders (=raise them to show that you do not know or care about something) Susan just shrugged her shoulders and said nothing.
▪ hunch your shoulders (=raise your shoulders and bend them forwards slightly) He hunched his shoulders against the rain.
▪ look/glance over your shoulder (=look behind you) He glanced over his shoulder and grinned at me.
▪ sb’s shoulders shake (=because they are crying or laughing) His shoulders were shaking and tears of laughter were running down his face.
▪ sb’s shoulders slump/droop/sag (=move downwards because they are sad or tired) ‘You 're right,’ he sighed, his shoulders drooping.
▪ sb’s shoulders heave (=move up and down because they are crying or breathing deeply) She turned her back again, her shoulders heaving, her eyes blind with tears.
▪ straighten/square your shoulders (=stand with your shoulders straight, in a determined way) She squared her shoulders and knocked on the door.
■ adjectives
▪ broad/wide He was of medium height, with broad shoulders.
▪ strong/powerful He had powerful shoulders and a thick neck.
▪ massive/huge Dean shrugged his massive shoulders.
▪ narrow/slim Her dark hair spilled over her narrow shoulders.
▪ thin/bony shoulders She put her arm around the girl’s thin shoulders.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

shoulder

shoul·der [shoulder shoulders shouldered shouldering] noun, verb [ˈʃəʊldə(r)] [ˈʃoʊldər]

noun

PART OF BODY
1. countable either of the two parts of the body between the top of each arm and the neck
• He slung the bag over his shoulder.
• She tapped him on the shoulder.
• He looked back over his shoulder.
• She shrugged her shoulders (= showing that she didn't know or care).
• an off-the-shoulder dress
• He carried the child on his shoulders.

-SHOULDERED

2. (in adjectives) having the type of shoulders mentioned
• broad-shouldered

see also round-shouldered

CLOTHING

3. countable the part of a piece of clothing that covers the shoulder

• a jacket with padded shoulders

MEAT

4. uncountable, countable ~ (of sth) meat from the top part of one of the front legs of an animal that has four legs

OF MOUNTAIN/BOTTLE, ETC.
5. countable ~ (of sth) a part of sth, such as a bottle or mountain, that is shaped like a shoulder

• The village lay just around the shoulder of the hill.

SIDE OF ROAD

6. countable (NAmE) an area of ground at the side of a road where vehicles can stop in an emergency
• No shoulder for next 5 miles.
see also hard shoulder, soft shoulder
more at have a chip on your shoulder at chip _n., give sb the cold shoulder at cold _adj., be/stand head and shoulders above sb/sthhave a good head on your shoulders at head _n., (have) an old head on young shoulders at old, rub shoulders with sb at rub _v., straight from the shoulder at straight _adv.
Word Origin:
Old English sculdor, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch schouder and German Schulter.
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
Example Bank:
• He hunched his shoulders against the cold wind.
• He slung the sack over his shoulder and set off.
• Her shoulders lifted in a vague shrug.
• His broad shoulders heaved with sobs.
• His frozen shoulder has stopped him from playing tennis.
• I tapped the man on the shoulder and asked him to move.
• In an aggressive situation, we stand tall and square our shoulders.
• Inhale, drop your shoulders and raise your chest.
• Keep the feet shoulder width apart.
• My shoulders dropped with relief.
• Roll your shoulders forward and take a deep breath.
• She was crouched with her head forward and her shoulders bent.
• The bullet hit him squarely between the shoulder blades.
• The child sat on her father's shoulders to watch the parade go by.
• The route of the procession was lined with police officers standing shoulder to shoulder.
• When I asked him why he'd done it he just shrugged his shoulders.

Idioms: looking over your shoulder ▪ on somebody's shoulders ▪ put your shoulder to the wheel ▪ shoulder to cry on ▪ shoulder to shoulder

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

shoulder / ˈʃəʊl.də r / / ˈʃoʊl.dɚ / noun (BODY PART)

B1 [ C ] one of the two parts of the body at each side of the neck that join the arms to the rest of the body:

I rested my head on her shoulder.

Then she put her arm round my shoulder and gave me a kiss.

She glanced nervously over her shoulder to make sure no one else was listening.

See picture body

shoulders [ plural ] the top part of a person's back:

He was about six feet tall with broad shoulders.

"I don't know what to do about it," said Martha, shrugging her shoulders.

the parts of a piece of clothing that cover the wearer's shoulders:

The shoulders look a bit tight. Do you want to try a larger size?

a jacket with padded shoulders

[ C ] the part of a bottle that curves out below its opening [ C ] US for hard shoulder

-shouldered / -də r d / / -dɚd / suffix

to be broad/narrow -shouldered

shoulder / ˈʃəʊl.də r / / ˈʃoʊl.dɚ / noun (RESPONSIBILITY)

sb's shoulders used to refer to the responsibility that someone has or feels for something:

A huge burden was lifted from my shoulders (= I became much less worried) when I told my parents about my problem.

Responsibility for the dispute rests squarely on the shoulders of the president.

shoulder / ˈʃəʊl.də r / / ˈʃoʊl.dɚ / noun [ C or U ] (MEAT)

a piece of meat that includes the upper part of an animal's front leg:

I've bought a shoulder of lamb for Sunday lunch.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

shoulder

/ʃoʊldə(r)/
(shoulders, shouldering, shouldered)

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.

1.
Your shoulders are between your neck and the tops of your arms.
She led him to an armchair, with her arm round his shoulder...
He glanced over his shoulder and saw me watching him.
N-COUNT: oft poss N

2.
The shoulders of a piece of clothing are the parts that cover your shoulders.
...extravagant fashions with padded shoulders.
N-COUNT

3.
When you talk about someone’s problems or responsibilities, you can say that they carry them on their shoulders.
No one suspected the anguish he carried on his shoulders...
N-PLURAL: poss N

4.
If you shoulder the responsibility or the blame for something, you accept it.
He has had to shoulder the responsibility of his father’s mistakes...
= accept
VERB: V n

5.
If you shoulder something heavy, you put it across one of your shoulders so that you can carry it more easily.
The rest of the group shouldered their bags, gritted their teeth and set off...
VERB: V n

6.
If you shoulder someone aside or if you shoulder your way somewhere, you push past people roughly using your shoulder.
The policemen rushed past him, shouldering him aside...
She could do nothing to stop him as he shouldered his way into the house...
He shouldered past Harlech and opened the door.
VERB: V n with aside, V way prep/adv, V past/through n

7.
A shoulder is a joint of meat from the upper part of the front leg of an animal.
...shoulder of lamb.
N-VAR

8.
see also cold-shoulder, hard shoulder

9.
If someone offers you a shoulder to cry on or is a shoulder to cry on, they listen sympathetically as you talk about your troubles.
Roland sometimes saw me as a shoulder to cry on.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v

10.
If you say that someone or something stands head and shoulders above other people or things, you mean that they are a lot better than them.
The two candidates stood head and shoulders above the rest...
PHRASE: PHR above n

11.
If two or more people stand shoulder to shoulder, they are standing next to each other, with their shoulders touching.
They fell into step, walking shoulder to shoulder with their heads bent against the rain...
PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR

12.
If people work or stand shoulder to shoulder, they work together in order to achieve something, or support each other.
They could fight shoulder-to-shoulder against a common enemy...
PHRASE: usu v PHR

13.
a chip on one’s shoulder: see chip
to rub shoulders with: see rub

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹shoul·der /ˈʃoʊldɚ/ noun, pl -ders
1 [count] : the part of your body where your arm is connected
• He rested the baby's head on his shoulder.
• He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.
• She carried a backpack on one shoulder.
• He has broad shoulders.
- often used figuratively
• The responsibility for the failure falls squarely on her shoulders. [=she is completely responsible for the failure]
- see picture at human; see also cold shoulder
2 a [count] : the part of an animal's body where a front leg is connected
• The horse is five feet high at the shoulder.
b : a cut of meat from the shoulder of an animal

[count]

• a shoulder of lamb

[noncount]

• We had pork shoulder for dinner.
3 [count] : the part of a piece of clothing that covers your shoulders - usually plural
• The jacket is tight in the shoulders.
• The blouse has padded shoulders.
4 [count] : a part of something that is near the top and that resembles a person's shoulder in shape - often + of
• the shoulder of the hill/bottle
5 [singular] US : the outside edge of a road that is not used for travel
• They pulled over to the shoulder to fix the flat tire.
- called also (Brit) hard shoulder,
a good head on your shoulders
- see ¹head
a shoulder to cry on
1 : a person who gives you sympathy and support
• She's always been a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.
2 : sympathy and support
• He offered me a shoulder to cry on when my husband left me.
have a chip on your shoulder
- see ¹chip
head and shoulders above
- see ¹head
look over your shoulder : to worry or think about the possibility that something bad might happen, that someone will try to harm you, etc.
• You can never feel confident in this business. You always have to be looking over your shoulder.
rub shoulders with
- see ¹rub
shoulder to shoulder
1 : physically close together
• Everyone was standing/squeezed shoulder to shoulder on the crowded bus.
2 : united together to achieve a shared goal
• I stand shoulder to shoulder with the other legislators in this effort.