shoulder

pronunciation

How to pronounce shoulder in British English: UK [ˈʃəʊldə(r)] word uk audio image

How to pronounce shoulder in American English: US [ˈʃoʊldər] word us audio image

Noun:

the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
a cut of beef from the shoulder of the animal
a ball-and-socket joint between the head of the humerus and a cavity of the scapula
narrow edge of land (usually unpaved) along the side of a road
Verb:

lift onto one's shoulders
push with the shoulders
carry a burden, either real or metaphoric

Word Origin

shoulder: shoulder: [OE] Shoulder is a general West Germanic word, with relatives in German schulter and Dutch schouder (it was also borrowed into Swedish and Danish as skuldra and skulder respectively). It goes back to a prehistoric *skuldr-, but where this came from is not clear. One suggestion is that it is distantly related to English shield, and originally denoted ‘shoulder-blade’ (the underlying meaning being ‘flat piece’).

shoulder (n.): Old English sculdor "shoulder," from West Germanic *skuldro (cognates: Middle Dutch scouder, Dutch schouder, Old Frisian skoldere, Middle Low German scholder, Old High German scultra, German Schulter), of unknown origin, perhaps related to shield (n.). Meaning "edge of the road" is attested from 1933. Cold shoulder (Neh. ix:29) translates Latin humerum recedentum dare in Vulgate (but see cold shoulder). Shoulder-length, of hair, is from 1951.

shoulder (v.): c. 1300, "to push with the shoulder," from shoulder (n.). Meaning "take a burden" first recorded 1580s. The military sense is from 1590s. Related: Shouldered; shouldering.

4. However , authorities must also shoulder blame for not taking the problem seriously enough .